In music, a Catalan shawm is one of two varieties of

shawm The shawm () is a Bore (wind instruments)#Conical bore, conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 13th or possibly 12th century to the present day. It achieved its peak of popularity during the medieval and Renaissanc ...

, an

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, ...

-like

woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Ree ...

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make Music, musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person ...

played in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

in northeastern Spain.

Region, types, and uses

The types of shawm commonly used in Catalonia are the tible (, Catalan for "treble") and the tenora (, Catalan for "tenor"). The tenora is pitched a fifth lower than the tible. These shawms are usually used with other instruments to accompany the traditional Catalan circle dance, the

Sardana The ''sardana'' (; plural ''sardanes'' in Catalan) is a Catalan musical genre typical of Catalan culture and danced in circle following a set of steps. The dance was originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity through ...

. Other Catalan folk shawms are the tarota () the original keyless version of the ''tible'', and the gralla (), a short, strident instrument with a steep conical bore. Both of these resemble shawms from other parts of Spain, such as the

dolçaina The dulzaina () is a Spanish double reed instrument in the oboe family. It has a Cone, conical shape and is the equivalent of the Brittany, Breton Bombard (music), bombarde. It is often replaced by an oboe or a double reeded clarinet as seen i ...

of Aragon and Valencia, and both employ open fingering.

Difference between shawms and oboes

There are several distinct differences between shawms and

s. 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 Intonation may refer to: *Intonation (linguistics), variation of speaking pitch that is not used to distinguish words *Intonation (music), a musician's realization of pitch accuracy, or the pitch accuracy of a musical instrument *Intonation Music ...

. 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 with a modified bore and fully chromatic keywork without giving up their place in traditional bands and at festivals.

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 Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

. They 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.

Source and additional information

* ''Woodwind Instruments and Their History'' by

Anthony Baines Anthony Cuthbert Baines (6 October 1912 – 2 February 1997) was an English bassoon player and organologist who produced a wide variety of works on the history of musical instruments, and was a founding member of the Galpin Society.'' Experimenta ...

External links

La Tenora
– Tenora web site (in Catalan)

– Tible web site (in Catalan)
Video of sardana dancers and cobla band, featuring the tibles and tenoras
"La sardana de les bruixes" by Enric Sans – played by cobles Marinada, Montgrins, La Jovenívola de Sabadell and la Principal de la Bisbal {{Authority control Catalan musical instruments Single oboes with conical bore Sardana