The Xaphoon (also known as Maui Xaphoon or Bamboo Sax) is a single-reed keyless bamboo wind instrument. The Xaphoon was invented during the 1970s by the American instrument maker Brian Wittman, who still makes all of his instruments by hand, using local bamboo cut from the forests of the eastern end of his home island of Maui, Hawaii. It is very similar in construction to the chalumeau, a keyless European single reed folk instrument that was the ancestor of the clarinet. Although the Xaphoon is referred to as a Bamboo Saxophone, it is actually more similar in tone to a clarinet in its lower octave. Its sound also bears some resemblance to cylindrical double reed instruments with a similar timbre such as the Armenian duduk or the Chinese guan. Diversity Around 91 genera and 1,000 species Subtribes Arthrostylidiinae Arundinariinae Bambusinae Chusqueinae Guaduinae Melocanninae Nastinae Racemobambodinae Shibataeinae See the full Taxonomy of the Bambuseae. ... Brian Wittman is an American musical instrument maker from Maui, Hawaii. ... The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727 square miles (1883 km²). Maui is part of the State of Hawaiʻi and is the largest island in Maui County. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The chalumeau ( chalumeaux) is a wind instrument, the immediate ancestor of the clarinet. ... Two soprano clarinets: a B♭ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... Two soprano clarinets: a B♭ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. ... A duduk player The duduk (pronounced ) is a traditional woodwind instrument popular in the Caucasus region. ... Guanzi The guan (管; pinyin: guǎn; literally pipe or tube) is a Chinese double reed wind instrument. ...

The Xaphoon, which is available in the keys of C, B♭, and D (as well as any other key via special order) uses a regular tenor saxophone reed. Its body is 12.5 inches in length (for the instrument pitched in C) and has nine holes (eight holes in front and one thumb hole in back, for the left hand) that resemble those of a recorder. The Xaphoon's fingerings, however, are significantly different from those of either a saxophone or recorder. It has a range of two octaves and is fully chromatic. On the instrument's website, Wittman explains the origin of the instrument's unusual name: "A name developed from 'bamboozaphone' to 'bamboozafoon' to 'bamboo zafoon' to just 'zafoon', also spelled 'Xaphoon'." A Yanagisawa tenor sax. ... Various recorders The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina. ...

In 2000, the instrument was made available also in a plastic version, which is marketed under the name Pocket Sax. Currently, its plastic (mass produced version) is only available in the key of C, with its lowest tone being middle C. Its versatility, tone, low price, and portability made it a suitable alternative to the harmonica or tin whistle for travelers who wish to bring an instrument with them in their pocket. In Western music, the expression middle C refers to the note C or Do located exactly between the two staves of the grand staff, quoted as C4 in note-octave notation (also known as scientific pitch notation). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Tin whistles in a variety of makes and keys. ...

The first Xaphoon orchestra originated in Norway in 2006, under the name Trondheim Xaphoon og Vorspielensemble (Trondheim Xaphoon and Vorspiel Ensemble). They had their highly successful debut under the national wind band championships in Trondheim on March 31.[1] County Sør-Trøndelag District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ...

See also

• Chalumeau

The chalumeau ( chalumeaux) is a wind instrument, the immediate ancestor of the clarinet. ...

External link

• Xaphoon official site
• Improvisation on Xaphoon