Horn signal

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Horn signals are melodies that are blown with the horn . Horn signals were used in particular by the military and the post office until the 20th century . Today signals are still used in hunting as guide signals or as a tradition .

history

military

See also military music

Horn signals were already used in the Roman legion. There the bucina and the cornu , the forerunner of the modern horn, were used. The horn was used there primarily for tactical signals to direct the field signals and thus the individual units.

From the Thirty Years' War onwards, horn signals were always used, on the one hand to provide communication with drums on the battlefield, on the other hand to cause confusion among the enemy. Over the years, different horn signals have been introduced to armies in Europe and North America.

In the cavalry in particular , it was customary to incorporate horn signals into the daily barracks routine. In the US Army , every job in the warehouse had a specific signal. The alarm call "boots and saddle" was the most important call and was played several times a day for practice.

A commander could use the horn signals to order his unit how to proceed. Typical commands were “attack”, “flank left”, “flank right”, “report”, “trot”, “gallop”, “get up”, “let fall”, “fire free”, “cease fire” or “distribute” ".

The best known signal today is the attack signal (charge) of the US cavalry used in many westerns . Bugle charge.jpg

Examples

post Office

See: main article post horn .

hunt

See: main article hunting signal .

literature

Web links

Commons : Notation of various horn signals  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Günther Wille: Musica Romana. The importance of music in the life of the Romans . Ed .: John Benjamin Publishing Company. Schippers, 1967, ISBN 90-6032-001-8 , III Military Music, p. 77 ff . ( google.de [accessed on May 13, 2009]).
  2. ^ Günther Wille: Musica Romana. The importance of music in the life of the Romans . Ed .: John Benjamin Publishing Company. Schippers, 1967, ISBN 90-6032-001-8 , III Military Music, p. 93 ff . ( google.de [accessed on May 13, 2009]).
  3. ^ Emory Upton: A New System of Infantry Tactics . 1867, p. (Appendix) .
  4. attack signal of the US cavalry on YouTube