Bombard (music)

Bombard (music)

The bombard, also known as talabard or ar vombard in the Breton language or bombarde in French, is a contemporary conical-bore double-reed instrument widely used to play traditional Breton music. The bombard is a woodwind instrument, and a member of the oboe family. Describing it as an oboe, however, can be misleading since it has a broader and very powerful sound, vaguely resembling a trumpet. It is played as other oboes are played, with the double reed placed between the lips. The second octave is 'over-blown'; achieved via increased lip and air pressure or through the use of an octave key. It plays a diatonic scale of up to two octaves, although contemporary instruments frequently have added keywork permitting some degree of chromaticism. A bombard player is known as a talabarder after 'talabard', the older Breton name for the bombard.