Crumhorn - anyone got one?

Subject: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Silas
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 08:31 AM

Anyone here play one or tried to play one?

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 08:42 AM

I had a cornemuse which was a straight version of the crumhorn. A slightly softer sound but that may have been due to the reed.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Silas
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 08:44 AM

Dificult to play? Are they in modern concert pitch?

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Sailor Ron
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 08:58 AM

IF YOU HAVE GOOD BREATH, & CAN PLAY A RECORDER THEY ARE NOT TOO DIFFICULT.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:07 AM

I had a cornemuse on loan for a while and it wasn't too hard. A crumhorn requires higher breath pressure, like a practice chanter.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Silas
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:37 AM

Breath control is my problem with whisles and missing teeth are my problem with woodwind, but I thought as these things have a different system it may work?

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: RTim
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:45 AM

My wife plays the Crumhorn. It takes a lot of BLOW!! and can tire you out quickly.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:45 AM

Crumhorns require less airflow than a whistle but at higher pressure.

Dentures will fix your missing teeth problem. I have quite a lot missing myself and it doesn't affect wind instrument playing much. I'm told it does make a difference with brass.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 09:51 AM

Check out the Texas Toot, a week-long early music workshop. Toot.org

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: SussexCarole
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:33 AM

I play tenor and alto cornamuse. They are softer sounding than the crumhorn but in my opinion are more difficult to play than the crumhorn due to the closed bell on the cornamuse. They are very similar instruments.

Replacement reeds can be a problem (and expensive) if you buy a secondhand instrument by 'maker unknown' as I did - worth checking out first. Off the peg reeds are available for makes such as Moeck

The limitation of only having one octave + 1 or 2 notes can be a restriction at times.

Good Luck

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 11:55 AM

No matter how hard you blow you'll never blow the buggers straight. There was another crumhorn thread here a few years back which is worth a look too:

Crumhorns and early instruments

Hmmm - 2007. Odd to think that 2012 is to 2007 what 1972 is to 1967... a sobering thought.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 12:29 PM

I should add that at the Texas Toot there is an evening called the Great Krumhorn Konklave where everybody picks up a crumhorn and blasts away. At my first konklave, somebody handed me one, said "It's just like an alto recorder," and left me on my own.

I had no trouble playing it. I like to play recorder and to sing. I have pretty good breath (have never smoked) but am not remarkable in that way.

Subject: RE: Crumhorn - anyone got one?
From: John P
Date: 18 Jan 12 - 01:22 PM

I don't find the crumhorn particularly difficult to blow, but it requires a good ear. Varying the wind pressure can change the pitch of any note by a couple of steps. I don't think it's as bad as a cornemuse in that respect, though.

Practice, practice, practice.