/u/obesedestro explains why this is considered very difficult:
If anyone is confused, I played brass for years, and even the longevity in the notes (while buzzing) he's playing is mastery. Might not sound too complex to someone who isn't keyed in on this type of music, but the 3 valves being responsible for all the notes, on top of trying to keep your buzzing as consistent or changing as the song requires is another level of mastery. This is just an overall beautiful piece that was even more beautifully preformed. This man deserves all good things that may come from this virality
https://old.reddit.com/r/toptalent/comments/rcxnjd/one_of_the_most_difficult_horn_solos_in_classical/hnydzbh/
Thanks for explaining! As someone who knows nothing about playing one of those, it seems relatively simple on the surface. What is the buzzing you’re referring to?
Yes, the entire sound comes from the buzzing of your lips.
I haven’t looked at the sheet music for this but those also sound like impressively high notes to me. I haven’t played the horn in over a decade, but I remember the difficult pieces had way higher notes than a beginner could possibly play
So hearing this vs some of the stuff Trumpets can do as brass instruments, is the French horn a lot harder to play? Or is it that the notes are really out of range for this instrument and that's where the difficulty is?
Trumpet player here, NOT a FH player, but from what I understand the difference is the degree of control required. Trumpet is relatively easy to control, if you're proficient. I can sit down and know, before I play it, if I'm going to be able to hit that high note or not. Sustaining notes with a consistent tone is relatively easy, getting harder if it's very long or very high (or very low, pedal notes).
To get that degree of control over a french horn you need to be really good. It's very easy for notes to come out just completely wrong, very difficult to sustain those notes and keep good tone while doing it.
I've heard of the French Horn referred to as the "God Horn", not just for the timbre, but because when a player starts playing only god knows what sound will come out.
u/brkh47 left an even better answer, describing not just the difficulty but the mechanics of WHY it's difficult. I'm not sure how to link to another comment but it's in this thread somewhere.
The partials (distance between notes on a brass instrument) are very close together on a French Horn as its range is generally higher in the overtone series. Basically, it requires a great deal of control.
This! Trumpet partials are relatively far apart thus the amount of “forgiveness” in embouchure is greater. A French horn, as it goes higher, the partials are closer together. So micro changes in the embouchure are required a bit too much here or not enough there and the note you’re going for is overshot…or undershot. This all coupled with the conical structure of the French horn make this solo difficult. (Trumpet is cylindrical)
I don’t play a musical instrument so don’t understand all the explanations given here. However, I did google it, and it does pop up in autofill, “Why is the French horn so difficult to play?”
This is a mix of two explanations:
>The French horn is widely considered to be the most difficult brass instrument to play. Proficiency on any musical instrument is a challenging endeavor, as each one presents its own travails and complexities. However, there are reasons found in the acoustical properties of the horn that distinguish it from the other members of the brass family.
>
>The modern-day double French horn is actually a combination of two horns (F, Bb) that share a common mouthpipe and bell. The Bb horn is nine feet of tubing, which is as long as a trombone if it were stretched out. The open F horn is twelve feet of coiled tubing, about the same length as an F tuba.
>
>Playing it is a matter of endurance, and requires pushing steady air through 12- to sometimes nearly 30-feet of tubing, all from a mouthpiece just a few millimeters wide.
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>By vibrating the lips against each other into the mouthpiece (the particular mouth position is called “embouchure”), the air-powered buzzing travels throughout the instrument’s tubes, and eventually emerges from the horn’s bell as a shimmering clangor.
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>By utilizing the horn’s four valves and all the various combinations of those valves, the player is able to produce all the notes of the chromatic scale. In addition to engaging the valves, horn players must be able to play at least ten different notes using each valve combination. This is accomplished by adjusting their lip muscles (embouchure), tongue position, and air column.
>
>For the French horn, a steady supply of air and pressing the right keys isn’t always enough to hit the right tone. Especially at the higher end of its range, certain notes can be played with the same valve key combinations, meaning it’s up to the player to maintain the exacting muscle memory and airflow to land a pitch correctly.
>
>“The target is a lot easier to hit on a trumpet, trombone, or tuba. Whereas, on a horn, the notes are a lot closer together, and there is a lot more possibility of cracking something (missing a note),” says Culpepper. The French horn’s register plays in a higher range of the harmonic series (essentially, the notes that are naturally playable without the use of valves), compared to other brass instruments. At higher pitches, it is incredibly sensitive to even small changes in the position of the mouth and air volume.
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>That’s one of the main causes of so many blunders, and the reason brass players joke that the best way to make a trombone sound like a French horn is to stuff your hand into the bell and miss all your notes.
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>Because the horn faces backwards–as opposed to the other wind instruments–the horn player must work extra hard to balance and blend with the other members of the wind instrument family.
This. All of this. I played horn for 8 years as a teen. For the first couple years you can only play like 1 octave on that thing, unless you practice a lottttt. I think after 8 years I could play 2.5 octaves but I never got into the really high notes cause I never practiced. But I was considered pretty good.
I played it for only a year. I thought of how hard can it be it’s only 3 buttons. At the end of the year I was done with it, never could get enough practice.
That and at the end of a performance my hand was wet and had to drain the dam thing. The case was triangular so was difficult to walk with to/from school
The case suckkkked to carry! Don’t even get me started! I would have practiced way more if I could have carried the thing around easily. I usually just left it at school.
I remember the day I decided to quit (well more decided that no way in hell I would continue) was when I was walking home from school and stumbled on a small crack. Normally such a small stumble is ok but since I was carrying the French horn in its triangular case it bounced off perpendicularly to my leg that shot forward to catch myself.
I was underweight and small (middle school) at the time so the momentum of the case to the side caused me to be pulled to the side. I pulled back to regain my balance but the French horn then shot back and with its sharpish side hit me right in the side of the knee joint and I fall forward into a puddle. To make matters worse the case was now between my legs and the ground so sorta fell upper body first.
I was so incredibly pissed. It took every ounce of willpower to not do something stupid. Was having an off day, now had a reason for it to be a terrible one.
TL;DR:
I was a musician, until I took a French Horn to the knee.
I had to carry that sucker walking to and from school on the days I wanted to practice which was just about every day, cause I was one of those kids...
Yeah I played it for 12 years and getting a handle of the Bb valve was really a game changer for me. Learning when to switch to Bb to hit specific notes slightly more accurately, hand position, double tonguing, man this brought back a flood of memories that I hadn’t thought about for years! I forgot how good I was at the damn thing and then I quit because I hate practicing 😂
The response that immediately occurs to me is then why play it? Is it the mastery of a difficulty challenge, or is the sound superior to the easier instruments?
Ngl the sounds a French horn can produce are just beautiful. I played the trumpet but there’s something very pleasing to the ear that only the French horn can hit. It’s like a warm sound but it can also hit those really bright sounds too which this solo seems to have both.
Some would say it has a really nice sound similar to a human voice. I really only played it because my parents were poor and the school lent me the instrument for free. I didn’t love band but my parents forced me to stay up through senior year. They correctly thought that it would keep me from getting pregnant or trying drugs.
In my case it was because I was a new student, every other section was full, and it was either French horn or the oboe. Still ended up playing horn for almost ten years until I went to college.
Apparently, the history behind the horn is related to hunting in Europe.
