Why play french horn?

  Hello, this is a compilation of my tastes and experience in the few years of life that I have as a horn player. I've been a member of an orchestra for about 6 years now and you learn something new every day as a musician. But if you are in the decision of which instrument to play and you are looking for something new I will give you my opinion about the French horn. Let's get started:  

  First, I want to tell you a brief story: 

 ¿What’s the horn?  

       The horn is a wind instrument of an interesting size and with a unique figure because it is rolled up, by such a structure produces a mature, velvety tone. In the slow evolutionary process it has gone through, from the primitive instruments made with animal horns that were emptied and pierced, to the modern horn, there are three great stages, where only the last one can be subdivided chronologically. 

    From Greek mythology, we know that the snail shell horn was used by Triton, the son of the Sea God "Poseidon". Interesting, did you know?  

  Most often the horn began to be built with animal tusks, which were emptied. They began to be built all over the world, and as early as the 3rd and 4th centuries it was known that in ancient Africa, cow horns, antelope horns were used for shepherds' instruments and some tree trunks. Ancient civilizations used these horns for hunting.  

    

  The Chinese, Indians and Tibetan monks created richly embellished imitations of bronze, tin or brass horns, following the model of instruments produced on other continents. From any origin of the instrument, it was intended for the same purpose. Hunting, war, announcements, parties, ceremonies, etc. It should be noted that these horns were limited tonal capacity. Most of them have only one tone at most three.  

  Over the centuries, the evolution of the instrument has been observed, especially with the appearance of the mouthpiece, allowing it to have a large number of harmonics at the beginning of the Renaissance, sufficiently tuned to play a melody. From the 18th century onwards, the Germans and the English took the initiative to perfect the instrument, enough for them to enter an orchestra with dignity. The instrumentalist A. J. Hampel (ca. 1760) invented the system of lowering one semitone or more each natural sound by covering more or less with the hand in the pavilion or bell of the instrument, it was called harmonic horn. 

 

  As the years went by, an attempt was made to add types of valves in order to arrive at a chromatic series. Many types of piston systems were used and none of the rotary systems were readily accepted. In 1815 the German manufacturer Johann Henry Stölzel carried out the first tests of the valve horn, whose possibilities are incomparably superior to those of the harmony horn. And the sonority is actually as good as the other, if not better. The two common shades for the horn, when built, were F and Bb.  

  In about 1900, Fritz Kruspe invented the modern horn. It was a horn that combined the F-shaped horn with the Bb-shaped horn. The double horn was probably the biggest change the horn ever made. It provided a good high register to a horn and in addition to a good low register. Together, they provide the same wide range of possible notes without the gaps between them. Over the years the horn manufacturers began to make variations on Kruspe's design until today.  

  Now, since you know where the horn comes from, it's time to give you the reasons why you should play this instrument.  

  · YOU'LL NEVER GET BORED OF STUDYING: Unlike other instruments (in my experience) in the French horn you will never get bored of studying, there will always be something new to perfect and there are endless variations of studies.  

  · VERY VERSATILE: The horn structure allows for a variety of colors and nuances in the sound, we can play sweet, violent, glorious, soft, ¡loud and many more! Some famous examples.  

https://soundcloud.com/luis-fernando-384689173/beethoven-3/s-kwAFH    Beethoven Symphonie 3. Holo solo finale. A glorious melody.

https://soundcloud.com/luis-fernando-384689173/tchaikvosky-5/s-TbkzN  tchaikovsky Sympnie 5. 2do mov Horn solo. A sweet melody.

https://soundcloud.com/luis-fernando-384689173/star-wars/s-EWJck Star wars , Jhon Williams . Full power

  · UNITY MAKES STRENGTH: The advantage of having a wide range of harmonics in a wide range of tones, adding to the versatility of the sound, makes the French horn the ideal candidate for chamber music groups, even ensembles, and the row in an average orchestra is made up of four voices.  

 "Bohemian Rhapsody"--THE LONDON HORN SOUND

 

  · HEALTH FOR YOU: One of the advantages of playing an instrument is excellent mental health since you are in constant artistic training as logical for your brain. Also, it is advisable to do some cardio and abdominal routines as you will be using the diaphragm as a support, not to mention a good diet.  

  For this and many other reasons that you will experience, you should come in today to play French horn, this is my first post. I will try upload varied and interesting content of different topics. Thank you very much for your attention.