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German horn

The German horn is the most common type of orchestral horn, and is ordinarily known simply as the "horn". The double horn in F/B♭ is the version most used by professional bands and orchestras. A musician who plays the German horn is called a horn player (or, less frequently, a hornist). Pitch is controlled through the adjustment of lip tension in the mouthpiece and the operation of valves by the left hand, which route the air into extra tubing. German horns have lever-operated rotary valves. The backward-facing orientation of the bell relates to the perceived desirability to create a subdued sound, in concert situations, in contrast to the more-piercing quality of the trumpet.

Three valves control the flow of air in the single horn, which is tuned to F or less commonly B ♭. The more common "double horn" is found almost exclusively in the German design, only rarely in the French horn, and never in the Vienna horn. It has a fourth valve, usually operated by the thumb, which routes the air to one set of tubing tuned to F or another tuned to B ♭. Although first developed by Paxman, a British firm, triple horns with five valves are also of the German-horn type, tuned in F, B ♭, and a descant E ♭ or F. Also common are descant doubles, which typically provide B ♭ and alto-F branches. This configuration provides a high-range horn while avoiding the additional complexity and weight of a triple.