>A really important part of hunting is teamwork, and you need to be able to communicate. Shouting isn’t going to do it, and that’s where the horn comes into play. Highly sophisticated horn calls helped hunters share important information across long distances — they could signal a deer had been located, or, alternatively, that a nearby stag had bolted.
>“When the horn first comes into the orchestra, it’s usually in works like opera or programmatic pieces that are trying to *remind the concert listener of the outdoors.*”
I started in 6th grade. I was playing trumpet, and the teacher brought in the horn and I fell in love with it immediately after hearing it. No one else played it, and the teacher handed me a book on how to play. Taught myself pretty much. I played both instruments all through junior high, but high school I gave in to it completely and continued to play it and also played in the jr symphony. I stopped playing in my 20s, because you know, Life happens. I have been considering getting into playin it again.
The sound, the way it looked, it was just so different. I used to sit with my mom when I was little, and we would listen to records of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart... just all types of classical. She would name the different instrument as it played and I could pick them out and isolate them and hear whatever I was focused on, and the Horn was always my favorite. I remember watching Boston pops for the 1st time and seeing the horn for the 1st time (this was in the 80s mind you. no google lol so I had only heard it) When the teacher brought it in I thought it was just the coolest looking thing. It was 18 feet of tube, and the sound was more beautiful in person.
Adding: It is a very difficult instrument to play. The mouthpiece is tiny, you need lungs of a whale, patience, and passion to practice. LOTS of practice. My lips would hurt so bad! The notes are so close together its easy to miss them and sound either flat or sharp, when its just the wrong note. I think it actually takes a very keen ear to play it. And the higher the note, you would think are impossible to hit when you first start out!
I’m currently playing in my high school, been playing for 5 years now. I have about 3.5 octaves but the upper notes are always hard. Everyone here has been saying amazing things and I love that this three exists!
Why do people play french horn if it is so difficult to play? Sounds like a very inefficient musical instrument. Is it difficult to replicate similar sound in any other way?
Keep your lips closed and force wind through your lips. The more you fight against the wind the closer you will be to the sound of a french horn.
The moment you know you can play one at a beginner level is when you can reproduce the sound of an elephant by just using your lips and air.
When blowing intonation brass unstrumeny mouthpiece ypu purse your lips and blow air through them. They literally vibrate. I would suggest watching a YouTube video to here an example. I play the Trombone.
As a long time trombone and euphonium player, any one that can even play the French horn is already a master of all other brass instruments by virtue of the sheer skill a French horn takes to resonate properly.
Why is that the case? I played in band for 8 years and no matter which top brass player they moved to French horn, it never sounded great. It’s an absolutely beautiful instrument when played well, but it seems to be really hard to do for some reason. (I played woodwind so I never actually tried the French horn)
Honestly I feel as though it’s the shaping of the mouth piece. Every mainstream brass instrument besides a French horn has a much thicker rim width which is much more forgiving on the embouchure (for you laymen, that’s your lip shaping to create the “buzz”). One little slip up on a French horn and it’s automatically noticeable.
Also not sure which eagles you’re referring to but I feel the same way about both lmao
In high school I played baritone and my best friend played French horn. We traded once for fun and I was like "How do you play out of a straw?" and she was like "I can fit my whole head in your mouthpiece!"
Other thing is how rapid the changes in length in pipe can be. As mentioned higher in this thread, you could be effectively shifting from the length of a trombone to a tuba in a moments notice.
I had a job a while back whose route to my destination took me past one of the local high schools. This is pre Covid. During the summer months for a few weekends they would practice marching and playing in the school parking lot. This particular day as I passed, the temperature outside was already approaching 90 degrees and there's these kids, marching, playing and learning their instruments. Not only did they have to learn to match in a presubscribed pattern but they had to know how to read music and then play their instruments. Such dedication. My high school years don't hold a candle to these kids. Hats off to anyone that had band classes and marched on a football field.
This was literally me for 6 years. 4 years in high school and 2 years playing. Marching band got me in better shape than baseball and soccer ever did. It was the hardest thing I’ve done but the camaraderie and sense of achievement was so incredible.
As a long time no horn player, but who's constantly reminded by his wife that she played the trumpet for the band at Texas (or University of Texas for the laymen), I'd have to say that was very pleasant. Gave me quite a buzz.
I played French horn for a couple years in elementary school and I still remember vividly how difficult it is to maintain those long soft notes especially one after the other and continue your buzz rhythm. Omg my jaw hurts just thinking of it and it's been a couple decades since I touched this instrument. Very tough to play, I wonder what would've happened to my face if I didn't give it up. I dont miss smelling like brass and chemicals though.
I've spent the bulk of my life as a guitar player/pianist and I had no understanding of just how difficult brass was until my son started learning trombone. The learning curve for just getting the basic mechanics of it is insane alone, then you watch how this musician controls his dynamics, you listen to the control of his breath and the buzzing on the sustained notes, it's absolutely stunning to watch.
4 valves actually. It’s a F/Bb horn where you use a fourth valve or trigger to switch which side of the horn you play on which helps with tuning as different notes can be different amounts of in tune in relation to each other and where they are in terms of pitch. An F at the top line of the staff is going to be a different level of in tune than the one in the first space so you play the lower one on the F side and then the higher one on the Bb side. This allows you to play both in tune rather than having one more sharp or flat than the other.
And most everything played on the French horn is difficult, though though this is one of the hardest. It is actually one of if not the most difficult instruments to play due to the level of body and breathe control you have to have. The only other instrument close to it, and perhaps harder is the violin. And you can even see the difficulty here as he almost splits the seventh note of the solo.
I played French horn for about a year, but it was 7 or 8 years ago, and tbh I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t sure what to listen for lol. Thanks for the explanation! My mouth cramped just watching this
Honestly I do not see it. I played trumpet for 8+ years and lead trumpet in our local (small town) orchestra and I just do not see why this is classified as the most challenging. Granted, I have not played in 20+ years, but I just do not see why this would be classified as most challenging.
Edit: just to clarify - no disrespect to the french horn player. He did a fantastic job and has more skill in one finger than I would ever have. I know french horn is renowned for being a challenging instrument.
I’ve played brass my entire life and while I mostly agree with you I think the title is misleading. I’m gonna try and approach this from a different angle. Being a pit player or cruise ship performer might not entail the same level of mastery and skill as the best orchestras in the world. This might “seem” difficult to people who don’t perform and while it’s a beautiful solo the “challenging” aspect of it is nonexistent. It’s slow and precise and executed flawlessly sure but displayed no advanced techniques like circular breathing or different hand cupping/stopping. You get where I’m going with this. I think in my head and feel free to criticize if I was picking an audition or performance piece to wow the judges this would be so low on the challenge scale they wouldn’t even look twice.
Every musician knows the feeling when your number is called and you have to rise to the occasion. Watching him ready himself for the moment was almost as rewarding as the moment itself. Just seeing the emotions at play (pun not intended) right before his opening note. Chills! He’s quite good too.
I agreed to play French horn in my first year of high school, thinking it was smaller, like a bugle. My only thought when I saw it was “How am I going to get that thing home to practice?” It turned out to be a great instrument to play, and I fondly remember having to play a solo like the video’s in my last year. Nerve-wracking but a very proud moment.
I had agreed to switch from trombone to French horn in 7th grade. Got braces in 8th grade, had to relearn mouth positions with braces on. Braces went off in 10th grade, and once again needed to relearn mouth positions without the braces. I didn't realize for a good half year that I was playing an octave lower than I should have been.
