Thrace region in Northern Bulgaria and Dobrudja
Folk Instrument

Wood, hide, metal, reed
ca.  Mid-Late 20th century
Length (end of chanter to end of drone): 40 in, Bag width: 16.75 in (widest point), blowpipe diameter: 0.5 in
Wind Instruments – Woodwind Instruments – Free Reeds – Bagpipes

The gaida is a Bulgarian folk bagpipe.  It is classified as an aerophone with the sound generator being the vibration of an enclosed reed tied to a wooden stock, fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The most common method of supplying air to the bag is through blowing into a blowpipe or blow stick. There are two types of Bulgarian Gaidas: Djura and Kaba. The djura gaida is a smaller size and sounds high and sharp, while the kaba gaida is typical for the Rhodope Mountain Region and sounds low and soft.

This instrument is the smaller djura gaida, found throughout the Thrace region in Northern Bulgaria and Dobrudja (an area between Bulgaria and Romania).  It is pitched in G with parts that include the chanter, drone, blowpipe/blow stick, and bag. The main sounding part is the gaidunitsa (chanter). It has 8 holes and produces the melody. The other part is the rouchilo (drone). The drone’s sound is constant and accompanies the melody.

The gaida is often heard in ensembles with the kaval (end blown flute), gadulka (folk fiddle) and drums. The bag is made out of a whole goat with the chanter tied to the neck hole, the blow pipe and drone, which are tied into the foreleg holes with the back end tied off. It has a single reed chanter tied to a wooden stock. It is known as a dry bag because the leather isn’t tanned, but simply turned inside out with the fur on the inside handling the moisture. It is only seasoned occasionally on the outside with lanolin.