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Back at IHS Denver one of the sessions I presented related to comparing the natural horn and the triple horn. This photo was for the handout, and shows my Seraphinoff natural horn and Paxman model 83 compensating triple side by side. They are interesting to compare!
How did we get from there to here? It took a long time but one of my all time favorite quotes gets at the basic facts. It is from an article by Richard Seraphinoff, where he wrote “Job security has always been the mother of all invention.”
Which one do teachers talk about more often? While a lot of professionals are making use of triple horns today, the natural horn is the one that it is more likely one your teacher might have talked about. It can be a very valuable part of your training to be sure, to improve the ear and general accuracy, but familiarity with descant and triple horns is equally if not more important today.
What are the differences? More than not having valves, an authentic natural horn has a smaller bore and bell than the modern horn and should be performed with a deeper mouthpiece. It can only be crooked in one key at a time; in the photo it is in F. And it is harder to play accurately.
What are some of the specific changes seen between the two instruments? Triple horns are most often constructed in F/Bb/high F and have valves! The thumb valve is arranged so that you can get the horn in any of the three keys. In many respects the triple is perfect for general high horn playing, providing many alternate fingerings that are more secure for accuracy. However, the low F side will probably be disappointing. A triple will not easily replace a double horn for low horn playing or a descant for very light high range work. And also a natural horn is a light as a feather and very responsive! It can be a lot of fun to play after blowing through all the weight of the typical triple.
For more info: I have two publications underway this summer that I hope to release in the fall, but in the meantime these areas of the Horn Articles Online site are recommended as general resources.
UPDATE: And the books are out, more info on both at the links above.
