Chalumeau
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The Chalumeau is a woodwind instrument with a single reed. It is now rarely played, but it has an important place in musical history because it was a forerunner of the modern clarinet. The chalumeau evolved in Europe in the 17th century ; this is the descant member of the chalumeau family. Today the word chalumeau is used to describe the clarinet's lower register.
| Family |
| Woodwinds |
| Pitch range |
| Variable : the range of this chalumeau is about one octave. |
| Material |
| Wood. |
| Size |
| Chalumeaux were made in sets from treble to bass ; this descant instrument is 18 in (46cm) long. |
| Origins |
| The chalumeau was a development of the recorder, with an added reed. It is first documented in an inventory of instruments belonging to a German duke in 1687. |
| Classification |
| Aerophone: an instrument that produces its sound by the vibration of a column of air. |
| And also... |
| In 17th-century England, a simple chaluineau, called "the mock trumpet," was a popular child's toy. |
