French horn

French horn
(french horn)

[Eng.]

Alto range brass instrument with a conical bore and keys to change the length of the tubing, and thus the tones available to the instrument, making it fully chromatic from the B below the bass clef to the F on the top line of the treble clef. This is a transposing instrument in F, so those sounded pitches would be written a fifth higher.

See also horn.

French Horn

Photo courtesy of G. Leblanc Corporation

SUGGESTED LISTENING EXAMPLES:

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Nocturne: W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 10
Ravel: Boléro (French horn): W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 47
Saint-Säens: Samson and Delilah, "Bacchanale" (conclusion): W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 3, Track 2

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