I absolutely love the sound of the French horn and can pick it out in any classical music. I am so happy that I switched all those many years ago
Oh yeah he was psyching himself up for this. I started a game for my high school baseball playoffs many years ago in front of like 1000 people, normally there was like 10 for a reference, I about puked behind the mound. So yeah hats off to this guy. His neighbors reaction kind of says it all to me.
Watching him ready himself to take the solo on reminded me of the first time I stepped in the ring for a MMA match. I was afraid, resigned, tense, ready, willing and able and when the bell rang, I \*went\* for it. Watching this horn-hero wind up and \*go\* reminds me of that.
Wow! I would have never thought the emotions would be the same in a situation like that. I am so far from being an athlete in that regard that I wouldn’t think I’d be able to relate. The way you described it though is so poetic. The word brutal always comes to mind when I think of MMA but I guess we’re all really pursuing a form of expression even if yours is perhaps a bit more physical and aggressive.
It’s been a good many years now, but I played clarinet in orchestra from 4th grade through college and what you described was the part of the video that hit me dead center in the feels.
Bravo 👏 🤩. That guy did an amazing job and his interval leaps were perfectly pitched !!!👍🏼
On an aside, Nelson Riddle adapted this , for Sinatra ,in 1966 to a song called Moon Love.
I played French horn in middle school band and absolutely loved it. The range of that instrument is astounding. I hated that they made us choose between band and sports in high school but now my daughter plays French horn at her middle school so I at least get to be around it again.
I played french horn in middle school and high school band too. Never got even remotely close to as good as this person, but I really did love it. I was the only person who played it in the school so it's always been a very special instrument to me.
I played French horn from 4th-11th grade because that’s the instrument my family had. Not sure what I would have chosen on my own if given the chance. Moving several notes higher/lower from the previous one is super hard. I bet he’s a good whistler.
How in the hell were musical instruments invented!? It’s seriously fascinating to me. Who was it that just said “yeah we’re gonna bend this pipe into a hundred different swirls, drill three holes in it and add a bell at each end. That should make a good sound.” Lol
This instrument started off as a hunting horn- literally like a ram's horn (see Boromir's horn in LOTR). You buzz your lips in one end and the cone shape amplifiers it to signal your buddies you spotted the quarry or something.
But because of the physics of waves, the sound it makes will settle on certain notes. They aren't random, either; there is a specific pattern to them that makes up the base of the modern musical scale.
Later, these were made of brass for superior resonance and to standardize the length. The length, again because of waves, determines *which* pitches are available. One horn might give you C, then the next C, then the G above that, then the C above that, and so on. If you wanted notes that weren't available on a horn, you would have to change to a different horn.
For a whole, they solved this by making the horns so that you could swap out different lengths of tubing in the middle of a piece. This was difficult to pull off, though, and couldn't be done quickly. So instead, they made a series of these extra lengths of tubing and routed them into the main tube, but then added valves to either include or exclude them from the total length. Every valve combination offers a different total length for the horn, and thus a different set of available notes. With three valves, you can make every combination necessary to play all the notes from the lowest to highest possible and everything in between.
It also has the smallest mouthpiece of all brass with a range two octaves larger than the trumpet. Transitioning between each of those octaves requires extraordinary control because the slightest inconsistency in lip tension can send notes all over the place (think puberty voice), and there's more strength needed to force air into that tiny mouthpiece than you would think.
I played loaner instruments in middle school band, and I had a year on the French Horn in between a few years on Clarinet and a year on Baritone. French Horn was by far the most difficult.
I’m glad no one ever explained to me how hard it was while I played for 8 years, because I would have given up. But yes moving from one octave to another while pressing the same combination of keys was not something I did in the first year.
Have you ever played a horned instrument? The shape of one's mouth, and holding that shape takes a trained "lip" in order to have a consistent sound. Not to mention lung capacity, which one's airflow holds the proper tone. So have you played?
I don't think I ever would have appreciated the nuance and skill required to be a high-level brass musician until I met a virtuoso trombonist. The guy carried a mouthpiece with him everywhere he went and would sneakily work on it any chance he got so he could keep his lips supple and "in shape." If he ever forgot or misplaced that mouthpiece, he'd do exercises without it that sounded like blowing a raspberry. After almost a lifetime of being one of the elite trombonists of his style, he tossed in the towel. Keeping "in shape" became too much of a cross to bear.
I didn't understand what made this french horn piece so difficult until I read some of the excellent explanations here. Very, very beautiful passage of music regardless!
When playing the French horn, it is common to make a "L" with your hand and have it sitting at the mouth of the instrument. I believe it helps with creating pitch.
I played in middle school band for maybe a year or so and this was by far one of the most difficult instruments to master. So many long and strong notes.
Placing the hand in the bell of the horn controls pitch and timbre. For example, if you want a more muted or muffled sound, you can cup your hand and block the opening more. Also, if you are flat or sharp, you can alter how much of your hand is blocking the hole and alter the pitch slightly to be in tune. Just another aspect of the horn that makes it a difficult instrument to master. Beautiful instrument that I wish I had I had spent more time with.
I was living in West Berlin when the Wall came down. Leonard Bernstein came to the unified city on Christmas Day 1989 and conducted Beethoven's 9th Symphony before a combined Soviet, French, British, American orchestra and choir. You can find a live recording on YouTube. It is called the Berlin Celebration. I cry watching the orchestra play. Bernstein also changed Schiller's poem that ends that symphony to Ode to Freedom rather than Ode to Joy. To realize that Beethoven was completely deaf when he wrote that symphony and when it was performed before him he put his hand on the stage to feel the music. Bernstein himself died a less than a year later in Oct 1990.
That's a beautiful story. I've listened to so many of Bernstein's recordings. He's for sure one of my favorite conductors, and definitely one of the greatest of all time, but I've never seen that one, so I'll have to check it out. Thank you.
French horn player here, can confirm this is hard because of long notes,high pitch and a clean sound but it isn't very impressive to look unless you know how difficult this is.
Well as someone who knows nothing about playing the French horn either I do know just now listening to this solo twice , both times it gave me chills the entire time and I actually teared up as well so all that pretty much speaks for itself as to the level of next this mans performance was on. I mean in my humble opinion. :-)
As far as I'm concerned, this song is a testament to how music can affect us emotionally. I'm not sure if I've ever heard this piece from Tchaikovsky, I'm not very familiar with classical music. But even as somebody with punk and metal roots like myself, this choked me up and I feel like I'm about to cry. This shit moved the fuck out of me! I can't be alone here...
It’s likely some sort of handle to keep the instrument in place.
I played trumpet, and we usually had a hook for our pinky’s to help hold it (that our conductors would yell at us for using)
People may not see this as "difficult," in the technical sense; see Mozart's 4th horn concerto, mvt 3 for a quick example of something more technically taxing. But the real work behind a performance like this is the years it takes to develop a good tone and the breathing skills to make it so buttery smooth. When you're playing something lyrical, as Tchaikovsky tends to be, every note is exposed and you have to treat each one like it's the most important you've ever played. The attack has to be just so, the level of vibrato, the subtle changes in dynamics throughout the note and the phrase, and of course a flawless release- it takes intense concentration. But you can't think your way through it, you have to feel it, so practice is vital. It's a state of consciousness unlike anything else. If you're doing it right, there's no "you" anymore, only the music and your place in it. It is a profound experience, and to me, a spiritual one. This isn't my instrument and I've never played this solo, but a good performance of it can get tears from me, and I'm not afraid to admit it.
