DICTIONARY OF TRADITIONAL

MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
Play our anthems share our traditions
Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey

2013 -2015
COMENIUS MULTILATERAL PARTNERSHIP
 Dictionary of Traditional
Music Instruments

Play our anthems Share our traditions

2013-2015
School partners

TASUCU ANADOLU LISESI TASUCU, TURKEY

COLEGIUL NAȚIONAL „A. T. LAURIAN” BOTOȘANI, ROMANIA

GENIKO LYCEIO THERMOY THERMO, GREECE

ISTITUTO DI ISTRUZIONE SUPERIORE TORTOLI, ITALY

SOU “HRISTO BOTEV” KOCHERINOVO, BULGARIA

GIMNAZJUM IM. EDMUNDA BOJANOWSKIEGO LUBSKO, POLAND

Contents

Traditional music instruments from Turkey

Traditional music instruments from Greece

Traditional music instruments from Romania

Traditional music instruments from Poland

Traditional music instruments from Bulgaria

Traditional music instruments from Italy

 Argument

This dictionary contains musical instruments of symbolic or cultural importance

within a nation..

In some cases, national instruments remain in wide use within the nation but in
others, their importance is rather symbolic.

This dictionary compiles instruments that have been alleged to be a national

instrument by any of a variety of sources, and an instrument's presence on the list does
not indicate that its status as a national instrument is indisputable, only that its status has
been credibly argued.

This document is a short dictionary of words which may help you learn about music.
It was originally intended for non-musicians, but it is useful for anyone who wants a develop
a larger verbal arsenal for talking about music.
 The folk music of Turkey

Turkish folk music (Türk Halk Müziği)1 combines

the distinct cultural values of all civilisations that have lived
in Anatolia and the past territories in Europe and Asia. Its
unique structure includes regional differences under one
umbrella. It was the most popular music genre in the
Ottoman Empire era.

Folk dances and costumes

Hora - A type of circle dance, also known as
Syrtos, originating from the ancient Greek art form of
χορεία (Chorea).
Horon - This Pontic Greek dance from Black Sea,
was performed by men only living in Trabzon, dressed in
black with silver trimmings. Today, the dancers link arms and
quiver to the vibrations of the kemenche (an instrument
similar to violin).
Kasap Havası/Hasapiko - A Greek folk dance. The
dance originated from the Greek butchers guild, living in
Constantinople, during the Byzantine Empire.
Kaşık Oyunu - The Spoon Dance is performed
from Konya to Silifke and consists of gaily dressed male
and female dancers 'clicking' out the dance rhythm with
a pair of wooden spoons in each hand.
Kılıç Kalkan - The Sword and Shield Dance of Bursa represents the Ottoman conquest of the
city. It is performed by men only, in Ottoman battle-dress, who dance to the sound of clashing swords and
shields, without music.
Zeybek - In this Aegean dance, dancers, called "efe", symbolize courage and heroism.

Instruments
Stringed instruments
Plucked stringed instruments include the lute-like saz, bağlama, tar and Cümbüş, and the
dulcimer-like Qanún (also sometimes hammered). Bowed stringed instruments include the kabak kemane
and the kemenche or Pontian Lyra.
Wind instruments
Woodwind instruments include the double-reed, shawm-like zurna, Mey (Duduk), the single reed,
clarinet-like sipsi, the single-reed twin-piped çifte, the end-blown flutes kaval and ney, and the droneless
bagpipe, the tulum. An old shepherd's instrument, made from an eagle's wing bone, was the çığırtma.
Percussion instruments
Percussion instruments include drums – davul and nağara – the tambourine-like tef, a mini drum
darbuka and the spoons-like kaşık.
Melodies of differing types and styles have been created by the people in various spheres and
stages of life, joyful or sad, from birth to death.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_folk_music
UT (OUT) The oud is a pear-shaped LAUTE (LUTE) Lute can refer
stringed instrument commonly used generally to any string instrument
in Arabic, Jewish, Greek, Turkish, having the strings running in a plane
Byzantine, Armenian, Norh African parallel to the sound table, more
(Chaabi, Classical and Andalusian), specifically to any plucked string
Somali and Middle Eastern music. instrument with a neck and a deep
Construction of the oud is similar to round back, or more specifically to an
that of the lute. The modern oud and instrument from the family of
the European lute both descend European lutes.
from a common ancestor via
diverging paths. The oud is readily
distinguished by its lack of frets and
smaller neck. It is considered an
ancestor of the guitar.

Listen to Lute
The European lute and the modern
Near-Eastern oud both descend from
a common ancestor via diverging
evolutionary paths. The lute is used
in a great variety of instrumental
music from the Medieval to the late
Baroque eras and was the most
Listen to OUD important instrument for secular
music in the Renaissance.
 It is also an accompanying The Kemençe of the Black Sea
instrument, especially in vocal (Turkish: Karadeniz kemençe), Pontic
works, often realizing a basso kemenche or Pontic lyra (Greek:
continuo or playing a written-out Ποντιακή λύρα) is a bottle-shaped
accompaniment. The player of a lute bowed lute found in the Black Sea
is called a lutenist, lutanist, region of Turkey (Pontus) and
"lewtist" or lutist, and a maker of adjacent Armenian and Georgian
lutes is referred to as aluthier. peopled lands. It is also known as the
The classical kemenche "kementche of Laz".
(Turkish: Klasik kemençe) or Armudî
kemençe (pear-shaped kemenche)
or Politiki lyra (Greek: πολίτικη
λύρα, Constantinopolitan Lyre) is a
pear-shaped bowed instrument.
Nowadays mainly used in
classical Ottoman music, the
instrument was also used earlier for
popular music, such as early
"Smyrna-Style" Rebetiko. It has
become the main bowed instrument
of Ottoman classical music since the
mid 19th century.
 VIOLIN The violin, also known The violin is sometimes informally
as a fiddle, is a string instrument, called a fiddle, regardless of the type
usually with four strings tuned in of music played on it. The word violin
perfect fifths. It is the smallest, comes from the Medieval Latin
highest-pitched member of the violin wordvitula, meaning stringed
family of string instruments, which instrument; this word is also believed
also includes the viola, the cello and to be the source of the Germanic
the contrabass. "fiddle".
Someone who plays the violin The violin, while it has ancient
is called a violinist or a fiddler. The origins, acquired most of its modern
violinist produces sound by drawing characteristics in 16th-century Italy,
a bow across one or more strings with some further modifications
(which may be stopped by the fingers occurring in the 18th and 19th
of the other hand to produce a full centuries. Violinists and collectors
range of pitches), by plucking the particularly prize the instruments
strings (with either hand), or by a made by the Gasparo da Salò,
variety of other techniques. The Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Stradivari,
violin is played by musicians in a wide Guarneri and Amati families from the
variety of musical genres, including 16th to the 18th century in Brescia
Baroque music, classical, jazz, folk and Cremona and by Jacob Stainer in
music, rock and roll, and Soft rock. Austria. Great numbers of
The violin has come to be played in instruments have come from the
many non-Western music cultures all hands of "lesser" makers, as well as
over the world. still greater numbers of mass-
produced commercial "trade violins"
coming from cottage industries in
places such asSaxony, Bohemia, and
Mirecourt. Many of these trade
instruments were formerly sold by
Sears, Roebuck and Co. and other
mass merchandisers.
A person who makes or repairs
violins is called a luthier. The parts of
a violin are usually made from
different types of wood and it is
usually strung with gut, Perlon or
other synthetic, or steel strings.
KANUN (LAW) The qanun is a string "The ney consists of a piece of
instrument played in much of the hollow cane or reed with five or six
Middle East, Central Asia, and finger holes and one thumb hole.
southeastern Europe. The name Modern neys may be made
derives from the Arabic word kānun, instead of metal or plastic tubing.
which means "rule, norm, principle" The pitch of the ney varies
itself from ancient Greek 'κανών' depending on the region and the
rule. Its traditional music is based on finger arrangement. A highly skilled
maqamat. It is a type of large zither ney player can reach more than
with a narrow trapezoidal three octaves, though it is more
soundboard. Nylon or PVC strings are common to have several "helper"
stretched over a single bridge poised neys to cover different pitch ranges
on fish-skins on one end, attached to or to facilitate playing technically
tuning pegs at the other end. difficult passages in other dastgahs
or maqams. In Romanian, the word
nai is also applied to a curved Pan
flute.

NEY (TUNNING PIN) The ney is

an end-blown flute that figures
prominently in Middle Eastern
music. In some of these musical
traditions, it is the only wind
instrument used. The ney has been
played continuously for 4,500–5,000
years, making it one of the oldest
musical instruments still in use.
"The Persian ney consists of a
hollow cylinder with finger-holes.
Sometimes a brass or plastic
mouthpiece is placed at the top to
protect the wood from damage, but
this plays no role in the sound
production.
 The clarinet family is the
CLARINET. largest woodwind family, with more
The clarinet is a type of than a dozen types, ranging from the
woodwind instrument that has a octo-contrabass to the piccolo
single-reed mouthpiece, a straight clarinet. Of these, many are rare or
cylindrical tube with an obsolete (there is only one octo-
approximately cylindrical bore, and a contrabass clarinet in existence, for
flaring bell. A person who plays the example), and music written for
clarinet is called a clarinetist or them is usually played on more
clarinettist. common versions of the instrument.
The word clarinet may have
entered the English language via the
French clarinette (the feminine
diminutive of Old French clarin or
clarion), or fromProvençal clarin,
"oboe" It "is plainly a diminutive of
clarino, the Italian for trumpet", and
the Italian clarinetto is the source of
the name in many other languages.
According to Johann Gottfried
Walther, writing in 1732, the reason
for the name was that "it sounded
from far off not unlike a trumpet".
This may indicate its strident quality
in the upper register, although in the
low register it was "feeble and
buzzing". The English form clarinet is
found as early as 1733, and the now-
archaic clarionet appears from 1784
until the early years of the 20th
century.
There are many types of
clarinets of differing sizes and Johann Christoph Denner invented
pitches, comprising a large family of the clarinet in Germany around the
instruments. The unmodified word turn of the 18th century by adding a
clarinet usually refers to the soprano register key to the earlier
clarinet, by far the most common chalumeau. Over time, additional
type, which has a large range of keywork and airtight pads were
nearly four octaves. added to improve tone and
playability.
Today, the clarinet is used in jazz and
classical ensembles, inchamber
groups, and as a solo instrument.

KAVAL (TIBIA)

The kaval is a chromatic end-

blown flute traditionally played
throughout Azerbaijan, Turkey,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia,
Albania, southern Serbia (кавал),
Ukraine, Moldova northern Greece
(καβάλι or τζαμάρα), Romania
(caval), and Armenia (Բլուլ or blul).
The kaval is primarily associated with
mountain shepherds throughout the
Balkans and Anatolia.
Unlike the transverse flute,
the kaval is fully open at both ends,
and is played by blowing on the
sharpened edge of one end. The
kaval has 8 playing holes (7 in front
and 1 in the back for the thumb) and
usually four more unfingered
intonation holes near the bottom of
the kaval.
As a wooden rim-blown flute,
kaval is similar to the ney of the Arab
world. The name kaval may once
have been referred to various Balkan
duct and rim-blown flutes,
accounting for the present day
diversity of the term’s usage.
 ZURNA (CLARION) The zurna According to a Turkmen
(also called surnay, AMO A GIOT legend, the devil played the main
birbynė, lettish horn, surla, sornai, role in tuiduk invention (note the
dili tuiduk, zournas, or zurma) is a term ″devil openings", şeytan
multinational outdoor wind delikleri, in Turkish for the small
instrument, usually accompanied by apertures on the bell).
a davul (bass drum) in Anatolian folk A ritual of inviting guests for a
music. The name is derived from celebration has survived since
Persian composed of “banquet, ancient times: two tuiduk players
feast” and “reed, pipe”. Turkish lore stand in front of each other, point
says that Adam, who was moulded their instruments upwards and play
from clay, had no soul. in unison. During this act, they
perform circular movements in a
ritualistic fashion suggestive of
shamanism.

