Shawm, Chalumeau, Chanter

Shawm, Chalumeau, Chanter, reeds

Shawm, Chalumeau, Chanter

reed instruments with double and single reeds, practice chanter for practice

Reed instruments with single or double reed

With the reed instruments, the tones are produced by reeds made of thin wooden lamellas. The slats vibrate, creating a rasping or squeaking sound.

Reed instruments have been known since ancient times for the so-called aulos. Usually two pipes were played at the same time. The pipes either had a single reed or a double reed. The ancient aulos can still be found today in the Launedda from Sardinia.

The simple whipping tongue is today e.g. represented on saxophone or clarinet. A predecessor to the clarinet is the chalumeau. A very simple instrument compared to the clarinet. The body is similar to the recorder, but the mouthpiece is like the clarinet. Even if it is hardly bigger than a soprano recorder, it sounds an entire octave lower with a rich, soft purring sound. The Clariphon is similar to the Chalumeau. With additional finger holes, the range is larger here.

In the Middle Ages, double reed instruments were represented in different variants. As a shawm, which is played directly on the reed, a predecessor of today's oboe, or as a Rauschpfeife with a wind cap over the reed, so that you have a mouthpiece to blow on. If the sound of the Schalmei and Rauschpfeife was rather loud, there were also quieter versions than Cornamuse or Krummhorn. All these instruments were built in different sizes and moods, from sopranino to bass, so that they could also be played in an ensemble.

Double reed instruments, or more simply shawms, were also found in many cultural traditions. The Arab shawm as Turkish Zurna, the Chinese Shawm So-Na, in India the Shenai or in Brittany the Bombarde. Ultimately, the bagpipe's chanter is also a shawm and can be played individually, e.g. the Spanish punteira. In a quieter version for practicing, there is also the chanter of the Scottish Great Highland Pipe, the so-called Practice Chanter or, for the Middle Ages bagpipes, the Middle Ages Chanter

Chalumeau

The Chalumeau is predecessor of the clarinet, The mouthpiece is like a clrinet, the fingering is like a recorder

The chalumeau is a predecessor of the clarinet. Its French name originated from the barock period. The technique of producing a sound using a simple reed was developed a few hundred years earlier.
The chalumeaux is played in the same way as the clarinet or saxophon but requires less air and lip pressure to produce its soft, low purring sound. It is appealing and easy to learn.
The instrument is tuned in the key of C ( Do) and can be played chromatically. The fingering is the same as for a soprano recorder.

Zur Zeit fertigen wir die Chalumeau aus Elsbeere, ein dem Birnbaum sehr ähnliches Holz.

Chalumeau scale

Chalumeau melody

Chalumeau Spielbuch

28 Melodies,exspecially arranged for the chalumeau, but also playable with other instruments dfferent dances, songs and oriental music.

Practice Chanter

The practice chanter is for practicing to play the bagpipe. It is like the chanter of the bagpipe but with a quiet sound.

The term stands for a chanter, a learning tool for the bagpipes.
From the pattern the chanter conforms to the chanter of a bagpipe, but the sound is more quiet, so you can practice at home and in small rooms.
Otherwise it corresponds to the sound and the playing a bagpipe.
So you can practice especially fingerings, ornaments and new tunes.

Practice Chanter for the scottish bagpipe

The fingering is like the Scottish bagpipes one half covered (see fingering chart).
It is made of hardwood and available with either wood or plastic mouthpiece.
The plastic reed is always easy to handle and thus also for the beginner.
A simple inexpensive instrument for the first contact to a bagpipe.
fingering for the scottish chanter
Available we have the Chanter with the top of plastic or from wood.

Practice Chanter scale

Practice Chanter melody

Melody book for practice chanter

Melodybook for the Practice Chanter.
It is not a teachingbook, just a melodybook. It is based on the reading of notes and the handling of a windinstrument.
It is special made for the simple change from recorder to the Practice Chanter.
But it is also a practice for the bagpipe.

medieval chanter

The Medieval Chanter, as a practice tool for medieval bagpipes

The Medieval Chanter, as a practice tool for medieval bagpipes
The fingering of the medieval bagpipe is ?ike a recorder.
This instrument is carefully made from black hard plastic and easy to play on the plastic reed.
The key is in line with the medieval bagpipes in A minor. This allows for practicing the play along to recordings of famous medieval bands.

medieval chanter Melody

medieval chanter scale

Die Sackpfeifenfibel

Not only a melody book but also a tutorial..
detailed descriptions for handling and practice, care and maintenance and also theory of music.

Punteira the chanter of the spanish bagpipe

Punteira is the spanish name of the chanter of the Gaita, the spanish bagpipe.
With a wind-cap on the reed you can play the chanter like a shalmei.
These instruments are made in high quality and exactly tuned like the Gaitas. With the very thin reeds they are playing easily.
Like the Gaita, we offer the punteira in Do from Ash. If you are interested ask for other kinds in Re or Sib, or different woods.

fingering for Punteira

Punteira in Do /C melody

Punteira in Do / C scale

Punteira in Re / D scale

Punteira in Re / D melody

Punteira in Sol / G sacle

Punteira in Sol / G melody

reeds

For all reed-instruments we offer, we keep suitable reeds in stock. Please, contact us, if you are looking for a special reed.

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It is the same tuning like Cister oder Irish Bouzouki for Folk or medieval music.

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decoupled Davul

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tenor psaltery

The tenor-psalterium has 2 1/2 Octaves from Do (C) to sol (G), ca. 68 cm lang.

The deepest note is one octave deeper than the deepest note at the soprano psaltery

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