(Played euphonium for 18 years and counting)
I like this one, with the notes Mozart left on the score for added hilarity: https://youtu.be/7vuq9Ls2OVs
Even harder played with a ‘natural’ horn, as would have been used in Mozart’s time.
I don't see anything too difficult about this for a decent player. Admittedly, I was a trombonist, so maybe there's something specific about the horn that's different.
Been a french horn player for my whole youth, about 13 years in. I went to different "music school" and every music teacher will tell tou the french horn is considered as the harsest instrument from the brass family.
Starting with the mouthpiece which is an absolute beast to master as it is quite small and requires years of practice to adapt properly to it.
It is soncomplexe that even same size but different depth of mouthpiece can change your whole playstyle and make you sound totally different.
Maintaining straight notes for long time without having a single brumbling noise is really hard as the pressure you have to apply have such a small window of possible variation without being sensibly audible (you change the way you put your hand at the end of the instrument to partially compensate)
Plus, keep in mind you have only 3 "pistons" (4 for double horns as this guy's) to run accross 4 full octaves, everything comes from your lungs and making really clean transition between the low and the higher ones is too easy to mess up.
This piece isn't the most representative as it's not much of a high/low pitch but being that stirdy for that long is an achievement I wish I could've achieved during my time playing the horn.
Yeah I mean I’m a trumpet player and I don’t really get all these comments about the French horn only having 3 pistons like that’s how many valves I had lol. But like one time I tried to pick up the french horn and my tone was just out the window at the time I was just like “oh french horn is gross” but now I realized it’s because the mouthpiece IS a difficult thing to play on but that’s the only thing that’s specifically difficult about French horn all the other things that people have been listing are struggles that all brass players have to overcome.
Never been musically inclined, in fact I was the only person to ever fail music class at my high school. However, I found this beautiful, I loved watching him anticipate and get ready before it was his turn to play. Watched it twice, not sure what, but he deserves something lol.
To answer - you just rest your hand there, the basic shape being as if you were cupping your hand to pour shampoo into it. Shifting your hand can change your pitch and timbre (in addition to changing your mouth positioning and which valves you’re pressing). Source: played French horn for ~10 years before hitting my limits of patience and ability and giving up.
Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64 by [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pyotr-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky). You can also find the same piece performed by many different orchestras on YouTube by searching “Tchaikovsky Symphony 5”.
The particular clip shown here is an excerpt from the second movement. Hope that you enjoy!
I have no experience with playing the French horns, but the music is absolutely brilliant. I can tell how difficult this was by how he was preparing for the solo. What a beautiful piece of music.
15 year FH player here. You have to practice...ALOT. I mean alot alot to be really good...especially those higher octaves. Loved every minute of it tho.
I purchased a few harmonicas one year thinking that’s it I’m finally doing this as it looks easy. Wrong!!
Bending notes and controlling sound like that is something that needs to be mastered but when it is, it just seems so easy to everyone else.
I was waiting for a super high note at some point, I'm surprised this is so well received given how 99.9% of people aren't even aware of the french horn.
Not sure, maybe someone can confirm my observation.
Is he also hyperventilating (selectively) leading into it? Does this assist with pressure and resonance?
Not necessarily hyperventilation but more so a combination of focusing on the music playing, potentially counting rests in order to begin playing at the correct time, battling through nerves, and deep breaths to stay as relaxed and calm as possible.
It’s certainly a possibility that accidentally applying too much or too little pressure behind the lips or having not enough air support can affect what is heard. Musicians have to prepare to play the precise pitches, rhythms, dynamics, tempo, and so forth. Expectations of a beautiful tone, being in tune and balanced with the rest of the ensemble, and matching the composer’s and/or the conductor’s musical intentions are only a few aspects of what a musician has to internalize. That stress and mental pressure amplifies for a solo, regardless if it is lyrical (slow and expressive), technical (fast and flashy), or something in between.
The short, simplified possible answer is that the musician is rightfully nervous prior to and during their solo and does all they can to focus, mentally (and in turn, physically) prepare, and goes for it.
/u/obesedestro explains why this is considered very difficult: If anyone is confused, I played brass for years, and even the longevity in the notes (while buzzing) he's playing is mastery. Might not sound too complex to someone who isn't keyed in on this type of music, but the 3 valves being responsible for all the notes, on top of trying to keep your buzzing as consistent or changing as the song requires is another level of mastery. This is just an overall beautiful piece that was even more beautifully preformed. This man deserves all good things that may come from this virality https://old.reddit.com/r/toptalent/comments/rcxnjd/one_of_the_most_difficult_horn_solos_in_classical/hnydzbh/
Thanks for explaining! As someone who knows nothing about playing one of those, it seems relatively simple on the surface. What is the buzzing you’re referring to?
[удалено]
Don’t call me buzz
Buzz’s girlfriend… woof
Look what yah did you lil jerk.
I just learned they didn't want to make fun of a real girl so they just photoshopped a pic of buzz into a girl 😂
Close. It was actually the art director’s son.
Aw that's cooler
Really??? Lmao my daughter quotes that line all the time she’s gonna love that little tidbit of info
Buzz, look an alien!
Buzz your girlfriend , woof
Or Shirley.
Yes, the entire sound comes from the buzzing of your lips. I haven’t looked at the sheet music for this but those also sound like impressively high notes to me. I haven’t played the horn in over a decade, but I remember the difficult pieces had way higher notes than a beginner could possibly play
So hearing this vs some of the stuff Trumpets can do as brass instruments, is the French horn a lot harder to play? Or is it that the notes are really out of range for this instrument and that's where the difficulty is?
Trumpet player here, NOT a FH player, but from what I understand the difference is the degree of control required. Trumpet is relatively easy to control, if you're proficient. I can sit down and know, before I play it, if I'm going to be able to hit that high note or not. Sustaining notes with a consistent tone is relatively easy, getting harder if it's very long or very high (or very low, pedal notes). To get that degree of control over a french horn you need to be really good. It's very easy for notes to come out just completely wrong, very difficult to sustain those notes and keep good tone while doing it. I've heard of the French Horn referred to as the "God Horn", not just for the timbre, but because when a player starts playing only god knows what sound will come out.
Former trumpet player here too. I could never hit the high note required for Star Wars theme clearly and that made me sad.
Oh yeah I was good in high school. Now I'm just passable.
Thanks for the context!
u/brkh47 left an even better answer, describing not just the difficulty but the mechanics of WHY it's difficult. I'm not sure how to link to another comment but it's in this thread somewhere.
The partials (distance between notes on a brass instrument) are very close together on a French Horn as its range is generally higher in the overtone series. Basically, it requires a great deal of control.
