The tenor horn (British English; alto horn in American English, sometimes E♭ horn) is a brass instrument in the saxhorn family pitched in E♭ with three piston valves. It has a bore that is moderately conical, like the cornet and baritone, and normally uses a deep funnel-shaped mouthpiece. In Europe it is known as the Althorn and has rotary valves and an oval shape.
It is most commonly used to play inner harmonies and off-beats in British brass bands and Mexican banda music, reading transposing treble clef, whereas the horn dominates in concert bands and orchestras. In the late 20th century it began to be considered as a serious solo voice, and has amassed a repertoire of contemporary concertos and other solo works.
