The dvodentsivka is an original Ukrainian wind instrument consisting of two parallel playing pipes carved in a single wooden body. The player blows into both at once, and so can sound two voices: on one pipe a melody, on the other a sustained drone tone or a second voice.
The dvodentsivka is widespread in the Carpathians, especially among the Hutsuls, and belongs to the large family of Ukrainian folk flutes together with the sopilka, floyara, telynka, and dudka. Its sound is tender and fresh, with a characteristic “folk” timbre and lively ornamentation. The dvodentsivka is an example of the inventiveness of the Ukrainian folk instrumental tradition, where even a simple flute is capable of the polyphony usually reserved for more complex instruments.
