Launeddas
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The Launeddas is a folk instrument from southern Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. It has three slender cane pipes of different lengths. Like the clarinet, each pipe has a single vibrating reed. The three reeds are held in the mouth at once and a continuous stream of sound is produced by breathing in through the nose while blowing out through the mouth, a technique called circular breathing. The effect is a rich burbling sound, which is full of energy.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| 5 notes on each pipe. |
| Material |
| Cane. |
| Size |
| Variable : longer pipe is 20 in (51 cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The launeddas originated in southern Sardinia, the only place where it is used. It is derived from the ancient Egyptian pipe, the mat, and the Greek reedpipe, the aulos. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| It is thought likely that the name launeddas derived from the words : "lau," which means laurel, and "cannas," which means reed. |
