My friend once told me that "there are only two types of brass instruments: French horns and others". Now I realize that his words really make sense!😂

I have something to say to Rule 3. Because in Germany where I learned Trumpet we have something called a "Posaunenchor" it's a kind of band only consisting of brass instruments which mainly play in churches more precise the protestant churches. In these chiors the Trumpet score is written in C rather than in B♭ the "normal" Pitch of a Trumpet. And there all beginners learn to play the Trumpet pitched in B♭ with the score in the treble clef beeing written in C. So every beginner who learns in that chior transposes the music without knowing that they are transposing. I know this is a rather unusual thing in other countries but I think it's pretty cool.

Rule 6, the tuba is in it's own world - I've never had to put my hand in the bell for any effect. Did have to use a mute once, never mine or anyone else's hand.

It’s honestly the most helpful thing I’ve watched so far with trying to work out the horn. Keep up the good work

this is just more proof the french horn is just a drunk trumpet

This video gives me 2010 KZfaq vibes, and I love it!

As a trombonist I am impressed that your background music (Schumann's Rhenisch, mvt 4) is one of the most difficult and often requested audition pieces (due to its high tessitura at pp).

About rule 3: trombones are pitched in Bb/F, but read in C. Also I think Baritones read in Bb when in treble clef, but read in C when in bass clef

Thanks for this informative video. The "Middle C is the ___ harmonic" was new to me, and should have been obvious. It confirms that trombone writing can much more be like trumpet writing. (I've always had trouble writing effectively for trombone.) I'm amazed at how many nit-pickers there are in the comments, and how ready they are to defend their one "fact", not realising that other parts of the world do it differently. (Maybe it's best not to add the octave thing in bass clef for old notation; that's probably going to cause an embolism!) In all the places I've worked, there's always been a good relationship between the horns and the bassoons (my instrument). I often wished I had taken up horn instead!

this video is amazing! you deserve a sub!

loved your information & look forward in seeing them being played ,,,,,,,,,,,greetings Renee

Some rules, as least for trombone are not entire correct. But you chose specific wording to make it technically correct. And I am assuming you are talking about standard modern instruments.

Tubas in Eb… Laughs in American Also, tuba is closer to horn in some of these attributes than you might think.

I would make the argument that Tubas(concert) have rotary valves as often as they have pistons. And I would also make the argument that Eb tuba is so uncommon compared to F or C that it definitely is not a regular occurrence or something anyone would ever teach on.

3:22 When American drum and bugle corps still used G bugles, the baritone, euphonium, and contrabass bugles all either read transposed treble clef or bass clef. Treble clef was transposed as G=C but on bass clef they did G=Bb. Most arrangers and players preferred treble clef. Interestingly, “French horn bugles” were popular as an alto voice before 3 valve bugles were allowed because they had the same length of tubing as a baritone bugle but a French horn mouthpiece and bore. They could sound more notes than any other bugle in the corps. You’ll see them with one valve that shifts from G to D, 2 valves (like valves 1 and 2), and a piston and rotor valve. They’re strange instruments and they come up on eBay frequently.

I have something to say about the rule 13. I know it is quite debatable, since I have not calculated the populations or anything, but from what I have seen, pistons are not dominant world-wide on all but the horn (and trombone). Rather, the world is split roughly into two about equaly large halves roughly separated by the border between France and Germany. On the west of this border, pistons are greatly the dominant type, and on the east, rotors are (with the exeption of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, south Korea and possibly few more countries). There are two curiosities to this: Trumpet is greatly more common in pistons on the west, but is about 50/50 pistons to rotors on the east. And Tuba is extremely more common in rotors on the east and about 50/50 pistons to rotors on the west. I, being Czech, have never in person seen anything but trumpet with piston valves. I admit and I might very well be living in a bubble, since I live in one of these "some regions", but I see these regions as quite more expansive then is suggested in the video, spaning over almost half of the area where they use brass instruments. To avoid similar controversy, I would have worded this rule as "in the English speaking world pistons are dominant". Also, about rule 2. Where I live, the bass tuba for traditional music is F tuba and is about as common for beginners to start with as the Bb tuba (I personally have started on F tuba). Eb tuba is extremely uncommon here. I do not believe it is used too extensively anywhere in Europe other the the UK, Ireland and Denmark. Also maybe appropriate to reword as "In the English speaking world" And a small note to rule 5. Fourth valves on all tubas and "euphoniums" I personally have seen are operated with the right pinky, not the left hand. It is related to them being pretty much exclusively with rotary valves, as I have said earlier. Anyway, I have enjoyed the video :D I do not mean anything bad by this comment, These are just fun things to have a friendly discussion about.

