Tenor⁺⁸ folk shawm
Description
This shawm has a simple six-hole fingering system. I am particularly pleased by how this model turned out. The finger spacing is not too wide (32mm between holes), and it can play a solid octave and a half.
The pitch is similar to soprano voice (tenor plus one octave).
Thanks again to John Boshua for an excellent print in ABS plastic.
Sample audio:
soundcloud.com/paul-francis-harrison/ja-nuns-hons-pris-shawm
Instructions
Make a drinking-straw reed using the instructions here:
instructables.com/id/Practice-double-reed-from-a-drinking-straw/?ALLSTEPS
The straw should be 4-5mm diameter.
If the joints don't quite fit together, sand them a little until they do. Use some sort of grease to make tight seals between all the joints, and with the reed.
The fingering chart is straightforward:
logarithmic.net/pfh-files/design/folk-shawm-fingering.pdf
More sizes of shawm, and designs with a more complex fingering system similar to recorder, are available in the "pre-built" design pack downloadable from:
logarithmic.net/pfh/design
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Good on you with this! I played with a design like this about a year ago, and never refined it enough to release. I'm SOOO happy that you've done it. Hole sizing and placement is not an easy task. I'm also super happy that yours has a tapered bore, because it gives that extra octave to lip up. Mine was cylindrical, and would only lip up a fifth if you were really good. Yay!
Ah yes, I did see that on Shapeways. Nice twisty decorations!
A cylindrical bore actually has a register leap of an octave and a fifth. There's an instrument called the chalmeaux with a cylindrical bore, and the trick it uses is to add a couple of extra keys to bridge the gap between registers. One nice thing about the chalmeaux is that it produces a low pitch from quite a small instrument. This later evolved into the clarinet.
I've written software to place and size holes and adjust the bore shape, so if you have something in mind maybe I can calculate some hole positions for you. Might save some time :-)
License
HOW DO I PUT THIS TOGETHER? I printed the 4 piece but I cant put it together. The top of the pieces is flat. Will I have to glue it? I made sure it would fit the printer so its not a size problem.
The tops of the pieces should have joints and a bevel at the very top, eg if you look at them in the thingiview. Maybe a problem with your slicer?