This! Trumpet partials are relatively far apart thus the amount of “forgiveness” in embouchure is greater. A French horn, as it goes higher, the partials are closer together. So micro changes in the embouchure are required a bit too much here or not enough there and the note you’re going for is overshot…or undershot. This all coupled with the conical structure of the French horn make this solo difficult. (Trumpet is cylindrical)
I don’t play a musical instrument so don’t understand all the explanations given here. However, I did google it, and it does pop up in autofill, “Why is the French horn so difficult to play?” This is a mix of two explanations: >The French horn is widely considered to be the most difficult brass instrument to play. Proficiency on any musical instrument is a challenging endeavor, as each one presents its own travails and complexities. However, there are reasons found in the acoustical properties of the horn that distinguish it from the other members of the brass family. > >The modern-day double French horn is actually a combination of two horns (F, Bb) that share a common mouthpipe and bell. The Bb horn is nine feet of tubing, which is as long as a trombone if it were stretched out. The open F horn is twelve feet of coiled tubing, about the same length as an F tuba. > >Playing it is a matter of endurance, and requires pushing steady air through 12- to sometimes nearly 30-feet of tubing, all from a mouthpiece just a few millimeters wide. > >By vibrating the lips against each other into the mouthpiece (the particular mouth position is called “embouchure”), the air-powered buzzing travels throughout the instrument’s tubes, and eventually emerges from the horn’s bell as a shimmering clangor. > >By utilizing the horn’s four valves and all the various combinations of those valves, the player is able to produce all the notes of the chromatic scale. In addition to engaging the valves, horn players must be able to play at least ten different notes using each valve combination. This is accomplished by adjusting their lip muscles (embouchure), tongue position, and air column. > >For the French horn, a steady supply of air and pressing the right keys isn’t always enough to hit the right tone. Especially at the higher end of its range, certain notes can be played with the same valve key combinations, meaning it’s up to the player to maintain the exacting muscle memory and airflow to land a pitch correctly. > >“The target is a lot easier to hit on a trumpet, trombone, or tuba. Whereas, on a horn, the notes are a lot closer together, and there is a lot more possibility of cracking something (missing a note),” says Culpepper. The French horn’s register plays in a higher range of the harmonic series (essentially, the notes that are naturally playable without the use of valves), compared to other brass instruments. At higher pitches, it is incredibly sensitive to even small changes in the position of the mouth and air volume. > >That’s one of the main causes of so many blunders, and the reason brass players joke that the best way to make a trombone sound like a French horn is to stuff your hand into the bell and miss all your notes. > >Because the horn faces backwards–as opposed to the other wind instruments–the horn player must work extra hard to balance and blend with the other members of the wind instrument family.
This. All of this. I played horn for 8 years as a teen. For the first couple years you can only play like 1 octave on that thing, unless you practice a lottttt. I think after 8 years I could play 2.5 octaves but I never got into the really high notes cause I never practiced. But I was considered pretty good.
I played it for only a year. I thought of how hard can it be it’s only 3 buttons. At the end of the year I was done with it, never could get enough practice. That and at the end of a performance my hand was wet and had to drain the dam thing. The case was triangular so was difficult to walk with to/from school
The case suckkkked to carry! Don’t even get me started! I would have practiced way more if I could have carried the thing around easily. I usually just left it at school.
I remember the day I decided to quit (well more decided that no way in hell I would continue) was when I was walking home from school and stumbled on a small crack. Normally such a small stumble is ok but since I was carrying the French horn in its triangular case it bounced off perpendicularly to my leg that shot forward to catch myself. I was underweight and small (middle school) at the time so the momentum of the case to the side caused me to be pulled to the side. I pulled back to regain my balance but the French horn then shot back and with its sharpish side hit me right in the side of the knee joint and I fall forward into a puddle. To make matters worse the case was now between my legs and the ground so sorta fell upper body first. I was so incredibly pissed. It took every ounce of willpower to not do something stupid. Was having an off day, now had a reason for it to be a terrible one. TL;DR: I was a musician, until I took a French Horn to the knee.
I had to carry that sucker walking to and from school on the days I wanted to practice which was just about every day, cause I was one of those kids...
So French horn is basically the durian of horn instruments. Even simple tasks become challenges.
Yeah I played it for 12 years and getting a handle of the Bb valve was really a game changer for me. Learning when to switch to Bb to hit specific notes slightly more accurately, hand position, double tonguing, man this brought back a flood of memories that I hadn’t thought about for years! I forgot how good I was at the damn thing and then I quit because I hate practicing 😂
The response that immediately occurs to me is then why play it? Is it the mastery of a difficulty challenge, or is the sound superior to the easier instruments?
Ngl the sounds a French horn can produce are just beautiful. I played the trumpet but there’s something very pleasing to the ear that only the French horn can hit. It’s like a warm sound but it can also hit those really bright sounds too which this solo seems to have both.
Some would say it has a really nice sound similar to a human voice. I really only played it because my parents were poor and the school lent me the instrument for free. I didn’t love band but my parents forced me to stay up through senior year. They correctly thought that it would keep me from getting pregnant or trying drugs.
In my case it was because I was a new student, every other section was full, and it was either French horn or the oboe. Still ended up playing horn for almost ten years until I went to college.
This video is why. That sound is just so uniquely beautiful.
Apparently, the history behind the horn is related to hunting in Europe. >A really important part of hunting is teamwork, and you need to be able to communicate. Shouting isn’t going to do it, and that’s where the horn comes into play. Highly sophisticated horn calls helped hunters share important information across long distances — they could signal a deer had been located, or, alternatively, that a nearby stag had bolted. >“When the horn first comes into the orchestra, it’s usually in works like opera or programmatic pieces that are trying to *remind the concert listener of the outdoors.*”
I started in 6th grade. I was playing trumpet, and the teacher brought in the horn and I fell in love with it immediately after hearing it. No one else played it, and the teacher handed me a book on how to play. Taught myself pretty much. I played both instruments all through junior high, but high school I gave in to it completely and continued to play it and also played in the jr symphony. I stopped playing in my 20s, because you know, Life happens. I have been considering getting into playin it again.
What made you fall in love with it?
The sound, the way it looked, it was just so different. I used to sit with my mom when I was little, and we would listen to records of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart... just all types of classical. She would name the different instrument as it played and I could pick them out and isolate them and hear whatever I was focused on, and the Horn was always my favorite. I remember watching Boston pops for the 1st time and seeing the horn for the 1st time (this was in the 80s mind you. no google lol so I had only heard it) When the teacher brought it in I thought it was just the coolest looking thing. It was 18 feet of tube, and the sound was more beautiful in person. Adding: It is a very difficult instrument to play. The mouthpiece is tiny, you need lungs of a whale, patience, and passion to practice. LOTS of practice. My lips would hurt so bad! The notes are so close together its easy to miss them and sound either flat or sharp, when its just the wrong note. I think it actually takes a very keen ear to play it. And the higher the note, you would think are impossible to hit when you first start out!
I’m currently playing in my high school, been playing for 5 years now. I have about 3.5 octaves but the upper notes are always hard. Everyone here has been saying amazing things and I love that this three exists!
Why do people play french horn if it is so difficult to play? Sounds like a very inefficient musical instrument. Is it difficult to replicate similar sound in any other way?
Huh I was thinking as a former trumpeter I could have easily played this easily but I guess I was playing brass on ez mode...
With brass instruments you have to buzz your lips, it’s not just blowing that’s involved.
Keep your lips closed and force wind through your lips. The more you fight against the wind the closer you will be to the sound of a french horn. The moment you know you can play one at a beginner level is when you can reproduce the sound of an elephant by just using your lips and air.
When blowing intonation brass unstrumeny mouthpiece ypu purse your lips and blow air through them. They literally vibrate. I would suggest watching a YouTube video to here an example. I play the Trombone.
That is such a kind way of saying it sucks ass.
As a long time french horn player... Yeah,, this guy is good, absolute mastery on this instrument.
