Sopilka

Сопілка

Audio: Sopilka

The sopilka is a Ukrainian wooden wind instrument of the recorder family. The most widespread Ukrainian folk instrument — a symbol of the pastoral and lyrical tradition.

The sopilka is the first instrument a Ukrainian village boy would reach for. Easy to make (from willow, viburnum, cherry, elder), it gave voice to shepherd melodies, pastoral songs, and lyrical ballads.

There are several varieties: the simple sopilka (6 finger holes, no semitones), the chromatic sopilka (10 holes, full chromatic scale — designed by Dmytro Deminchuk in 1970), the double sopilka (two bores, playing in two voices), and the whistle sopilka (no finger holes, just whistling). The academic sopilka today is a virtuoso concert instrument: performers play Vivaldi, Bach, Skoryk, as well as jazz and ethno-folk on it.

Cultural Versus

Sopilka

Sub-category:: woodwinds

The sopilka is a Ukrainian wooden wind instrument of the recorder family. The most widespread Ukrainian folk instrument — a symbol of the pastoral and lyrical tradition.

49%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.