The Tuning of the Lithuanian Skudučiai

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Akustiniai matavimai; Aukštis; Lietuvių skudučiai; Muzikinė skalė; Muzikos skalė; Pano fleita; Skudučiai; Skudučių suderinimas; Suderinimas; Sutartinės; Acoustical measurements; Lithuanian skudučiai; Musical scale; Pan-pipes; Pitch; Pplyphonic songs; Skudučiai; Skudučiai tuning; Tuning.

ENThe Skudučiai, the traditional Lithuanian multi-pipe whistles or panpipes, usually contain from 5 to 8 pipes of different lengths with one end closed; made of umbellate plants, wood or bark. The Skudučiai differ from other pan-pipes: they are unbound and blown by several performers. The instruments were used to play specific polyphonic compositions. The pipes of the Skudučiai were tuned "by eye" (i.e. by selecting pipes of different length) and "by ear" (i. e. by playing the parts of the most popular musical composition of the village) successively from the lowest to the highest pitch or vice versa (Šimonytė-Žarskienė, 2003, p. 53). The publication of the ordinary 12ET transcriptions of Skudučiai scales (35 sets, in total) show a huge variety with no strict system. Nevertheless, intervals similar than major seconds and minor thirds between the neighboring pipes predominate (Žarskienė, 2004). An important characteristic of the pieces performed with the instrument is the simultaneous sounding of neighboring steps of a scale, resulting in a high occurrence of dissonant patterns. The unbroken tradition of the Skudučiai vanished in the middle of 20th century. [...]. [Extract, p. 127]

• Etnologija / Ethnology
• Muzikologija / Musicology