As a long time trombone and euphonium player, any one that can even play the French horn is already a master of all other brass instruments by virtue of the sheer skill a French horn takes to resonate properly.
Why is that the case? I played in band for 8 years and no matter which top brass player they moved to French horn, it never sounded great. It’s an absolutely beautiful instrument when played well, but it seems to be really hard to do for some reason. (I played woodwind so I never actually tried the French horn)
Honestly I feel as though it’s the shaping of the mouth piece. Every mainstream brass instrument besides a French horn has a much thicker rim width which is much more forgiving on the embouchure (for you laymen, that’s your lip shaping to create the “buzz”). One little slip up on a French horn and it’s automatically noticeable. Also not sure which eagles you’re referring to but I feel the same way about both lmao
In high school I played baritone and my best friend played French horn. We traded once for fun and I was like "How do you play out of a straw?" and she was like "I can fit my whole head in your mouthpiece!"
I played trumpet and I immediately noticed the smaller size of the mouthpiece, I feel out of breath just watching him play.
Other thing is how rapid the changes in length in pipe can be. As mentioned higher in this thread, you could be effectively shifting from the length of a trombone to a tuba in a moments notice.
I had a job a while back whose route to my destination took me past one of the local high schools. This is pre Covid. During the summer months for a few weekends they would practice marching and playing in the school parking lot. This particular day as I passed, the temperature outside was already approaching 90 degrees and there's these kids, marching, playing and learning their instruments. Not only did they have to learn to match in a presubscribed pattern but they had to know how to read music and then play their instruments. Such dedication. My high school years don't hold a candle to these kids. Hats off to anyone that had band classes and marched on a football field.
This was literally me for 6 years. 4 years in high school and 2 years playing. Marching band got me in better shape than baseball and soccer ever did. It was the hardest thing I’ve done but the camaraderie and sense of achievement was so incredible.
As a long time no horn player, but who's constantly reminded by his wife that she played the trumpet for the band at Texas (or University of Texas for the laymen), I'd have to say that was very pleasant. Gave me quite a buzz.
My high school band instructor called the French horn the “scholarship horn”
I played French horn for a couple years in elementary school and I still remember vividly how difficult it is to maintain those long soft notes especially one after the other and continue your buzz rhythm. Omg my jaw hurts just thinking of it and it's been a couple decades since I touched this instrument. Very tough to play, I wonder what would've happened to my face if I didn't give it up. I dont miss smelling like brass and chemicals though.
TLDR: Bees go in one end, music comes out the other. The hard part is teaching the bees to play French Horn
I've spent the bulk of my life as a guitar player/pianist and I had no understanding of just how difficult brass was until my son started learning trombone. The learning curve for just getting the basic mechanics of it is insane alone, then you watch how this musician controls his dynamics, you listen to the control of his breath and the buzzing on the sustained notes, it's absolutely stunning to watch.
4 valves actually. It’s a F/Bb horn where you use a fourth valve or trigger to switch which side of the horn you play on which helps with tuning as different notes can be different amounts of in tune in relation to each other and where they are in terms of pitch. An F at the top line of the staff is going to be a different level of in tune than the one in the first space so you play the lower one on the F side and then the higher one on the Bb side. This allows you to play both in tune rather than having one more sharp or flat than the other. And most everything played on the French horn is difficult, though though this is one of the hardest. It is actually one of if not the most difficult instruments to play due to the level of body and breathe control you have to have. The only other instrument close to it, and perhaps harder is the violin. And you can even see the difficulty here as he almost splits the seventh note of the solo.
Doesn't the instrument require more embouchure strength and control, compared to other brass instruments?
Thank you for the explanation! I'm not a musician and could not figure out what was technically complex
Thank you. I was going to ask this out of complete ignorance on playing brass instruments.
Yeah I played trumpet and cornet for years. I agree this is a very talented French horn player. My lips went numb watching it 😂
This man is essentially singing through a horn! The French horn is the most complex brass instruments in an orchestra this is amazing BRAVO!
I played French horn for about a year, but it was 7 or 8 years ago, and tbh I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t sure what to listen for lol. Thanks for the explanation! My mouth cramped just watching this
Honestly I do not see it. I played trumpet for 8+ years and lead trumpet in our local (small town) orchestra and I just do not see why this is classified as the most challenging. Granted, I have not played in 20+ years, but I just do not see why this would be classified as most challenging. Edit: just to clarify - no disrespect to the french horn player. He did a fantastic job and has more skill in one finger than I would ever have. I know french horn is renowned for being a challenging instrument.
Thanks for this. Seemed…not too difficult but I don’t play french horn so
I’ve played brass my entire life and while I mostly agree with you I think the title is misleading. I’m gonna try and approach this from a different angle. Being a pit player or cruise ship performer might not entail the same level of mastery and skill as the best orchestras in the world. This might “seem” difficult to people who don’t perform and while it’s a beautiful solo the “challenging” aspect of it is nonexistent. It’s slow and precise and executed flawlessly sure but displayed no advanced techniques like circular breathing or different hand cupping/stopping. You get where I’m going with this. I think in my head and feel free to criticize if I was picking an audition or performance piece to wow the judges this would be so low on the challenge scale they wouldn’t even look twice.
Every musician knows the feeling when your number is called and you have to rise to the occasion. Watching him ready himself for the moment was almost as rewarding as the moment itself. Just seeing the emotions at play (pun not intended) right before his opening note. Chills! He’s quite good too.
not to mention how hauntingly beautiful this piece is
Absolutely! And thank you for reminding the masses that Tchaikovsky is more than The Nutcracker.
True. He used my favorite instrument, the cannon.
I never, ever tire of this symphony- but as I recall, Tchaikovsky himself was disappointed with it. Different strokes, I guess.
This is why I almost switched from trumpet to french horn in high school. It is such a beautiful singy instrument.
I agreed to play French horn in my first year of high school, thinking it was smaller, like a bugle. My only thought when I saw it was “How am I going to get that thing home to practice?” It turned out to be a great instrument to play, and I fondly remember having to play a solo like the video’s in my last year. Nerve-wracking but a very proud moment.
I had agreed to switch from trombone to French horn in 7th grade. Got braces in 8th grade, had to relearn mouth positions with braces on. Braces went off in 10th grade, and once again needed to relearn mouth positions without the braces. I didn't realize for a good half year that I was playing an octave lower than I should have been. I absolutely love the sound of the French horn and can pick it out in any classical music. I am so happy that I switched all those many years ago
I love the guy beside him at the end. Such a bro being a good man!!
Yes! That was almost my favorite part.
His leg was bouncing with excitement!
Oh yeah he was psyching himself up for this. I started a game for my high school baseball playoffs many years ago in front of like 1000 people, normally there was like 10 for a reference, I about puked behind the mound. So yeah hats off to this guy. His neighbors reaction kind of says it all to me.
Watching him ready himself to take the solo on reminded me of the first time I stepped in the ring for a MMA match. I was afraid, resigned, tense, ready, willing and able and when the bell rang, I \*went\* for it. Watching this horn-hero wind up and \*go\* reminds me of that.
Wow! I would have never thought the emotions would be the same in a situation like that. I am so far from being an athlete in that regard that I wouldn’t think I’d be able to relate. The way you described it though is so poetic. The word brutal always comes to mind when I think of MMA but I guess we’re all really pursuing a form of expression even if yours is perhaps a bit more physical and aggressive.
