TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PRACTICAL INSTRUMENTS
BUCIUM
CAVAL
PERCUSSIVE DANCE INSTRUMENTS 3
BUHAY
DAVUL
MELODIC DANCE INSTRUMENTS
CIMBALOM
CIMPOI
COBZA
CONTRA
NAI
STROH
VIOLIN
TARAGOT
ROMANIAN INSTRUMENTS IN BRITAIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Introduction
I have a huge enthusiasm for Balkan music,
and wanted to learn more about the instruments used in this style. After doing
some research, I found that the country whose instruments I am most interested
in is Romania. So I’m going to write about the instruments of Romania, in order
to understand Balkan music better, and to hopefully allow others to see what a
diverse musical culture Romania has. It is interesting to see that Romania has
many national instruments that are a variation of modern orchestral
instruments; such as the Taragot which is like a clarinet. Also, I find it
interesting that you can find variants of some instruments with practical
purpose in other countries. It is easy
to categorize Romanian instruments into two categories: instruments of a
practical purpose, i.e. for cattle herding, and dance instruments. There are many
types of Romanian folk dance. Some have specific purposes, such as the
Periniţa; a wedding dance. It usually has simple time but can have a fast six
eight time signature which makes it quite a fun jumpy dance. Others are circle
dances such as the Hora and Sârba, others are specific to a region, such as the
Bobocica, Bota and Crihalma, and one is an acrobatic dance called the căluș.
The range of dances hopefully gives some idea of the complexity of traditional
Romanian music, but I am not going to focus on these dances, but the
instruments used in them. This research aims to give those interested in Folk
music from other countries an easily accessible bank of information about
Romanian instruments, and for those who aren’t interested, to give some understanding
of a music that is slowly entering Britain.
Practical Instruments
BUCIUM
The Bucium is a long horn, much like the
Alpine Horn. When people see a long wooden horn, their minds instantly jump to
Didgeridoo or Alpine Horn, but what they don’t realize, is most European
countries have their own variation of this instrument. The difference with the
Bucium is the materials it is made with; Lime tree bark. Another unique feature
of the Bucium is that it curves up at the end. In fact, the name of this instrument
translates as curved horn. It was and is mainly used by shepherds and people
living in the Carpathian and Apuseni mountains, and has been used during battle
before. The instrument has a warm tenor tone, and different pitches can be
played from tightening the embouchure as with any brass instrument.
CAVAL
The Caval is a chromatic Flute-like
instrument. There are different variations of this all over the Balkans, but I
am going to describe the Romanian Caval, or ‘Dobrogean Caval’. The Caval
specific to Romania has 5 finger holes in two groups. There is one group of
three and one group of two. It is played in exactly the same way as a flute,
but instead of having the opening at the side to blow through; it is at the top
of the instrument, and it is hollow all the way through. This means that the
instrument is held vertically to be played, instead of horizontally like a
regular flute. It is made of wood instead of metal like a modern flute. You
could argue that this instrument is a dance instrument, but it is not a common
dance instrument, it was traditionally used by mountain shepherds to play folk
tunes, or perhaps to communicate to others or sheep dogs. It is actually not
appropriate to categorize this instrument.
Percussive dance instruments
BUHAY
The Buhay is a really interesting type of
drum that’s sound is produced from friction.it is made from a barrel or a
bucket with animal skin – most likely goat or sheep – stretched over the top. A
hole is made in the middle of the skin, and horse hair is inserted and firmly
attached to the skin. Sound is made from pulling on the horse hair with damp
fingers, and up two five different noises can be made from this. The closest
way I can describe the sound, is a deep gurgling that resembles ripping fabric.
With this instrument, there are variants all over the Balkans like other
Romanian instruments. In Romania, the Buhay is used in dance bands at special
occasions such as Christmas and weddings. The Buhay reminds me of a similar
drum specific to the Abruzzo region of Italy which I came across when traveling
to a village festival in this region.
DAVUL
The Davul is a large double sided drum
played throughout Eastern Europe and West Asia. Sound is made by hitting the
drum with special mallets. Depending on where you hit the drum, you can get a
vast pitch range. Obviously the middle will give the deepest pitch, and as you
move to the edge it will be higher. The purpose of the Davul in Romanian dance
music is to accent the beats in irregular time signatures and to play many
complex rhythms that aren’t the sort you can tap your foot along to. The body
is made from hard wood; probably walnut or chestnut, and the heads are made
from animal skin. Both heads are attached together by rope for the right
tension. If you are playing the Davul, you put a string from the drum around
your neck, so the drums body is touching your body. A thick stick is used to
play the accented beats and a thin stick plays the non-accented beats.
Melodic dance instruments
CIMBALOM
Out of all the instruments that originate
from the Balkans, the Cimbalom is my favorite. It is used in Romanian folk
music, and has been around for hundreds of years. It became popular in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century and was probably brought
there by the Romani people. The Cimbalom is a type of hammered dulcimer. This
looks something like if you took the top off a grand piano. It has a trapezoid shaped
body with four legs, which are often decorative. Treble notes of the Cimbalom
have 4 strings per note, and the bass notes have three. The Cimbalom is played
by metal rods with padding on the end. The sound is like if you take the front
of a piano and pluck the strings. The Cimbalom is an integral part of a
Romanian, or any Balkan, folk band. It is responsible for the harmony and
sometimes rhythm.
