 Specific Ranges (continued)
The Middle Range
The middle range is approximately the F below middle
C to the F above Middle C - although a few notes above that F would still
be considered mid-range. This is the most comfortable range for the horns to play in. It is in this range
that you would hear the horn section perform lush, dreamlike harmonies.
One need only listen to the music of Debussy and Ravel to hear this enchanting
sound. This is also the range best suited to sweeping majestic melodies,
although a continuation upward to the French
horn's highest range will bring even greater power to your melodies.
The middle range is where the horns
feel the most familiar. Here they can play either harmony or melody. When
playing harmony, their rich sound is irreplaceable. A simple four note
chord - distributed within the horn
section - plus any other instrument playing the melody, is enough to fill
the air with a large, satisfying sound.
Melody lines really come alive in this middle register.
Any melody can be made to sound grand and sweeping if played by all four
horns in unison.
This sound is so powerful, many composers choose to write
for six horns (if the budget allows).
Four horns can still be made to
sound even richer by doubling them with other instruments. One commonly
used combination is having all four horns
plus the cello section play a legato melody line. This works especially
well in the range from about the G below Middle C to approximately an
octave above that G (or even higher). This creates a much richer sound
than one played by either the horns
or cellos alone.
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