BALABAN (BITTERN)
Balaban or balaman is
cylindrical-bore, double-reed wind
instrument about 35 cm long with
seven finger holes and one thumb
hole. This instrument played in
eastern Azerbaijan in Iran and in the
Republic of Azerbaijan. In Azerbaijan
it is also called düdük.
Balaban can be made of
mulberry or other harder woods,
such as walnut. The bore through the
instrument is about one and a half
cm in diameter.

It is said only the melodious

tuiduk-playing of Archangel Gabriel
could breathe life into Adam.
 The double reed is made out of Like the Western lute and the
a single tube of cane about six cm Middle-Eastern oud, it has a deep
long and pressed flat at one end. round back, but a much longer neck.
The performer uses air stored It can be played with a plectrum or
in his cheeks to keep playing the with a fingerpicking style known as
balaban while he inhales air into his şelpe.
lungs. This “circular” breathing In the music of Greece the
technique is commonly used with all name baglamas (Greek: μπαγλαμάς)
the double-reed instruments in the is given to a treble bouzouki, a
Middle East. related instrument. The Turkish
settlement of Anatolia from the late
BAĞLAMA (BINDING) eleventh century onward saw the
The bağlama (Turkish: introduction of a two-string Turkmen
bağlama, from bağlamak, "to tie", dutar, which was played in some
pronounced [baːɫaˈma]) is a stringed areas of Turkey until recent times.
musical instrument shared by
various cultures in the
EasternMediterranean, Near East,
and Central Asia regions.
I t is sometimes referred to as
the saz (from the Persian meaning a
kit or set), although the term "saz"
actually refers to a family of plucked
string instruments, long-necked lutes
used in Ottoman classical music,
Turkish folk music, Azeri music,
Kurdish music, Assyrian music,
Armenian music, and in parts of
Syria, Iraq and the Balkan countries.
Instruments resembling
today's bağlama have been found in
archaeological excavations of
Sumerian and Hittite mounds in
Anatolia dating before Common Era,
and in ancient Greek works.
According to The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians,
"the terms "bağlama" and "saz" are
used somewhat interchangeably in
Turkey.
CURA (CURE) The smallest member of the
baglama family, it is found in nearly
The cura is the smallest every region of the country under a
member of the bağlama family with variety of names, including dede sazi,
the highest pitched sound. The parmak cura, and üç telli cura.
member one size bigger than cura According to the instrument
which gives a sound that is one with which it is to be played (and
octave lower than cura is the accordingly its exact dimensions and
tambura. tuning), it is known by names such as
And the one with the deepest baglama curasi, tanbura curasi.
sound is the divan sazi whose sound Two-stringed Kozağaç Cura,
is one octave lower compared known as “Two-stringed” in Teke
to tambura. Region, varies in terms of structural
and instrumental features.

TANBUR

The term Tanbur, Tanbūr,

Tanbura, Tambur, Tambura or
Tanboor can refer to various long-
necked, string instrument originating
in the Southern or Central Asia
(Mesopotamia and Persia/Iran).
According to the New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians,
"terminology presents a complicated
situation. Nowadays the term tanbur
(or tambur) is applied to a variety of
distinct and related long-necked
string instruments used in art and
folk traditions in Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikestan,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
Similar or identical
instruments are also known by other
terms.
 The bow is grasped sideways,
with the little, ring and middle
fingers pressing on the horsehairs,
while the thumb and index fingers
hold the rightmost wooden edge of
the bow.

YAYLI TANBUR

The yaylı tanbur is a bowed

long-neck lute from Turkey. Derived
from the older plucked tambur, it has
a long, fretted neck and a round
metal or wooden soundbox which is
often covered on the front with a
skin or acrylic head similar to that of
a banjo.
The instrument is held
vertically, with the soundbox resting
in the player's lap or between the
calves.
 The leftmost strings of the It was developed in 1930 by
instrument unite into a single course Zeynel Abidin Cümbüş (1881–1947)
to form a doubled-string which is as an oud-like instrument that could
tuned to a unison that is lifted be heard as part of a larger
slightly from the bridge. This is where ensemble.
all melodic playing takes place. The The cümbüş is shaped like an
rest are sympathetic strings American banjo, with a spun-
numbering from 4 to 6 which are aluminum resonator bowl and skin
tuned to the octave, fifth and/or soundboard.
fourth of the main doubled-string. Although originally configured
Due to the special nature of as an oud, the instrument has been
the instrument, the neck behaves as converted to other instruments by
though it was unfretted despite the attaching a different set of neck and
ordinary placement of numerous strings.
frets (anywhere from 24 to 34 or The standard cümbüş is
more to the octave). That is to say, fretless, but
the fingers can press down on guitar, mandolin and ukulele
unfretted parts of the neck to versions have fretboards.
achieve the same effect as stopping The neck is adjustable,
the frets. This allows the glissandi allowing the musician to change the
and portamenti to be executed angle of the neck to its strings by
flawlessly which constitute the turning a screw.
primary characteristics of yaylı One model is made with a
tanbur. wooden resonator bowl, with the
Moreover, the frets can be effect of a less tinny, softer sound.
moved about depending on the
tastes and choices of the player to
achieve correct intonation of a given
makam.

CÜMBÜŞ
(CAROUSAL)
The cümbüş (/dʒuːmˈbuːʃ/;
Turkish pronunciation: [dʒymˈbyʃ]) is
a Turkish stringed instrument of
relatively modern origin.
ZİL (BELL)

Zills, also zils or finger cymbals, (from

Turkish zil, "cymbals") are tiny
metallic cymbals used in belly
dancing and similar performances.
They are similar to Tibetan tingsha
bells.

Some dafs are equipped

with small cymbals, making them
analogous to a large tambourine.

DAVUL (DRUM)

The davul (Turkish) or tupan is a

large double-headed drum that is
played with mallets. It has many
TEF (DEF) names depending on the country
and region.
Daf is a large Persian frame
drum used in popular and classical
music. The frame is usually made of
hardwood with many metal ringlets
attached, and the membrane is
usually goatskin. Daf is mostly used
in theMiddle East, Kurdistan, Iran,
Armenia, Afghanistan, Turkey,
Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, and
usually accompanies singers and
players of the tambura, violin, oud,
saz and other Middle Eastern
instruments.
 BENDİR(BENDER) bendir is about 14 to 16 inches. The
drum is played kept vertical by
The bendir (Arabic: plural inserting the thumb of the left hand
banadir, also called erbeni or in a special holes in the frame. The
arbani) is a frame drum used as a bandir or bendir is used in the special
traditional instrument throughout ceremonies of the Sufi. The Sufi
North Africa. Unlike the tambourine, tradition is strongly characterized by
it has no jingles but most often has a the use of music, rhythm, and dance
snare (usually made of gut) stretched to reach particular states of
across its head, which when the consciousness.
drum is struck with the fingers or
palm gives the tone a buzzing quality.

The bendir is a frame drum

with a wooden frame and a
membrane. It creates different tones
according to the spreading of the
shock waves moving across the skins
itself.
A frame drum is the oldest and
most common kind of drum. The
bendir is used throughout North
Africa, Ancient Egypt, and
Mesopotamia.
The bendir drum has been
around since prehistoric times. The
The bendir has a small hole in which is called a tar, except it does
the bottom, which is used to balance not have a snare in the back of it. A
the drum at the base of the left version of it exists in Ireland called
thumb as the left hand fingers that the Bodhrán which is usually played
the rim and the right hand plays the with a beater.
rim and center. The term Bendir means in
It is mainly used in the Turkish language a big hand frame
following countries: Morocco, drum, which is known as Duff in
Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Arabic language.
sometimes Egypt. Egypt mostly uses
a frame drum similar to the bendir,
 KUDÜM (NAKKARE) The
naqqāra is a drum with a rounded
back and a hide head, usually played
in pairs. It is thus a membranophone
of the kettle drum variety.

The term naqqāra also

naqqarat, naqqarah, naqqåre,
nakkare, nagora comes from the
Arabic verb naqr- that means "to
strike, beat
 GREEK TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS
INTRODUCTION
In this age of globalization in which the cultural differences between the countries
are almost eliminated, it is really important to concern ourselves with subjects which are
related to tradition. Our traditions are the roots of the tree which is our nation. Without
those roots we will turn into gewgaws of those who are in control of the media. They will
impose to us whatever they want and the criteria of this enforcement will not be the
aesthetics or their cultural value, but the relentless laws of marketing. In this context,
occupying with our national musical instruments will denote the allurement of the tradition
as well as our eclectic affinity with the neighborly nations, since finding a traditional musical
instrument which is purely Greek is not feasible.
In Greece there are many museums and private collections of traditional musical
instruments. But, the most complete one is situated in Athens and specifically in Plaka
(Diogenus 1-3) and it is the Museum Of Greek Traditional Musical Instruments of Fivos
Anagionakis – Central of Ethnomusicology. It was founded in 1991 and it is supervised by
the Ministry of Culture. In the museum there are Greek traditional musical instruments
which reach back to the 18th century.
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD MUSIC
Many people believe that music can say everything without using any words. But
words are a necessary casing when it comes to Greek traditional musical instruments.
Music was named after the muses and its protector is Melpomeni (the muse of tragedy.
The one who sings about remarkable things) and Efterpi (the protector of lyrical poetry
and the art of aulos. The one who charms and leads to ecstasy). Nowadays, the word
‘music’ stands for the art of sounds in contrast to the meaning which the ancient Greeks
gave to it; they meant the unbreakable union of the sound and the speech.
A huge unit in the music history is folk music. Music was developed really early in this part
of the Earth which we inhabit, which is a crosscroad and a ‘crucible’ of different civilizations,
Greece. It was normal that the media of expressing music were also created here, the
musical instruments. It is not easy to specify the authenticity of their origin. That is to say
that the musical instruments which we will talk about are not necessarily a contrivance of
the ancient Greeks. Any possible information on the origination of some musical
instruments will be mentioned.
The traditional musical instruments are separated in:
Idiophones [such as lalitsa, shell, vuges, rokana, spoons, bells, zilia, triangles]
Membranophones (such as tabor, tubeleki)
Aerophones (such as flute, sourafli, mantoura, zournas, tsabouna, bagpipe and clarinet)
Chordophones (such as banjo, bouzouki, lute, oud, zither, kanun, lyre, kementzes, violin)
 Α. IDIOPHONES

An Idiophone is any musical instrument that gives a characteristic sound just by the
way it is constructed. The construction of idiophones is not exclusively for musical
instruments.

LALITSES
Lalitses are small aerophones which look like whistles used
in Greek music. They have the size of a spherical vase or a
jar and they’re also called water-whistles or little
nightingales or cuckoo. They first appeared in the
byzantine ages, in small and hollow ceramic creations, on
zoomorphic handles of crooks and elsewhere. They have a
mouthpiece and they’re usually half-filled with water. Their sound seems like birds’
chirping.

KOYDOYNIA (BELLS)
Bells, known to the ancient civilizations of China, India, Egypt
and Greece, were initially created to be charms for the
animals and sacred places. But they slowly turned into a tool
for shepherds.
Each bell has its own sound and every shepherd looks for
the sound that fits to his flock. They’re made of sheetmetal
or they’re casted with bronze. As musical instruments, bells
operate in the traditional bow of the pear-shaped lyre (Crete,
Dodecanese) and they accompany the melody rhythmically and with the hue of their
sound.
In the picture you can see different types of bells which belong to I. Kaimakami’s exhibition
of traditional musical instruments.

ZILIAS
Zilias (metal cymbals), wooden spoons, glasses for ouzo and wine
and even the rosary are instruments of rhythmic accompaniment for
songs and dance, on their own or along with other rhythmic
instruments. In general, they are small instruments which can been
heard as accompaniment in the carols, at weddings and festivals and
even in any dance during which women snap their fingers rhythmically
to the steps they make. They can be found in byzantine murals.
TRIGONO (TRIANGLE) & MASIA
Quite similar is the role of the triangles and the (masia).
Nowadays, he triangle is played mainly by children in order to
accompany the carols, while masia is played only in Thrace.
The masia is nippers-shaped and its two legs end up in cones
with a small cymbal on their edge. Each clone is opposite to
the other so that when the legs of the masia join they hit each
other. There are numerous clones. The masia – a purely
rhythmic instrument – is iron in Greece and it is still played in our days only by children in
some regions of Thrace.

