Guide to Buying Your First French Horn. Possibly
the most unique of the brass instruments, the horn has a wonderful warm
sound
and it adds a colour to the orchestra not offered by any other
instrument. It
is to some seen as the perfect blend between woodwind and brass wind
instruments
Single
In
its simplest explanation, a single horn has
the
least amount of tubing and is limited to one key. Majority of single
horns are
in the key of F and have three rotary valves that are used
to change the notes.
Single horns are easier to hold, as there is less tubing and therefore
weigh
less. In Australia the single horn is rarely played
professionally, but may be
a good option for the beginner Half Double or
Compensating Double Horn
The half double (or compensating double)
horn is a difficult one to explain, but I will do my best…
I see it as a compromise between the single
and the full double horn. In essence it
is a single horn pitched in Bb with a 4th
valve to put the horn down a fourth (to the key of F). When one
activates this fourth valve the air then travels through the Bb tubing
plus another set of smaller slides to compensate for the longer tubing
needed on the F side. This adds a lot more bends and therefore
resistance to the instrument when playing on the F side, which tends to
make the horn feel “stuffy”. This gives the player the range of the
full double horn, without the added expense and weight of a full
double, but does not provide accurate intonation
or a clear open sound on both sides of the instrument.
Full Double Horn The
Double Horn is called so, due to the fact that it actually has two sets
of tubing. The two sets of tubing allow the player to switch between
the keys of F and Bb which are engaged by a fourth valve operated by
the thumb. The Bb side of the instrument responds better in the higher
register, and offers better intonation, where as the F side of the horn
gives a warmer sound. Almost all intermediate and professional Horns
are Double Horns. The only draw back with a full double is the extra
weight of the tubing…. so eat your weeties! Wraps The
wrap refers to the way the tubing is bent for the Bb side of the horn.
There are two different designs for Double Horn wraps: the Geyer wrap
and the Kruspe wrap. The difference is where the thumb lever for the
4th valve is placed. The Kruspe puts the valve above the first valve
near the thumb, where as the Geyer wrap puts the valve after the 3rd valve near the little finger of
the left hand. In both cases the left hand thumb operates the valve.
The difference is in the airflow between
the two types of wraps, in effect the air flows in a different
direction to the other. The Kruspe seems to be the most favoured
design. Both the Kruspe and Geyer have their own pros and cons, but
really it comes down the discretion of the horn player.
There are different tapers to the bell of
a French horn. The taper is the way the horn increases from a small
diameter to the end of the bell. This is referred to as the bell flare
or throat size. Student horns will generally have a small
bell flare as this helps to focus the sound, and as a result is easier
to play. The compromise is that it also makes the sound quite bright,
and punchy. Professional horns usually have a large bell flare, which is harder to control, but produces a much broader, thicker, darker and warmer sound.
Bell
Material
There are 4 different types of material
used in making a brass instruments bell. Each material has a distinct
influence on how the instrument will sound.
What else do I need?We here at Brass n Woodwind recommend the following accessories to keep your French Horn in the best of health
For a very thorough guide to French horn cleaning/maintenance please see the following link. http://nmnm.essortment.com/frenchhornclea_pev.htm
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