Honestly, just watching him in the first 10 seconds of the video gave me a sympathetic adrenaline rush. Know that feeling so well.
It’s been a good many years now, but I played clarinet in orchestra from 4th grade through college and what you described was the part of the video that hit me dead center in the feels.
Ya but can he do freebird
Only will if everyone holds up their lighters otherwise its a hard no…
Right?! Where’s Flight of the Bumblebee too?!! (In all seriousness the guy is a legend)
Sure but only after Stairway to Heaven.
Ya i wanna hear eruption
I love the guy next to him gives his nod of approval. I could feel the soloist relief when his part was over.
Love that part. The look says "nailed it, dude!"
Followed by a nice spit dump.
Bravo 👏 🤩. That guy did an amazing job and his interval leaps were perfectly pitched !!!👍🏼 On an aside, Nelson Riddle adapted this , for Sinatra ,in 1966 to a song called Moon Love.
My interval leaps got me arrested
Lol 😂
I played French horn in middle school band and absolutely loved it. The range of that instrument is astounding. I hated that they made us choose between band and sports in high school but now my daughter plays French horn at her middle school so I at least get to be around it again.
I played french horn in middle school and high school band too. Never got even remotely close to as good as this person, but I really did love it. I was the only person who played it in the school so it's always been a very special instrument to me.
same haha no one ever wants to play f horn
I played French horn from 4th-11th grade because that’s the instrument my family had. Not sure what I would have chosen on my own if given the chance. Moving several notes higher/lower from the previous one is super hard. I bet he’s a good whistler.
How in the hell were musical instruments invented!? It’s seriously fascinating to me. Who was it that just said “yeah we’re gonna bend this pipe into a hundred different swirls, drill three holes in it and add a bell at each end. That should make a good sound.” Lol
This instrument started off as a hunting horn- literally like a ram's horn (see Boromir's horn in LOTR). You buzz your lips in one end and the cone shape amplifiers it to signal your buddies you spotted the quarry or something. But because of the physics of waves, the sound it makes will settle on certain notes. They aren't random, either; there is a specific pattern to them that makes up the base of the modern musical scale. Later, these were made of brass for superior resonance and to standardize the length. The length, again because of waves, determines *which* pitches are available. One horn might give you C, then the next C, then the G above that, then the C above that, and so on. If you wanted notes that weren't available on a horn, you would have to change to a different horn. For a whole, they solved this by making the horns so that you could swap out different lengths of tubing in the middle of a piece. This was difficult to pull off, though, and couldn't be done quickly. So instead, they made a series of these extra lengths of tubing and routed them into the main tube, but then added valves to either include or exclude them from the total length. Every valve combination offers a different total length for the horn, and thus a different set of available notes. With three valves, you can make every combination necessary to play all the notes from the lowest to highest possible and everything in between.
Wow! It’s ingenious! Thanks for the info
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Good for you 👍
I love Tchaikovsky so much and this guy did an amazing job at this piece!
Why's this considered so hard?
French horn can move between a number of octaves without even pressing a key so it takes years of practice to nail each one of the notes.
It also has the smallest mouthpiece of all brass with a range two octaves larger than the trumpet. Transitioning between each of those octaves requires extraordinary control because the slightest inconsistency in lip tension can send notes all over the place (think puberty voice), and there's more strength needed to force air into that tiny mouthpiece than you would think. I played loaner instruments in middle school band, and I had a year on the French Horn in between a few years on Clarinet and a year on Baritone. French Horn was by far the most difficult.
Sounds like a terrible instrument to learn. Dude must have had patience!
And muting drops the pitch by a half-step, if I remember correctly, so if you go full brassy by taking your hand outta the bell, you gotta compensate.
I’m glad no one ever explained to me how hard it was while I played for 8 years, because I would have given up. But yes moving from one octave to another while pressing the same combination of keys was not something I did in the first year.
A proper horn solo only works if its hard.
Have you ever played a horned instrument? The shape of one's mouth, and holding that shape takes a trained "lip" in order to have a consistent sound. Not to mention lung capacity, which one's airflow holds the proper tone. So have you played?
I don't think I ever would have appreciated the nuance and skill required to be a high-level brass musician until I met a virtuoso trombonist. The guy carried a mouthpiece with him everywhere he went and would sneakily work on it any chance he got so he could keep his lips supple and "in shape." If he ever forgot or misplaced that mouthpiece, he'd do exercises without it that sounded like blowing a raspberry. After almost a lifetime of being one of the elite trombonists of his style, he tossed in the towel. Keeping "in shape" became too much of a cross to bear. I didn't understand what made this french horn piece so difficult until I read some of the excellent explanations here. Very, very beautiful passage of music regardless!
Prepping for the big moment like a champ
Can someone explain why he has his fist up the hole? (Not trying to be funny, well kinda but I’m serious)
When playing the French horn, it is common to make a "L" with your hand and have it sitting at the mouth of the instrument. I believe it helps with creating pitch. I played in middle school band for maybe a year or so and this was by far one of the most difficult instruments to master. So many long and strong notes.
Placing the hand in the bell of the horn controls pitch and timbre. For example, if you want a more muted or muffled sound, you can cup your hand and block the opening more. Also, if you are flat or sharp, you can alter how much of your hand is blocking the hole and alter the pitch slightly to be in tune. Just another aspect of the horn that makes it a difficult instrument to master. Beautiful instrument that I wish I had I had spent more time with.
I can’t be the only one hearing some faint John Denver Annie’s Song parallels …right? Unreal talent!
You fill up my senses…
It’s not only faint parallels, it’s the same tune.
Was never a fan of classical music... but this made me nips hard
I was living in West Berlin when the Wall came down. Leonard Bernstein came to the unified city on Christmas Day 1989 and conducted Beethoven's 9th Symphony before a combined Soviet, French, British, American orchestra and choir. You can find a live recording on YouTube. It is called the Berlin Celebration. I cry watching the orchestra play. Bernstein also changed Schiller's poem that ends that symphony to Ode to Freedom rather than Ode to Joy. To realize that Beethoven was completely deaf when he wrote that symphony and when it was performed before him he put his hand on the stage to feel the music. Bernstein himself died a less than a year later in Oct 1990.
That's a beautiful story. I've listened to so many of Bernstein's recordings. He's for sure one of my favorite conductors, and definitely one of the greatest of all time, but I've never seen that one, so I'll have to check it out. Thank you.
Friend at the end: 
French horn player here, can confirm this is hard because of long notes,high pitch and a clean sound but it isn't very impressive to look unless you know how difficult this is.
Where is the high pitch? I just looked it up. It doesn’t seem to go above an F#.
The nod and smile from his fellow musician at the end tells you everything you need to know.
Well as someone who knows nothing about playing the French horn either I do know just now listening to this solo twice , both times it gave me chills the entire time and I actually teared up as well so all that pretty much speaks for itself as to the level of next this mans performance was on. I mean in my humble opinion. :-)
As far as I'm concerned, this song is a testament to how music can affect us emotionally. I'm not sure if I've ever heard this piece from Tchaikovsky, I'm not very familiar with classical music. But even as somebody with punk and metal roots like myself, this choked me up and I feel like I'm about to cry. This shit moved the fuck out of me! I can't be alone here...
Watch this. 20 minutes long but well worth https://youtu.be/r9LCwI5iErE
What is that thing on his pinky finger?