KOHILAS or BOUROU (SHELL)

The big shells, which the fishermen catch, contain a living

organism. They boil them in hot water to vacate those beautiful
shells, in order to be able to whistle when it’s cleared out and it
is empty. They carefully rub its edge on a hard rock in order to
open a small hole; that’s where they will blow. Each shell has
its own musical tone and that sound indicates the one who is
whistling. The shell was really useful on the islands because
the islanders were able to give different messages; they could
give a message when a ship moored and when another ship left. Also, when they were in
danger, they whistled as a sign of seeking help.

ROKANA
The rokanas which are used for folk music are wooden and we can hear
them during the carnival. Those wooden rattles were toys for kids but
they were easily transmuted into musical instruments. The priests used
to play them before the bells rang in order to invite the mass to go to
service.
The villagers used them to scare the birds and predators away when they went close to
their farms to eat their crops.
JAMALA
It is a rhythic instrument which accompanies the carols of the twevleday
of Christmas in a village called Kastanies in Thrace. It is a type of
wooden rattle which consists of two oblong legs which are united on
their nigh side with a (?). On the opposite side there are two holes – one
on each leg. A rope goes through each hole and the other side of it is
tied on the other leg. People hold the jamal with their left hand, from the
branch on which it is battened, while they pull the rope with the right
hand. This way the make the two legs hit each other. It is a purely rhythmical instrument
and has an undefined pitch. Jamala is usually played along with masia which accompanies
the carols of the Twelveday.

VUGES
Vuges is a “musical” instrument for children: they tie a small, not light, stick with a string
and they wriggle it vigorously. This creates a really entertaining hum.

KOUTALIA (SPOONS)
Sometimes, the dancers hold wooden spoons to accompany
their dance with various hits and rhythms. It is not a special
musical instrument. They’re just wooden spoons which are
used for cooking and eating soup. Some of them are very
beautifully carved or painted.

NOMISMATA (COINS)

Coins, which are elements of the jewels of the Greek costume, are
sensitive musical instruments which follow rhythmically the dance
figures. When dancing, the periodic rhythmical move turns the
coins – elements of the jewels of the Greek costume – into a
special “musical instrument” which rhythmically accompanies the
dance figurations. A typical example is the men dance and
costumes in the carnival happening “Janissaries and Boules”,
which take place on the last days of the Carnival in Naoussa.

FILLA DENTROU (LEAF)

Years ago, when there were not any musical instruments at the feasts, some entertainers
played some (tunes) by putting a leaf between their lips and their teeth.
B. MEMBRANOPHONES

The sound is produced by a piece of skin which is streched on a stable base. It produces the sonic
vibrations by the rhythmical hits which it receives. It is fundamental for the rhythmical escort of the songs
and the dance.

NTAOULI (TABOR)
It is the biggest drum and the musicians who play it are called
“daoulierides” which actually means ‘those who play the tabor’, the
tabor-players. The tabor has been known since the byzantine years
and it is par excellence the rhythmic instrument in Central Greece. Its
dimensions, the tie of the ropes, the elaboration of the skin and they
way of its constructe vary. Years ago, the cylinder was constructed by
wood, while nowadays it’s constructed by plastic tubes. The two edges
of the cylinder are casted with stable and fat skin in order to withstand
the beats. The two sides of the cylinder are different. The one is
covered by fat skin and the tabor-player hits it with a nearly heavy stick.
The other side is covered with a thinner skin and the tabor-player hits it with a thin stick. Toubi is a
variation of tabor. It is a tabor which accompanies the melodic instruments of the island Greece.

TOUBELEKI
Toubeleki accompanies rhythmically many melodical instruments in
North Greece, at the island of Aegean and in the Asia Minor. Toubeleki
used to be of clay and it was decorated with beautiful designs.
Nowadays it is constructed by bronze, cuprum and aluminum. Its clay
frame has the shape of a jar, without a handle, and it’s open on the one
side and covered on the other with stretched skin which is glued and/or
tied on the speaker. It is constructed in many sizes and decorations
vary. It is played by both hands, while it’s held under the left armpit or
between the thighs or hung on the left shoulder. It came from Asia Minor. It is found in a few variations in
Africa, India, the Mediterannean and Asia.

NTEFI
It is a percussion instrument in many sizes and diameters. It is the ancient
greek “drum”. It consists of a wooden wreath on which there’s stretched
skin. Small brass ‘zilias’ are place on the wooden frame. The number of
zilias indicates the type and the name of the tabor. It accompanies most of
the melodical instruments in all of the regions of Greece. The tabor is held
on the left hand of the player and it is played with the right hand. As a
rhythmical instrument, it is found in many different variations in many types
of music in Greece, the Balkans and in many other place of the world.
C. CHORDOPHONES
Chordophones are the instruments which have chords in order to offer a different timbre than the other
groups of instruments. In this category, we find instruments such as the banjo, the lute, the oud, the guitar,
the lute-guitar, the mandolins, the violin, the lyre, the kemejes, the kanun and the zither.
The stretched chords in the stringed instruments are played in many ways: with bow with the fingers, the
pen or the baguettes.
The instruments who in order to make sound need their chords to be tweaked with the fingers or the pen,
are called plucked stringed.

TAMBOURAS (BANJO)
‘Banjo’ is the name which Greek people used since many years ago for a series
of plucked stringed instruments. Banjo is very hard to play. The name banjo is
used for a series of plucked instruments, regardless their dimensions, the
number of chords and their tuning. The original instruments – known since the
2nd millennium B.C – have a light sound and they’re played with a pen or the
hand. In ancient Greece this type of banjo was known as ‘three-chorded’, in
Byzantium as ‘thabura’ and modern Greece it’s known as banjo, bouzouki or
baglamas. The pictue is from a painting of the great painter, Nikiforos Litras
(1832 - 1904). The title of it is “The Milkman”.

LAOUTO (LUTE)
The lute has a big pear-shaped speaker and a long hand. The lute
is a composition of elements of the ancient Greek pandoura and
the Arabian oud. It is usually the instrument which keeps the
rhythm, while it accompanies the singers, the violinists and the
dancers. Years ago, it was played as a melodic instrument (solo).
This tradition continues in Crete. In the entire Greece – especially
on the islands and the coastal cities –it is the main instrument (…).
The arm is made of ebony. It has 4 double iron chords, which are
played with a feather pen. For the construction of the vessel, they use pieces of hard wood (mahogany,
walnut tree etc) and ebony is used for the cap. The lute played a great and significant role in the global
music history, for a lot of years (15th – 18th century). After WW II, the guitar gradually replaced the lute at
the two traditional organic complexes, the span and the troupe. The lute guitar, which had the shape of
a guitar but the number of the chords of the lute, was an intermediate station in the age of the Interwar.

OUTI (OUD)
The oud has a big and pear-shaped speaker, too but its arm is much
flatter than the lute’s and it almost ends up to a right angle. Its origin
is Arabic. Its name comes from the Arabian word “al’ud” (which
means wood). It has five double internal chords and it is played solo
or with other musical instruments according to the music tradition of
Greeks of Asia Minor and Thrace.
BOUZOUKI
Bouzouki is a string instrument with a pear-shaped vessel
and a long arm. Its name is Turkish: bozuk (= broken/messy
maybe because they constantly had to tune it). The arm is
constructed with hard wood (usually ebony) while its lid is
made of cedar wood or fir. The bouzouki is played with a
plastic pen. There are two types of bouzouki; the first type
has 3 rows of double iron strings and has a smaller vessel
and a narrower arm and the second type has a bigger vessel and a wider arm with 4 double iron strings.
Its vessel is constructed with stripes from a walnut tree. Ebony is rarely used as well. It first came in
Greece after the Asian Minor Catastrophe in 1922. It is an instrument which is found in folk urban music
of Greece. It is the instrument which made Greek folk music known worldwide. Nowadays, bouzouki and
baglamas are the most used instruments of this group.

SANTOURI (ZITHER)
Its name comes from the Persian words “san tar” (= one hundred chords).
The spreading of zither in Greece happened due to the Greek inhabitants
of Asia Minor, who went to their country after the destruction of Asia Minor.
The zither was played before 1922 but on a limited scale. The zither is
played while it’s resting on a table; it has chords which are stretched
horizontally on a piece of wood and caught by small nails which are placed
on the edge of the instrument. One side of each bagguette is a bit bent.
That side is tightly wrapped with cotton or skin. The covered side of the
bagguette hits the chords like a small hammer. Aristidis Moschos was a
great player of the zither (picture). Aristidis and his brother Konstantinos
used to play at feasts during the decades of 50’ and 60’.

KANONAKI (KANUN)
Kanun is an instrument known is Greece since
the Byzantine years, if not since antiquity.
During the Middle Ages it was known with the
name “Psalter”. The psalter first appeared in
Asia, many years before the classical ancient
Greek era. The kanun or psalter has the
shape of a rectangle trapeze and looks like a
zither. There are three chords for each note.
The played puts both of his pointers in the thimbles and that’s where he sets the pens or the nails. That’s
how he accurately tweaks the correct chords. It is a plucked instrument with internal) chords.
LIRA (LYRE)
In Greece there are two types of lyre: the Cretan or insular lyre and the Pontiac lyre. The lyre with a bow
was found in Byzantium since the 10th century A.D., and comes from the central Asia, and has three
chords. Nowadays, with the spreading of the folk violin, the lyre is restricted in Crete, the Dodecanese
and Macedonia.

7A. Cretan Lyre

It’s an arched instrument, without frets, with three iron chords. Its musical
expansions are 2 octaves. It is an instrument which is used in urban
music too. There’s something original about the playing of the lyre. The
player does not press the chords with his finger, but he touches them
with his nail. The stick of the lyre usually has small bells on it. The
decoration of the lyre – carved shapes – is an endless challenge when it
comes to inspiration.

7B. Pontiac Lyre or Kemetzes

The sound box of the Pontiac Lyre is flask-shaped and its arm is short
and has no frets. Three iron chords are placed on the arm. It is played
with a stick. The Greeks of Pontus use the lyre with 3 chords, while the
Greeks of Cappadocia with six chords. It is always played alone
without the accompaniment of any other instrument. Most times, the
performer places it on his left foot. Its musical expansion is one octave
and two notes. The chords of the Pontiac lyre are pressed with the
finger just like violin. It can be found in Greece and in Turkey as a folk
music instrument.
VIOLI (VIOLIN)
The smallest stringed instrument comes from India. It passed on
from India to Persia, Arabia and Spain. It was the main instrument
of the chamber orchestras in Italy in the 17th century. It took its
current shape in Cremona, Italy in the 18th century. Many
renowned violin constructors appeared in Cremona then, such as
Amati, Guarneri and Atonio Sradivari. They created instruments of
great acoustics, which are considered insurmountable even in our
age. The violin consists of at least 70 different pieces of dried wood
which are glued together and painted with special materials in
order to produce this amazing sound. The violin quickly passed to
folk music and it is now a main and loved instrument of the
traditional Scale (violin, lute, and zither). It is essential in folk
orchestras even in our days. Also, it has been established to call
the entire folk orchestra with the name violin.
Most folk violinists haven’t studied at conservatories. Their big
assistance is their music instinct, their memory and they can remember thousands of songs without
reading the notes. The violin is nowadays one of the main melodical instruments in Greece. The violin
has four chords which the performer caresses with the stick.

