Txistu: France musical instrument

The txistu is a type of fipple flute that became a symbol for the folk revival of Basque. The name of the musical instrument may come from the general Basque word ziztu that means ‘to whistle’ with palatalization of the z. the three holed pipe instrument can be performed with one hand, the other hand is left free to perform a percussion musical instrument.

source of picture: nabasque.org

Evidence of the first mentioned txistu goes back to the year 1864. Yet it is obvious that the musical instrument was used earlier, but it is not easy to state when the instrument started out; truthfully, is is hard to do so, the instrument being the result of an evolution of the upright flutes prevalent as early as the late Middle Ages, when the minstrels who are scattered all over the Iberian Peninsula brought in musical instruments that locals, noble men first common people later took on and further developed. At the beginning, the players of musical instrument are called ‘txistularis’ and were named in romance written record after the tabor.

There is no doubt that the musical instrument was used by people in much of Spain and the western Europe not only in the Basque country, but recordings of the Basque names for the musical instrument turn up later to txilibitu, txirula, txirola, txürula, txulula, txilibitulari, txilibistari, while some musical instruments fell into decay, , from the Renaissance on the musical instrument raised its profile and highly took on the length of the instrument to 42 cm as we known today in the western Basque country. In comparison, the txirula, the version of the musical instrument that is found in the Basque country remained shorter in size that the original version. At that point, the three holed instruments were produced of wood.

Up to the 18^th century, since the musical instrument was performed together the pattern of tabor and pipe, the instrument needed no tuning; yet in the 18^th century, the instrument was adopted by the Count of Penaflorida and his Basque enlightenment cultural renewal and became a part of the Basque aspirations for the nobility, leading in to more musical instruments joining the pair, so they began to be tuned. The musical instrument was modified to give it a range of two octaves and a bigger version of the musical instrument is called ‘silbote’ in the Spanish language. The instrument was fashioned to accompany the polyphonic compositions. Rural players of the musical instrument continued their own traditions with self-crafted rustic version of the musical instrument, while the urban players of the musical instrument formed schools to lecture the new complex musical instrument.

At different stages of the musical instrument, reeds and metal mouthpieces were applied to give the instrument a better sound. Some people argue that it is closely related to the early association of the Basque to the iron and the forging industry; others opined that the embedding of pieces like that started in the industrial revolution of the 19^th century.

The oldest versions of the musical instrument are characterized by a Mixolydian mode in G that is tuned the same way as the 7^th mode in the Gregorian chanting. The modern day composed songs are still in major G, though in either natural or sharp F, or more scarcely, C. meanwhile, there are exceptions in the major F melodies with natural B.  

In 1927, the association of the Txistularies in the Basque country was formed to promote the players of the musical instrument. The organization has continued its activities to the contemporary days, except for an interruption during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.