Evidence of the txistu first mentioned as such goes back to 1864. Yet it is apparent that it was used earlier, although it is not easy to establish when it started out; actually, it is impossible to do so, the txistu being the result of an evolution of the upright flutes widespread as early as the Late Middle Ages, when minstrels scattered all over the Iberian Peninsula brought in instruments that locals, noblemen first and common people later took on and developed. At the beginning, txistu players (txistularis) were named in romance written records after the tabor (pipe and tabor were played together): tamborer, tamborino, tambolín, tamborín, tamboril, músico tamboril, tamborilero, tamboriltero. However, when named after the flute, they are called in Spanish pífano, silbato, silbo, silbo vizcaíno, chilibistero to name a few.
The
three-hole flute was no
doubt used by people in much
of Spain not only in the
Basque Country, but
recordings of Basque names
for the instrument turn up
later: txilibitu, txirula,
txirola, txürula, txulula,
txilibitulari, txilibistari.
While some instruments fell
into decay, from the
Renaissance on the
three-hole flute raised its
profile and increasingly
took on the length as we
know it today (42 cm) in the
western Basque Country.
In contrast, the (t)xirula,
the version that prevailed
in the Iparralde (northern
Basque Country)
remained shorter in size. At
that point, three-hole
flutes were made of wood
(despite some instances of
flutes made in bone).
Up to the XVIIIth century, since chistu was played along the pattern of tabor and pipe, it needed no tuning; yet in the XVIIIth century the chistu was adopted by the Count of Peñaflorida and his Basque Enlightenment cultural revival, and became a part of Basque aspirations for the nobility, resulting in more instruments (usually other chistus) joining the pair, so they started to be tuned. The instrument was modified to give it a range of two octaves, and a larger version called in Spanish the silbote was fashioned to accompany polyphonic compositions. Rural txistu musicians continued their own traditions with self crafted rustic txistus, while the urban txistularis formed schools to teach the brand-new sophisticated instrument.
At different stages of the three-hole flute's history reeds and metal mouthpieces were applied for a better sound. While some claim that it is closely related to the early link of the Basques to iron and the forging industry, others suggest that the embedding of such pieces began in the industrial revolution of the XIXth century.
