The musette (or musette de cour) is a refreshing change of pace from the usual orchestral instruments. A baroque instrument, with a light and airy sound, is perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any musical composition. Though the musette had humble beginnings being made and played as a hobby by the common folk, it eventually rose to the heights of French aristocrats.

Similar to the modern-day oboe, it is a double-reed instrument, that is made from an inflated bladder covered in silk, wood and has a conical bore. The instrument comes in two sizes, the soprano and the bass - each has a range of two and a half octaves.

As the musette is a refined form of bagpipe, several unusual features set the musette apart from other bagpipes of its time. The first distinctive feature of the musette was its use of bellows, which tucks under the forearm of the player. Other bagpipes of the time required the player to blow into a tube repeatedly to fill the bag with adequate air pressure. Doing so contorts the player's face, which was frowned on by polite society. Thus, the bellows system was devised to preserve the elegance of the player's face while performing indoors. The second most distinctive feature of the musette is the barrel drone. Drone pipes that lay over the player's shoulder are typical in other bagpipes. However, the musette is equipped with a barrel drone (or bourdon) of three double reeds and four sliders. The sliders allow the play of one, two, or three drones. Again, it is speculated this modification was added to make the musette more elegant and refined for polite society. Finally, the instrument features a double chanter, a novelty that emerged soon after 1670, which operates with only one double reed.

This delicate instrument is believed to have originated in France during the early 1600s and was often used in dance music. It quickly gained popularity among the upper classes, who appreciated its dulcet tones. As its popularity spread throughout other European countries, the musette became a staple of the French baroque orchestra, and military bands, as well as fashionably acceptable to be played by noblemen and ladies. Eventually, the use of the musette grew into a variety of genres, including opera, symphony, and chamber music. Composers such as Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel wrote music for the musette.

Though the musette fell out of fashion in the late eighteenth century and was replaced by the clarinet, it remained popular in France. Today, the musette is most commonly associated with the French folk music tradition. It is often used in traditional dance music, such as the energetic bourrée. The musette's simple yet versatile sound is also well-suited for more modern genres, such as jazz and pop.

Whether you're a musician looking for a new instrument to add to your arsenal, or a music lover simply curious about the different sounds of the baroque era, the musette is worth checking out

All photos curtesy of The Met (Public Domain) 

The MET. “Musette de Cour: French.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2003, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503578.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Musette: Musical Instrument.” Encyclopædia Britannica, www.britannica.com/art/musette. Accessed May 2023.

Case Western Reserve University. “Musette (Baroque).” Early Music Instrument Database, caslabs.case.edu/medren/baroque-instruments/musette-baroque/. Accessed May 2023.