Stopped

As Printed on a Score

Printed over horn notes as stopped, or as a + over each note, and cancelled by open or o; it may apply to a single note or to a passage. The German gestopft and the French bouché mean the same.

How Composers Use It

Stopped horn has a buzzing, metallic tone, fierce at f and distant at p. Closing the bell raises the pitch, which the player corrects by transposing, so expect reduced agility, and avoid the lowest register, where stopping is hard. A stopped note answered by an open one is a classic echo; write + and o clearly on every note.

Related Terms