Reviving an easy to make horn instrument with potential
Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:24 pm
I recently stumbled upon this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OtY2tMa2k
This instrument type includes cornetto, bukkehorn and few others. As can be heard this, as I call it, “keyed horn”, has somewhat reed instrument like sound and a good range when used right.
I fell for these horns that instant.
Smoothly shaped single piece instrument, so it doesn’t break easily. Small size, so it can fit into most bags. That nice midpoint between horn, saxophone and Mideastern reed instrument sound. And while brass mouthpiece blowing has its difficulties, the technique for this instrument is nowhere near as difficult as some other brass or woodwind instruments.
I then searched for brass instruments of this type, and my student budget slammed into around 60€ or more price point, and only couple of sellers.
So then I searched for something like Flutomat, DIY flute makers best friend, or simple measurements for making my own keyed horn. And would you know it, keyed horn instruments have really fallen out of common musical communities knowledge for 150 years or so.
While I could buy three meters or so of pipes in different materials, and start testing measurements painstakingly slowly for right tone qualities, it would still lack the horns width for inserting my fingers.
And as I pondered the possibilities, I thought “why has no one made this SIMPLE TO DESIGN, GOOD FOR LEARNERS, FOR MULTIPLE MUSICAL TASTES, CHEAP IF MADE FROM PLASTIC, and so on instrument in this age where even tubas get mass produced?”, as I calculated that you could make it for same price/quality division as recorders.
As I made that comparison, I made THIS basic design in my head, with same type of sliding joints as recorders have to divide it to three parts. If those parts would be put on reverse order, the horn takes maybe 2/5 of original space, bonus for travelers.
I am not starting a business from this, as I lack the drive to be a businessman. And if someone wants to start something with this, please don’t put the price as high as was on box didgeridoo, something similar of this vein.
But, onto the point. Does someone have experience of this type of instruments measurements? I would probably make it out of pvc.
This instrument type includes cornetto, bukkehorn and few others. As can be heard this, as I call it, “keyed horn”, has somewhat reed instrument like sound and a good range when used right.
I fell for these horns that instant.
Smoothly shaped single piece instrument, so it doesn’t break easily. Small size, so it can fit into most bags. That nice midpoint between horn, saxophone and Mideastern reed instrument sound. And while brass mouthpiece blowing has its difficulties, the technique for this instrument is nowhere near as difficult as some other brass or woodwind instruments.
I then searched for brass instruments of this type, and my student budget slammed into around 60€ or more price point, and only couple of sellers.
So then I searched for something like Flutomat, DIY flute makers best friend, or simple measurements for making my own keyed horn. And would you know it, keyed horn instruments have really fallen out of common musical communities knowledge for 150 years or so.
While I could buy three meters or so of pipes in different materials, and start testing measurements painstakingly slowly for right tone qualities, it would still lack the horns width for inserting my fingers.
And as I pondered the possibilities, I thought “why has no one made this SIMPLE TO DESIGN, GOOD FOR LEARNERS, FOR MULTIPLE MUSICAL TASTES, CHEAP IF MADE FROM PLASTIC, and so on instrument in this age where even tubas get mass produced?”, as I calculated that you could make it for same price/quality division as recorders.
As I made that comparison, I made THIS basic design in my head, with same type of sliding joints as recorders have to divide it to three parts. If those parts would be put on reverse order, the horn takes maybe 2/5 of original space, bonus for travelers.
I am not starting a business from this, as I lack the drive to be a businessman. And if someone wants to start something with this, please don’t put the price as high as was on box didgeridoo, something similar of this vein.
But, onto the point. Does someone have experience of this type of instruments measurements? I would probably make it out of pvc.