Beginning Band: Playing the French Horn

INTRODUCTION

Meet French horn player Alexander Henton! He will tell you about his instrument and why he chose to play it.

FUN FACTS

• Take a good look at the French horn. Do you notice it’s basically just one long tube wrapped in a coil? If you were to uncoil that long tube, it would be about 12 or 13 feet long!

• Should we call it “French” horn, or just “horn”? Not everyone agrees! Read this short article to learn more.

• The French horn is a relative of early hunting horns that were used to send signals across far distances. A hunting horn might have played loud sounds to let people know they were in danger or to announce the beginning of an important event.  

LISTEN and WATCH

Here is more music featuring the French horn.

In the below video, French horn players use mutes to change the timbre of their instruments. Can you compare and contrast the different sounds you hear?