Bulgarian folk instruments Български Народни И нструменти

Гъдулка - Recec This is the forerunner of the violin, with middle eastern origins, which is similar to the Greek and Yugoslav Lira. The instrument is held vertically and rested on the knee or in a harness which goes round the neck. It has a pear shaped body with both bowed and resonating strings.

There is no fingerboard, with the musician`s nails stopping the string. It can be used for accompanying singers and other instruments, or as the lead melody line. The rebec is a key instrument in traditional music throughout most of Bulgaria except Pirin Macedonia.

Тамбура - Long-necked lute Long-necked lutes were brought to the Balkans during the 14 th and 15 th centuries by the Turks. They are related to the long- necked lute of Macedonia and the Bouzouki of Greece. The long- necked lute dominates in Pirin Macedonia and is found in traditional groups in Sop and Thrace. It can be used both as a rhythm instrument and to play the melody line.

Тамбура - Long-necked lute

Гайда - Bagpipe The bagpipe`s origins are a mystery, but it has been known since Roman times and is distributed throughout Western and Eastern Europe. Half tones are possible only by partial stopping of the instrument.

It is therefore less flexible than the kaval, but has greater power. Most of Bulgaria has the small bagpipe. In the Rhodope mountains the Kaba Gaida, the lasgest of all bagpipes, is played, giving a very distinctive deep sound. Гайда - Bagpipe

Кавал - Pipe This is a typical wooden 6-hole pipe similar to the Romania Fluier and Serbian Frula. Pipe music is most typical of the North Western areas which border Romania and Serbia, and these countries strongly influence the music.

Тъпан - Drums The drum is the large drum found from Macedonia through to Turkey. It is played with a heavy stick on the top side and light cane pivoting on the edge of the bottom side. The Tarabulka is a small-waisted drum played with the hands, which originates from the middle east and is heard in groups in Pirin Macedonia.

Drums - Тъпан

Made from Polya Hristova