What brass and/or reed instrument has multiple bells?
Mike Blackwell
One of my co-workers was watching a report (possibly Deusch Welte, on PBS)
of what looked like an East German band of about 25-30 performers,
participating in a May Day celebration. One performer had an instrument
which looked like an oboe or saxophone, in that it was primarily vertical,
but it had multiple bells (about eight or so) coming up from the bottom.
He believes it had a mouthpiece like a trumpet, as opposed to a reed, but
he's not certain. Can you think of what this instrument might have been?
Thanks in advance for your input. E-mail replies are preferred; I read too
many newsgroups already. :)
Cheers,
--
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| Mike Blackwell | Amity OR, USA | Photographer...Writer..Horseman |
| http://www.pnn.com/~mikeb | (503)835-1506 | Mac Consultant..Hunter..Trekker |
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Frank Wuest
The German name for this instrument is "Schalmei". As far as I know,
these things do have one reed per bell, like a mouthharp. It uses
valves to allow the player to select the bell to be used. It sounds
like one of these plastic trumpets with reeds you can get for small kids...
In East Germany, entire orchestras were formed with different sizes
(registers) of this instrument. I once heard one while playing in
a parade, it sounded weird....
Paul D. Race
In article <4mq1l7$2i...@info4.rus.uni-stuttgart.de> etk1...@rpool4.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Frank Wuest) writes:
>From: etk1...@rpool4.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Frank Wuest)
>Subject: Re: What brass and/or reed instrument has multiple bells?
>Date: 8 May 1996 11:47:51 GMT
>The German name for this instrument is "Schalmei". As far as I know,
>these things do have one reed per bell, like a mouthharp. It uses
>valves to allow the player to select the bell to be used. It sounds
>like one of these plastic trumpets with reeds you can get for small kids...
There is also the double-bell euphonium, a brass instrument in the baritone
range. If I understand it, you could switch between bells to play in
different keys, somewhat like French horns do with extra tubing.
Christopher
el snippo
>
>There is also the double-bell euphonium, a brass instrument in the baritone
>range. If I understand it, you could switch between bells to play in
>different keys, somewhat like French horns do with extra tubing.
Actually, a double belled euphonium doesn't change keys when you press
the 4th or 5th valve, it moves the airstream to a smaller bell for a
different, brighter timbre. you will sometimes hear this instrument
called a trombonium for htis reason.
Chris
Hans Mons
etk1...@rpool4.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Frank Wuest) wrote:
>The German name for this instrument is "Schalmei". As far as I know,
>these things do have one reed per bell, like a mouthharp.
I have never heard about these multi-bell instruments, but the German
name is definitely not Schalmei. Schalmei is the German term for a
soprano shawmn, a conical double reed instrument with one single bell
from the renaissance/middle ages.
Hans Mons
hki...@net1.net
> Hans...@iaehv.nl (Hans Mons) writes:
>
> >The German name for this instrument is "Schalmei". As far as I know,
> >these things do have one reed per bell, like a mouthharp.
> I have never heard about these multi-bell instruments, but the German
> name is definitely not Schalmei. Schalmei is the German term for a
> soprano shawmn, a conical double reed instrument with one single bell
> from the renaissance/middle ages.
Sounds like you are describing the Multi-belled Trumpets from the Tyrolian area of Europe. These instruments
come in different ranges/sizes (Soprano, Alto, Baritone) and each one has 8 bells and plays one octave of the C
major scale. Each bell has its own reed and the proper bell is selected by means of three valves. The instrument
looks like a modern work of art from leftover trumpet parts!
There are also Multi-belled Trumpets that play chords instead of individual notes. These also come in different sizes
with each one usually capable of playing two chords (ie, C maj, G maj).
Gather about eight of these things together and you have an interesting sounding ensemble.
Bouvard Hosticka
To bring etymology into the naming of musical instruments is
usually futile. If so, a clarinet would be a small clarone and
an english horn would be english (not angled) Thus to reject
the name of an instrument becouse it has a litteral meaning
that does not coprrispond with its description is unproductive.
I can see how a musical instrument with capped reeds (single or
double) that has a weird reedy sound could be called a "little
shawm" especcialy if it requires a "simpler" playing technique
than a shawm.
Just my thought,
--
Bouvard Hosticka
804 982 5440
b...@Virginia.edu
D.J.E.Nunn
A bell tree, if it's made of brass... :)
I missed the original question on this, but there are a few old brass
instruments with multiple bells. The least rare is a two-belled saxhorn
where the bells have different bores. Sort of a baritone/euphonium in one.
