Macedonian Musical Instruments

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Tambura

Tambura is a traditinal musical instrument used in Macedonian folklore music. Tambura is broth in Macedonia from Turkey in XIV and XV century. The oldest written document about Tambura is from year 1551 in the writings of N.Nikolaj attaché of the French consul in Turkey.
In the traditional practice in Macedonia Tambura is known by several names: "litarka" or "ikitelia" (for the 2 stringed Tambura), "cetvorka", "karaduzen" or "chiftelia" (for 4 stringed Tambura), "bozuk" (for 6 stringed Tambura), and "sharkia" (from 3 to 12 stringed Tambura).
They are made in two ways: from a singe piece of hard wood and from a two pieces of wood glued together.
In the first case the corpus ( the body) and the head are handmade from a single piece of wood using simple tools until a shallow , shell like shape of the corpus (body) of the Tambura, 3 mm thick is created.
In the other variant the head and the neck are made from different piecees of wood than the corpus and they are glued together.
The "krtuna" (body) of the Tambura is manufactured in two ways: in a form of a cone and in a form of a light bolt. The first shape is created from a single piece of wood, and the second from a thin pieces of wood glued together. The "krtuna" (the body) is closed by a thin wooden plate made from "smreka"(tipe of wood) in a form of ellipse - called "kapak". The "kapak" is than perforated using hot iron with many holes arranged in a form of ring or triangle - called "glasnici".
The neck of the Tambura is long and thin. Its length may wary between 360 - 500 mm. The height of the Tambura is between 750 - 900 mm. The length of the "corpus" is between 250 - 300 mm. The widest part of the "corpus" is between 120 - 150 mm. The biggest dept of the corpus is between 120 and 150 mm. The head of the Tambura is in a form of parallelepiped. The holders for the strings ("chivii", "chivija") are attached on the head.
Tambura is played in horizontal position, on a left side. The neck is hold with the left hand, the thumb is over the upper edge of the neck, and other fingers are over the lower edge of the neck. Playing of Tambura is called "svirenje na Tambura" or "drnkanje na tamura".
The Tambura is predominantly solo instrument, and in the last decades of the previos century in an ensembles (ansambli). The repertoire of all types of Tambura is support for Macedonian folklore songs in solo or in ensemble. Because of the week sound the Tambura is not often used in Macedonian folklore dances.
The "sharkia" is similar with Arabian stringed instrument called "tunbur" or "tanbur". The Arabs call this instrument "sharki".
Tambura is most often used in east Macedonia where is called "litarka" or "chetvorka".

Dajre

Dajre is membrane-phonic instrument with wooden frame, on witch a thin metal plates are attached. One side of the dajre is closed with goat skin.
Dajre is composed from a wooden frame in a shape of circle, perforated with rectangular holes in which a metal plates are attached.
The creation of Dajre is in two ways: by master's professionals, and primitively by gypsies. The frame of the Dajre is made from a soft wood in a form of circle. The diameter of the frame is between 45 - 50 cm and the thickness between 5 -7 cm. The frame is perforated by rectangular holes in which a pairs of metal plates are attached. The number of holes is between 3 and 4. The bending of the wooden frame is made in two ways: by heating and mechanically. In the first way the soft wood ("buka", "orev") is first kept under water for a period of time, than its bended around hot metal cylinder.
The closing of the frame is made by gluing the two ends.
The membrane of the Dajre is made from a goat skin. The skin is attached on a frame by two ways: by fixing the skin with another wooden frame or by nails.
The sound is produced by hitting the membrane with the left and right hand. The left hand, which in the same time is holding the Dajre is hitting on the edges and the right hand is hitting in the center.
The Dajre is a solo instrument. Most often Dajre is supported by "Gajda", "chalgija" or "tarabuka". Marko Cepenkov mentions the Dajre as a companion of the "Gajda" in the XVII and XIX century.
The Dajre is most often used for keeping the rhythm in the Macedonian folk songs and dances, and often even in some traditional Macedonian rituals, like weeding ceremony or Macedonian folk dances.

Tapan

This membrane-phonic musical instrument in Macedonia is known by the name of Tapan (Tupan, Topan).It is found in two shapes big Tapan ("golem Tapan") and small one or "tapanche".
The Tapan is a wooden cylinder with sides closed by goat skin. The wooden frame is made from soft wood ("orev", "kosten"). Before bending the wood is boiled in water. The two skins that are closing the frame are fixed by wooden frames wrapped with goat skin. The tightening and stretching of the skin is made by "kanap: or "konop" (rope) what is pulling the two wooden frames forming a zigzag shape. The end of the rope ("kanap") is fixed with a metal ring fixed on the edge of the wooden cylinder. Close to this ring two other rings are attached for the belt. The belt is used for holding the Tapan.
Most often the Tapan is made in two dimensions: "golem Tapan" - 500 - 550 mm and "mal Tapan" - 300 - 350 mm.
The tone of the Tapan is produced by hitting the membrane with special wooden sticks: "kukuda" and "pracka".
The "kukuda" is made in a form of pipe from a soft wood ("orev") 440 mm long, and the "pracka" is made from other type of hard wood ("vrba" or "dren").
When played the Tapan is hold by the belt over the left shoulder. The right hand is hitting with the "kukuda", and the left with the "pracka".
The rhythm of the Tapan is complex. Tapan is most often used as a company of other instruments like: zurla, gajda and other. Tapan is played solo in some Macedonian folklore dances and songs. The repertoire of the Tapan is nearly connected with the "Zurla" (another traditional Macedonian instrument). The Tapan is common instrument used in the weeding ceremonies and wedding songs.
The fresco-paintings from XIV century are showing that the Tapan was used in the Balkan before the arriving of the Turks. Judging by that it may be concluded that Tapan was used in Macedonian music and songs before XIV-th century. Is the Tapan original Macedonian instrument is not known at the moment.
The Tapan is used all over Macedonia.

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