Instruments

The expression for playing the tamburitza is the popular phrase “striking the tamburitza” or “tambur”, but today the phrase “play the tamburitza” is used more and more. The strings of a tamburitza can be struck with the fingers (thumb), but this is used more as the exception, when playing very fast. More specifically and more commonly, playing is done with the help of a pick (terzijsko pero, terzija), which was originally made from cherry bark, eagle, crow, peacock or goose feather, while in recent times they are produced from celluloid, cow horn or plastic. The pick is held between the thumb and forefinger, sometimes also with the middle finger. There are two ways to play with it: by striking (for shorter notes) or strumming (for longer notes).

Striking is when the string is struck one time from the top down for each note with the finger or pick. This is how all short notes are played (eighths, sixteenths, etc.), as well as those notes which should sound short (staccato).

Strumming (some say titranje or sliding) is when the pick is slid or strummed on the strings as fast as possible, and the strumming becomes like an uninterrupted constant sound. Longer notes are achieved with strumming (fourths, halves and full notes), as well as those notes marked in the written music with the legato sign. The ideal is to strum as quickly, densely and skillfully as possible – and that is the sign of a quality tamburitza musician. His playing is increasingly fuller and denser. The technique involving the right hand is very important in strumming because when strumming, a tamburitza player moves the hand only at the wrist, and never at the elbow.

Bugaria players (contra players) strike all the strings from the top down with a movement from the wrist as well. In this way they get a triple-note or a chord with one stroke over all the strings. Aside from stroking the empty strings, the player has to put pressure on all the strings at once with the left hand in different positions along the pick-up for the rest of the chords. Commonly the durski, molski and durski septachord is used most often. Sometimes it is also necessary to strum all the strings on the bugaria at once, called tremolo.

On the berdetu (bass), all notes are stroked, except if its marked tremolo, in which case the instrument is struck with a pick as intensely as possible, repeating the sound.