French Horns
French Horns For Sale on Reverb
Although commonly known in English as the French horn, the orchestral brass instrument known as the cor d’harmonie in French is most often seen in its German form. Known there as Waldhorn, the circular instrument dates back to the mid 17th century, when hunting horns began to be used in orchestras. Most contemporary orchestras have four horn players.
The three valves used to control the pitch were added in the 1800s. Both contemporary versions of horn are made from several feet of coiled tubing with a large conical end, which is usually where the musician places one hand that's used to change the pitch of played notes.
The German style does away with the additional crook, a separate piece added to French horns to lengthen the tubing and change the pitch. The mouthpiece of the German version is larger. Most French horns have piston valves, while the German horns have rotary valves. Both use three valves and are usually tuned to F.