About French Horns
French Horns have been a part of orchestras and band for a very long time. Their resonance is incomparable. The types of French horns most commonly in use today are the single and double horns.
There are only two different types of French Horns. You can find out more about each of them below
Single F French Horn
One of the most versatile, and possibly the most intricate, of all the brass instruments, the French horn has a long and noble histroy, having risen from a simple instrument used primarily on the hunt to its present place of prominence in the band, orchestra, and chamber ensemble. The single F French horn is a transposing instrument, written a perfect 5th higher than it sounds. Its three valves, used singly and in combination, enable the player to extend the range downward an additional six semitones in the same manner as the trumpet. The main problem facing the single horn is that of tone placement when it reaches the middle to upper part of its harmonic series. The higher harmonics begin to cluster causing the tones to “split”.
Double French Horn
One of the most versatile, and possibly the most intricate, of all the brass instruments, the French horn has a long and noble history, having risen from a simple instrument used primarily on the hunt to its present place of prominence in the band, orchestra, and chamber ensemble. The double French horn is the most popular for school band programs. There are three regular valves but it also has a forth valve operated by the thumb which, when depressed cuts off a sufficient amount of tubing to put the instrument into B-flat, a perfect fourth higher. Thus the double horn player can switch to the B-flat side of the horn when it approaches the upper register and avoid the uncertainties of tone placement.
