In music, a Catalan shawm is one of two varieties of shawm, an oboe-like woodwind

musical instrument A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make 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 who pl ...

played in

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

in northeastern Spain.

Region, types, and uses

The types of shawm commonly used in Catalonia are the tible (,

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid ...

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. 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 of Aragon and Valencia, and both employ open fingering.

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 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. 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 (1912–1997) was an English organologist who produced a wide variety of works on the history of musical instruments, and was a founding member of the Galpin Society. He attended Westminster School and then read for a deg ...

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