Dudka

Дудка

Audio: Dudka

The dudka is the general name for simple Ukrainian folk flutes, made from willow, ash, or reed. A children's and shepherd's instrument, the predecessor of more advanced sopilkas.

The dudka is the simplest wind instrument of the Ukrainian village. Any teenager could make one in half a day: find a straight willow shoot in spring when “the sap flows,” carefully separate the bark, remove the core, cut a whistle and a few finger holes — and the dudka is ready.

Lullabies, pasturage tunes, and simple folk-song melodies were played on it. In different regions the dudka had different names: zozulka, pyshchalka, siurcha. It gave rise to the entire family of Ukrainian flutes — from the primitive whistle to the concert chromatic sopilka. Ethnomusicologists value the dudka as the “first step” in a Ukrainian village child's musical education.

Cultural Versus

Dudka

Sub-category:: woodwinds

The dudka is the general name for simple Ukrainian folk flutes, made from willow, ash, or reed. A children's and shepherd's instrument, the predecessor of more advanced sopilkas.

57%similarity

Basolia

Sub-category:: strings

The basolia is a Ukrainian folk bowed string instrument of the bass register, similar in form and size to the cello. Held between the knees, it has 3–4 strings and provides the low bass voice in troïsta music.