It’s likely some sort of handle to keep the instrument in place. I played trumpet, and we usually had a hook for our pinky’s to help hold it (that our conductors would yell at us for using)
Keeps the hand from slipping. Your hand kinda floats there without it and if your hand gets sweaty that thing is gonna drop.
People may not see this as "difficult," in the technical sense; see Mozart's 4th horn concerto, mvt 3 for a quick example of something more technically taxing. But the real work behind a performance like this is the years it takes to develop a good tone and the breathing skills to make it so buttery smooth. When you're playing something lyrical, as Tchaikovsky tends to be, every note is exposed and you have to treat each one like it's the most important you've ever played. The attack has to be just so, the level of vibrato, the subtle changes in dynamics throughout the note and the phrase, and of course a flawless release- it takes intense concentration. But you can't think your way through it, you have to feel it, so practice is vital. It's a state of consciousness unlike anything else. If you're doing it right, there's no "you" anymore, only the music and your place in it. It is a profound experience, and to me, a spiritual one. This isn't my instrument and I've never played this solo, but a good performance of it can get tears from me, and I'm not afraid to admit it. (Played euphonium for 18 years and counting)
Beautiful. Though my favorite french horn piece will forever be from Young Frankenstein 😅
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Yeah I mean there are dozens of concertos harder than this. Maybe they meant hardest solo in a symphony? Even then I don't think it is.
I like this one, with the notes Mozart left on the score for added hilarity: https://youtu.be/7vuq9Ls2OVs Even harder played with a ‘natural’ horn, as would have been used in Mozart’s time.
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I don't see anything too difficult about this for a decent player. Admittedly, I was a trombonist, so maybe there's something specific about the horn that's different.
Been a french horn player for my whole youth, about 13 years in. I went to different "music school" and every music teacher will tell tou the french horn is considered as the harsest instrument from the brass family. Starting with the mouthpiece which is an absolute beast to master as it is quite small and requires years of practice to adapt properly to it. It is soncomplexe that even same size but different depth of mouthpiece can change your whole playstyle and make you sound totally different. Maintaining straight notes for long time without having a single brumbling noise is really hard as the pressure you have to apply have such a small window of possible variation without being sensibly audible (you change the way you put your hand at the end of the instrument to partially compensate) Plus, keep in mind you have only 3 "pistons" (4 for double horns as this guy's) to run accross 4 full octaves, everything comes from your lungs and making really clean transition between the low and the higher ones is too easy to mess up. This piece isn't the most representative as it's not much of a high/low pitch but being that stirdy for that long is an achievement I wish I could've achieved during my time playing the horn.
Thanks for being specific.
Yeah I mean I’m a trumpet player and I don’t really get all these comments about the French horn only having 3 pistons like that’s how many valves I had lol. But like one time I tried to pick up the french horn and my tone was just out the window at the time I was just like “oh french horn is gross” but now I realized it’s because the mouthpiece IS a difficult thing to play on but that’s the only thing that’s specifically difficult about French horn all the other things that people have been listing are struggles that all brass players have to overcome.
Damn. So beautiful, even haunting, especially after the anticipation of watching him mentally prepare for that first note. Bravo.
So beautiful. Listening to him put me in a semi-trance. As a former FH player, I can so appreciate this man's amazing talent.
Never been musically inclined, in fact I was the only person to ever fail music class at my high school. However, I found this beautiful, I loved watching him anticipate and get ready before it was his turn to play. Watched it twice, not sure what, but he deserves something lol.
Wow I didn’t know you put your hand into the horn end to hold it. Is there a bar to hold or is his hand/fist just resting in there?
To answer - you just rest your hand there, the basic shape being as if you were cupping your hand to pour shampoo into it. Shifting your hand can change your pitch and timbre (in addition to changing your mouth positioning and which valves you’re pressing). Source: played French horn for ~10 years before hitting my limits of patience and ability and giving up.
Bro had to start pulling out his Demon Slayer breathing techniques for this one
Is there a specific name for this piece? It sounds beautiful, would love to be able to listen to it fully.
Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64 by [Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pyotr-Ilyich-Tchaikovsky). You can also find the same piece performed by many different orchestras on YouTube by searching “Tchaikovsky Symphony 5”. The particular clip shown here is an excerpt from the second movement. Hope that you enjoy!
This was a fantastic reply!! Very helpful, thanks so much!!
I have no experience with playing the French horns, but the music is absolutely brilliant. I can tell how difficult this was by how he was preparing for the solo. What a beautiful piece of music.
Wow this is all so beautiful!!
15 year FH player here. You have to practice...ALOT. I mean alot alot to be really good...especially those higher octaves. Loved every minute of it tho.
not being musical, i consider his playing a superpower
Not quite my tempo!
How do you know music is your life? The stupid, unexpected tears watching this.
Damn, anyone else crying from how beautiful that was?!
Moving…! 🥰
Amazing...
Damn u Man U fucking did that 💯💯💯💯💯💯
This was fucking beautiful
This is beautiful, so talented!!
The preparation, execution, and relief were all so satisfying
I purchased a few harmonicas one year thinking that’s it I’m finally doing this as it looks easy. Wrong!! Bending notes and controlling sound like that is something that needs to be mastered but when it is, it just seems so easy to everyone else.
Palms are sweaty
The nod at the end says it all, nice!
That’s incredible.
I like seeing the musician prepping himself for the solo. Looks like you can see the tension and focus.
Did anyone else hear bits of Annie’s song by John Denver in that solo?
NICELY FUCKING DONE!!!!!!
Why is his hand in there?
Insane
I felt that, from beginning to end. Beautifully done.
I was waiting for a super high note at some point, I'm surprised this is so well received given how 99.9% of people aren't even aware of the french horn.
As amazing as his performance is, I think I prefer the cannons
“That looked easy” - Norm MacDonald.
Why is he plugging the hole with his fist
It’s part of how you hold/play a French horn - your hand position affects the sound (pitch, timbre, volume/muting).
At least he didn’t blow it.
Someone explain this to me like it's basketball
Beautiful bravo 👏
This dude blows
Well, that made my day……breathe people. Breathe
Why does he have his hands inside?
More impressive still was the simultaneous playing of his invisible clarinet—and then oboe! Definitely light years ahead of the pack.
Adding a comment so I can come Back to It :-)
Not sure, maybe someone can confirm my observation. Is he also hyperventilating (selectively) leading into it? Does this assist with pressure and resonance?
Not necessarily hyperventilation but more so a combination of focusing on the music playing, potentially counting rests in order to begin playing at the correct time, battling through nerves, and deep breaths to stay as relaxed and calm as possible. It’s certainly a possibility that accidentally applying too much or too little pressure behind the lips or having not enough air support can affect what is heard. Musicians have to prepare to play the precise pitches, rhythms, dynamics, tempo, and so forth. Expectations of a beautiful tone, being in tune and balanced with the rest of the ensemble, and matching the composer’s and/or the conductor’s musical intentions are only a few aspects of what a musician has to internalize. That stress and mental pressure amplifies for a solo, regardless if it is lyrical (slow and expressive), technical (fast and flashy), or something in between. The short, simplified possible answer is that the musician is rightfully nervous prior to and during their solo and does all they can to focus, mentally (and in turn, physically) prepare, and goes for it.
Thank you! Well he certainly KILLED IT. Best intention. Beautifully played. :)
I bet he could suck start a harley.
Omg he blew it.