the french horn is a
left handed instrument with three valves derived from multi-coiled hunting horns first seen in
france in the late sixteenth century. if the horn has an additional trigger (as most modern horns do), it is a double horn; the
trigger allows the
musician to alternate between the keys of F and Bb (B flat) (and can help extend the
range of experienced players). horns without the Bb trigger are called
single horns.
most
french horn players will insist that the
proper name for the instrument is simply
horn, and that they are hornists, however most non-musicians associate the word
horn with a broad classification of
musical
instruments.
The
right hand of the musician is held inside the rim of the bell primarily to
soften and round out (or de-
brass, if you will) the sound. The tuning is adjusted by slides and the
instrument is
tuned with the hand in the
bell. The
hand should be held in a c-shaped cup, to
deflect the air, rather than actually
muffle it. the hand position can be changed during play to
mute, change the
tone colour, and alter intonation, but these
techniques are difficult for all but
experienced horn players.
daily maintenance:
remove "water" (
spit) after each use. remove
skin acid from the valves and bell with a soft cloth.
weekly maintenance:
unscrew the caps near the valves and oil the bearing. oil inside the valve slides and spin the horn to oil the valve itself.
grease the slides and mouthpiece. wipe mouthpiece with silver cloth to prevent
tarnishing.
monthly maintenance:
run a bathtub or deep sink full of warm water. remove all the slides and pour some dish
soap into each. flush the horn with water, spinning it to circulate it, until the water comes out without
bubbles. let the horn dry as you
clean each of the slides. dry and regrease the slides, re
assemble the horn and
oil the valves.
periodic maintenance:
check the
strings which control the valves for
weakness and
fraying and replace them when these are noticed. otherwise replace strings twice per year with braided
nylon. check the
rubber or
cork of the spit valve (if the horn has one, many don't), if it isn't seated
properly the horn can sound airy.