Dolçaina
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The dulzaina () is a Spanish
double reed A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece and ...
instrument in the
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, ...
family. It has a
conical In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the ''apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, ...
shape and is the equivalent of the
Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...
bombarde. It is often replaced by 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, ...
or a double reeded
clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...
as seen in
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
and
Ukrainian folk music Ukrainian may refer or relate to: * Ukraine, a country in Eastern Europe * Ukrainians, an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine * Demographics of Ukraine * Ukrainian culture, composed of the material and spiritual values of the Ukrainian peopl ...
. Many varieties of the dulzaina exist in
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. In the
Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid wit ...
, it is known as a ''dolsaina'' or ''xirimita'' and is accompanied by a drum called the ''tabalet''. The Catalan variety of the dulzaina is called a '' gralla'', and the
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
variety is called a ''bolin-gozo''. In the region of
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...
, especially in the town of
Huesca Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...
, the dulzaina is played along with ''gaitas de boto'', regional
bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, N ...
, and sometimes
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s. The instrument was first introduced in Spain through Arabic people.''La dolçaina''
The dulzaina is also heard in a large portion of the region of
Castilla y León Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain * Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha * Kingdom o ...
, where it frequently has keys over the holes. The instrument is deeply rooted in the folklore of
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,
Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
,
Soria Soria () is a municipality and a Spanish city, located on the Douro river in the east of the autonomous community of Castile and León and capital of the province of Soria. Its population is 38,881 ( INE, 2017), 43.7% of the provincial populatio ...
, in some areas of
Ávila Ávila ( , , ) is a Spanish city located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Ávila. It lies on the right bank of the Adaja river. Located more than 1,130 m a ...
,
Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
,
Guadalajara Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
,
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
,
Cuenca Cuenca may refer to: People * Cuenca (surname) Places Ecuador * Cuenca Canton, in the Azuay Province ** Cuenca, Ecuador, capital of Cuenca Canton and Azuay Province ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cuenca Peru * Cuenca District, Huarochirí ...
, León and
Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...
, less extended in the
Basque Autonomous Community Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous com ...
and widely used in
Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...
and
La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community and provinces of Spain, province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other List of municipalities in La Rioja, cities and towns in the ...
.


Valencian G dolsaina

Valencian G dolsaina, otherwise known as dolsaina en sol, is the most typically used dolçaina in
Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
.


Range

The range in the concert pitch goes from A3 to E5. F#5 may be occasionally used, but it needs to be the next note progression of the scale and it has to be slurred to the previous note.


Music reading and writing

Music for the dolsaina is always written in
treble clef A clef (from French: 'key') is a musical symbol used to indicate which notes are represented by the lines and spaces on a musical staff. Placing a clef on a staff assigns a particular pitch to one of the five lines or four spaces, whi ...
. G-dolsaina (dolsaina en sol) is a
transposing instrument A transposing instrument is a musical instrument for which music notation is not written at concert pitch (concert pitch is the pitch on a non-transposing instrument such as the piano). For example, playing a written middle C on a transposing ...
and its music is written in treble clef. Scores written for dolçaina should ideally be transposed into treble clef. Therefore, the lowest note is D4 (the first one below the treble clef staff) and the highest one is A5 (on the first additional line above the treble clef staff). In order to find the actual concert note pitches (in C) in a score for dolsaina, one must transpose them up a perfect fifth, as for the
cor anglais The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn (mainly North America), is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially ...
(English horn). Unless specifically stated otherwise, in the following sections, when there is a reference to notes or keys, one must think on the ones that are used by dolsaina players (in G) and not to the actual pitch (in C).


Acoustics

The dolsaina has a penetrating, very powerful sound. Until some years ago, events involving dolçaina were restricted to the streets and squares of many towns and cities. Historically, the dolsaina has played a main role in big gatherings of people during Valencian festivities and traditions, so it is unsurprising that its powerful sound has been specially valued and developed. Because of its double reed and conical shaped tube, the dolsaina has a sound characteristic of an oboe or a
xeremia The ''xeremia'' (, plural ''xeremies'') is a type of bagpipe native to the island of Majorca (''Mallorca'').* It consists of a bag made of skin (or modern synthetic materials), known as a ''sac'' or ''sarró'' which retains the air, a blowpipe (' ...
. However, there are some important differences. Even though the dolsaina produces a high-pitched sound range, it has a great timbric identity thanks to its richness in harmonics. Under certain acoustic conditions, it can also sound like a
soprano saxophone The soprano saxophone is a small, high-pitched member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented in the 1840s by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax. Built in B♭ an octave above the tenor saxophone (or rarely, slightly small ...
or a
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
. Mastering tuning is achieved by fingering and subtle changes in air pressure and in the embouchure. Fingering consists of eight finger holes (7 on the front part and one on the rear part for the thumb; like a
recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...
).


