Gralla (instrument)

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Gralla, also known as grall de pastor, xaramita, xirimita or dulzaina catalana, is a traditional Catalan double-reed woodwind instrument in the shawm family. It is classified as 422.12 in Hornbostel–Sachs (a double-reeded aerophone with a conical bore). The gralla comes from the ancient xeremia, a medieval instrument used until the Baroque period. Its name comes from its loud, harsh sound, likened to a jackdaw in Catalan.

The gralla is closely tied to traditional celebrations, especially during the construction and dismantling of human towers (castells). It is usually played with timbal, a drum. The melody used in castells, called toc de castells, helps the castellers know how far the tower has been built since they can’t see it from the ground.

The gralla regained popularity in the late 1970s. There are two main types: seca (dry) and dolça (sweet). The seca has a harsher, more piercing sound, while the dolça has metal keys that extend its range.