CIMPOI
The Cimpoi is a Romanian bag pipe
instrument. It has one drone usually, but sometimes has two. The chanter is
called a Bizoi and has five to eight finger holes. The bag is made from sheep
or goats skin, and in some regions the fur is still left on so the instrument
looks like a gunny kind of animal! In the past it was played over most of
Romania and was common in Romanian folk dance bands. Now though, it is a rare
instrument even in its native country and most likely won’t be around in 50-100
years. There are only two known makers left of this traditional instrument.
However, there are variations in other Balkan countries, so hopefully some will
survive and the tradition will carry on.
COBZA
The Cobza is a multi-stringed guitar which
bares resemblance to a Mandolin. It’s quite interesting because each peg has
2-3 strings attached to it. There are eight pegs, and the peg board is bent
back. The tuning is usually D-A-D-G. The strings are spaced out and splayed
apart at the bottom. This makes it easier to be played with a plectrum. This is
a common instrument in dance band and is thought to have been brought to
Romania by the Romani in the 15th century. As well as being Similar
to the Mandolin, and instrument most people are familiar with, its closest
relative is the Turkish Oud.
CONTRA
This is a type of Viola but with three
strings instead of the usual four. One of the differences between a Contra and
a regular Viola is that the bridge is flat to allow all strings to be played at
the same time. The tuning is usually G-D-A. Because the bridge is flat, you
can’t play one melody line. You have to either play with the double-stopping
technique or play three note chords. You very often hear this instrument in
folk music in the Balkans. It’s what fills the music with emotion and makes the
music sound full and warm. You quite often hear it on its own too, playing
cadenza like music.
NAI
Most people associate pan pipes with South
America, but Romania has its own type of pan pipe called the Nai. This has been
around in Romania since the 17th century and is still commonly
played by Romanians and ‘Lautari’gypsy bands from Romania. The instrument is
diatonic and tuned to G which is the most common key of Romanian folk songs.
There are twenty pipes made from bamboo or reed, and are arranged in a curve,
unlike the flat South American pan pipes.
STROH VIOLIN
The Stroh Violin, or Romanian Horn Violin,
is a violin that amplifies sound through a metal cone. It sounds muted when
played, but is actually louder that a regular violin. The instrument was
invented in the 20th century and wasn’t originally Romanian, even
though they adopted it for their folk music. A Stroh Violin is made from the
usual four strings and fret board, but instead of the usual curved shaped body,
there is the diaphragm of a gramophone and a thin metal cone. When played,
vibrations from the strings and bridge are passed to the diaphragm and are
converted to sound waves which are then amplified by the metal cone. The Stroh
Violin is common in Romanian dances, especially circle dances such as the Horo.
This instrument is also often found on the streets of Britain. There is a
well-known Stroh Violin player on the streets of Belfast, and I have
experienced Stroh Violin busking on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is
a useful instrument in the context of busking, since it is loud and will
attract attention not just because of this, but because of the unusual
construction. When in Glasgow, I spoke to the Stroh Violin player. I asked him
where he got his instrument and he told me he made it himself.
TARAGOT
The Taragot is an instrument from Romania
that is related to the Clarinet or Soprano Saxophone. It was first recorded in
writing in the 15th century and is closely related to the more
popular Balkan instrument, the Zurna. Originally, the instrument had a double
reed and finger holes instead of keys and had a sharp loud saxophone sound.
Because it was loud, the instrument was first used in war. The more up-to-date
version of the Taragot (1890s) looks like a Clarinet and has a single reed.
Although un-like the Clarinet, has finger holes rather than keys. It has a warm
sound like a Soprano Saxophone crossed with a Horn. Although now it is used in
Romanian folk songs and dances, the modern Taragot was used in World War 1.
People from all over the world have taken interest in this instrument, and
sometimes you can find it in Free Jazz.
Romanian Instruments in britain
Perhaps the most likely
instrument you will find in Britain is the Stroh Violin. This instrument is also often found on the
streets of Britain. There is a well-known Stroh Violin player on the streets of
Belfast known to the public as ‘Violumpet’. This lack of understanding about
the instrument is a shame, but it is really good to see that Romanian culture
is embraced in other countries. I have also experienced Stroh Violin busking on
the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is a useful instrument in the context
of busking, since it is loud and will attract attention not just because of
this, but because of the unusual construction. When in Glasgow, I spoke to the
Stroh Violin player. I asked him where he got his instrument and he told me he
made it himself. There are many Romanian buskers who also come to Britain but
perhaps don’t play any instruments. In Aberdeen, there is a Romanian woman
known as ‘Guitar Wifey’, who plays a small guitar and sings. It is the common
impression that she has no musical talent and just makes a nasty noise.
However, with some education, the public might understand that she does not use
the guitar as a melodic instrument, but as a percussion instrument, and slaps
the strings to make rhythm, but not a melody. Hopefully people will begin to
understand more about different cultures, and welcome them to enrich ours.
Bibliography
