Hi.

I am a composer and am trying to transpose/write a piece for Horn (in F) and am getting very confusled with the transposition and which clef to write in.

I know the range goes from bass - treble clefs but which clef do you guys prefer reading in?

Am I also right in thinking that I should use accidentals rather than a key signature?

Hope you can help!

I would definently prefer reading treble cleff. In fact I`ve never read a piece of music for the horn that is not in treble cleff!

And I would much read accidentals than the signature. But thats just my 2 cents.

Thanks very much for your 2 cents - a very much appreciated amount!

Amy

Re: "I am a composer and am trying to transpose/write a piece for Horn (in F) and am getting very confusled with the transposition and which clef to write in."

The horn plays a sounds a (concert) perfect fifth below its written pitch. If you want it to play concert middle C, for example, you need to write it the G above on the second line from the bottom of the staff.

Re: "I know the range goes from bass - treble clefs but which clef do you guys prefer reading in?"

I think you`re confusing sounding (concert) range notation and written range notation. Use the treble clef.

Re: "Am I also right in thinking that I should use accidentals rather than a key signature?"

Never give the horn a key signature.

Note also that the horn`s (written) high C, two leger lines above the staff, is more difficult to play than the trumpet`s (written) high C, also two lines above the staff.

The best advice a hornist--or any instrumentalist, for that matter--can give you he gives you by PLAYING, not by talking. Try to get hold of an actual flesh-and-blood hornest (in contradistinction to the cyber hornists here), and have him actually play your attempts.

For me, it depends on how low you go. Treble clef is best most of the time, but if you have to use a ton of ledger lines to show some of the lower notes, I'd rather have it switch to bass clef for those measures and then switch back.

For transposing, a piano's Bb is a horn's F.

Accidentals vs. Key signiture depends on what key you write it in. I'd prefer to have it written with the key signature of the proper key with the accidentals written that are different instead of all of the accidentals written in. In other words, if you write the trumpet part in the key of C major, write the horn part in the key of F major with Bb in the key signature. Then if a note doesn't follw the key of F, write in the accidental. I've have only played one or two songs that were written with all accidentals and the instruments in whatever key the composer pleased, and that song was a nightmare for the longest time.

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I agree with Scotch's advice, all of this sounds more confusing in words that in really is. If you can get a horn player, you would be better off going through it with him/her, not just talking about it online.

All I can say is that the French Horn is a fifth off from the trumpet, like the english horn is a fifth off from the oboe. If a piano or any instrument pitched in C has nothing in the key signature, the horn in F will have one flat. Yes, Frnech Horn reads treble clef with the "middle c" to a french horn is concert F. Im a composer myself, so if you need any extra help, email me at Morrisonc10@yahoo.com

Write it in tenor clef!
j/k j/k lol us horn players are comfortable with treble clef but only use bass clef if you require a lower sound on the horn.