In a
symphony orchestra the 'horn section' is the group of musicians who play the
horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn).
In non-
Classical musical groups, the 'horn section' refers to a group of
wind instruments — usually
saxophones,
trumpets and
trombones — which are colloquially called "horns." Usually, the horn section has written parts which are prepared by an
arranger using
orchestration techniques to provide a harmonic and melodic accompaniment to a
song or
musical group.
Many non-Classical
musical genres use horn sections for some songs, such as rock and pop bands. However, horn sections are an integral part of musical genres such as
jazz,
R&B,
blues,
funk,
calypso,
ska,
soul music and
gospel music. Most of these horn sections feature some combination of
saxophones,
trumpets and
trombones. Sometimes other wind or brass instruments such as
flute,
clarinet or
tuba are used in horn sections.
Notable horn sections
Horn sections are often made up of session musicians playing arranged parts. A small number of horn sections used a consistent group of musicians, and they became well-known as a unit.
★
The J.B.'s
★
Blood, Sweat & Tears
★
Chicago
★ The Chops Horns
★ The
Tower of Power Horns
★
The Horny Horns
★ Hornz Unlimited of
OutKast
★
The Memphis Horns
★ The Sweet Magnolia Horns
★ The
Muscle Shoals Horns
★ The Bonaroo Horns
★
The Know How Horns