French horn is a brass musical instrument. It is called a French horn to distinguish it from the English horn, a woodwind instrument. Most musicians refer to it simply as the horn. The French horn consists largely of a metal tube about 12 feet (3.7 meters) long. The tube is coiled into a circular shape and ends in a large flared bell. The musician produces tones by vibrating the lips in a funnel-shaped mouthpiece. The instrument has three or more valves. The musician fingers the valves with the left hand and places the right hand in the bell to aid the sound quality and for special effects. The player changes notes by moving the valves and changing lip tension. Most professional horn players use a double horn, which has different lengths of tubing on each side of the horn. The player can press a lever while performing, choosing which of the two horns will be played.
The French horn is descended from the hunting horn, a coiled valveless instrument sometimes worn around the player’s neck.
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