Hi,

I'm a trumpet player trying to learn F French horn and bought one of Amazon to try out. I think the horn is a half step sharp on certain notes, like I have to play F# (2) to sound like a middle G(0) , and F(1) to sound like F#(2), and C#(12) to sound like a D(1). Am I tripping or is there something wrong, or am I just missing something? ANy advice would be great!

Thanks,
Megan

Most horns need a bit of adjustment to play in tune. Plus, pitch is sorta what you make it on the horn. Most horns need the 2nd valve crook out about 1/4" and 1st valve nearly 3/8" and sometimes as much as 1/2" on the 3rd valve. I have a nearly 100 year-old horn that the first and second need to be almost all the way in, but the 3rd out almost 1/2" to be in tune (and in tune with the 1 2 combo, remember that). My old descant horn needs to have the 1st valve all the way in on the Bb side but out a ton on the alto F side, while the 2nd valves are just barely out to keep the 1 2 combo in tune. The 3rd valve on the bass F side (it's a double descant) was so out of tune that I needed a new crook made. Now this is all because it was built to play in, as close as I can tell, A445, for a member of the LSO back in the 60's and so I had the decant tuner remade to play in 440. All this is to say that, you really need to tweak these things. I teach my students how to tune each note as one of the first things after they can produce a consistent note.

Wow, that is incredibly helpful, thank you so much. I hadn't considered that each note needs to be tunes separately, just thought the main pipe like on trumpet. Feeling very dumb now, hopefully this works! Was halfway thinking there was some alternate fingerings for a second!

Thank you!!!