Catalan shawm

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1 Region, types, and uses
2 Difference between shawms and oboes
3 Catalan shawms and other types of shawms
4 Revival efforts
5 Source and additional information
- 5.1 External links

[edit] Region, types, and uses

There are two types of shawms commonly used in Catalonia in Northern Spain. These are the tible (Catalan for "treble") and the tenora (Catalan for "tenor"). The tenora is pitched about a fifth lower than the tible. These shawms are usually used with other instruments to accompany the traditional Catalan circle dance, the Sardana. Other folk music shawms are tarota and gralla.

[edit] Difference between shawms and oboes

There are several distinct differences between shawms and oboes. Shawms normally have a larger bore, which makes them louder and more suitable than the oboe for outdoor playing. In addition, the bore is more "sword-shaped" than that of the oboe (it is more like a narrow parabola than a perfect cone). This gives the shawm a stronger, earthier, more fiery tone. Though favored in ancient times, some today find the sound harsh and irritating. The difference in bore shape also gives shawms additional problems with intonation. It was the goals of easier fingering, better intonation, and a sound and volume level more suitable for indoor use that prompted the innovations that turned the shawm into the oboe. The tible and tenora, however, were modernized without giving up their place in bands and at festivals, and they retained the basic shawm characteristics. One unique characteristic of shawms is that, unlike oboes, they are made of one solid piece of wood. also, the wide, flaring bell is often rimmed with metal (or at least used to be in Europe). This made the shawms very durable. In fact, Medieval musicians would even use them as weapons if brawls broke out!

[edit] Catalan shawms and other types of shawms

There are many shawms throughout the world (many of them in the Middle East and Asia) but Catalonia is one of the few places in Europe where they are still frequently used, and the only place where they have been given a modern mechanism (keywork) like orchestral woodwind instruments. Shawms used to be widespread in Europe up into the Renaissance. The were chiefly of two types: shawms that evolved from bagpipe chanters, and shawms that evolved from Middle Eastern instruments. The Italian ciaramella is an example of the former, and the tible and tenora of the latter. The oboe features aspects of both designs.

[edit] Revival efforts

Some efforts are being made (supposedly) to fix the problems with the Catalan shawms (chiefly intonation difficulties) so that they can be more useful. In other words, it is hoped that they can be more than just folk instruments little-known outside of Catalonia. Information on this project has been hard to find. The only recent reference that I found was to one obscure magazine article written in Catalan. Apparently research is (or was) being conducted at a university in Barcelona.

[edit] Source and additional information

This information was learned mostly from Woodwind Instruments and Their History, a book by Anthony Baines. It is rightfully considered one of the best works on woodwind instruments. It was originally written in the forties and the copyright was (as far as I know) last renewed in the nineties. The information in this article is merely a review and summary of Baines's information on shawms in general and the tiple and tenora in particular. The book is far more thorough and complete, and offers a wealth of information on other instruments as well. I wrote this article because I couldn't find any information on Catalan shawms on this website and almost none on the Internet in general. Baines's book seems to be the only source, and is not very widely available.