Registers

The dolsaina's effective range is divided into two registers, middle register and upper register. They can be distinguished by their timbre and by the way they are produced. 1. Middle register: The sound is natural. It is the most relaxed register. It comprises the first octave, from low D (concert A 3) to high D (concert A 4). Tuning in this register is relatively easy. 2. Upper register: they are the first harmonics of the natural notes. They can be produced by increasing the air pressure - commonly known as "over blowing". Tuning in this register is very hard and playing the notes in it is tiring and difficult. Sustaining playing in this register is truly exhausting. It is situated in the second octave, from high E (concert B4) to high A (concert E5).


Accidentals

Even though the dolsaina was not originally intended to produce chromaticisms, they can be achieved through a very complex and difficult technique, with obvious timbre and volume differences. Accidentals which can be easily executed and have a powerful and clear sound are first octave C# and D#. The rest of them are harder to play and their sound is duller and less powerful. They are: first octave F natural, Bb / A#, G# / Ab and second octave F natural, D# / Eb and G# / Ab.


Tonalities

The easiest and most used tonalities are G major and D major, since F# and C# can be played naturally. E Minor is also usual, since first octave D# is relatively easy to play. C major is the most difficult, since natural F cannot be produced naturally and it is considered an accidental in the dolçaina's natural scale. In addition, its lower tonic (lower C) does not exist for dolsaina. Difficult tonalities: B minor, G minor, A major and A minor. Very difficult tonalities: E major, D minor, F♯ minor, C♯ minor, F major, Mib major, C minor and B♭ major. All other tonalities are considered most difficult ones.


Dynamics

As mentioned above, the dolçaina has a very powerful and penetrating sound – loud (f - forte) playing is common. Getting a louder sound than forte is impossible. Thanks to modern interpretation techniques, effects of dynamics can be achieved by varying the air pressure and making subtle changes in the embouchure. The diaphragm technique and good breathing practices allow for effective volume control. However, using dynamics is still too hard, as they make tuning more difficult and timbre less powerful. Therefore, the following points must be taken into account in order to make the best of interpretation and expression: 1.Changes of dynamics must not be used in the second register (from high E to high A). These notes are always loud and only difficult techniques allow the player to darken and soften their sound. 2. As opposed to other instruments, decreasing volume level while playing dolçaina implies a huge physical effort in the embouchure and a very difficult and complex technique. This must be kept in mind. 3. Playing quieter than mezzo piano is very difficult, so success cannot be guaranteed below mp. 4. Sudden changes should not be excessive.


Articulation

Articulation on the dolsaina is really limited compared to other wind instruments. This and other technical issues such as the impossibility of executing double or triple staccato force the player to play slower. In order to play in faster tempos, the musician has to resort to combinations of slurrings, keeping in mind the difficulty implied by the change of octave, where there is a big break in-between the register, and in many instances it is more or less impossible to maintain an even tone. One of the dolsaina's special features is the fact that the easiest and most natural way of playing a sound happens when the player tongues both the start and the end of the note, while on other wind instruments it is much easier to play without articulation. Easy articulation for a dolçaina player consists of a firm, well-defined attack. The dolsaina has a strong sound power and other techniques have not been developed simply because they were not needed (need is the mother of all invention). In spite of these circumstances, techniques for simple attacks and slurs are evolving at a great pace in order to achieve a wider range of nuances in phrasing. The reason for this evolution lies basically in its coexistence with other regularized instruments.


Fingering

Fingering features are almost the same as any other woodwind keyless instrument. However, at a certain pace, it is complicated to play F natural, Bb/A# and Ab/G# due to their fingering positions, like the recorder (a technique known as cross-fingering). Register changes must also be taken into account, since dolsaina has neither keys nor finger locations to octave change, hence the player has to resort to air pressure and embouchure pressure (harmonics).


Endurance

The dolsaina is a musical instrument that quickly tires its players both physically and psychologically, much faster than brass instruments. The reason for this lies with some of its features: Being a short-length instrument, it offers little resistance to air flow and therefore requires great pressure and a strong airflow. The reed used on the dolsaina is among the biggest and most resistant in the oboe family, meaning that great pressure must be applied so as to manipulate the sound. However, endurance may increase progressively if the piece features fewer high-pitched notes, more breaths, empty bars and less dynamics. Difficult accidentals should be avoided as much as possible.


References

;Citations ;Bibliography
Fitxa tècnica de la dolçaina
Xavier Richart. {{Authority control Double-reed instruments Spanish musical instruments Basque musical instruments Catalan musical instruments Aragonese musical instruments