Meet the French Horn | Omaha Symphony Virtual Instruments

Learn about the French horn and its component parts from Brett Hodge, principal horn player for the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. 

The French horn is a brass instrument that is round and curled up. The end of it is shaped like a large funnel, which is called the “bell.” It is the most mellow sounding of the brass instruments. A person who plays the French horn is called a horn player.

The player uses their right hand inside the bell and their left hand to operate the valves. Pressing the valves changes the pitch, but players can also change pitch using the hand inside the bell. If you were to stretch out a French horn it would be about 12-13 feet long.