alto crumhorn

crumhorn, also spelled Krummhorn, (from Middle English crump: “crooked”), double-reed wind instrument that flourished between the 15th century and about 1650. It consists of a small boxwood pipe of cylindrical bore, curved upward at the lower end and pierced with finger holes like those of a recorder.

krumm·​horn ˈkrəm-ˌhȯrn. variants or less commonly crumhorn or krumhorn. : a Renaissance double-reed woodwind instrument consisting of a curved boxwood tube and having a pierced cap covering the reed.

The name refers to the characteristic letter “J” shape of the instrument and derives from an old German word meaning “curved” - same root as our English word “crumpled.” Krummhorns use a double reed, like the modern oboe or bassoon, but unlike those instruments, the reed is not held between the lips, but rather encased ...

The crumhorn, used in the 14th to17th centuries in Europe, is wooden, with a cylindrical bore. The crumhorn is the earliest and most common instrument of the reed cap family which also includes the kortholt, cornamuse, and hirtenschalmei. The crumhorn is thought to have developed from the earlier bladder pipe.

Crumhorns make a strong buzzing sound, but quieter than their conical-bore relatives the rauschpfeife and shawm. They have a limited range, usually a ninth.

Crumhorns are made from a piece of wood that is turned on a lathe to produce a cylinder. The bore is then drilled out. The wood is then steamed and bent into its characteristic curved shape. The bore is usually filled with a substance such as sand or lead to prevent it from collapsing when the wood is bent.

Crumhorn and cornamuse players blow into the wind cap for the reeds to vibrate, without touching them directly; bagpipers blow into the mouthpiece for the reeds to vibrate, without touching them directly, which also has the effect of filling the airbag to produce a continuous sound.

fifteenth century The crumhorn, with its curious umbrella handle shape, was probably originated during the fifteenth century in Germany which remained the principal area of its use.

Germany The crumhorn, with its curious umbrella handle shape, was probably originated during the fifteenth century in Germany which remained the principal area of its use.

The first definite record of crumhorns are the Krummpfeyffen, meaning curved/crooked pipes, at the 15th century court of Albrecht Achilles of Ansbach (reigned 1440–1486), in what is now Germany.

fifteenth century The crumhorn, with its curious umbrella handle shape, was probably originated during the fifteenth century in Germany which remained the principal area of its use.

Crumhorns are double reed woodwind instruments that were particularly popular in the Renaissance period. Their distinctive name comes from the German 'Krumhorn' meaning 'bent horn', the relevance of which is immediately apparent given the instrument's J shape.