How to lower the tone of a natural horn?
I've received as gift a hollow natural cow horn, similar to those anciently used for signaling before metalworking was discovered.
I'd like to know if, given it simplicity (natural carved material creating a conical tube) the tone/frequency it has is fixed and given by its physical characteristics (such as length and inner diameter) or if it also depends by the technique used, like embouchure or something else.
I'd like to be able to play it with a way lower tone/pitch (if the software I used is not wrong, it is a F#/Gb8, I'd prefer a F7 or lower), hence my question.
I am not a musicist so I apologize if I misspelled or misused any terms.
Here attached is a screenshot of the sound spectrum (frequency vs time) produced by me playing it.
Thank you
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You may be able to produce a few different notes of the horn's harmonic series by varying the way you blow it. If you can find a brass instrument player (trumpet, French horn, trombone, etc) let them see what they can get it to play, and explain how to do it.
If you are happy to modify the horn, you may be able to get a wider range of notes by fitting it with a brass instrument mouthpiece, to give you more control over how you blow it. Do that at your own risk, of course.
It's unlikely that you can lower the pitch significantly. You could try partially blocking the end of the horn, for example shading it with your hand. or inserting one or more fingers into the end.
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