French Horn
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The French Horn is a brass instrument built in a circle, with a large bell that is held down by the player's side. Its rich, velvety sound is heard mostly in orchestras and bands. The French horn first came into the orchestra in pairs to portray the sound of hunting horns but is now used in music of all sorts.
| Family |
| Brasses |
| Pitch range |
| Three-and-a-half octaves. |
| Material |
| Brass. |
| Size |
| Variable ; total length of unwound tube is between 9 and 12 ft (2.80-3.60 m). |
| Origins |
| The French horn developed from the hunting horn, with the addition of crooks in the 18th century, and valves in the early 19th. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| As it is difficult for a player to be able to master both the extreme high and the extreme low notes, players specialize in one or other range. |
