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The blowing of the shofar, or ram's horn, on the Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, Hebrew: תקיעת שופר, [teki'at shofarʻ] – although not exclusively limited to a ram's horn, as almost any natural bovid horn serves the purpose, excepting a cow's horn, is an injunction that is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in undefined terms, without divulging how this was to be done:
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Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation.
Three series
The original practice in Israel was to hear a total of only nine blasts made by the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. This practice was later changed by Rav Abbahu of Caesarea (3rd century CE), because of doubts that had arisen surrounding the actual performance of this commandment.
During the first series, Rav Abbahu enacted that they blow a [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah), followed by three [short] lilting blasts (Shevarim), followed by a [long] quavering blast (Teru'ah), and again by a [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah). This series was to be repeated three times. This prescribed order is often called by the mnemonics: TaSHRaT – Teki'ah, Shevarim, Teru'ah, Teki'ah.
During the second series, he enacted that they blow one [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah), followed by three [short] lilting blasts (Shevarim), followed by a [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah). This series was also to be repeated three times. This prescribed order is often called by the mnemonics: TaSHaT – Teki'ah, Shevarim, Teki'ah.
During the third series, he enacted that they blow a [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah), followed by a [long] quavering blast (Teru'ah), and again a [very long] sustained blast (Teki'ah). Again, this series was to be repeated three times. This prescribed order is often called by the mnemonics: TaRaT – Teki'ah, Teru'ah, Teki'ah.
The first series has a combination of four interchanging sounds made by the horn, which, when repeated thrice, make for a total of twelve blasts. The second series has a combination of three interchanging sounds, which, when repeated thrice, make for a total of nine blasts. The third and final series has a combination of three interchanging sounds, which, when repeated thrice, make for a total of nine blasts. The sum total is thirty blasts.
Besides the greater number of blasts made by the horn, the substantial change made by Rav Abbahu is in his adding the "short, lilting blasts" (Shevarim), which blasts have the resounding pitch of a person who is crying. This was added because of a doubt originating over the meaning of the word used by Onkelos and by the Targum Yerushalmi, both Aramaic translations on Lev. 23:24 and Num. 29:1, and where both texts translate "a quavering blast" (Teru'ah) as "a wailing sound," (Aramaic: Yababa), which happens to be also the same word used in describing the sound made by the mother of Sisera in Judges 5:28, when she moaned the loss of her son. With the ram's horn, it was not known if this word meant short, intermittent lilting blasts, or one long quavering blast, from whence he prescribed that we do both in the first series.
Another doubt, however, arose because of this enactment. It was not known whether or not the addition of "three short lilting blasts" in between the older practice would disqualify the whole. For this reason, we also blow "three short lilting blasts" in a series by itself, and "one long quavering blast" in a series by itself. Each is done separately.
Yemenite custom
Rabbi Yihya Saleh (died 1805), while explaining the Yemenite custom in the first series known as TaSHRaT (see supra), writes in his Commentary Etz Hayyim on the Baladi-rite Siddur that the short lilting blasts (Shevarim) and the long quavering blast (Teru'ah) are made in two breaths, both, in the series made while sitting and in the series made while standing. In this regard, the Yemenite practice was more lenient than that of the Shulchan Aruch.
Those who practise making 70 blasts with the ram's horn (Shofar), more notably the Yemenite Jews of the Baladi-rite, do so only because the first thirty blasts are made while the congregation is sitting. These same thirty blasts are repeated when the congregation stands up during the Mussaf-prayer, during which time the emissary of the congregation (Shaliach Tzibbur) leads them in prayer out-loud. Since he fulfills their obligation, the Mussaf-Prayer is only said once by them. There is no "chazarah" (repetition of the prayer), and subsequently, there is no need to make an additional thirty blasts at this time. Another ten blasts are made at the end of the prayer, in accordance with a tradition passed down from the days of the Geonim.
Other customs
Those who practise 101 blasts, follow a teaching that is first mentioned by the Tosafists ("ba'ale ha-tosafot") (Rosh Hashanah 33b, s.v. שעור) in the name of the Arukh. Thirty blasts are blown while the congregation is sitting. Another thirty blasts are made while standing silently in the Mussaf-Prayer. Another thirty blasts are made at the "chazarah" (repetition) of the Mussaf-Prayer. Ten blasts are made at the end of the prayer, according to a tradition left us by the Geonim. These are usually blown while in the midst of saying the "Kaddish Tiskabal." Finally, a very long sustained blast is made at the end of all these, concluding the Shul service on Rosh Hashanah. At the recess of Yom Kippur, four blasts are made (Mnemonics: TaSHRaT – Teki'ah, Shevarim, Teru'ah, Teki'ah). Several reasons are given for this practice, one of which is said to have the effect of confusing Satan.
In some Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions, the quavering blast (Teru'ah) is believed to be a string of many short-lived, broken blasts made by the tongue (e.g. tut-tut-tut-tut, etc.), rather than a long, trembling blast originating from the stomach as practised by the Yemenite and Babylonian Jewish communities. Moreover, according to Maimonides, the quavering blast (Teru'ah) is actually twice the length of a sustained blast (Teki'ah), while Rabbi Joseph Karo holds the view that the quavering blast is identical in length to that of a sustained blast. Each community is admonished to persist in the tradition which his fathers received.