French Horn

The French horn was developed in the middle of the seventeenth century (1650). It is made of brass and has three rotary valves played by the left hand while the right hand is inserted into the bell of the instrument to control the pitch and tone quality. Despite its name, the French horn is not actually French!

The French horn, if it was stretched out straight, would be over 12 feet long. The tubing is mostly conical. French horns have a large range and a soaring tone quality in their upper register.

French horns can be heard in orchestras, concert bands, brass bands, studio orchestras, and brass ensembles.

Study the image provided and listen to the sound sample of the French horn to gain an understanding of this instrument.

Listen to a sample of the French horn: