Sopilka

Sopilka
Sopilka Prima
Woodwind instrument
Classification Woodwind
Hornbostel–Sachs classification421.111-12
Playing range
C3–G5
Related instruments

Sopilka (сопілка, Ukrainian: Cопiлка) is a name applied to a variety of woodwind instruments of the flute family used by Ukrainian folk instrumentalists.[1] Sopilka most commonly refers to a fife made of a variety of materials (but traditionally out of elderberry or viburnum wood) and has six to ten finger holes.[2] The term is also used to describe a related set of folk instruments similar to 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 sounds found in nature, including bird-calls and insects.

  1. ^ "Sopilka". Encyclopedia of Ukraine. Vol. 4. 1993. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  2. ^ "Sopilka | Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies". University of Kansas. Retrieved 2024-03-30.