How the sopilka makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the sopilka belongs to the flutes (edge-blown): an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating – flutes, recorders, whistles and panpipes.
More broadly it is one of the aerophones (wind instruments), where sound comes from vibrating air.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
Sopilka (, Ukrainian: Cопiлка) is a name applied to a variety of woodwind instruments of the end-blown flute family used by Ukrainian folk instrumentalists. Sopilka most commonly refers to a fife made of a variety of materials (but traditionally out of elderberry or viburnum wood) that has six to ten finger holes. The term is also used to describe a related set of folk instruments similar to the recorder, incorporating a fipple and having a constricted end.
Sopilkas are used by a variety of Ukrainian folkloric ensembles recreating the traditional music of the various sub-ethnicities in western Ukraine, most notably that of the Hutsuls of the Carpathian Mountains. Often employing several sopilkas in concert, a skilled performer can mimic a variety of nature sounds including bird-calls and insects.
Other flutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a sopilka sound like?
As one of the flutes, its sound comes from the way an air jet is split on a sharp edge, setting the air column vibrating.
What type of instrument is the sopilka?
It is classified as flutes (edge-blown) (Hornbostel–Sachs 421.111-12).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q3491104 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Sopilka – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Shaul – CC BY-SA 4.0