Kit, we do not live in the middle ages nor in the time of the Romans nor in Germany or Austria after WW1, when they also drove on left side. Most adopted the right side drive, while we horn players stay on the left hand horn playing, as it is easier to play into your next player (rank wise). But do not come with the Viennese example, where they sit the opposite way. The dilemma is there with the second player. Freiberg sitting at left told the second player on his right side: "Play louder, I cannot hear you.", but Leopold Kainz, sitting next (3rd horn) on Otto Nitsch´s (2nd) right side, said: "Do not play that loud, you make me deaf.".
Pictures in books cannot convince me regarding two valved horns with valves in reverse order, because if the shanks are equal long (see modern doublers), both slides fit into each others shanks. Nobody can prove, if this was accidentally or voluntarily. The photographers have no knowledge about that anyway. We mixed up one colleagues slides on his double. He looked at his horn because of the intonation troubles, but did not find out why. So there is only the musical reason which counts in favour of the rowing 1/1 & next 1/2 step. I have explained that, but you seem not to digest that. But instead of digesting that, you hang on with unimportant arguments contra my may-be not full adequate comparisons. ============================================================================ =================================== -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: horn-bounces+hans=pizka...@music.memphis.edu [mailto:horn-bounces+hans=pizka...@music.memphis.edu] Im Auftrag von Kit Wolf Gesendet: Donnerstag, 12. Februar 2009 12:38 An: The Horn List Betreff: Re: AW: [Hornlist] Re: Horn Digest, Vol 74, Issue 17 Hans Pizka wrote: > Well, why do we have right hand traffic ? _We_ don't have right hand traffic: in the UK we drive on the left. _You_ drive on the right, and so does most of Europe. But for once, this isn't British exceptionalism. It was the case over much of Europe before the Napoleonic era. The Czech/Slovak republics still drove on the left until about WWII and there are still some right hand drive vehicles on the road there. Same for Sweden and Finland. Roman cart tracks from one quarry show that the carts drove on the left - the heavier carts leading away from the mines left deeper ruts. > Because the majority are right handers. One theory is that the reason it's more 'natural' to walk or drive on the left, is because people are right handed. If you are passing someone you are wary of, it's more comfortable to have your sword hand closer to them. I've never quite followed this, because it means your adversary is also likely to be at an advantage. Most likely it was just a carefully thought out prejudice against left-handers... What does this have to do with the topic in hand? Firstly, it shows how easy it is to invent 'just-so' stories to explain why things are the way they are. It's much harder to tell whether those just-so stories are true. Secondly, it shows that conventions can reflect anomalous historical influences, rather than simply being the best way to do things. I'm interested to hear that there may be some horns with the 1st and 2nd valves reversed. My (limited) experience with pre-1900 instruments is that it's generally pretty obvious which way the slides go in. Even if you take the slide out of an older instrument and put it in upside down in the same position, it generally won't fit exactly. The slide will probably go in, but the wider tubing at the knuckle probably won't match up. Perhaps next time you see such an instrument you could look for us? Kit _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans%40pizka.de _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
