The shawm's conical bore and flaring bell, combined with the style of playing dictated by the use of a pirouette, gives the instrument a piercing, trumpet-like sound, well-suited for outdoor performances.

The shawm is a loud double-reed instrument which is the ancestor of the oboe. It first appears in the l3th century, and by the end of the Middle Ages was the most important loud instrument in use, finding a …

shawm, (from Latin calamus, “reed”; Old French: chalemie), double-reed wind instrument of Middle Eastern origin, a precursor of the oboe.

The Shawm is a double-reed woodwind instrument that originated in the Middle East and became prominent in Europe during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. It is considered a precursor to …

Dec 21, 2025 · What is a shawm, and how does it differ from modern instruments? A shawm is a double-reed woodwind instrument from the medieval and Renaissance periods, characterised by its …

Shawms have a pirouette at the base of the reed, like racketts. The pirouette is used to support the front of the lips and thus helps reduce fatigue when playing. The bore of the shawm is narrow, but widens …

The shawm (/ ʃɔːm /) is a conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 12th century to the present day. It achieved its peak of popularity during the medieval and Renaissance …

Unlike the medieval shawm, the late Middle Ages and Renaissance shawm uses a broad cane reed controlled by the player's lips. With the smaller size shawms, the reed could be placed inside a …

Medieval shawm instrument was one of the most commonly used medieval musical instruments. Its use was adopted in Europe from the Islamic East and became popular form the 12th century onwards.

The shawms correspond to double-reed instruments that are the predecessors of both the oboe and English horn in classical music, as well as all dulzaina-type instruments in popular music.