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| The kortholt (pronounced "kort-holt") is part of the wider family of renaissance "windcap" instruments, using a double reed inside a windcap to produce the characteristic windcap buzzing sound. It is different from the crumhorn and cornamuse in one important respect. It has a U-shaped "doubled-back" bore or windway, like the modern bassoon, which means that the kortholt plays much lower notes than its length suggests. Because of its doubled-back bore, this means that even the smaller alto kortholt in the photograph can play notes lower than the bass recorder. |
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| The design of the alto and tenor kortholts in the photograph is based on drawings in Michael Praetorius' book of early musical instruments, Syntagma Musicum, published in 1619. | ||||||||
Text copyright © James McCafferty 2000 Photographic images copyright © John Credland and James McCafferty 2000