What does the dulcian look like?

What does the dulcian look like?

The dulcian is a double-reed instrument with a folded conical bore that doubles back on itself by way of a tight U-shaped turn at its bottom end. It is constructed from a single shaft (with an oval cross-section) of wood (often maple) with two parallel bores drilled side-by-side from top to bottom.

Is a dulcian a woodwind instrument?

The dulcian is a Renaissance woodwind instrument, with a double reed and a folded conical bore. Equivalent terms include English: curtal, German: Dulzian, French: douçaine, Dutch: dulciaan, Italian: dulciana, Spanish: bajón, and Portuguese: baixão.

What instrument derived from the dulcian?

The Dulcian or Curtal is the renaissance predecessor of the bassoon, developed in the first half of the 16th century.

What is a baroque bassoon?

A large double reed instrument, the curtal, was already in use by the middle of the 16th century. In fact, in Spain it was known as the bajon, so the name of the bassoon may have had its origins there. The curtal continued in use, particularly in a continuo role, into the 18th century.

What is a dulcian?

The dulcian is a flexible instrument, capable of being loud enough to play in outdoor bands, quiet enough for chamber music, and expressive enough to join in with the choir.

What is the range of a dulcian instrument?

The range of each instrument is two and a half octaves, centred on the range of the corresponding singing voice: for example, the bass ranges from C 2 (two octaves below middle C ), to G 4 (the G above middle C). The reed on the dulcian is fully exposed, allowing the player to control the sound and intonation by embouchure.

What are the different types of dulcian basses?

The outside of the instrument can also be covered in leather, like the cornett . Although the bass in F is the most common size, the dulcian comes in many other sizes: tenor (in C), alto (in F or G) and soprano (in C). There are also examples of a “quart bass” dulcian in C and contrabass in F.

Why does the dulcian have a double reed?

The reed on the dulcian is fully exposed, allowing the player to control the sound and intonation by embouchure. At the time it first appeared, other double reed instruments either had the reed fully enclosed, like the crumhorn or the bagpipe, or partially enclosed by a pirouette, like the shawm.