The french horn’s range in notes and hertz
Horn in F sounds a fifth below the page. The lowest notes are pedal tones and are written in bass clef, where older music uses a different octave convention.
Written and sounding pitch
The french horn is a transposing instrument: it sounds a perfect fifth lower than written, which makes it an F instrument. So the range on its part is C2–C6, while the notes you hear are F1–F5. To convert a part, use the concert pitch to F chart. The transposing-instrument tuner reads out the written note as you play.
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the french horn’s:
- Piano · A0–C8 49 notes shared
- 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 48 notes shared
- 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 43 notes shared
- Baritone guitar · B1–B5 43 notes shared
- Bassoon · B♭1–E5 43 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 42 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- French horn tuner — tune by microphone, with the french horn’s own target notes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a french horn?
The french horn’s full range runs from F1 to F5 — 43.65 to 698.46 Hz, about 4 octaves. Its part is written C2–C6, because it sounds a perfect fifth lower than written.
What is the lowest note on a french horn?
F1 (43.65 Hz).
What is the highest note on a french horn?
F5 (698.46 Hz).