Folk Culture

Bulgarian Folk Musical Instruments

Caval, gaida and gadulka are the most diffused Bulgarian folk musical instruments. Some of these instruments are used in the whole country, but others only in special regions. For example, the most-used musical instrument in Rhodopes is the mountain gaida, named Rhodopian gaida too; in the region of Pirin–the different kind of tamburas; in southeast Thrace–caval, gaida, gadulka, tapan. Accordion to the way of reproducing the sound, the Bulgarian folk musical instruments are in three groups:
1. Stringed instruments:
a) bowing- gadulka
b) stringing- different kind of tamburas
2. Wind instruments - Caval, gaida, duduk, dvoianka, etc.
3. Pulsating instruments - tapan, tarambuka, etc.
Stringed Instruments

1. Bowing: gadulka (kopanka, ghiola, kasnak) Gadulka is a Slavonic stringed instrument without a fingerboard as it is in the current violin. Strings are not with one and the same length and the same height. The first string is the lowest, the second is longer and higher and the third is the highest. Usually gadulkas have three or four strings. In some there are further, thinner metallic strings conforming to the tones, which are played on the instrument with fingers. The folk gadulka player calls these strings under-sounds that make resonance. Their purpose is to resonate on tones which in the gadulka sound more deafly and not clearly. As in playing on a violin, fingers press the strings against the fingerboard: playing on gadulka without a fingerboard, fingers, instead of playing onto the strings, touch them with nails. The sonority of gadulka in comparison, with the sonority of violin is more quiet and deafer, but more pleasant. Possibilities of tones are from “sol” on the little octave to “re” on the second octave.

2. Stringing instruments: tambura (dranakia, dzunga, bailama) The tambura in comparison with the other musical folk instruments is not so diffused as gadulka. There are tamburas with the different extent very often in the region of Raslog, Gotse Delchev and others. All tambura’s strings are metallic with one and same thickness and are pulled with a plectrum, which often is called with the Turkish name”tesane”. There are tamburas with two, three, six and eight strings and others with twelve. Folk orchestras are used in utilizing the six-stringed tambura, whose strings are of different thickness and are disposed in three groups too. The violin key is written with notes and has a volume from “la” on the little octave to “la” on the second octave.
Wind Instruments

1. Caval - The caval is one of the most diffused musical folk instruments used. It’s used in whole Bulgaria but specially in Thrace and Dobrudja. The technical construction of the caval from all of the kinds is the same. They differ only in the length of the pipe. There are cavals with lengths of 50, 70, 75 and 80 cm. In consequence with it, the cavals are with different kinds of highs (different tunes). The caval’s volume of the tone is concerned with the tune.

2. Gaida - The gaida is an instrument which is used in all European nations. It’s composed from the following parts: gaidunitsa, ruchilo, duhalo, glavini and meh. Gaidunitsa is the most important part of the gaida and is kind of pipe with eight holes for the fingers; seven of them are on the front side, and the eighth hole is on the back side of the pipe. The tone possibilities of the gaida are poorer than those of the caval. The players are used to two main kinds. A low (caba) and high (dzhura)– the low type of gaida is diffused in the mountain regions. In Bulgaria it is popular and is called a Rhodopian (mountain) gaida, which is used for the accompaniment of the fine lyrical Rhodopian gaidars. The most used gaida is with the main tone “sol” (dzhura). It’s with a loud tone possibilities in comparison to the other kind of gaida.

3. Svirka (tsarafa, svorche, a little caval) - The shepherd’s gaida, called tsafara too, is a one-tubed, wooden, cylindrical tube from 25 to 30 cm with six holes for fingers on it. The technical and the tone possibilities of the shepherd’s gaida are limited. The nozzle (naustnik) and the way of blowing are the same as with the way of playing on a caval.

4. Duduk (diudiuk) - The duduk’s nozzle has a bill form. It’s different from the little caval and the tsafara in its construction and way of reproducing the sound. It’s used mostly in west Bulgaria (rarely in other regions) usually in two extents - big and small duduk. It’s made from the ash-tree, cornet tree, sycamore or cherrytree.