About rule 3 for French horn where you say that the score is always for an F horn. That is not true. E.g. Mozart's 4th horn concerto is written for a horn in Eb. In fact, the score can be written for almost any key instrument (that dates back to the time when there were only natural horns, with no valves). Professional horn players are masters of transposition on the fly. About rule 9: the 4th valve (for a double horn) is available in two configurations: when actuated, it can put the instrument in Bb or in F. In Belgium (where I am from) for example, actuating the 4th valve is usually selecting the F side and while released it is the Bb side. I believe in the US it is usually the other way around. But anyway, on most professional French horns, the instrument can be adapted to be in one or the other configuration.

Ahh i love it

Rule 3: B-flat trumpets and B-flat baritones are transposing in treble clef. I rarely saw a C trumpet used through college, always B-flat. I did have to "transpose" playing tuba, when reading bass music (Jazz/basketball bands) - I never really considered reading music an octave higher to be transposing.

C trumpet and C tuba are also very standard in orchestra

Is the intro and outro tunes from Brahmkovsky playing the piano?

When I play my rotary valved Tuba upside downwards, the bell points downward and I have to play with the left hand. Middle c (c') is the 9th harmonic and I can never put my hand in the bell regardless of where the bell is pointing to. 🙂

First of all, I think this video is realy funny and it effectively shows that the french horn is a naughty brass ! Tho, I just can't help my nerdy side from typing these fun facts Rule 2 : standards versions of the trumpet include the c trumpet.. I mean, d, e flat, f, g or a are rare but c and b flat are common for the trumpet (there is even a few trumpets that gots the two of these pitch built in -sometimes even three pitchs : a, b flat and c, on older instruments) Rule 4 : for the flugel, middle c on the clef is the third harmonic Rule 9 : 4th valve can also be for quarter-tone on the trumpet Rule 12 : all the cornet/flugel have v shaped mouthpiece, or c/v hybrid (wich also exist on trumpet)

I can transpose, I have perfect pitch and perfect tempo, so I have no problem reading any kind of music. I can play trombone with treble clef and I can play French horn in bass clef

A note for Rule 9, it is also a no for trombone. We have something that is called f attachment, a rotary valve.

mate, trombones are concert pitch are you special.

I grew up solely in the British Brass band world and never considered them a brass instrument until I was in college..but there is no way I'd ever welcome them into a brass band. . Eb Alto Horns FTW!!!

Just looking at your thumbnail, this isn’t true for Trombones. Trombones are written in C (even in treble clef) but are in Bb. Also Bass clef Euphonium/Baritone.

Rule 13: I have never seen a slide trombone with piston valves. For trumpets, rotary valves are now common in Germany

I think that quite often in the usa, the fourth valve of baritones, euphs, and tubas is in line with the other 3. Also, the french horn is basically (roughly) a skinny F tuba with a trumpet-ish mouthpiece.

This is very UK-centric, i recommend some research on brass instruments in the US as well as the rest of Europe.

Euphonium for the first 3 rules: am i a joke to u

I've never seen an Eb euphonium

Rule 1. The double horn is the preferred instrument for beginners. Single horns in F may be used as a beginner instrument, but that is largely a compromise to reduce cost. Either way, as a composer/orchestrater please just treat the horn as an instrument in F. Really most of these rules are more relavent to pedagogy than orchestration.

As a french horn player and reading the title I will just say I don't care.

French horn players ought to be paid more, and allowed to eat sooner than the rest of the orchestra, when refreshments are served.

Conclusion: the French horn isn’t a brass instrument, it’s a wind instrument.

I will fear the horn you cant stop me

Rule 1: you can learn the Euphonium in 2 different keys

The flugelhorn diesn't have a cup shaped mouthpiece. It is more like the french horn. So switching from the flugelhorn to the french horn was mouthpiece wise not a big step.

Tubas are always in concert pitch, unlike French Horns.

Rule 9 is false on tuba

Who the hell writes music in bass clef for the french horn? I have never ever seen that in my life.