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<h2>IMPORTED REVISION FROM WIKISPACES</h2>
A '''horn''' is a brass instrument with a conical bore.
This is an imported revision from Wikispaces. The revision metadata is included below for reference:<br>
: This revision was by author [[User:zenjacob|zenjacob]] and made on <tt>2006-05-08 18:17:33 UTC</tt>.<br>
: The original revision id was <tt>605567</tt>.<br>
: The revision comment was: <tt></tt><br>
The revision contents are below, presented both in the original Wikispaces Wikitext format, and in HTML exactly as Wikispaces rendered it.<br>
<h4>Original Wikitext content:</h4>
<div style="width:100%; max-height:400pt; overflow:auto; background-color:#f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #eaecf0; padding:0em"><pre style="margin:0px;border:none;background:none;word-wrap:break-word;white-space: pre-wrap ! important" class="old-revision-html">==What in tarnation is a "horn"?==


I mean a conical-bore brass instrument buzzed with the lips. But not a tuba.
A ''natural horn'' has no valves, and can only play a series of overtones, which are near the [[harmonic series]].
The player can adjust the pitch of the note by placing their hand in the bell.
In [[Historical temperaments|19th century]] technique, notes near the 7th and 11th [[harmonic]]s were often written and could be finagled with different hand placements.
Even a [[Diatonic scale|C major scale]] in the lower octave could be negotiated.
There was no avoiding an certain unevenness of tone, however.


We can speak of //natural horns// and //valved horns//. Natural horns have no valves, and are naturally near the harmonic series in their series of tones:
To satiate the modulatory desires of classical composers, horns were soon made with a system of interchangeable ''crooks'' which, when inserted, would give a variety of keys.
But this only encouraged the composers, and soon they were writing parts for two pairs of horns in different keys.
Instrument builders tried in many ways to combine multiple keys into a single horn, settling finally on the rotary valve system prevalent in horns today.


(fancypants graphic 1)
==Valves==
On a valved horn, there are three valves which the fingers of the left hand operates. The first valve causes the effective tube length to lengthen enough to lower the [[fundamental]] by a whole step (200¢). The second valve does the same, only by a half step (100¢), and the third, a minor third (300¢). In combinations these valves can lower the fundamental by up to a [[tritone]].


In 19th century technique, notes near the 7th and 11th harmonics were often written and could be finagled with different hand placements; even a C major scale in the lower octave could be negotiated. There was no avoiding an unevenness of tone, however.
A ''double horn'', on the other hand, has a thumb valve which switches between two keys, usually Bb and F. It does this by adding/subtracting an initial length of tubing and also (usually) with different lengths of tubes for the valves.


To satiate the modulatory desires of classical composers, horns were soon made with a system of interchangeable //crooks// which, when inserted, would give a variety of keys. Composers could even have one horn in E and another in F...(page is incomplete)</pre></div>
==Microtonal playing==
<h4>Original HTML content:</h4>
Horns are naturally microtonal since they play overtones.
<div style="width:100%; max-height:400pt; overflow:auto; background-color:#f8f9fa; border: 1px solid #eaecf0; padding:0em"><pre style="margin:0px;border:none;background:none;word-wrap:break-word;width:200%;white-space: pre-wrap ! important" class="old-revision-html">&lt;html&gt;&lt;head&gt;&lt;title&gt;microtonal horn&lt;/title&gt;&lt;/head&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;!-- ws:start:WikiTextHeadingRule:0:&amp;lt;h2&amp;gt; --&gt;&lt;h2 id="toc0"&gt;&lt;a name="x-What in tarnation is a &amp;quot;horn&amp;quot;?"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;!-- ws:end:WikiTextHeadingRule:0 --&gt;What in tarnation is a &amp;quot;horn&amp;quot;?&lt;/h2&gt;
Harmonics relatively low in the harmonic series (such as 7, 11 and 13) can thus be played quite easily.
&lt;br /&gt;
Usually, players make hand adjustments to get their harmonic-series notes closer to equal temperament.
I mean a conical-bore brass instrument buzzed with the lips. But not a tuba.&lt;br /&gt;
 
