Xaphoon
Xaphoon , also called bamboo sax , is a single-reed instrument made of bamboo or plastic, developed in 1976 , which sounds similar to a saxophone or a clarinet and is a form of the chalumeau . In addition to the registered trade name Xaphoon, bamboo saxophone (or bamboo sax ) denotes any inexpensive bamboo saxophone.
Like the clarinet, the Xaphoon blows over into the duodecime , not like the recorder and saxophone into the octave . Because of its handy construction and its low weight, it is particularly suitable as a so-called pocket saxophone for playing on the go and outdoors.
history
The Xaphoon was invented by Hawaiian Brian Lee Wittman and was first made for sale in 1976; it is now a patented musical instrument. In art music , the instrument has not yet been established, partly because it has a relatively small range has only two octaves and rather low volumes reached. It became known through its use in the band of the Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira and, due to the demand, came into professional mass production.
Manufacturing
Xaphoones can be made from two materials:
Bamboo xaphoon
The classic Xaphoon made of bamboo, also Maui Xaphoon , which was initially the only one to be mass-produced, consists of Hawaiian bamboo (bot .: Bambusa spinosa ), which is burned to preserve after four months of drying. The first manufacturing step after providing the materials is the manufacture of the mouthpiece . It has the most lasting influence on playability, sound and tunability and is then checked for the correctness of the concert pitch . Then the handle holes are drilled.
Plastic xaphoon
The production of the plastic Xaphoon, also known as the Classic Xaphoon , is much easier and more machined than that of the bamboo Xaphoon. The instrument is cast from plastic and, thanks to the machine production, is much more faithful to sound and more resistant to environmental influences . It is mainly produced in c-tuning.
Playing technique
The Xaphoon is related to the clarinet and saxophone due to the similar mouthpiece, on the other hand due to the flute-like fingering technique and the relatively low blowing pressure, it is particularly suitable for beginners in the field of woodwind instruments.
The instrument can be played chromatically and is blown with a tenor saxophone reed. To play the Xaphoon you need a practiced coordination of finger and blow technique. The Anblastechnik similar to the saxophone and has the greatest impact on the volume and timbre of the generated sound and the played melody . The fingering chart differs slightly from that of a flute, as the left little finger is responsible for the note G, i.e. it is included in the scale. Since the xaphoon blows over into the duodecime, the notes in the second octave are fingered differently than in the first.
See also
Web links
- The Maui Xaphoon. xaphoon.com
- German-language website for Xaphoon xaphoon.de