In ancient Rome, the (; plural ) was a musical instrument equivalent to the ancient Greek aulos (). The word is similar to the English word pipes (in the instrument sense), in that — while it describes instruments that are blown through at the musician's mouth and have fingerholes to choose notes — the word lumps together different instruments which today would be put into different classes, such as reedpipes or duct flutes. Single-reed clarinets, double-reed shawms, and lip-sounded trumpets are all possibly described by the word .
Construction Tibia were constructed of materials which were naturally hollow tubes or could be hollowed out, including "reed, cane, box-wood, horn, metal, and the tibia or shin-bone of some birds and animals."
The name is related to the word for bones of birds and animals, and possibly came from use of these in musical instruments. This practice is still in used in the Middle East and Central Asia in the Ghoshmeh.
Tibiae and aulos were played with double reeds, kept in a separate box.
Tibia curva, reedpipe
Tibia pares, double reedpipe
Tibia impares, double reedpipe
Tibia obliqua, tibia vasca, reedpipe
Monaulos
Other tibia
Classes of tibia-playing musicians
References