Husla

Husla is one of the oldest string instruments played by the Eastern Slavs. It already existed in the Kyivan Rus as evidenced by the author of Slovo o Polku Ihorevim and its image found in frescos at the St. Sophia Cathedral.

The oldest husla looked like a small plank with strings stretched across it. This resonant instrument used by skomorokhs, traditional storytellers and epic poets was carved out of a maple, willow or birch-tree board piece. To play, the husla was placed in the lap with right hand plucking strings while simultaneously using left hand to muffle cords not needed. With the number of strings reaching fourteen, this musical instrument was employed to provide musical backing for vocals and dancing, as well as accompany one’s own singing.

Kobza

Kobza, one of the oldest Ukrainian musical instruments, is similar to lute, guitar and other string instrument played by plucking. The instrument’s body made of willow, pear, walnut or other tree wood is oval in form. While playing, kobza is held slightly slantwise with strings pressed on its neck.

From the Cossack age and up to the 19th century, blind vagrant musicians used kobza, as well as the bandura and the lyre, to perform dumy, heroic Ukrainian epic songs. By reflecting the historical realities of the 15th to 17th centuries, that is, the suffering of the Ukrainians enslaved in the Tartar and Turkish captivity and Ukrainian Cossacks’ triumphs the dumy epitomized the idea of national independence throughout the centuries in addition to demonstrating popular interpretation of history.

Bandura

Bandura is a nip type instrument kindred to the ancient husla but with performing properties similar to piano: one may play using all ten fingers of hands and play chords. The instrument is held vertically, pressed to the breast with the strings accessible for playing for both hands. This manner of playing is called Kharkiv style in contrast to Chernihiv style habitual today, in which bandura is turned left with the left hand producing only the lowest pitches while the right hand tickling the shorter strings. The latter style of was not characteristic of kobzars during ancient times; it belongs to a lower date and was originated by the sighted amateur bandura players. This style is also linked to the introducing chromatics to bandura (constructural experiments in this field started as far as the edge of 19th and 20th centuries) thus making impossible playing shorter strings with left hand and transformed bandura from a domestic instrument into an exclusively concert one.

Lyre or Relia

Lyre (or relia) is known in Ukraine since 17th century, is often a companion of kobza/bandura. The lyre in Ukraine was specialized by blind vagrant singers, so-called lyrists, whose brotherhood guilds in contrast to kobzars covered almost the whole territory of ethnic Ukraine. At the same time, tone color of lyre and limited playing techniques stipulated predominantly sorrowful ecclesiastically didactic repertoire of the lyrists.

The present-day experts and musicians of Ukraine and Belarus turned their interest again to this ancient folk instrument with an aim of reviving and improving it, and introducing it to folk ensembles or orchestras.

Surma

Numerous literature sources inform us about the existence of wooden cone shaped trumpet called surma (or Cossack bugle) in the martial music of Ukrainian Cossacks. Unfortunately, a sample of the instrument did not survive, leaving us only the fact that it had been an instrument for military signals.

Trembita

In ancient times, the trembita had been a signal instrument. It was made of a core of special sort of fir tree called smereka which forests cover the entire Carpathian Mountains. A piece of wood chopped in half, after being carved out inside, is glued together and wrapped tightly with birch bark of a birch tree. The instrument is capable of reproducing only natural sounds.

The length of trembita may reach four meters. The complete range of the instrument is two and a half octaves, and the sound could be heard at the distance as far as ten kilometers, hence the use of it to inform mountain dwellers about important events. This instrument, which is traditional for the population of Ukrainian Carpathians, is still in use today.

Sopilka

A Combination of a whistle with a piece of tubular plant makes a musical instrument called whistle flute to which variety belongs sopilka in Ukraine.

Skillful players are able to reproduce the entire chromatic scale and thus to play in all the keys. However, this requires extraordinary mastery.

Tsymbaly

Tsymbaly (or cymbals) have rich musical range of sounds and are employed both for solo performance and in ensemble. In appearance, the instrument looks like husla, but in contrast to husla player, who makes sounds by plucking strings, cymbalist plays by striking strings with special wooden sticks. Besides, strings are grouped 3 to 5, sometimes even 7, in number tuned to the same note. To play, the instrument is placed on a table or one’s knees, or held in front on a strap allowing playing standing or walking during wedding parties and other traditional ceremonies. In professional folk music concerts, the tsymbaly mounted on legs are used. Their musical range is large; they also possess varied expressive means. Virtuoso cymbalists often add plucking strings to stick striking them.