The making of an alphorn
The sound of the alphorn
The alphorn is a wind instrument in which a air is blown down and vibrates making the sound. Most musicians play in F sharp or F#. The shorter the horn the harder it is to play. In the absence of pistons, the instrument can play only simple sounds (harmonic) produced by the vibration of the lips on the mouthpiece. The sound is transmitted down the pipe of the horn and is amplified by the horn bell.
The complete vibration of the air passing throug the pipe produces the fundamental notes.
The making of an alphorn
Though this method is still used on rare occasions today, a preformed bole of red pine was normally chosen to make the famous alphorn. Its curved shape was caused by the wood being bent under the weight of the snow on trees located on fairly steep land. These alphorns cannot be taken apart, or they can be in two parts, as opposed to the three part alphorn which is normally used today.
The making of an alphorn today
The wood chosen to make an alphorn is the Spruce tree ("Picea Abies") more commonly called the fir tree.
The Spruce is an excellent conductor and transmitter of sound waves
The logs are then taken to the saw mill and placed on the machine to be carefully cut.
The cutting is done in a precise manner so as not to waste any of this valuable material.
Here are the planks which are used to make the horn bells.
The Spruce only reveals its quality sound after drying between 5 and 8 years.
Once the wood is considered to be dry enough, patterns are placed o the wood to allow the first cuttings.
The pieces are first cut with a rotary saw. Then the horn bells are cut out roughly
Then refined.
Finally we measure the thickness of the horn bell to make sure that it has the same thickness all round to ensure the quality of its sound
1) The horn bell
2) Central extension
3) Mouthpiece extension
4) Mouthpiece
