348. WHY IS THE FRENCH HORN CONSIDERED THE HARDEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENT TO PLAY AMONGTHE BRASS WINDS?

 

THE FRENCH HORN TOGETHER WITH THE OBOE WAS DECLARED BY THE GUINESS ORGANIZATION AS THE HARDEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS TO PLAY, HARDER THAN THE VIOLIN!

THE FIRST 16 OVERTONES OR PARTIALS OF 4 OCTAVES  AS ORDINAL NUMBERS OF THE NOTES OF DIATONIC SCALE ARE THE NEXT

FIRST OCTAVE= 1

2ND OCTAVE=1,5  (POWER CHORD)

3RD OCTAVE=1,3,5 (MAJOR CHORD)

4TH OCTAVE=1,2,3,4#, 5 , 5#, 6# 7 , 1' (AN 8-NOTES SCALE ALMOST CONTAINING THE 7-NOTES DIATONICSCALE)

A Bb3 french horn is harder than say a Bb3 trumpet for the next reasons 1) Bb3 french horn uses double the length of tube of the Bb3 trumpet, although both have valves. The old baroque or natural trumpet has also double lentgh to the modern and it is considered more difficult 2) The double length makes a shift in the playing from the 2nd-to-8th partial which is for a normal trumpet to the 4th-16th partial which is with the french horn. Thus the partials are of larger number per octave, and although they require less finger-action they also require very carefyul embouchure to seprate the partials (otherwise we get split notes). 3) Furthermore as we enter the octave from 8th partial to 16th partial, more partials appear that are outside the piano-bach scale, and thus they require correction of the pitch with the right hand in the bell. This is not so necessary with the trumpet or say alto horn, that range from 2nd partial to 8th. For the above reasons it is considered more difficult BUT if we do not intent to to correct the partials to fit the piano-bach scale (e.g. because we improvise alone) and if we like more action with the embouchure rather than with the fingers beacuse it is more emotionally satifying, the with such a mode of playing the french horn is easier that the other brass winds!

    REMARKS ABOUT THE NUVOJ HORN AS PLASTIC Bb FRENCH HORN

The Nuvo Jhorn will play much like a plastic Bb3 french horn with a french horn mouthpiece, for the following reasons

1) It has the same tube length as a Bb3 french horn.

2) It has a starting thin tube exactly as the french horn

3) Although it has the same tube length as a baritone horn, it is not good at the low notes of the baritone horn, even with large mouthpieces, because of its thin tube.

4) Thus with a french horn mouthpiece it plays as a very nice low volume sounding but easily making sound palstic Bb3 french horn and it plays well from middle 3rd octave to the middle 5th octave, Actually it play in the range Bb2-Bb4 as an upper registry wind (playing easier at the higher octave-4thpartial-8thpartial Bb3-Bb4).

REMARKS ABOUT THE Bb3 FRENCH HORN.

1) Simple French horns are usually with roor F3, which means that their normal easy range is about C3-C5.

and they play with range of overtones (partial) 4th-16nth

2) When a Bb3 french horn is playing with a standard F3 french horn mouthpiece its easy range is again C3-C5 or adjusted here to Bb2-Bb4. But thsi is a 2nd-8th partial (overtone) range, thus i should play with the standard fingering of a baritone horn. Actually because it has thinner tube than a baritone horn and closer to a tenor trombone it soundslike a tenor trombone.

3) The difference in playing compared to a baritone horn and tenor Bb2 trombone is that the later are lower registry winds in the sense that (with their standard large mouthpieces) they play easier at the lower octave= 2nd-4th partial than at the higher octave =4th-8th partial

4) The Bb french horn with a standard F3-french horn mouthpiece plays quite balanced in the twoocatve and actually easier at the higher octave 4th-8th partial! Thus such a french horn is an upper registry valved tenor trombone (and baritone horn)! This also gives that it becomes easier playing as all other brass instruments for all melodies compared to the F3 french horn in the 4th-16nth partial range! Plus it is an upper registry 2nd-8th partial range brass wind!

5) Similarly a tenor trombone with a standard F3 french horn mouthpiece becomes an upper registry wind playin easier at the higher octave=4th-8th partial with total range 2nd-8th partials! Actually a double F/Bb tenor trombone has 2 modes of playing a) a lower registry mode in the 2 octaves range C2-Bb3 with large mouthpieces b) higher regstry mode in 2 octaves with a french horn mouthpiece in the range Bb2-Bb4. In total 3 octaves!

6) Finally a double F2/Bb2 tenor trombone with a standard F3 french horn mouthpiece WILL SOUND EXCATLY LIKE F3 FRENCH HORN and the fingering will be as that of the F3 french horn in other words in the range of partial 4th-16nth !

7) As a general rule to make an ordinary brass wind which usually it is a lower registry wind to an upper registry wind , it requires to utilize a mouthpiece which is of diameter normally for one octave higher brass wind, but with deeper cone-like cup (which is what a french horn mouthpiece is. It is of diameter that of trumpet mouthpiece but with deeper cone-shaped cup).