MANDOLIN
The mandolin and guitar are the main instruments of the group
which accompanies the urban folk music since the end of the 19th
century. The mandolin first appeared in Italy, mainly in Naples in
the 17th century. Nowadays, the mandolin can be found in the
whole world. As a musical instrument of expressing the local
music tradition, the mandolin first came in Crete and the Ionian
Islands. In Crete, it appeared during the years of the Venetian
domination. As the years pass, the mandolin strengthens its
position in the Createn music tradition more and more. Initially, it
was an instrument which accompanied the lyre, along with the
lute, and now it’s a melodical instrument. More and more
interpreters and artists of the modern Createn music use it in
their performances.
D. AEROPHONES

Aerophones are instruments which are closer to the human nature. They need our breath, the air which
we blow inside them in order to produce sound. And that’s really great because the expression which
emanates from ourselves passes through their tubes and the sound is truly expressive. There are three
pastoral reed instruments: the flutes, the souravlis and the mantouras. Their difference is their edge, the
place we blow in order to play. The clarinets, the flute, the souravli, the mantoura, the bagpipe and the
zournas are all aerophones.

FLAOUTO (FLUTES)
The flutes are shepherds’ best friends. Some melodies are
acknowledged by their flocks. It is mainly played in Central
Greece and consists of two open tubes, each on each edge.
They are separated in short ones (apporximately 50cm) and
long ones (approximately 85cm). There are clues that the
men of Neanderthal used types of aulos as musical
instruments, 50.000 years ago. German archeologists have
found flutes which are made of bird which where created
35.000 years ago and they are possibly the oldest musical
instruments of all time. In ancient Greece, the corresponding instrument was the double aulos which is
illustrated on many vessels and sculptures. The flute is widely rife in demotic music of Middle East and
the Balkans.

SOURAVLI
The souravli looks like a flute but its gap is not on the top, but
on the side. It is a pastorale instument. It usually has 6 holes
and it can be found on the Aegean Islands and in North
Greece. It is made of reed and wood or bones and bronze –
the sizes vary. In Naxos, they played with two reed-souravlis
which were tied together. The first one had 6 holes on the front
side and 1 on the back and it was used to offer melody. The
other one was much shorter and it had a small diameter. It had
no holes and it accompanied the melody with an acid
phoneme. An instrument commensurate to souravli was used in Epirus, Macedonia and Cyprus.

MANTOURA
The mantoura, which is mainly played in Crete is an instrument which
has a strikered clapper. When it’s played, the performer puts the
whole clapper in his mouth and when he blows the clapper throbbes
and it creates the sound. It is made of reed and it usually has 4 or 5
holes. The mantoura can be found on the Aegean islands.
JAMARA
The jamara is an iron flute which was played in Western Roumeli many years ago.
The inhabitants of Roumeli came up with a myth in order to distinguish the sound of
the jamara and the sound of the zournas:
“The jamara was created by Jesus and the zournas was made by the Devil. When
the devil heard that the jamara produced a more beautiful sound than the zournas,
he secretely made an extra hole on the bottom of the jamara in order to make the
voice of jamara uglier. But then, Jamara made an even better sound and then the
devil was really angry. ‘You can play the jamara anytime you want and you won’t be scared, but if you
play the zournas at midnight, then the place will soon be filled with demons who will take your mind”.
ZOURNAS
The zournas is an instrument which has a double clapper due to which
the zournas gives an acid piercing sound. Its name comes from the
Persian words zur (= feast/power/horn) and ney (=reed). It is always
played with a tabor at feasts because its sound is very loud and shrill. The
player blows from a special clapper which is called ‘tsampouna’. Its sizes
vary. The shortest ones are found in Western Roumeli and in Morea,
while the longest ones are found in Macedonia. It came in Greece from
Asia in the 12th or 13th century B.C. They are made of dry, hard wood
(beech or walnut tree) and its shape is conical. It has 6 or 7 holes on the
front side and one on the bottom. It is separated in 3 pieces (each one is
inside the other). The aulos belongs to the same group of instruments –
an ancient wind instrument. Year by year the instruments and their
performers are becoming more and more extinct.

TSAMPUNA & GAINTA (PIBROCH)

Theres are two types of piborches: the tsampouna (found on islands) and the
bagpipe (found in Thrace and Macedonia). They are made of specially treated
goat skin and the clapper is made of a reed, a stick or a bone. The tsampuna
and the bagpipe are different when it comes to the way they’re made and the
sound they produce.
Tsampuna. The special element of the tsampuna is that it’s difficult to be played.
The player holds it below his left armpit. It makes a sharp sound. It is appropriate
for open spaces such as feasts&weddings. It has a small expansion: one octave.
Every year all the players gather on an island of the Aegean. Folk players from
other places of the Mediterranean participate, too.

Bagpipe. The bagpipe is played mostly in Macedonia and Thrace. When the
player plays the melodies there is always a sound similar to that of the flue.
CLARINO (CLARINET)
The clarinet is the most modern instrument in our music
tradition. Its origin is unknown. A potential ‘ancestor’ of the
clarinet is the ancient Greek aulos. The first clarinet was
constructed in Nuremberg (1700). The clarinet consists of a
tube which has an opening on the one side, while on the
other side which is narrower there is the clapper. It has a lot
of keywords which allow the player to play really quickly. The
clarinet first came in Greece in 1830 and it was integrated to
the Scale in the middle of the 20th century. It was spread in
Asia Minor by the music bands of the Ottoman army and the
gypsies who received it by the Central Europe. The clarinet
took the first place among the melodical instruments thanks
to its abilities in contrast to the zournas and it was
acknowledged as the national instrument andthe par
excellence expressive musical instrument of Greece. The
clarinet is used by the musicians to elaborate old melodies.
The Greek musicians play it in a way that it makes it sound
completely different than what it sounds in the other Eropean
countries.
During the age of the Interwar the clarinet took the first place among the melodical instruments and it was
acknowledged as the national instrument. The clarinet is a simple variation of the clarinet of the orchestra
and it belongs to the wooden wind instruments. Its name comes from the Latin clarus, which means clear.
It consists of: a) the mouthpiece,b) the sound tube which is separated in the upper and the lower tube, c)
the bell and d) a removable link which is used to chane the tune.
The widest range of demotic songs with a clarinet is found in Epirus. The Epirotic music is globally
distinguished for its harmonic and melodical hue; the melodic lines are short, the sound is thinner than
the sound of cheerful songs.

REFERENCES
«Folk Musical Instruments» B. Anogianakis
«World’s Folk Instruments», Μ. KINIGOU - FLAMPOURA, Publication ΑΚΡΙΤΑ
Magazine «Demotic Songs», issue 2, July 2005, text of Evi Kazakos
http://www.instruments-museum.gr/
http://gym-mous-agrin.ait.sch.gr/index.php/2012-11-12-22-33-15/2012-11-15-20-53-11
http://www.musics.gr/
http://musipedia.gr/
http://www.sarantakos.com/language/mousikh.html
http://www.psaradelli.gr/
 The traditional music of Romania

Romania is a European country with a

multicultural music environment which
includes active ethnic music scenes.
Traditional Romanian folk music remains
popular, and some folk musicians have come
to national (and even international) fame.
Folk music is the oldest form of
Romanian musical creation, characterised by
great vitality; it is the defining source of the
cultured musical creation, both religious and
lay. Conservation of Romanian folk music has
been aided by a large and enduring audience,
and by numerous performers who helped
propagate and further develop the folk sound.
One of them, Gheorghe Zamfir, is
famous throughout the world today, and
helped popularize a traditional Romanian folk
instrument, the panpipes.
The religious musical creation, born under the influence of Byzantine music
adjusted to the intonations of the local folk music, saw a period of glory between the 15th
and 17th centuries, when reputed schools of liturgical music developed within Romanian
monasteries. Russian and Western influences brought about the introduction of polyphony
in religious music in the 18th century, a genre developed by a series of Romanian
composers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
In Banat, the violin is the most common folk instrument, now played alongside
imported woodwind instruments; other instruments include the taragot (today often the
saxophone plays the taragot role in bands), which was imported in the 1920s from
Hungary. Efta Botoca is among the most renowned violinists from Banat.
Bucovina is a remote province, and its traditions include some of the most ancient
Romanian instruments, including the ţilincă and the cobza. Pipes (fluieraş or fluier mare)
are also played, usually with accompaniment by a cobza (more recently, the accordion).
Violins and brass instruments have been imported in modern times.
Crişana has an ancient tradition of using violins, often in duos. This format is also
found in Transylvania but is an older tradition. Petrică Paşca has recently helped
popularize the taragot in the region.
Dobrogea's population is especially diverse, and there exist elements of traditional
Tartar, Ukrainian, Turkish and Bulgarian music among those populations. The most
popular dance from Dobrogea is the geamparale, which is very different from the other
traditional dances of Romania. In fact, Dobrujan music is characterized by Balkan and
Turkish rhythms.
 The typical folk ensemble from Maramureş is zongora and violin, often with drums.
Taragot, saxophone and accordion have more recently been introduced.
In Oaş, a violin adapted to be shriller is used, accompanied by the zongora. The
singing in this region is also unique, shrill with archaic melodic elements.
Violin and ţambal are the modern format most common in Moldavian dance music.
Prior to the 20th century, however, the violin was usually accompanied by the cobza.
Brass ensembles are now found in the central part of the county. Among the most
renowned violinists from this region is Ion Drăgoi. There are also many musicians among
the Csango, ethnic Hungarians who live in the Siret Valley. Moldavia is also known for
brass bands similar to those in Serbia.
Transylvania has been historically and culturally more linked to Central European
countries than Southeastern Europe, and its music reflects those influences.
Violin, kontra and double bass, sometimes with a cimbalom, are the most
integral ensemble unit. At the beginning of the 21st century a few bands (such as the
Palatka Gypsy Band) still play these traditional instruments, while most bands use newer
instruments such as the clarinet or accordion. All these instruments are used to play a wide
variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding songs.
Drum, guitar and violin make up the typical band in Maramureş, and virtuoso
fiddlers are also popular in the area.
Wallachia is home to the taraf bands, which are perhaps the best-known expression
of Romanian folk culture. Dances associated with tarafs include brâu, geamparale, sârbă
and hora. The fiddle leads the music, with the cimbalom and double bass accompanying
it. The cobza, once widespread in the region, has been largely replaced by the cimbalom.
Lyrics are often about heroes like the haidouks.
Muntenia has a diverse set of instrumentation. The flute (fluier in Romanian) and
violin are the traditional melodic element, but now clarinets and accordions are more
often used. Accordionists include the renowned performers Vasile Pandelescu and Ilie
Udilă.
Oltenia's folk music and dance is similar to Muntenia. Violins and pipes are used,
as are ţambal and guitar, replacing the cobza as the rhythmic backing for tarafs. The cimpoi
(bagpipe) is also popular in this region.
Doina
The most widespread form of Romanian folk music is the doina, which translates
as "shepherd's lament or longing".
There are other styles of folk music. These include the bocet ("lament"), cântec
batrânesc (traditional epic ballads; literally "song of the elders") and the când ciobanu şi-a
pierdut oile ("when the shepherd has lost the sheep").
Doina is poetic and often melancholic, sometimes compared to the blues for that
reason. Doinas are often played with a slow, free rhythm melody against a fast
accompaniment pattern in fixed tempo, giving an overall feeling of rhythmic tension.
Melodies are sometimes repeated in differing songs, and typically follow a descending
pattern.
Romanian traditional music instruments

Bucium

Buhay

Cimbalom

Cimpoi

Cobza

Davul

Kaval

Kontra

Nai (pan flute)

Ney

Stroh violin

Tárogató

Telenka

Ütőgardon

Zongora
Romanian traditional music instruments

The trembita* (Ukrainian:

Трембіта) is a Dacian, Ukrainian, Polish,
and Slovakian alpine horn made of wood.
Used primarily by mountain
dwellers known as Hutsuls and Gorals in
the Carpathians. It was used as a
signaling device to announce deaths,
funerals, weddings.

The tube is made from a long

straight piece of pine or spruce
The bucium (also called
(preferably one that has been struck by
trâmbiţă or tulnic) is a type of alphorn
lightning). This is split in two in order to
used by mountain dwellers in Romania.
carve out the core. The halves are once
Of Dacian origin, it was used in the
again joined together and then wrapped
principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
in birch bark or osier rings. It is also used
as signaling devices in military conflicts
by shepherds for signaling and
The word is derived from Latin
communication in the forested mountains
bucinum, originally meaning "curved
and for guiding sheep and dogs. The
horn", an instrument used by the
trembita has a timbre that is much
Romans. The word is a cognate with
brighter than those of the Alpenhorn due
English "bugle".
to its narrow bore and very minor flare.

