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Zummara

Double reedpipes made of cane (Arundo donax) consisting of two parallel tubes firmly tied together with a tar-dipped thread, each having six carved fingerholes. Each tube is fitted with a detachable mouthpiece made of cane, with a single beating, upwards-cut, idioglottal reed (i.e. reed cut from the same stalk material). The mouthpieces are tied towards their upper terminal points with some loops of waxed thread that can be adjusted for fine tuning of the reeds, whose ends are then attached to the main pipes to prevent loss. The player of this type of instrument places the mouthpieces (reeds) completely inside his mouth and uses circular breathing to keep a constant air flow and pressure needed for a clear sound, and his fingers extend laterally to cover the adjacent holes simultaneously.

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  • Hornbostel-Sachs category:422.22 Sets of reedpipes with single reeds
  • Repository:Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum
  • Measurements:Height: 255mm