The bağlama is the most common of these, and is often called by the generic name. The term “saz” actually refers to a family of plucked long-necked lutes.

It is also used extensively in klezmer music, where it is known as a tsimbl. In Hungary, Romania and other areas there is a more elaborate version called the cimbalom. In Persia and India they are called santur and santoor. Possibly derived from the ancient lyra or the Byzantine psaltry, different variations of this instrument exist in many places. The strings are struck by special padded mallets held between the fingers. Each course of strings consists of between 3 and 5 strings. The santouri is a stringed instrument in the hammered dulcimer family. The fingering for the smaller instruments is different than for the larger instruments. One of the common versions of this shorter instrument is the Greek flogera.

Other, shorter end-blown flutes are also played. In Southwest Bulgaria, Macedonia and Kosova, this instrument is often played in pairs, with one instrument playing the melody and the other instrument on the drone. It is often made from a single piece of wood, although many modern kavals are made as a three-piece instrument. The kaval is a long end-blown flute that is played throughout the Balkans. The gudulka is held vertically, with the bow held perpendicular in an underhand hold. Only the main melodic strings are touched by the player’s fingers and the strings are never pressed all the way down to touch the neck. The gudulka commonly has three (occasionally four) main strings with up to ten sympathetic resonating strings underneath, although there is a smaller variant of the instrument in the Dobrudža region with no sympathetic strings at all. The gudulka is an integral part of Bulgarian traditional instrumental ensembles, commonly played in the context of dance music. The gudulka (Bulgarian: Гъдулка) is a traditional Bulgarian bowed string instrument. It has the same construction of the more prevalent Thracian-style gajda (often called džura gajda) except it is much larger and has a deeper voice. This type of bagpipe is known as tsambouna, sabouna or askomandoura in the Greek islands, and tulum or tulumi in the Black Sea region.Īn important variant of the instrument, played in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria, is called the kaba gajda. The bagpipe as played in the Balkans has a single chanter and a single drone pipe, along with the mouthpiece, which are all connected to the bag.Ī second type of bagpipe has a double chanter, that is, two chanters side by side, and no drone. Modern drums commonly use synthetic materials, including mylar and fiberglass. Traditional drum heads were animal skin, commonly goat and also fish. Modern metal drums are commonly made of aluminum or copper. Modern drums are also sometimes made of synthetic materials, including fiberglass. Traditionally, goblet drums may be made of clay, metal or wood. Its thin, responsive drum head and resonance help it produce a distinctively crisp sound. The doumbek is a goblet-shaped hand drum used mostly in music originating in countries near the Middle East. Also, you may come across the use of instruments in less popular keys, such as in the key of C, which is used often in older Greek styles, as well as the lower G clarinet favored by many Turkish and Turkish-influenced players. It is worth noting that you can find a greater use of Albert-sytem clarinets as opposed to the Boehm system more favored in the West. The clarinet is used widely in the music of the Balkans. Different regions favor different combinations and numbers of instruments. The most common are trumpets, trubas (rotary-valve flugelhorns), baritone horns, tubas, saxophones, trombones, clarinets, tupans and bass drums, snare drums and accordions. Many different instruments are played in the brass bands of the Balkans. It is used both as a lead instrument, as well as an accompanying instrument. The accordion is used in the folk music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Write to us with any information and corrections, or suggestions for images, music and video clips. Help from our community is needed with this huge undertaking. We will be updating this information to create a dictionary of as many instruments that we can account for that are used in Balkan music. As you browse these pages, be aware that there many different names for any given instrument depending upon language and region. We are offering here basic descriptions and video examples of the instruments that are taught and played at the Balkan Music & Dance Workshops.

Middle eastern stringed instruments