The document summarizes a workshop on Lithuanian folk instruments presented to students by the folk band "Ainiai". The workshop introduced students to traditional Lithuanian instruments, their origins, construction, and how they are played. Students learned about string instruments like the kankles, wind instruments including various types of whistles, reed pipes, and horns, percussion instruments like drums, and idiophonic instruments such as tabalas, lentutes, and skrabalai. The workshop provided an interactive way for students to learn about Lithuanian folk music and cultural heritage.

1. Educational workshop
“Lithuanian folk instruments”
with the folk band “Ainiai”
“Arts for life: developing life skills
through the arts“
2018 - 2020
“Arts for life: developing life skills
through the arts“
2018 - 2020
Silutes r. Katyciu pagrindine mokykla

2. Subject Music
Ethnic culture
Grade 5 - 8
Number of the pupils 53
Teacher
I. Stankeviciute,
D. Pielikiene,
Ž. Vaicekauskiene
Topic Lithuanian folk instruments
Objectives To introduce pupils with the Lithuanian folk instruments and
music.
To develop cultural identity.

3. Methods Presentation, performance
Materials The workshop was run by the folk band “Ainiai” (Koncertinė
įstaiga “Kauno Santaka”)
Short description
The pupils were introduced with the Lithuanian folk
instruments, their origin, ways to play on them and their
sounding. The musicians presented the names of the
instruments and their structure (the size, form and materials
the instruments are made of) as well as demonstrated how
to play with the particular instrument. The pupils learnt who
invented the instruments and usually played on them, and for
what purpose the instruments were used a few hundred
years before. They listened to the folk melodies getting
acquainted with the specific possibilities of the various
instruments to produce different sounds and tunes.
https://youtu.be/b_T330R6qIY

4. Lithuanian folk musical instruments
• The Lithuanian folk musical instruments can
be classified into four groups:
• string,
• wind,
• percussion,
• idiophonic.

5. String instruments
• Kankles is the oldest and most archaic of the
Lithuanian string instruments.

6. String instruments: kanklės
• It was believed that the wood from which
kanklės would be crafted had to be cut from a
mature forest on the day that a loved one
died. As the household mourned, the wood
acquired depth and soul. Playing kankles was
like meditating and protecting the musician
from death, disease and accidents.

7. String instruments: kanklės
• Kanklės can be divided into 3 groups:
• primary kanklės
• simple kanklės
• complex kanklės

8. String instruments: kanklės
• Primary kanklės is made of one piece of wood and is
the most primitive version of this instrument.
• Simple kanklės is also made of one piece of wood but is
larger than the primary ones and has more strings
(from 9 to 12). In addition, this type of instrument is
decorated with various patterns.
• Complex kanklės is glued up of the separate parts (the
ends, sides, soundboard and back).
• The strings of kanklės are made of catgut, iron or steel
wire.
• Kanklės are played using fingers or a special stick.

10. Wind instruments
(aerophones)
• These instruments make up the richest and
most varied group of the Lithuanian folk
instruments. They can be divided into 3
categories:
• Whistles (types of flutes): skudučiai, lamzdelis,
švilpukas (linear flute type), švilpa (transverse
flute type).
• Reeds (reed pipes): birbynė.
• Horns.

12. Wind instruments: whistles
• Whistles are made of the various materials: clay,
bark, wood, bird wings’ bones, etc.
• The skuduciai are made of umbelliferous plants
or wood. Shorter-lived skuduciai are made from
various grass-like reeds. Sturdier forms are made
of ash, black alder, alder, or willow wood. The
wooden rods are cut into pieces of varied
length. The number of whistles varies, but a
typical set has five to eight.
• Skuduciai are played by pressing a whistle to the
lower lip and blowing sharply, as if spitting.

13. Wind instruments: birbynė
Birbynė is a Lithuanian aerophone that can be
either single or double-reeded and may or
may not have a mouthpiece.
Birbynė can be made of such materials as wood,
bark, horn, straw, goose feather, etc.
The earliest and simplest examples were used by
children as playtoys and by shepherds as a tool
to control the herd.

16. Wind instruments: horns
• These instruments are with the mouthpieces, and can
be categorized into:
• the horn trumpets (medziokles ragas, jaucio ragas,
ozragis) ,
• wodden trumpets (zieves trimitas, kerdziaus trimitas,
ragai, and daudytes).
• The horn trumpets were used to play signal melodies
during the hunt. Ožragis, kerdžiaus trimitas
(herdsman’s trumpet), daudytė were used by the
cowherds as a signaling instrument, and appeared
often at weddings, celebrations and other gatherings.

18. Percussion instruments
• The most popular percussion instrument in
Lithuania was the drum. It was used to convey
news, to invite people to gatherings, at
burials, and later to accompany dances.

19. Idiophonic instruments
• Tabalas consisted of one to three boards hung from
trees, granary or bathhouse walls. Rhythmical signals
beat on these devices announced herding times,
emergencies and village gatherings.
• The dzingulis was used by wedding announcer to
summon the guests. This instrument consisted of a one
or two-forked branch decorated with rue sprigs and
ribbons upon which bells were hung. It was struck on
the floor to produce sound.
• The kleketas, terksle, and skrabalai were shepherds'
instruments used to drive animals, scare birds and play
games.

20. Idiophonic instruments: tabalas
• A dry board with holes at its end through
which ropes were strung, tied vertically
between two wooden poles in the
ground. The tone depends on the length of
the board which is determined by the edge of
a thinner board rubbed against the
board. The sound is loud and travels a great
distance. It is an instrument used for
signaling.

22. Idiophonic instruments: lentutes
• A board with a carved handle, with two small
boards tied its sides. A continuous sound is
made when the board is shaken by the
handle. This was a children’s toy.

23. Idiophonic instruments: skrabalai
The skrabalai are trapezoid-shaped wooden troughs
of various size with one or two wooden or metal
hanging small clappers fixed inside them. When
the skrabalai are moved a clapper knocks at the
wall of the trough which gives hollow but distinct
sound.
The skrabalai was used by the shepherds. They used
to tie a wooden bell of this kind on a cow’s neck
thus making it easier to find animals in a forest
when they strayed away from the herd.

24. Idiophonic instruments: skrabalai