Notation and sound generation of the Horn » Philipp Dangas

Notation and sound generation from the horn in F

The natural scale resulting from the basic tuning of the horn is always "in C", namely with the designation of the small c as natural tone No. 2. The actual sound of this natural scale depends on the tuning, i.e. practically on the tube length of the horn, which is a transposing instrument with the exception of the horn in C-alto, which was only rarely built as a natural horn and as a valve horn only in the 19th century.

The notation of the entire chromatic scale of the valved horn and at the same time its designation ("horn in F" etc.) is always only based on the tuning of its basic scale, i.e. the natural scale resulting without the use of the valves. F notation is now used as the horn notation only, even when the player is using a Bb alto horn or other tuned horn. It is up to the player to transpose the part notated in F when using a horn other than the F horn.

The following can be said about the effect of the valve mechanism of the horn: The purely technical, musical purpose of the gradual lengthening of the tube by means of the valves is the chromatic supplementation of the basic natural scale of the instrument. First of all, it should be noted that the horn player does not know the expression "valve switching" used in the following for the purely technical process of switching on individual pipe sections by means of the valves in his playing technique. He only speaks of different "grips" or "auxiliary grips" that numerically denote the depressing of the valves. The "fingering tables" of the horn schools distinguish between natural tones (tones that are played without the help of the valves) and valve tones (tones that are played with the help of the valves and fingering with the number of the valve, e.g. 1, 1+2, 2+3 etc.).