main parts
Main Parts of a French Horn & What They Do
the French Horn (more accurately known as simply the "horn") is a curly, bell-backwards member of the classical brass family that occupies a unique place in orchestral voicing due to its unusually wide range and rich, subtle sound. The horn's particular tone and timbre is created in part by each .of the instrument's components performing their mechanical and acoustical functions.
Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece is the small, conical piece of metal that is pressed against the players lips. This is where the beginnings of the French Horn sound occur, as the player buzzes her lips. The vibrations from this buzz resonate inside the mouthpiece where they gain a more rich sound quality.
Lead Pipe
Attached to the mouthpiece is a long, straight length of tube called the lead pipe. Like the mouthpiece, this part of the horn helps to shape and transform the initial quality of the sound. As the sound resonates through this tube, it begins to form into what's known as an overtone series; the overtone series is a term from musical acoustics that refers to the phenomenon of objects (like the horn itself) vibrating in a series of distinct, separate pitches. For the player, this means that once tubing is added to the mouthpiece, the feeling of buzzing starts to lock into place with certain pitches.
Tubing
The rest of the tubing of the French Horn is designed to shape the sound from the buzz into a wide range of pitches based on the science of the overtone series. The tubing of a French Horn is very long, but composed of different lengths of tubes that are not directly attached. Each of these tubes has a different set of overtone pitches which are combined to create the many pitches that a horn can play.
Valves
The valves of the horn are mechanical devices operated by the fingers of the player's left hand. These mechanisms control the flow of air through the horn. By depressing the keys in different combinations, air is allowed to flow into certain areas of the horn or restricted from flowing through other areas. In this way, the pitch of the horn is manipulated by effectively making the tubing of the horn longer or shorter.
Bell
The bell is the large, flared cone of metal at the end of the horn's tubing. This piece acts as an amplifier to the sounds created in the horn's tubing, making the sound loud enough and resonant enough to be enjoyed by listeners.
The French horn I played by you put one hand in the bell on the side facing the audience in a karate chop and you put the other hand on the valve keys and the pinkie in the ring below the keys. You play by putting your mouth on the mouthpiece (2/3 on top lip and 1/3 on bottom) and you buzz your lips to make the sound. Tighten your lips to go higher and loosen to get lower.
the French Horn (more accurately known as simply the "horn") is a curly, bell-backwards member of the classical brass family that occupies a unique place in orchestral voicing due to its unusually wide range and rich, subtle sound. The horn's particular tone and timbre is created in part by each .of the instrument's components performing their mechanical and acoustical functions.
Mouthpiece
The mouthpiece is the small, conical piece of metal that is pressed against the players lips. This is where the beginnings of the French Horn sound occur, as the player buzzes her lips. The vibrations from this buzz resonate inside the mouthpiece where they gain a more rich sound quality.
Lead Pipe
Attached to the mouthpiece is a long, straight length of tube called the lead pipe. Like the mouthpiece, this part of the horn helps to shape and transform the initial quality of the sound. As the sound resonates through this tube, it begins to form into what's known as an overtone series; the overtone series is a term from musical acoustics that refers to the phenomenon of objects (like the horn itself) vibrating in a series of distinct, separate pitches. For the player, this means that once tubing is added to the mouthpiece, the feeling of buzzing starts to lock into place with certain pitches.
Tubing
The rest of the tubing of the French Horn is designed to shape the sound from the buzz into a wide range of pitches based on the science of the overtone series. The tubing of a French Horn is very long, but composed of different lengths of tubes that are not directly attached. Each of these tubes has a different set of overtone pitches which are combined to create the many pitches that a horn can play.
Valves
The valves of the horn are mechanical devices operated by the fingers of the player's left hand. These mechanisms control the flow of air through the horn. By depressing the keys in different combinations, air is allowed to flow into certain areas of the horn or restricted from flowing through other areas. In this way, the pitch of the horn is manipulated by effectively making the tubing of the horn longer or shorter.
Bell
The bell is the large, flared cone of metal at the end of the horn's tubing. This piece acts as an amplifier to the sounds created in the horn's tubing, making the sound loud enough and resonant enough to be enjoyed by listeners.
The French horn I played by you put one hand in the bell on the side facing the audience in a karate chop and you put the other hand on the valve keys and the pinkie in the ring below the keys. You play by putting your mouth on the mouthpiece (2/3 on top lip and 1/3 on bottom) and you buzz your lips to make the sound. Tighten your lips to go higher and loosen to get lower.