5. Dvoyanka - It is a double pipe (gaida), which has a form of a rectangular prism or which is more rarely composed from two parallel cylindrical tubes. It has a length from 30 to 40 cm. All of the two tubes begin with a bill formed nozzle in which the tone is produced with ordinary blowing. When playing on a duduk the two tubes are temporary blown.
Pulsatile Instruments

The pulsate instruments which are used in the folk music are without definitive height of the tone. Most diffused are: tapan, the big drum, tarambuka, daire and others.

1. Tapan - The tapan which is used in Bulgaria has elementary structure. Its body and hoops are wooden, and the tightenig of the skins is made with strings. It has really small diameter (from 50 to 60 cm). The tapan is beaten from the one side with a big wooden kiyak and from the other side - with a thin osier, with which is played the part of the small drum, which the Bulgarians don’t use in the folk music.

2. Tarambuka - tarambuka is made from baked clay. Its form is longish with too apertures. The one is wide but the other is more narrow. On the wide aperture is stretched a leather.
Dances of Nothern Bulgaria

The dances of North Bulgaria bear all stylistic marks of the Bulgarian folk dances. The movements are mainly bouncing; the legs play an important role. The head and the body participate fully in the dance. In some northern dances the hands play a dynamic role and thus in accord with the leg movements form original combinations. A typical stylistic mark of the Northern dances is the particular liveliness and easiness of their performance. This sign distinguishes them from the dances of the Shoppian district, Dobrudja district, Thracian and Macedonian dances. The dances of The North are for the most part of the mixed type, dancers holding each other’s hands while moving them freely and with vigour. There are dances in which hands are put on the waistband, but this is not always the case. Sometimes the hands hang loose.
Dances of the Shoppian Region

This ethnological region covers most of Western Bulgaria, to the North– up to the mountain of Stara Planina, to the East up to the Ihtiman’s Forest, to the South extends towards the Northern slope of the Rila and Osogovska Mountains and finally to the berder with Serbia. By convention the Sofia district (Shoppian) is broken into five smaller districts that have their common features and differences: Sofia and the vicinities, Ihtiman, Samokov, Kustendil, the Graovo region include Pernik, Radomir, Breznik and Tran. Typical of the Shoppian dances are the vigour and rigour of movements and song. Typical movements called “natrissane” and “graovka” in Shoppian dialect are what make Shoppian dances different from others. One popular dance is the “Sitnata.”
Dobrudja

In the end of 7th century many Thracians move to Northeast Bulgaria. They mingled with the native population at Dobrudja. To break away from everyday life they gather at the public square and give their heart and soul to the greatest pleasure of showing mastery in the games. This is the reason why people from Thrace and from Dobrudja are in many ways alike. These ethnic groups once brought together have influenced each other to shape the Dobrudja style of dancing today. Some of the most popular ring dances are “Opas,” “Sborenka,” “Raka,” “Rachenic,” “Povlekana.”
Thracian Region

The main source of living in this region is agriculture. This contributes to the peculiar style and character of the ring dances. In Eastern Thrace the dances are smooth and slow. But here, the clasping of hands and clatter prevail. “Trite pati,” “Chapraz,” “Kasimskata,” “Rachenitsa” are some of the most popular. Many of the ring dances are accompanied by a song. As we move to the West diversity in attire and rhythm increase. Apart from the widespread 2/4, 5/16, 7/16 rhythms “uneven dances” with measures 11/16, 13/16 are also popular. Some of them are “Kopanitsa,” “Sedi Donka,” “Buchemish.” Musical accompaniment consists of the instruments caval, gadulka and gaida.
The Macedonia Ring Dances

The Macedonian folk dances are in the majority performed in a morderate or rather slow tempo. Movements are characterized by dragging, scurrying, springy, light steps, broken by a lot of pauses, sudden transactions and again scurrying, frisky movements, all this performed by the dancer with intense feeling and strength. Women’s dance is more reserved. Their dances wind to form circles, semicircles and lines, or sometimes they dance single. The most common joining of hands is that when dancers hold each other with hands, bent at the elbows, or freely hanging by the side and seldom put around the waist. Men’s dancers are quicker and more vigorous. The accompaniments are mostly with caval, tambura and songs. In men’s dances the most characteristic joining of hands is with hands, bent at the elbows, hands hanging freely, or put around the shoulders or waist. Their dances wind to form circles, semicircles, and lines, or sometimes they dance single.