I just wondered whether French Horn can play harmonics, like violins can.

I was in discussion with a conductor - he seemed to think you could, but i have never come across them before.

Do they exist on the horn/how are they played. Sorry if this is a really stupid question - there may be a really obvious answer. Thank You

Good question! It's been a long time since I took a violin method class, but I think you are referring to a technique of getting a single string of a violin or cello to ring an octave highter by very lightly touching the string at certain places w/o pressing it down to the fingerboard. Is this what you mean by playing harmonics? If so, I've never heard of that being possible with any brass instrument.

On brass instruments we play one clearly audible tone from our harmonic series at a time, and don't have any cool little tricks for making them sound an octave higher than we're actually playing. Wish I did!!

I have had the experience, however, of hearing higher harmonics than we're actually playing in a horn trio. When we nail down our intonation just right, we sometimes hear lovely high harmonics ring above our heads. Chris Leuba calls this the "resultant tone" or the "results" of good intonation.

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

Yes that is what i meant by harmonics. I was very confused as well when this conductor told me he thought they were possible on the horn!!

Thank you for your quick answer!

Yes (technically) but No (in reality). There are some horns that allow some harmonics.

Example: On a Conn 8D you can play the C 3rd space treble clef. Put your 1st valve down half way and you will get the high C above the staff in 'harmonic'.

No, you can't do that on Yamaha or Holton. You should be bale to do it with a King and maybe an Olds Contempora(maybe).
But, no, you can't do any and all notes like a stringed instrument.

I think your band director was talking about something different than you were. Every brass instrument has a harmonic series and every note we play is one of the notes of the series. So in that respect, all brass instruments "play harmonics." But, except for the one singular example John gave above, we don't have any little technical tricks that will make a higher note sound.

Valerie Wells
http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/

Thank you both again. I have read up on violin harmonics and the brass harmonic series and i still think that my conductor was referring to something such as the Conn 8D 'trick'!!

Now that i know more on the topic, i will have an interesting discussion with him next time i see him!!

I have actually used the high C trick in performance. I haven't seen any other requests for 'harmonics' like that anywhere else.

If you're going to have a discussion with your director then you should be ready to discuss double stops as well.

double stops on strings are when you play more than one note at the same time. You have your bow play adjoining strings.

double stops on brass instruments are when you play one note, and sing another note in your throat. The combination of the two notes, (and the venturi affects) can produce multiple notes know as multiphonics. Weber uses these in his Concertino for Horn. Some people confuse multiphonics with the string 'harmoninc' trick. But they are different.

Ah yes I know of double stops. My teacher used to show off his ability of them to me!!

Ive practiced them often but just dont seem to be able to sing at the same time. Perhaps i will give it a go now and see if anything has changed!

I think multiphonics or "double stops" on horn work best if the player has a tenor or baritone range. I'm a high soprano, so when I sing and play simultaneously the desired effect just isn't there -- none of that characteristic resonance you hear when someone like Frank Lloyd does it. But, of course, I must admit to being short of a few more of Frank Lloyd's attributes other than a male voice range! Watch this amazing video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFY7qwJy9Cw

Valerie Wells
beforhorn.blogspot.com

wow that is impressive! i really want to be able to do that!! thank you once again for all the info!

On my school's Conn 6D I could do something similar to the Conn 8D trick on a Bb. It wasn't very loud, but it worked.

It doesn't sound loud at the hron but the farther away from the instrument you are the more you can hear it. It works great in a large church when you are up in the choir loft and you're playing an antiphonal duet with a trumpet player who is down at the alter.

Thank you all!

I spoke to my conductor day about this and lets say he wasnt impressed! Once i bombarded him with my new knowledge on harmonics and double stopping he admitted that he must've been wrong and that harmonics werent possible on the horn (except for the Conn 8D haha).

Ive also been practicing double stopping and well lets say that at the moment i can hear myself 'signing' a double stop to the note but apparently there is no second note coming from the bell!! Maybe i just need to practice some more, but really i just wanted to thank you all (especially val and john), your answers were both informative and incredible useful!! Thank you