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Reed contrabass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The reed contrabass in C, otherwise known as the contrabass(e) à anche, is a type of woodwind instrument. It is reminiscent of an ophicleide in appearance but, unlike the ophicleide, employs a double reed (akin to that of an oboe) for the purpose of sound production. It was developed by the Belgian maker Mahillion in the 1860s based on a slightly earlier design by the Czech maker Chervany.
The instrument is typically of metal construction, with a conical and unusually wide bore. This width allows each note to be produced by opening only one tone hole, whereas, in other woodwind instruments, several tone holes must be opened to produce most notes (for this reason, all keys but that for the lowest note remain normally closed). This property greatly simplifies the fingering of the instrument, in that no alternative fingerings for individual notes or trill keys are needed, nor exist. The lowest note that the reed contrabass may typically achieve is D1 (DD) - the lowest D on a standard grand piano.
Although obscure, the instrument may still be procured, on request, from the Italian instrument manufacturer Orsi. The reed contrabass is sometimes confused with the contrabass sarrusophone, to which it bears some superficial resemblance.
- A larger article with pictures (contrabass.com)
| European classical (modern): | Piccolo oboe • Piccolo heckelphone • Oboe • Oboe d'amore • Cor anglais (English horn) • Bass oboe • Heckelphone • Contrabass oboe • Tenoroon • Bassoon • Contrabassoon • Contraforte • Sarrusophone • Alto sarrusophone • Tenor sarrusophone • Baritone sarrusophone • Bass sarrusophone • Contrabass sarrusophone • Rothphone • Contrabassophone • Reed contrabass • Tromboon |
| European classical (historical): | Aulos • Baroque oboe • Bassanelli • Cornamuse • Cromorne • Crumhorn • Dulcian • Hirtenschalmei • Kortholt • Oboe da caccia • Pommer • Rackett • Rauschpfeife • Shawm |
| African traditional: | Alghaita • Rhaita |
| Asian traditional: | Duduk • Guan • Gyaling • Hichiriki • Hne • Kèn bầu • Kuzhal • Mizmar • Nadaswaram • Pi • Piri • Shehnai • Sorna • Sralai • Suona • Taepyeongso • Zurna |
| European traditional: | Aulos • Bifora • Bombarde • Catalan shawm • Dulzaina • Musette • Piffero • Sopila • Tárogató • Zurla |
| North American traditional: | Trompeta china |