The trembita has no lateral

openings and therefore gives the pure
natural harmonic series of the open pipe.
The upper harmonics are the more readily
obtained by reason of the small diameter
of the bore in relation to the length.
The tube is made from limetree
bark, wood, or even (partially) from metal. In the hands of a skilled composer
It is mostly used by shepherds for or arranger, the natural harmonics can be
signaling and communication in the used to haunting melancholy effect or, by
forested mountains, as well as for guiding contrast, to create a charming pastoral
sheep and dogs. flavor.
Trâmbiţa produces sounds
altogether different from those of the
alphorn.
Under the name trembita it is also
used by the Ukrainian Hutsuls.
 Five to six different sounds can be
The buhay (Ukrainian: бугай) (also obtained from the instrument, depending
known as a bugai, buhai, berebenytsia, on the skill of the player.
bika, buga, bochka). (Buhay is the The buhay plays an important part in New
Ukrainian and Buhai the Romanian word Years and Christmas rituals.
for "ox", which, in its turn, is derived from It is used in works by the Ukrainian folk
the Turkish boğa, and its use as name of instruments orchestra.
the instrument refers to the sound The buhai and local variants is
produced.) common to Ukraine, Romania, Moldova,
Hungary and Lithuania. The cimbalom is
a concert hammered dulcimer: a type of
chordophone composed of a large,
trapezoidal box with metal strings
stretched across its top.
It is a musical instrument
popularized in Hungary and commonly
found throughout the group of Central-
Eastern European nations and cultures
which composed Austria-Hungary (1867–
1918), namely contemporary Belarus,
Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine,
Poland, the Czech Republic and
Slovakia. It is also very popular in Greece.
The buhay is a percussive that was used
in Western Ukraine and is classified as a
friction drum. It consists of a conical barrel
(sometimes a wooden bucket). At one
end a sheep membrane is stretched with
a hole in this skin's center. Through this
hole a tuft of horse hair with a knot at one
end is passed. Usually two performers
are needed to operate the instrument,
one to hold the instrument, the other to
pull the horsehair with moistened fingers.
The cimbalom is (typically)
In recent times versions of the played by striking two beaters against the
buhay have been made which are held in strings. The steel treble strings are
position by the players feet allowing one arranged in groups of 4 and are tuned in
player to play the instrument. These unison. The bass strings which are over-
instruments can be played successfully spun with copper, are arranged in groups
by one player without assistance. of 3 and are also tuned in unison.
 Moreover, the instrument name

In English, the cimbalom spelling

is the most common, followed by the
variants, derived from Austria-Hungary’s
languages, cimbál, cymbalom,
cymbalum, ţambal, tsymbaly and tsimbl
etc. Santur, Santouri, sandouri and a
number of other non Austro-Hungarian
names are sometimes applied to this
instrument in regions beyond Austria-
Hungary which have their own names for
related instruments of the hammer
“cimbalom” also denotes earlier, smaller dulcimer family.
versions of the cimbalom, and folk
cimbaloms, of different tone groupings,
string arrangements, and box types.
Cimpoi, the Romanian bagpipe,
The surname Zimbalist means has a single drone and straight bore
"one who plays the cimbalom". A chanter and is less strident than its
"cymbalum" is not the same instrument as Balkan relatives.
a cimbalom. A "cymbalum" is a part of a The chanter, known as a Bîzoi,
medieval instrument, one of a set of 4-8 often has five to eight finger holes, and is
small bells, made in graded sizes and sometimes curved at the end.
hung together in a frame, aka "tintinabula" There are two types of cimpoi, one
or "campanae" with a single drone with a double drone.
The bag is made of a whole lamb or goat
skin and, depending on the region, is
made either with the fur in or out. It is
sometimes covered with embroidered
cloth.
The bagpipe can be found in most
of Romania apart from the central,
northern and eastern parts of
Transylvania, but at present (the early
21st century) is only played by a few
elderly people. It is on the road to
extinction, and there are only two makers
left who know to make it in the traditional
way. Its repertoire is mainly dance music,
usually played accompanied by a folk
orchestra or played solo to provide music
for the traditional dance ensemble.
 The traditional repertoire of songs
is very limited, consisting of about ten
different melodies, each one paired with a
different rhythm and dance
A well-known player of the
Romanian bagpipe is Ion Lăceanu.

Its strings are widely spaced at

the bridge to facilitate this technique.

The cobza (also cobsa, kobuza, kobuz, The origins of the Romanian
coboz or koboz) is a multi-stringed cobza are thought to be a local adaptation
instrument of the lute family of folk origin of the Persian barbat or Turkish oud,
popular in Romanian, Moldovan and probably brought to the area by itinerant
Hungarian folk music . Romani musicians in the 15th century (a
It is distinct from the Ukrainian Romani musician is called lăutar, literally
kobza, an instrument of a different lute-player). A cobza player specifically is
construction and origin. called a cobzar.
The Romanian cobza is metal-
strung (although nylon-strung models
exist, mostly in Hungary), and has a very
short neck without frets, with a bent-back
pegbox. The back is ribbed. It is usually
double or triple strung, and often has a
characteristic flat end clasp.
The cobza is played with a
plectrum in elaborate and florid melodic
passagework, and has a pick-guard
similar to that of an oud.
The Romanian-Hungarian cobza was
also played by Ukrainian musicians in
various music ensembles in the
Bukovyna region in the mid war periods,
being replaced totally by the mandolin
and 4 stringed domra when this area
became incorporated into the Ukrainian
SSR.
The name of the instrument comes from While typically made of wood (cornel
the Turkic "kopuz". cherry, apricot, plum, boxwood, mountain
ash, etc.), kavals are also made from
Cobza water buffalo horn, Arundo donax
Linnaeus 1753 (Persian reed), metal and
plastic.
A kaval made without joints is
The kaval usually mounted on a wooden holder,
is a chromatic end-blown flute which protects it from warping and helps
traditionally played throughout keep the interior walls oiled. Its sound is
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, warm, melancholic and pleasant.
Macedonia, Albania, southern Serbia
(кавал), Ukraine, Moldova, northern
Greece (καβάλι or τζαμάρα), Romania
(caval), and Armenia (Բլուլ or blul).
The kaval is primarily
associated with mountain shepherds
throughout the Balkans and Anatolia.
Unlike the transverse flute, the
kaval is fully open at both ends, and is
played by blowing on the sharpened edge
of one end. The kaval has 8 playing holes
(7 in front and 1 in the back for the thumb)
and usually four more unfingered
intonation holes near the bottom of the The kaval is primarily
kaval. As a wooden rim-blown flute, kaval associated with mountain shepherds
is similar to the ney of the Arab world. The throughout the Balkans and Anatolia and
name kaval may once have been referred in the book Kaval: Traditional Folk
to various Balkan duct and rim-blown Melodies for Balkan & Anatolian Folk
flutes, accounting for the present day Flute, musician Pat MacSwyney suggest
diversity of the term’s usage. that the kaval spread with the Yoruks from
the Taurus mountains of southern
Anatolia into the southern Balkans of
southeast Europe.
 While in the past it was almost thumbhole are covered with the other
entirely a shepherd's instrument, today it hand. The mouth covers ~¾ of the end.
is widely used in folk songs and dances Change of the breath air pressure also
as part of ensembles or solo. changes the pitch.
The Romanian caval
dobrogean (‘Dobrujan caval’) or caval
bulgăresc is a similar instrument to the
Bulgarian kaval.
The instrument known simply
as caval, however, is instead a large duct
flute. It has five finger-holes arranged in
groups of two and three, counting from
the distal end.

Unlike the transverse flute, the

kaval is fully open at both ends, and is
played by blowing on the sharpened edge
of one end. The kaval has 8 playing holes
(7 in front and 1 in the back for the thumb)
and usually 4 more near the bottom of the
kaval. These holes are not used for
playing the instrument, but determine the
lowest tone's pitch and timbre and are
supposed to improve tone and intonation.
In Bulgaria they are known as
"devil's holes", based on a folk tale in
which the devil tries to out-play a
shepherd in a musical duel. While the
shepherd is sleeping, the devil drilled
holes in the shepherd's kaval but instead
of ruining the kaval, this only served to
enhance the shepherd's kaval playing
thus thwarting the devil. In Macedonia
they are known as "glasnici" (гласници)
meaning "giving voice to/of".
When played, the kaval is held
with both hands at an angle of
approximately 45° from the body, with the
four fingers of the one hand covering the
lower holes; the upper three holes and the Caval
 A kontra is a Romanian,
Hungarian (Hungarian: háromhúros
brácsa), and Slovak and gypsy
instrument common in Transylvania.

The kontra is constructed much

like the classical viola, with two major
differences. First, there are only three
strings instead of four. Second, the bridge
is flattened, allowing a musician to play all
three strings at once.

The kontra is tuned like a viola.

Due to the flattened bridge, a

kontra is not as capable of playing melody
lines as a viola. Rather, the standard
method of play is to play double stops and
three-note chords and let the fiddle play
melody lines.

Ensemble Playing

The kontra has a defined role

within dance band music. Its range lies
between that of the fiddle or Vioara cu
goarnă on the high-end and the double
bass on the low-end. Many Romanian
and Hungarian bands also feature the
cimbalom or citera, clarinet, accordion,
and Ütőgardon or cello.
The nai (archaic: muscal) is a Romanian
diatonic pan flute used since the 17th
century and used in lăutari bands.

The nai has usually at least 20 pipes

made of bamboo or reed. They are
arranged in a curved array, allowing a
greater speed of play. Generally the
longer, lower pipes are on the right. The
pitch of each pipe is adjusted with
beeswax; usually nais are tuned in G for
Romanian folk music, or in C for classical.
Traditional Romanian pan flutes have
tubes with varying diameters which go
from wide to narrow as you go up the
scale, to maintain the volume/length ratio
of the tube and therefore produce the best
consistent tone quality.
A famous nai player is Gheorghe Zamfir
 Polish
traditional
music
instruments

There are many similarities in

folk music to other slovenian countries
like: Chech Republic, Slovacai, Ukraine,
Belarus and Russia
Folk music was produced by
amateur singers and music players
It was created during
weddings, folk festivals and children’s
plays
It is known for not being written
and transfered from generation to
generation in the spoken language
 Characteristic features
of Polish folk music
Changeability and anonymity are
traditional features in our music.
The music is transferred from
generation to generation it become
folk music not one performer’s music
Rich melody line enriched with
various diversities
The melody line is sung by one voice
(different than in other countries)
the exception is with highlanders’
music
In folk music Polish people use Suka biłgorajska - It looks like a little
variety of music instruments violin. It is made from one piece of
wood it cooperates perfectly with
String – fiddle instruments singing.
Gęśliki podhalańskie (złóbcoki)
Mazanki - It looks like a little violin Cytra- It is an instrument with flat
with three strings resonance box. It is usually
decorated with painted folk
motives.

Plunking instruments

Mandolin - The sound is made by Cymbały - The sound is made by

plunking the string. hitting the strings with two sticks
Drumla- One of the oldest Bazuna, ligawa- It is a long pipe
instruments, it is made from metal. made from spruce wood
To make a sound you have to keep it
between your teeth and plunk it
with a moveable tongue

Dudy, kozioł- It is made from goat’s

bag of air and pipes
Wind instruments

Piszczałki - It is made from pieces of

so called grass, straws and wood.
 Burczybasy - It is made from a barrel
Gwizdki ceramiczne without the bottom. On one side
Ceramic whistles there is an animal skin. The sound is
made by pulling horse’s hair and
pouring water on it at the same time.

