Gudastviri
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The gudastviri ( ka, გუდასტვირი) is a droneless, double-chantered, horn-belled bagpipe played in
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. The term comes from the words ''guda'' (bag) and ''stviri'' (whistling). In some regions, the instrument is called the chiboni, stviri, or tulumi.


Dispersion

This type of bagpipe is found in many regions of Georgia, and is known by different names in various areas. *
Kartli Kartli ( ka, ქართლი ) is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari (Kura), on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial rol ...
,
Pshavi Pshavi ( ka, ფშავი) is a small historic region of northern Georgia (country), Georgia, nowadays part of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti ''mkhare'' ("region"), and lying chiefly among the southern foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains along t ...
and
Racha Racha (also Račha, , ''Račʼa'') is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and ...
(''stviri'') *Eastern
Kakheti Kakheti (; ) is a region of Georgia. Telavi is its administrative center. The region comprises eight administrative districts: Telavi, Gurjaani, Qvareli, Sagarejo, Dedoplistsqaro, Signagi, Lagodekhi and Akhmeta. Kakhetians speak the ...
,
Adjara Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a ...
(''chiboni'') *
Meskheti Meskheti ( ka, მესხეთი ) or Samtskhe ( ka, სამცხე ), also known as Moschia in ancient sources, is a mountainous area in southwestern Georgia. History Ancient tribes known as the Mushki (or Moschi) and Mosiniks (or Mo ...
(''tulumi'') *
Imereti Imereti ( Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 mun ...
(''gudastviri'') These variants differ from one another in timbre, capacity/size of the bag, and number of holes on the two pipes.


Construction

The gudastviri is made up of two main parts: The first being a whole sheep or goat skin, or a sewed, rectangular leather bag (“guda”). The second is a yoked double-chante ("stviri"), terminating in a single horn bell, which makes the gudastviri a member of the
hornpipe The hornpipe is any of several dance forms and their associated tunes, played and danced in Great Britain and Ireland and elsewhere from the 16th century until the present day. The earliest references to hornpipes are from England, with Hugh As ...
class of bagpipes. There is a small wooden blow-pipe (''khreko'') with a check-valve tied into one leg, or corner of the bag. A fixed round wooden stock holding the
chanter The chanter is the part of the bagpipe upon which the player creates the melody. It consists of a number of finger-holes, and in its simpler forms looks similar to a recorder. On more elaborate bagpipes, such as the Northumbrian bagpipes or ...
, is tied into the bag, in the opposite foreleg, or corner. The chanter itself has two wooden pipes (''dedani'') of equal length, bore and wall thickness, which are inserted into the stock. The left chanter tube "leader" has the most finger holes, it is also called “teller” or “beginner”. The right chanter tube "bass" is called ''mebane'' or "deep voice producer". This bass pipe has three front-facing holes and the “beginner”, has six holes (but the Adjaran chiboni's leader pipe has only five holes). The three bottom holes of the left pipe are placed symmetrically across from the three holes of the right pipe.


Tuning

The Adjaran chiboni has a diatonic scale. It can produce two-part chords and two-part tunes. The two parts are produced by the simultaneous sound of both ''dedanis''. The player's left hand plays the highest notes of the scale on the left chanter tube, while the fingers of the player's right hand covers and uncovers the lower notes of the scale, which is made possible by the limited number of finger holes (only 3 or 4 holes) disposed lower down, toward the distal end of the right chanter tube. The compass of a chiboni is major sixth (but the Rachian gudastviri's diapason can be a minor, or a major seventh). The ends of the pipes are fixed inside the resonator/horn. The horn is made of Caucasian goat or bull horn. The gudastviri is decorated with silver bands, mounted with colored glass beads, and numerous small chains. There is a ball of cotton wool inserted into the open end of the horn, to absorb the moisture formed during playing. The bag (''guda'') can have a bag cover of cloth or leather, or have the natural goat hair left on the outside of the bag. The six holes of the left reed pipe emit notes of the first octave: F, E, D, C, B, A, G; the three holes of the right one emit deep-voiced notes: C, B, A, G.


Playing and application

The gudastviri is used for vocal accompaniment. A majority of recitative songs were performed with its accompaniment, in the region of Racha. The gudastviri player's repertoire consists of historical, epic, satirical, comic, and lyrical verses, which are performed as one part songs. These songs are recitatives and it is the text, not the melody, that is the most important part of the performance. Traditionally, only men play this instrument, and Rachian gudastviri players were strolling musicians, who were welcomed as guests, at every family merriment, party, or wedding. It was a kind of profession that served as the main source of the player's income. Gudastviri players often took part in the old Georgian improvisation competition known as
berikaoba Berikaoba ( ka, ბერიკაობა) is an improvised masqueraded folk theatre in Georgia, stemming from the pagan festivity of fertility and rebirth. The name is derived from a Common Kartvelian root ''ber'' (ბერ), meaning "a chil ...
, where they had to invent a witty epic, lyrical or comical poems, "on the spot" and retell these poems, accompanied with Gudastviri music. The competition was often won by the most skillful ''berika'' (participant).


Design and development

In the region of eastern
Javakheti Javakheti ( ka, ჯავახეთი ) or Javakhk (, ''Javakhk'')' is a historical province in southern Georgia, corresponding to the modern municipalities of Akhalkalaki, Aspindza (partly), Ninotsminda, and partly to the Turkey's Ardahan ...
, gudastviri pipes are made of very young branches of a dog-rose. The gudastviri itself is normally constructed by the player to his tastes. Jewellers may also be hired to ornament the instrument. Among the kinds of Georgian gudastviri, the most developed is Adjarian chiboni. As for the gudastviri of Pshavi, it belongs perhaps, to an earlier stage of development, as it has only one hole on the bass chanter, possibly indicating this instrument's early origin.


Resources


The ''Gajdy Weblog''
of Ernesto Fisher

''Khalkhuri Hangebi'', "National Tunes": a history of Georgian folk instruments {{Musical instruments of Georgia (country) Musical instruments of Georgia (country) Bagpipes ka:გუდასტვირი