Collection: Suonas, Musettes, and Shawms

The suona, sometimes called "Chinese trumpet", originates from traditional Chinese folk music and is essential at weddings, funerals and theatric performances. In ancient China, it could even be found in palace rituals. Though small, the suona produces a powerful sound thanks to its short pipe shaft. Its clear, resonant timbre instantly captures the audience's attention.

Suona, shawms, musettes and oboes are all double-reed woodwind instruments, but they too have their distinctions. You can picture a suona reed as a flattened drinking straw. To make an oboe reed, however, the cane is spliced, folded, and then bound together. Basically, two pieces instead of one. Although suona and oboe reeds are both cut from the upper half of the cane stalk instead of the bottom, like clarinet and saxophone reeds, the oboe reed comes from the outer layer of the plant, while the suona reed comes from the inner stalk.