I've seen a picture of a 7-belled saxhorn - one for each valve combination.
I don't recall the names of either instrument, but a trawl through some
brass history books might reveal them.
No modern brass instrument has two bells, but the bell of some American
baritones and tubas can be pointed in two different ways.
At the bottom of my musical instruments page,
http://capella.dur.ac.uk/doug/instruments.html
you'll find the MICAT - musical instrument conservation and technology
- archives. They might be able to help with info.
Hope this helps,
Douglas Nunn
Micah Ball
Not only do I know what you saw (Tyrolian Horn), I know where you can
_buy_ them. Lark In the Morning has them. Here's their description:
These wonderful many belled horns are loud and raucous. They look like a
trumpet with a bouquet of bells. Each bell has it's own reed similar to
an accordion reed. You push the valves to route air to the various bells.
No embouchure required...
So there you go.
...micah
Anno Hein
Hans Mons wrote:
>
> etk1...@rpool4.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Frank Wuest) wrote:
>
> >The German name for this instrument is "Schalmei". As far as I know,
> >these things do have one reed per bell, like a mouthharp.
> I have never heard about these multi-bell instruments, but the German
> name is definitely not Schalmei. Schalmei is the German term for a
> soprano shawmn, a conical double reed instrument with one single bell
> from the renaissance/middle ages.
>
'Schalmei' is the original name for a double reed instrument, as you
described. But nevertheless that strange multiple bell instrument with
its weird sound (I heard it live) is also called 'Schalmei'. It was
often played in the former Eastern part of Germany and is almost unknown
in the Western part (Erich Honnecker gave one as a present to the German
Rocksinger Udo Lindenberg). Although the name seems to be wrong, these
instruments are really called 'Schalmei' also.
--
email: he...@iskp.uni-bonn.de
WWW: http://merlin.iskp.uni-bonn.de/mommsen/anno.html
James Steele
Anno Hein wrote:
> 'Schalmei' is the original name for a double reed instrument, as you
> described. But nevertheless that strange multiple bell instrument with
> its weird sound (I heard it live) is also called 'Schalmei'. It was
> often played in the former Eastern part of Germany and is almost unknown
> in the Western part (Erich Honnecker gave one as a present to the German
> Rocksinger Udo Lindenberg). Although the name seems to be wrong, these
> instruments are really called 'Schalmei' also.
> --
Hmm...would the Scottish bagpipe qualify?
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>>>>> "James" == James Steele <jst...@primenet.com> writes:
In article <319806...@primenet.com> James Steele <jst...@primenet.com> writes:
James> Anno Hein wrote:
>> 'Schalmei' is the original name for a double reed instrument,
>> as you described. But nevertheless that strange multiple bell
>> instrument with its weird sound (I heard it live) is also
>> called 'Schalmei'. It was often played in the former Eastern
>> part of Germany and is almost unknown in the Western part
>> (Erich Honnecker gave one as a present to the German Rocksinger
>> Udo Lindenberg). Although the name seems to be wrong, these
>> instruments are really called 'Schalmei' also. --
James> Hmm...would the Scottish bagpipe qualify?
"Schalmei" is a cognate with shawm, I believe. The shawm is a double reed
instrument that is played by placing the entire reed inside the mouth,
resting the lips on a flange below the reed. The reed can then
vibrate freely inside the player's mouth. When playing the oboe, by
contrast, only the tip of the reed is placed between the lips,
allowing more direct control of the vibrations.
The other main class of double reeds is the capped double reeds.
Examples are the krummhorn (which I used to play in my college Early
Music ensemble) and, yes, the chanter of bagpipes. (A bagpipe? A
bagpipes? I dunno. Scottish grammar is not my strong suit :-). The
bagpipe[s] has[have] drones, in addition, of course. I am not sure
how they function, other than that they are independent instruments
attached to the common air supply. They are not multiple bells
attached to the same vibrating piece. SO, does that qualify?
--berry
(I just noticed this goes to a lot of newsgroups, some of whose
denizens are probably much more knowlegable about this stuff than I
am; feel free to correct my (hopefuly few) egregious errors.)
--
Berry Kercheval :: Xerox Palo Alto Research Center
"Having major planets disappear is always a bad sign." - Jim Blinn