Harmonic Series Studies

Colin Dorman / ​www.colindorman.com

There are many different ways to use the harmonic series sheet of the French horn. These both come
from Bruce Heim, from his famous Orange Book, and have been great for both me and my students:

Step-by-Step Harmonics
Using a different fingering each day, go through this series until you’ve reached your assigned
line. “Repeat” means to play the notes in parenthesis several times.
1. repeat (4-3) hold 4
2. repeat (4-5) hold 4
3. repeat (5-6) hold 5
4. repeat (6-7) hold 6
5. repeat (7-8) hold 7
6. repeat (4-5-6) hold 4
7. repeat (4-5-6-7) hold 4
8. repeat (4-5-6-7-8) hold 4
9. repeat (4-5-6-7-8-9) hold 4
10. repeat (4-5-6-7-8-9-10) hold 4
11. repeat (4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11) hold 4
12. repeat (4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12) hold 4
You may continue all the way up to 16, if desired, but the 12th harmonic covers much of the
horn’s range.

Harmonic Tours
Instead of one fingering per day, these should be done on 2-4 fingerings each day, but only do
one line. Once you can satisfactorily complete that line on all fingerings, move on to the next
line. The “/” denotes a breath (with a fermata on the preceding note).
1. 8 / 4-3-4 / 4-5-6-7-8-7-6-5-4
2. 8 / 4-3-4 / 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-
3. 8 / 4-3-2-3-4 / 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2
4. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
5. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-9) 8 / 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
6. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-11-12-11-10-9) 8 / 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
7. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-11-12-11-10-9) 8 / repeat
(8-9-10-11-12-13-12-11-10-9) 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
8. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-11-12-11-10-9) 8 / repeat
(8-9-10-11-12-13-14-13-12-11-10-9) 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
9. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-11-12-11-10-9) 8 / repeat
(8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-14-13-12- 11-10-9) 8-7-6-5-4-3-2
10. 8 / 3-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 / trill 8-9 / repeat (8-9-10-11-12-11-10-9) 8 / repeat
(8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-15-14- 13-12-11-10-9) 8-7-6-5-4-3-2