&lt;br /&gt;
So-called double horns (F horns with a Bb valve), go extremely sharp in the higher non-Bb-valve partials; the valve is used to get the upper register in tune. This means that these kinds of horns actually have a huge variety of intonation in the upper register through various combinations of valves. More than other brass instruments which are typically designed to have in-tune partials, and thus don't need that extra valve for tuning their high ranges.
We can speak of &lt;em&gt;natural horns&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;valved horns&lt;/em&gt;. Natural horns have no valves, and are naturally near the harmonic series in their series of tones:&lt;br /&gt;
 
&lt;br /&gt;
[[John Eaton]] has this useful tip from [http://www.newmusicbox.org/page.nmbx?id=17fp02 an interview in NewMusicBox]: tune the F side a quartertone lower than the Bb side!
(fancypants graphic 1)&lt;br /&gt;
 
&lt;br /&gt;
==Extended valve systems==
In 19th century technique, notes near the 7th and 11th harmonics were often written and could be finagled with different hand placements; even a C major scale in the lower octave could be negotiated. There was no avoiding an unevenness of tone, however.&lt;br /&gt;
 
&lt;br /&gt;
[[George Secor]] especially has done some thinking about valve systems extended to alternate EDOs.
To satiate the modulatory desires of classical composers, horns were soon made with a system of interchangeable &lt;em&gt;crooks&lt;/em&gt; which, when inserted, would give a variety of keys. Composers could even have one horn in E and another in F...(page is incomplete)&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;</pre></div>
See the bottom of [http://sonic-arts.org/monzo/trumpet/trumpet-intonation.htm this page.]
No cases of actual horns built yet.
 
==Microtonal repertoire==
* György Ligeti's ''[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008UVCE/103-4149462-7074248?v=glance&n=5174 Hamburg Concerto]'' "for horn &amp; chamber orchestra with 4 obbligato natural horns"
* ''Epilogue'' (1985) from ''Les Espaces Acoustiques'' by Gerard Grisey is for orchestra with 4 solo horns, in a (crystallized) harmonic-series paradigm
* ''Horn'' by Larry Polansky, score featured in Xenharmonikon 14
* [https://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm?bandid=104245 Joseph Pehrson's] ''Harmonic Etude'' for solo horn, ''Nature's Harmony'' for two horns
* [http://www.archive.org/details/JeffMorrisEtudeforHorn Jeff Morris' Etude for Horn]
* Richard Burdick's [http://www.i-ching-music.com/FREE102.html opus 102 Planetary Ripples] (1996) for 16 similar instruments, on a harmonic series up to the 27th partial
* [http://www.roberthasegawa.com/ Robert Hasegawa]: ''the clear architecture of the nerves'' (2000)
* Bozza, Eugène (1905-1991) [http://www.alphonseleduc.com/ Dix-Huit Etudes en forme d'Improvisation pour Cor] (1961) microtonal writing on ¼ and ¾ tones
* Grabois, Daniel (1964-) [http://www.danielgrabois.com/ Quarter Tone Manual for French Horn] (2010) These etudes were written for gradually practicing microtonal notation.
* Kotulan, Jaroslav (1937-) [http://www.bohne-schulz.de/ 28 Moderne etüden für waldhorn, heft 2] (1995)
* Matosinhos, Ricardo - [http://www.ricardomatosinhos.com/12etudes.html 12 Jazzy Etudes for Horn] (2010) two of these etudes use quarter tones
* Salonen, Esa-Pekka (1958-) [http://www.chesternovello.com/ Concert Étude for solo horn in F] (2000)
* Thompson, Timothy F. (1953-) [http://www.proquest.com/ Extended Techniques for the Horn An Historial Overview With pratical performance Applications] (1997)
* Adam Hoey, ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGHjDEqdSEw A Breaking Spine]'' (2023) for solo horn and 3 cellos
 
== See also ==
* [[Michael Hugh Dixon]] a.k.a. the Brass Whisperer
 
== Further reading ==
* Secor, George D. "An Approach to the Construction of Microtonal Valved Brass Instruments - The French Horn", ''[[Xenharmonikôn]]'' vol. 5, spring 1976, pp. 1-3.
* Whaley, David Robert. ''The Microtonal Capability of the Horn''. D.M.A. thesis, University of Illinois, 1975, 154 pages. University Microfilms, Ann Arbor MI, 1975.
* Heim, David Bruce. ''Practical Tuning, Temperament and Conditioning for Hornists and Other Wind Instrumentalists: Understanding and attaining intonational flexibility in musical performance''. Master thesis, University of Tulsa, 1990.
 
[[Category:Instruments]]
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