The Flute

The flute is a musical instrument made of a piece of wood. There are six hole on its upper side and one on its lower side, which is quite enough for producing seven tones in two octaves. The flute is a shepherd’s instrument and once each village had someone who could make flutes and play on them. Wood for the flute had undergo a process of drying for at least five years. The best sound is produced on flutes made of plum, pear, dogwood, black locust, maple and field maple trees. The flute has to have a pleasant tone, to like appealing and to be easy to play on. Besides the common flute, shepherds also played on drone or dual flutes or pipes. The drone flute has two pipes made of one piece of wood, usually of boxwood, or maple, plum or cherry tree. The drone flute has four holes on the right and three on the left pipe. The music is of two voices, usually in thirds. Both flutes and drone flutes are instruments for cheerful tunes, songs or fast dancing circle dances, so they are a common sight at rural gatherings, co-op activities, spin gatherings. Certainly, it does not mean that a sad melody cannot be played on the flute. Slow and soft tunes are usually played by shepherds and travellers.

GEOGRAPHY

The flute players of Serbia gather on several occasions – The First Shepherd’s Flute of Serbia takes place in the village of Јаgnjilо near Мlаdеnоvac, while in  Prislоnica near Čаčak there is the Flute Players Gathering.

HISTORY

With an exception of the percussion instruments, the flute or the pipe is the oldest instrument and in one or the other form it can be found anywhere.

OUTSTANDING FIGURES

Аdаm Мilutinоvić was the first Serbian flute player who made this instrument a popular one in the first days of the radio. Today, a popular pipe player is Bоrа Dugić.