French

Horn

Suggested

Range

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Suggested

Ranges

Effects

Glissando or "Rip"

There are a couple of unique sounding French horn effects that are worth mentioning. The first effect is the fast glissando - sometimes called a “rip”- that a horn can perform between two notes. The direction of this glissando is always upward, and the distance from that first note can be anywhere from a whole step to an octave above. This extremely powerful and dramatic effect is used to give extra weight and drama to the final note of the glissando, which is usually on a downbeat. The higher the final note, and the greater the range between the two notes, the more dramatic the effect will be.

Stopped (Hand Mute) effect or Metal Mute effect

A second effect commonly performed by the French horn is the “stopped” effect, or hand mute. This is a menacing, snarl-like effect that creates quite a unique orchestral color. The horn player performs this by sticking his hand completely inside the horn. Because of certain limitations of this technique, such as pitch accuracy, modern composers have requested that horn players use “metal” or “brass” mutes instead. While this provides a louder, and more accurately pitched note, it does take a few seconds to insert and remove the mute. When writing for any brass instrument, always allow enough time for the player to make these moves.