| | ShawmHistory, Facts and interesting information about Medieval music, specifically, Shawm Definition and Description of the Shawm Definition and description of the Shawm: The Shawm can be described as a reed instrument with vent holes. Description: A woodwind instrument of music, formerly in use, resembling either the clarinet or the hautboy in form. The body of the shawm was usually made from a single piece of wood ending in a flared bell like that of a trumpet. The Shawm had a piercing, trumpet-like sound well-suited for out-of-doors performances and therefore favored by the Waits. The largest of the Shawm family of instruments was called a Bombard. It is the predecessor of the modern oboe. Family of Instruments: The Shawm belongs to the family of Woodwind instruments. Shawms Medieval Musical Instruments - Shawm Medieval Musical instruments, including the Shawm, would be used by the musicians of the period including the Waits, Minstrels or Troubadours. There were three categories of musical instruments in the Middle Ages - wind, string and percussion. Terms of description were Bas instruments and Haut instruments. Bas referred to soft instruments (literally, "low," but referring to volume, not pitch) which were suitable for the chamber which included the vielle, rebec and other bowed strings, the lute and other plucked strings. Haut referred to loud instruments (literally "high" but referring to volume, not to pitch) which were suitable for outdoors which included the shawm, sackbut, pipe and tabor. Read the above history, facts and information about the Shawm. The Waits Medieval Music - Shawm The Medieval Times website provides interesting facts, history and information about the musicians and styles of music which scatter the history books including Shawm. The Medieval Life and Times Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts about the fascinating subject of the lives of the people who lived during the historical period of the Middle Ages. The content of this article on Shawm provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework for history courses and history coursework. | |