They can have many shapes like:

birds, horses, riders, rams. The sound
is made by filling the instrument with
water and blowing

Grzechotki, kołatki
They can have many shapes and they
are made from wood. The sound is
made by hitting one’s hand
The traditional music of Bulgaria

Davul
Dayereh
Dvoyanka
Gadulka
Gaida
Goblet drum
Kaba gaida
Qanun (instrument)
Kaval
Tambura (instrument)
Zurna
 Folk instruments of Bulgaria
The tarabuka or dumbek, an
Bulgarian bands use hourglass-shaped finger-drum.
instruments that commonly include: It is very similar to the Turkish and
North African "darbooka" and the
The gaida, a traditional Greek "touberleki" (τουμπερλέκι).
goat-skin bagpipe. There are two The new professional
common types of gaida. The Thracian musicians of traditional Bulgarian
gaida is tuned either in D or in A. The instruments soon reached new
Rhodopi gaida, called the kaba gaida, heights of innovation, expanding the
is larger, has a much deeper sound capacities of the gaida (Kostadin
and is tuned in F. Varimezov and Nikola Atanasov),
gadulka (Mihail Marinov, Atanas
The kaval, an end-blown Vulchev) and kaval (Stoyan
flute that is very close to the Turkish Chobanov, Nikola Ganchev, Stoyan
kaval, as well as the Arabic "Ney." Velichkov).
Other, factory-made
The gadulka, a bowed string instruments had arrived in Bulgaria
instrument perhaps descended from in the 19th century, including the
the rebec, held vertically, with accordion. Bulgarian accordion
melody and sympathetic strings music was defined by Boris Karlov
and later Gypsy musicians including
The tǔpan, a large drum Kosta Kolev and Ibro Lolov. In 1965,
worn over the shoulder by the player the Ministry of Culture founded the
and hit with a beater ("kiyak") on one Koprivshtitsa National Music
side and a thin stick ("osier") on the Festival, which has become an
other important event, held once every
five years, showcasing Bulgarian
The tambura, a long- music, singing and dance.
necked metal-strung fretted lute Instruments used in
used for rhythmic accompaniment as wedding music include violin,
well as melodic solos. It is not accordion, clarinet, saxophone,
dissimilar from the Greek bouzouki. drum set, electric bass, electric
guitar, synthesizer soc
The Duduk is mainly a solo
instrument. It is a pipe usually 25-40
cm long with six holes. The Dudukhas
a pipe mouthpiece. Its melody and
timbre are contrasting in the various
pitches. In the lowest pitchthe tones
are weak. In the middle register the
Duduksounds bright and colourful.

In the high pitch thetones are sharp,

whistling and not so The Kaval is an aerophonic
easelyattainable. The instrument is instrument with an open mouth-
typical for WestBulgaria. piece.It is one of the favorite and
►Material: Cherry tree, Ashtree widespread musical instruments in
Bulgaria and part of the national
culture.The Kaval sounds very soft
and warm and has a rich tone and
timbre abilities.There are Kavals with
different length and basic keys. For
example-the most popular Kaval is
640 mm long and produces the tone
D when all the holes are closed.The
good Kaval players can play in three
pitches-high ,medium and low –using
over-blowing.The lower pitch (kaba)
and also the highest tones are
difficult to produce.
Dvoyanka ►Materials: Plum tree, Cherry tree
►Dvoyanka
►The Dvoyanka is popular mostly in
West Bulgaria.This double whistle
has two pipes sounding
simultaneously. The first pipe has six
holes and produces the melody. The
other one sounds like a drone. Both
pipes of the Dvoyanka have aspecial
mouthpiece in their upper openings.
►Material: Cherry tree
►Keys: D, C, A
 There are two types of
Bulgarian Gaidas: Djura and Kaba.
The Djura Gaida has a smaller size
and sounds high and sharp. The
Kaba Gaidais typical for the
Rhodope Mountain Region and
sounds low and soft. There are
different sizes of Djura and Kaba
Gaida with different keys.
Materials : Plum tree, Cherry tree
►The chanis musical percussion
instrument of the bell’s group and
it’s conical. It is used in Bulgarian
Gaida folklore by mummer’s dancing and
it’s also often used to decorate pets
►Gaida (bagpipe) is a favorite
instrument close to the life and the
spirits of the Bulgarians.

Gudulkata
The main sounding part is
the Gaidunitsa (chanter). It has 8 ►Gudulkata is a musical instrument
holes and produces the melody. The of the group of stringed bow
other part is the Rouchilo instruments. Typical for Bulgarian
(drone).The drone’s sound is folk music . Sound-it using a bow .
constant and accompanies the There are two types rebecks.
melody. The other parts of the Usually there are three , and
Gaida are the Bag and the sometimes four main strings which
Mouthpiece. are played .
Below them are extra resonating strings attached. The smaller version (called
kopanka) is characteristic of Dobrogea and there are only three basic chords .
The great popularity of the rebec is determined by its use as a solo and
ensemble instrument but also to the accompaniment of folk songs.
Tamburata
Tamburata is a musical instrument of the group of string instruments . Typical
for Bulgaria, especially for southeast and Pirin , Macedonia and the Balkan
countries mandolin is popular stringed musical instrument with a pear-shaped
body made of maple or pear.

Okarina
►Okarina is clay brass musical instrument popular oval. The standard length
is 12 15 cm . Ocarina is spread around the world and in our country mainly in
North-West Bulgaria .
Tupan
►Tupan is drum hit musical instrument from the group of membranofonnite
tools. The drum is a cylindrical body of wood with a diameter of 30 to 60 cm
and a height of 25 to 50 cm, the openings of which are stretched hides. The
skins are attached with wooden rings and zigzag through the rope passed
through them are tension or relaxation. Instrument Setup done with tension
ropes. The sound is produced by striking the skins of batons. Batons are two :
one is short curved at one end of a wooden stick called "kiyak" and other thin,
long stick . The Contractor shall hold the drum belt over his shoulder while
playing.
Gusla
►Harp is a musical instrument of the group of string instruments . It is a string
, which is played with a bow . Made entirely of wood and its shape and pear ,
but with a long, thin neck . Stretched animal skin used instead resonating
board. String is a bundle of tightly twisted hair ponytail.
 Music of Greece -

Greek folk music includes a variety of Greek styles. Apart from the
common music found all-around Greece, there are distinct types of folk music,
sometimes related to the history or simply the taste of the specific places.
The Greek islands of Kárpathos, Khálki, Kássos and Crete form an arc
where the Cretan lyra is the dominant instrument. Kostas Mountakis is probably
the most widely-respected master of the lyra, which is often accompanied by the
laouto which resembles a mandolin. Bagpipes are often played on Kárpathos.
Crete has a well known folk dance tradition, which comes from ancient Greece
and includes swift dances like pentozalis and other like sousta, syrtos, trizali,
katsabadianos, chaniotikos, siganos, pidichtos Lasithou, maleviziotikos, tsiniaris,
ierapetrikos and laziotikos.
The Aegean islands of Greece are known for Nisiótika songs; Greek
characteristics vary widely. Although the basis of the sound is characteristically
secular-Byzantine, the relative isolation of the islands allowed the separate
development of island-specific Greek music. Most of the nisiótika songs are
accompanied by lyra, clarinet, guitar and violin.
In the Aegean Cyclades, the violin is more popular than Cretan lyra, and
has produced several respected musicians, including Nikos Oikonomidis,
Leonidas Klados and Stathis Koukoularis. Folk dances in Cyclades include lerikos,
syrtos, syrtos Serifou, syrtos Naxou, syrtos Kythnou, Amorgos dance and ballos.
One of the most famous singers of cycladic music is Domna Samiou.
In Dodacanese there are prominent elements of Cretan music.
Dodecanese folk dances include the trata, ballos, syrtos, kremasti, issos, syrtos
Rodou, mihanikos and kalymnikos, with origin from the island of Kalymnos.
Central Greece
In central Greece many folk songs make references to the klephts and
their role during the Greek war of independence. Folk dances in central Greece
include: antikrystos, syrtaki (Zorba's dance), zeibekiko, hasapiko, kalamatianos,
kamilierikos choros, koulouriotikos, syrtos, tsamiko, choros tis tratas,
chatzichristos and syrtokalamatianos. The musical tradition of the region is also
influenced by the Arvanites.
In Epirus, folk songs are pentatonic and polyphonic, sung by both male
and female singers. Distinctive songs include mirolóyia (mournful tunes), vocals
with skáros accompaniment and tis távlas (drinking songs). The clarinet is the
most prominent folk instrument in Epirus, used to accompany dances, mostly
slow and heavy, like the tsamikos, koftos, menousis, fisouni, podia, sta dio, sta
tria, zagorisios, kentimeni, metsovitikos, iatros.
 Folk dances from the Peloponnese include the kalamatianos, kariatidon,
monodiplos, tsakonikos, syrtos, Ai Georgis, maniatikos and diplos horos. In the
songs there are also references to the klephts. In Mani there is also the tradition
of the "μοιρολόγια" mirolóyia (laments), sung by the old women of Mani.
Ionian Islands
The Ionian Islands were never under Ottoman control and their songs
and kantádhes (Greek: καντάδες) are based a lot on the western European style.
Greek kantádhes are performed by three male singers accompanied by mandolin
or guitar. These romantic songs developed mainly in Kefalonia in the early 19th
century but spread throughout Greece after the liberation of Greece. An
Athenian form of kantádhes arose, accompanied by violin, clarinet and laouto.
However the style is accepted as uniquely Heptanesean. The island of Zakynthos
has a diverse musical history with influences also from Crete. Folk dances include
the tsirigotikos, leukaditikos, ballos, syrtos, Ai Georgis, Kerkyraikos and kato sto
yialo.
The Church music (Byzantine) of the islands is also different from the
rest of Greece, with a lot of western and Catholic influences on the Orthodox
rite. The region is also notable for the birth of the first School of modern Greek
classical music (Heptanesean or Ionian School, Greek:Επτανησιακή Σχολή),
established in 1815.
Folk songs from Thessaly are slow and stately, and include dances like
the kalamatianos, thessalikos, koftos, kalamatiano, tsamikos, kleistos, kangeli,
gaitanaki, pilioritikos, svarniara, sta tria, karagouna and galanogalani.
Dionysiakos, take place especially every year, before Easter, in
Tyrnavos, where occurs the famous Phallus Festival; a pagan fertility festival in
honour of the ancient God Dionysus, with food and drink.
Thrace
` The most known Greek dance and rhythm is hasapikos. It is originated
in the Middle Ages as a battle mime with swords, adopted by the Byzantine
military. In Greek it was called μακελλάριος χορός (makellarios horos). Hasapiko
served as one of the bases for the sirtaki and it is danced all over Greece.
Greek folk instruments

Stringed Instruments (Chordophones)

The LYRA of the Greeks of Pontos (Black Sea region of Asia Minor) is also known as the
Kementse. It is played like a violin (violi) with a primitive style bow, but the musicians hold
the lyra in an upright position. Sometimes they rest the instrument on their knee when they are
sitting, and sometimes it is held out in front of them. They sometimes even dance in front of
the dancers while holding the lyra in that way. The lyra usually has three strings. Since the
instrument was often played alone, the tuning was often done according to the preference of the
musician and his voice's range. Sometimes percussion instruments like a defi or daouli might
be played to accompany the lyra. The musicians usually play two or all three strings at the same
time, utilizing the open string(s) as a sort of drone to the melody. Sometimes they play the
melody on two strings at once, giving a primitive harmony in fourths. They tend to play with
many trills and embellishments, and with the unusual harmonies, the Pontian music has a very
unique sound.
The Cretan lyra is the most popular melody instrument on the island of Crete (Kriti). It is a
bowed instrument similar to the violin (violi), and it usually has three strings which are tuned
in fifths. The lyra players play the lyra in an upright position. They sometimes rest it on the
kneee, or, if they are standing, they will put one foot up on a chair and rest the lyra on the thigh.
They have an unusual way of fingering the strings. Instead of pressing the strings with the finger
tips (like violinists or guitarists do), they press against the sides of the strings with the tops of
their finger nails. Sometimes the lyra players play unaccompanied, and it was not uncommon
for the bow to have small bells attached to lend a rhythmic accompaniment to the melodies as
the lyratzis played his lyra. The most common instrument used to accompany the lyra is the
Cretan laouto, which is typically larger than the mainland laouto and tuned lower. The Cretan
laouto players often play melodies with the lyra rather then just chords and rhythm. Sometimes
two laoutos accompany the lyra, with one playing melody and the other playing rhythm and
chords.
The outi (ud) is a stringed, lute type instrument that is used throughout the Arabic world. It
originated with the Arabs. The Greek outi has mainly been used by the Greeks from Thrace
and Asia Minor, which is now part of Turkey. When the Greek population was forcibly
moved from their homelands in Asia Minor such as Smyrni (Izmir), Konstantinoupoli
(Istanbul), and Kappadokia, musicians brought these instruments into mainland Greece. It is
very popular in the music of Smyrna and the Poli, and is often played along with a violi
(violin), a kanoni, and a hand drum like the toumbeleki.

