 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-07-08 17:42
Check out the Xaphoon, a piece of bamboo with a single reed carved diagonally into the top. It appears to overblow at the 12th, though the finger holes are so oddly placed that it's hard to tell. Also, it may be played with a cover over the reed.
http://xaphoon.com/
Anybody Hawaiians tried one?
Ken Shaw
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Author: Britbrit
Date: 2004-07-08 17:58
I got one of these off a street seller in Paris. They take a bit of getting used to but they can do a nifty saxo impression and note swings by chewing the reed are not too bad.
They also come in resin now. If you can't blow it, use it as a drum stick or something as long as you get some sort of sound out of it, who cares.
For real punishment try a bombarde from The French Brittany area. Painful on the ears and on the stomach muscles. Great for playing outdoors (once you've played it indoors, everyone will push you outside when you reach for it).
Ciao !
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-07-08 18:48
TKS, Ken - just cant wait to get my hands on/around one, if it sounds as good as the sample!! Sachs doesnt list it but the bombard is listed as a shawm. [Lots of them?] Is its fingering peculiarities much like our recorder ? I;ll bet their harmonic spectrum is a mess !! Research it ! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-07-08 19:50
Shawms are real gut-busters. My wife had a plastic one, and even with the reed at minimum strength, you're worn out in a minute or two. However, I played some baroque oboe at the music workshop I was at for the last couple of weeks, and that was considerably less effort -- only a little more than clarinet. I think I'll stick to that, and let the Hawaiian stuff go for the moment.
Don - There's a fingering chart on the Xaphoon site, and also a picture showing the tone hole location, which is bizarre.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2004-07-11 05:52
The bombards I've heard are gutsier than shawms. I guess 'shawm' is really a pretty general term. Anyway I've heard a bombard played in a Contra dance band. Wonderful.... If the band is hot anyway, and the dancing and caller good, and if everyone is in the groove, and then a bombard enters......
wow.
This is meant to be a tease. I wonder if anyone will ask what a contra dance is?
On topic: are there not other brands Xaphoon like instruments out there. there are always something like that for sale at traditional music festivals I've gone to.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2004-07-11 07:09
Wayne Thompson wrote:
> This is meant to be a tease. I wonder if anyone will ask what
> a contra dance is?
I don't have to ask; I play them (clarinet and sax). Who did you hear? David Canteini of Swallowtail / Wild Asparagus?
Steve Epstein
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Author: Igloo Bob
Date: 2004-07-11 20:44
The Xaphoon is relatively inexpensive, as well. Might be interesting to try out, one day.
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-07-12 04:14
Ken ... fascinating ... I had a very light-headed experience with a crumhorn in high school for very similar reasons ... high wind pressure required. Odd really, must try the Xaphoon out ... bizarre.
One question, however, how do you pronounce the name?
"dzah-phoon" or "eks-a-phoon"
thanks
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2004-07-12 04:18)
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2004-07-12 04:28
Off Topic:
Steve Epstein,
Yes, Wild Asparagus, about two years ago on a West coast tour. I dance in San Diego, LA, Santa Barbara. But the first time I heard a Bombard was at a festival near Santa Cruz about 8 years ago. I forget the band name. Where do you play, if west coast, maybe I know you.
WT
PS I am leaving on a trip tomorrow and will not answer; this is off topic anyway, maybe someday I'll start a thread on Contra dance or traditional clarinet playing.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-07-12 13:34
I wondered about it also, Diz, so I took a quick look in the largest dict. I have [here]. On the 1 1/2 pgs of X's, the greater share of words are given the "z" Pro,[those followed by a vowel]. I found a large # of chemical terms, all I can think of in addition are Z's. The outstanding example of the "ex" [eck, ecs??] Pro. is X-ray [etc], the x prob. coming from the [old] unknown, the hyphen "giving" the pro. ?? REEL research? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2004-07-13 15:29
The site says that it is pronounces "za foon."
Now, if it is cylindrical with a single reed (and overblows a twelfth), is it not basically just a bamboo clarinet?
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-07-13 22:13
Yes, Don - you're right (as always) ... thanks for pointing that out, I obviously didn't read the fine print.
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