The baglamas was often favored in the early part of the 20th century as a solo instrument for
men in jail or for a small group of "rebetes" to play for singing and dancing. The baglamas
can be used as a melody instrument and can be easily made from wood or other material for
the back (including tortoise shells, gourds, or carved solid wood). It also has been used as a
chord and rhythm instrument in small "bouzouki" bands. In this role, it is often played with a
simple, driving rhythm giving a high pitched, insistent beat to back up the lead bouzouki. It
thus rounds out the sound of the bouzouki band.

The tzouras is a long necked string instrument which is in the bouzouki family of instruments.
The tzouras is also called a tambouras, and is similar to the ancient and Byzantine forms of the
long necked stringed instruments. The body of the tzouras is smaller than that of a bouzouki. In
the past, the body of the tzouras was carved from a solid piece of wood, often mulberry wood,
and they are still made this way today, although the body of the instrument is often made of
separate staves (called "douyies" in Greek) just as the bouzouki is made. Like the bouzouki and
the baglamas, the tzouras (tambouras) was a favorite instrument of the rebetes in rebetiko music.
For several years it was not as popular, but it has had a renaissance in the past few years. Almost
all bouzouki luthiers now are making tzourades, and it is a very popular instrument today.
Finally, the tzouras and the baglamas make a great pair of instruments for old traditional
rebetika songs.

The bouzouki is the main or lead folk instrument found in the taverna style or rebetiki music
of the seaports and urban areas of Greece. The bouzouki is the descendent of ancient Greek and
eastern instruments. In ancient times the name of this long-necked string instrument was the
"trichordo" or "three stringed instrument." During the Byzantine period, it had many names
including "tambouras," "yiongari," "pantouri," and others. It has three pairs of strings. The make
up of the typical bouzouki musical group has varied and changed over the years and has
included many types of instrument groupings. A very common musical group might be one or
two bouzoukia, a baglamas, and a kithara (guitar). Sometimes a violin, or an accordion, a piano,
or other instruments would be played as well. Similar instruments that are played like the
bouzouki in this style of music are the tzouras (long necked, like the bouzouki, but with a
smaller body), and the baglamas (a very small bouzouki).
The Santouri is a type of hammered dulcimer. It probably evolved from harp-like instruments
such as the lyra of the ancient Greeks. It is a form of the psalterion of Byzantine times, and
some ethnomusicologists attribute the name, santouri, to the word psalterion. It is played with
two "hammer-like" sticks whose ends are wrapped in cotten. These hammers are similar in
function to the small hammers which strike the strings of a piano. The piano probably evolved
from these early hammered dulcimer type instruments. The santouri tuning tends to be
chromatic, and this works will with the Greek modes. Another tuning used is the "tsimbalon"
tuning which was popularized in Hungarian and Romanian hammered dulcimers. The Santouri
is popular with both the mainland "koumbania" which might include klarino, violi, lavouto and
santouri, and the island folk group which might include a violi, lavouto, and santouri. The
percussive sound of the Santouri lends a strong, rhythmic element to the group, but it also plays
the melodies and chordal accompaniments.
The lavouto (laouto, lagouto) is a stringed instrument in the lute family. It is related to the
Arabic ud or the Greek outi, as well as to the European lutes. In Greek folk music, it is the
largest plucked string instrument, followed by the tambouras/bouzouki, the tzouras, and the
baglamas, from largest to smallest. This instrument has 4 courses of strings, or four double
strings. There are three sizes of lavouta (large, medium, small).

The lavouto is used in most regions of Greece, including the mainland and the islands. It can
be used as a melody instrument or as a chord, rhythm instrument to accompany a melody
instrument such as the klarino or violi. Sometimes the lavouto players will strum the rhythm by
striking all of the strings while playing the melody on the higher strings. This gives a melody,
as well as a drone harmony and a dance rhythm. Today, in the folk music of mainland Greece,
most lavouto players play chords and rhythm, while on the island of Crete, the lavouto players
play melodies as they accompany the lead instrument, the lyra.
Wind Instruments (Aerophones)
Floyera, Tzamara, and Gavali

The floyera is the Greek shepherd's flute. It is not a "whistle" type flute where the musician
puts the flute into his mouth and blows like blowing a whistle. Instead, the musican blows
across the open end or rim of the upper part of the floyera. In most areas of mainland Greece
including Roumeli and Peloponnisos, the instrument is called the floyera. It can vary in length,
but commonly the flolyera is about 12 inches long, more or less. In northern Greece they also
have longer floyeres. In Epiros, northwestern Greece, these longer flutes are called tzamara. In
Greek Thrace, northeastern Greece, they are sometimes called gavali (similar to the Bulgarian
kaval). These longer flutes are usually around thirty (30) inches or so in length. The longer
tzamara or gavali flutes have a different fingering and allow for playing half tones more easily
that on the shorter floyera. Shepherds often play these, as they are fairly easily made by the
musician himself. They can be made from bamboo, or from a straight branch from a tree which
has a pithy center that can be poked out easily. Sometimes, the shepherds would make the
floyera from the bone of a large bird's wing (like the eagle's wing bone). These floyeres were
said to have magical properties
Before the klarino arrived in Greece (approximately 1830), the main instruments in the
mainland of Greece were the double reed Karamoudzes and the Daouli drums. Variations of
these instruments could be found in most regions from the north all the way to the south, and
even on some of the islands.

The Karamoudza is similar to the ancient Greek Avlos, which was also a double reed
instrument. Drawings from ancient Greek vases show that musicians usually used some sort of
a "lip guard" which helped them keep their lips from losing air as they played. Today,
karamoudza players use the "kareli" or small wooden disk for the same purpose. Other names
for the Karamoudza include: pipiza, zournadi, and zournas. They range in size from the small,
approximately 5 or 6 inch zournadi to the large approximately 20 inch long zournas common
in Greek Makedonia. In Peloponnisos and Roumeli, the pipizes or karamoudzes are usually
about 12 inches long.

Very old "flutes": Bone avloi (or auloi). Avloi were double-piped reed instruments played in
ancient times.

An ancient statue featuring an avlos player. Avlos players would play to help athletes keep
time while competing in the halma (or "long jump") event in the ancient panhellenic games.
Thiambioli Crete

A Cretan Thiambioli.

The thiambioli is a very primitive clarinet type instrument. It is a single reed wind instrument
played by shepherds, especially in Crete (Kriti). It is made from a piece of cane (like bamboo).
One end is left closed, where the joint would be, and then a slice is made so that a thin "reed"
is formed which can vibrate when that end is blown. (One can see how similar this is to the reed
which is attached to a mouthpiece on a clarinet.) Then some holes are cut or burned into the
instrument as finger holes. The bottom end is open. The thiambioli would seem to be a
forerunner of the bagpipes and the early clarinets like the chalumeau.

Tsabouna Crete

A Cretan Tsabouna.

The tsabouna is the same as the bagpipe tsabouna from the Greek islands (see below), and
similar to the Pontian bagpipe, askavlos. Sometimes the bagpipe type instrument is called
askomantoura. However, sometimes the part that the player plays with his fingers is not attached
to a bag, as is the case with this example. This "chanter" can be placed directly in the mouth
and blown this way. Sometimes there is a bulbous mouthpiece place between the reed part. It
acts as a sort of air reservoir. We can see that the reeds are made the same as the reed of the
thiambioli, but the cylinder with the finger holes is made separately and can be much more
sophisticated than the thiambioli. In fact, the reeds for the mainland gaida (bagpipe) are made
in the same way.
Tsabouna Kythnos

Tsabouna from Kythnos; circa 1976.

The Tsabouna is a type of bagpipe which is very popular on many of the Greek islands. It differs
from the mainland bagpipe (or gaida) in that it does not have a separate, low-toned drone pipe.
Instead, the Tsabouna has double pipes that are fingered at the same time. In other words, the
musician plays two pipes at the same time. On some islands one of the pipes has 5 holes, while
the other one has only two. This gives a simple "moving drone" sound. On this bagpipe from
Kythnos, both pipes have the same number of holes, and the result is a melody which is played
in unison on two pipes at the same time. The interesting thing is that the two pipes are usually
somewhat out of tune with one another, and this gives a very interesting sound. The Tsabouna
on Kythnos is usually played by shepherds and it is accompanied by the small drum, the toumbi.
Sometimes a laouto will play a simple open chord, rhythmic accompaniment to the Tsabouna.
Gaida Kavala

The Greek gaida is similar to other bagpipes found in Balkan countries. The bagpipe has been
used by the Greeks since ancient times. The gaida has a single chanter pipe and one drone pipe.
The reeds are single (like a clarinet reed). Gaides like this one can be found today mostly in
northern Greece, including Greek Macedonia and Thrace. At one time it was found even in
southern Greece. The gaida can be played unaccompanied, but percussion instruments are
played when another musician is available. The favorite accompaniment for the gaida varies.
In Greek Macedonia the daouli or toumbano (large drum) accompanies the gaida. In Greek
Thrace, the defi or daires (small hand drum like a tambourine) accompanies the gaida.
Klarino is what the Greeks call the Greek clarinet, and it is the most popular lead melody
instrument in the mainland regions of Greece. It is an Albert (or simple) system clarinet which
is an older, more primitive version of the clarinet now common in classical and popular music
in most of Europe and America. The Albert system klarino has fewer keys and has a different
tone than the modern clarinet. The Greek "klaritzides" also play the klarino with a different
style and sound than that used by classical musicians in Europe and America.
Drum Instruments (Membranophones)

The Daouli is the two headed drum. The daouli player usually hangs the drum from a belt or
strap over his left shoulder. The right side of the drum has a lower pitched skin, while the left
side has a higher pitched skin. Goatskins are Usually used for the drumheads. In my family's
village of Kandyla, the tradition in the old days was to use wolf skin for the heads of the daouli.
A friend from Epiros told me they used to use wolf skins for the defi (hand drum similar to a
large tuned tambourine), and today they still favor dog skin.The right or lower side is struck
with the "daouloxylo" or daouli stick, and the left or higher pitched side is struck with the
"daouloverga" or daouli switch. The main dance beats are played with the heavier stick on the
right side, while the decorative and "in between" beats are played with the light stick. Other
names for the daouli, depending on the area, include toumpano, tymbano, or toumbi. This is
from the ancient Greek word tympano which exists in English in the word "tympani" for the
drum section in the modern classical orchestra, and the tympanic membrane for the ear drum.
These drums vary in size from the small 12 to 14 inch diameter toumbi, to the 3 to 4 foot
diameter daouli in the north of Greece. The most common size in Peloponnisos and Roumeli
tends to be about 20 to 30 inches in diameter.
The defi (sometimes called daire in other areas) is a fairly large hand drum with metal bangles.
It is similar to a tambourine in construction, however the defi is made with a metal screw system
so that the head can be tightened and tuned. It is popular in many forms all over Greece,
expecially in the mainland klarino music. The defi is particularly popular in Epiros in
northwestern Greece, where they are still handmade today. They have a beautiful low tone, and
the bangles are low pitched as well. A virtuoso defi player can decorate the rhythm of the songs
in many exciting ways.

The toumbi is a very small drum made in a similar way to the daouli. It is mainly used on the
Aegean islands like Kythnos. The toumbi is held usually under the left arm, and the head of the
drum is struck with two drum sticks. It is often used to accompany the island tsabouna
(bagpipe).
Web resources
http://atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/middle_east.htm

http://www.khafif.com/rhy/saz/

http://www.turkishculture.org/music/musical-instruments/turkish-musical-
instruments-287.htm?type=1
Italy and…

The music of Sardinia

Sardinia is probably the most culturally distinct of all the regions in Italy and,
musically, is best known for the tenore polyphonic chant, sacred songs called gosos, the
launeddas, an ancient instrument that consists of a set of three single-reed pipes, all three
mouth-blown simultaneously using circular breathing, with two chanters and one drone and
the cantu a chiterra, a monodic song that is accompanied by guitar, widespread mainly in
the center and north of the island.

Launeddas. Different types of Launeddas

The launeddas is an ancient instrument, dating back to at least the 8th century
BC. It is played using circular breathing. Launeddas are used to play a complex style of
music that has achieved some international attention, and they are still played during
religious ceremonies and dances (su ballu). Some of the most famous player were Efisio
Melis, Antonio Lara, Dionigi Burranca and Luigi Lai.
Many of the launeddas musicians are from the south of the island from villages
like Villaputzu, San Vito and Muravera in the subregion named Sarrabus, or from Samatzai
and even from Cabras near Oristano and Ovodda near Nuoro.
 Distinctively, they are played using extensive variations on a few melodic
phrases and, because of the technique of circular breathing, a single song can last over
an hour.
Cantu a chiterra
Traditional singing accompanied by guitar cantu a chiterra is also found in
Sardinia, represented by performers like Luiginu Cossu, Maria Carta, and nowadays
Francesco Demuro; this genre is especially well known in the northwest region of Logudoro
near the city of Sassari and in the northeast region of Gallura.
Cantu a tenore (Polyphonic singing)
Rural polyphonic chanting known as cantu a tenore is sung with four vocal parts.
They are bassu (bass), mesa boghe (middle), contra (counter) and boghe (leader and
soloist). The most popular group is Tenores di Bitti; another one is Tenores de Oniferi. In
November 2005, the A Tenore vocal style of the Sardinian pastoral culture was proclaimed
a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Other traditional singing, dance and music
Sacred gozos (in the Sardinian language gosos), or sacred songs, can be heard
during religious celebrations, sung by choruses like Su Cuncordu 'e su Rosariu.
Traditional dances include ballu tundu, passu torrau, durdurinu, dillu, logudoresa,
arroxiada, passu e trese, and campidanesa
Aside from the launeddas, traditional instruments include the benas, the organittu,
the chiterra, and the tamburrinos.

Hymns and Anthems

Su patriottu sardu a sos feudatarios (also known as Procurad'e moderare,

barones, sa tirannia) is the revolutionary anthem written in Sardinian by Francesco Ignazio
Mannu during the revolt occurred in 1794 all over the island against the feudalism, which
culminated in the expulsion of the Piedmontese tyrants: the hymn had been traslated in
English by John Warre Tyndale in 1849, in French by A. Boullier in 1864 and in German
by B. Schütze in 1979.
S'hymnu sardu nationale was the anthem of the Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia
(later to become the Kingdom of Italy); it was written in Sardinian language by Vittorio
Angius in 1842. It was replaced by the Marcia Reale (Royal March of Ordinance) in 1861.

Dimonios (Demons) is the official hymn of the Sassari Mechanized Brigade, written in
Logudorese Sardinian.
Sardinian traditional instruments

The harmonica is a wind instrument, particularly used for genres such as blues, folk music
and rock music. The instrument consists basically of three elements: a central body
(comb), two door reed plates and outer shells (covers).

Baghèt
The baghèt is a bagpipe of medieval origins from Bergamo and Brescia, in the north of
Italy. Its existence is attested from the mid-fourteenth century.
The bagpipe is made of a bag of small size in goat or sheep skin, first shaved and then
bent with the left side of the hair from the inside and a smaller drone that sounds the fixed
note , a greater drone, a third drone and an insufflator or mouthpiece (bochi), which serves
to charge the sack with the breath, a diskette door skin nailed on the bottom that serves
as a non-return valve.
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is played with the fingertips, fingernails or
with a plettro.Il sound is generated by the vibration of the strings, which are stretched over
the soundboard which, in turn, rests on the chest harmonic which amplifies the sound. The
guitar has not originated from the lute, contrary to what some mistakenly assume, but from
the baroque guitar.

The accordion is a musical instrument with bellows aerofono free reed; was for many years
an instrument related to the folk tradition of folk dance.
“Launeddas”

Launeddas'm a woodwind musical instrument policalamo reed swing, a native of

Sardinia. It is an instrument with ancient roots that can produce polyphony is played
with the technique of circular breathing and is built using different types of reeds.

The Calabrian Lira is a traditional musical instrument characteristic of areas of Calabria.

Due to its characteristics organological the instrument is fully part of a group defined as
"Byzantine lira", a family of chordophones arc, with recurring characteristics and very
similar to each other, spread throughout the area of the former Byzantine Empire. He plays
alone or accompanied by a tambourine, or frischiotti or terzinu. It is also used for the
tarantella calabrese.
The mandolin is a musical instrument. It belongs to the genre of chordophones and still is
widely used in Italy as in the rest of the mandolin mondo.Oltre "classic" (or Naples),
characterized by four double strings tuned in unison, there are other types named in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries by place of origin of their prototypes, for example,
Cremona, Milan, Tuscany.

Müsa

The muse is a musical instrument of the family of Italian bagpipes, double-reed drone with
a single-reed.
It was used until the thirties of the last century, before being replaced by the accordion as
an instrument of accompaniment of the pipe. The Muse is composed of a barrel with digital
holes (or chanter reed of song), a cane drone which emits a unique sound and of an
insufflator. All three are included in a skin bag which constitutes the air tank.fflatore.
The castanets (often confused with the "castanets") are the percussion instruments of
indefinite type idiophone with intonation.
They consist of two pieces of wood in the shape of a shell, which are joined by a lanyard.
After having been attached to the thumb, are made to beat the one against the other by a
movement of opening and closing of the hand.

Ocarina

The ocarina is a wind instrument Italian globular elongated generally built in terracotta;
aerophones of the genre, also known generically as arghilofoni (when constructed in clay),
are very ancient and common tools (with different features) at a number of ancient
civilizations.
Piva

The bagpipe or Italian bagpipe in use in Emilian Apennines of Parma and Piacenza . The
use of this tool was abandoned in the period immediately following the Second World War.
It was a solo instrument mainly used for dance. From the eighties of the last century began
a recovery of it by many musical from Emilia-Romagna. The bagpipe is composed of a rod
with digital holes (chanter), by two rods drone (major and minor) and an insufflator. All
three are included in a skin bag which constitutes the air tank. The bag is made of
leather, traditionally goat, which is sewn in the back.

“Scacciapensieri”

The marranzano also called harp (Marranzanu in Sicilian or Calabrian malarruni in Sa

trunfa in Sardinian), is a musical instrument idiophone constructed from a metal frame
folded on itself in the shape of a horseshoe so as to create a space in the middle of the
which lies a thin blade of metal that one side is fixed to the structure of the instrument
and the other side is free.
Tambur

The Basque tambourine, also called simply tambourine is a musical instrument percussion
sound indefinitely, belonging to the category of membranophones; spread throughout the
southern Mediterranean, especially in Italy is in the central-meridionali.Lo instrument
consists of a ring of wood on which is stretched a membrane of skin. In case there are
cracks that are applied to the cimbalini (rattles), which enriches every percussion sound
with their jingle.

“Triccheballacche”

The triccheballacche (also called "Tric-ballac" or Triaccabalacca "or" Trick Ballack ") is a
traditional musical instrument of southern Italy, known in the Naples area, formed by three
hammers wood framed between them
The violin is a musical instrument of the string family, with four strings tuned in fifths. This
is the smallest instrument and the higher tessitura between the members of his family.

The bagpipe (whose name probably derives from the greek symphonia) is an ancient
musical instrument still in use today in central, south and in Sicily.
 Contributors to the Dictionary of Traditional Music Instruments
Carmen Dulgheriu Alice Paderi Roksana Karolewicz

Vedat Akdeniz Yusuf Gür ευθύμιος Νικολακόπουλος

Теди Костадинова Sanziana Chiorescu Vasilka Vonidova

Vasilka Vonidova Nechifor Albert Valentina Bozovaiska

Olga Kamil Łobodziec Łobo Abrahamfi Elena

Gian Carlo Tegas Ilaria Dettori Veni Aleksandrova

Immacolata Oliva Bianca Andreea Κωνσταντινος Μ.

Evi Papachristou Lavinia Ghinet Afrodita Giocas

Ana Maria Aniculaesei Βασιλική Κώη Gianna Stergiou

Norbert Sala, Joanna Zięba ΓΕΛ Θερμου Sadik Gültekin

Asandului Roxana Andreea Pricopi Madzia Hoc

Ana-Maria Badilita Ionela Iacob Eleni Yfanti

Matei Moruz Andra Cardaș Joanna Zięba

Teodora Ursulica Nikoleta Nikoleta Bianca Alexa

Ioana Pintilie Надя Коюмджийска AnaMaria Aniculaesei

Ioana Prajinaru Şeyma Demir Miruna Vatavu

Tarık Karslı Irina Apopei Dana Iacob

Anna Julita Hekkert Dana Iacob Monika Kołodziej

Laura Lovin, Bianca Giocas Galka Dimitrova Gabriela Mangir

Izabela Górska Bartek Kołodziej Sabina Cosovanu

Krystian Piaseczny Andrei Tăuteanu Diana Claudia Ciubotaru

Klaudia Kuzyk Andrei Berescu Haydar Coşkun

Zmixalis Immacolata Oliva Надя Коюмджийска

Oliwia Abraś Mihaela Prajinariu Στεφανος Παπαθανασης

Caterina Soptica Г-ца Димитрова Alice Sfaiter

Raffaele Chiai Dana Cardas Robert Kuzyk

Martina Dettori Vedat Akdeniz Silvia Puccioni

Μαρία Τριανταφύλλου Renata Jasińska Hamza Oğur

Μαρία Ρισβά Barış Çetin Feride Tuğçe Bilgen

 Fabiano Olveira Lena Angelopoulou Daniele Usai

Adrianna Łanda Bilge Can Vasilka Tasseva

Marta Miśkiewicz Paulina Bednarczyk Kamil Korsak

Gabriele Ligas Nastazia Tsagianni Selen Yılmaz

Lidia Olveira Иванка Лазарова Rakele Todde

Φροσω Γρ Rozy Koyumdzhiyska Silvia Puccioni

Oliwia Pachciarek Γιάννης Υφαντής Hülya Karatopcu

Antonia R. Gancheva Carla Comida Iolanda Ghironi

Nezihe Tekin Giorgia Carmassi Denise Murgia

Sara Meloni Jakub Włodarczyk Hüsnüye Köse Arslan

Raicho Kalaidjiiski Stefan Mazurski Merve Yaldız

Λυκειο Θερμου Eryk Dobrzanski Стефани Калайджийска

Milena Cvetkova Burcu Beslenti Lina Konstandopoulou

Edoardo Matta Sylwia Ziemba Μαρία Ρισβά

Daniel Paś Valentina Sistu Ahmet Savar

Ani Miladinova Özlem Uygun Николета Василева

Steve Todev Zehra Yeloğlu Michał Piotr Rotkis

Görkem Caner Alessandro Murgia Cemre Küçükbakar

Roza Can Jakub Mól Надя Коюмджийска

Elena Vretenarska Dimitra Kilafi Ülkünur Metin

Μαρία Ρισβά Stanislav Grozdanov Natasha Kapsali

Kemal Yaşar Ozan Tekin ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΚΟΛΟΒΟΣ

Pierluigi Pinna Marika Comida Krum Krumow

Paulina Jasińska Gabriela Moga

Atakan Çiftçi Ola Korzyniewska