Trembita / Трембіта

Trembita

The trembita is a Ukrainian folk music wind instrument in the shape of a wooden horn made of pine or spruce. The trembita, which symbolizes the region of Ukrainian Carpathian, is known for its deep, haunting, and echoing sound and is often used in Ukrainian folk music played by men. The trembita is 2-4 meters (6-13 feet) long and 60–100 mm (2.3-3.9 inches) in diameter. It has the appearance of a cone-shaped wooden pipe without finger holes. Its signal can be heard at a distance of more than ten kilometers. The pitch of the sound in the trembita depends on the force of the air blowing. The trembita has a natural sound series, and its range reaches three octaves. Only certain sounds are heard in the lower part, and the melody is usually played in the upper part.

Traditionally, trembita was like an ancient phone, it was the only means of communication between Hutsul highlanders and shepherds in the Carpathian Mountains. With the help of the instrument, they could communicate about their location as well as warn about danger. They also used the instrument to announce events, including weddings, deaths, and funerals. The sound of trembita can be heard over long distances (otiumportal).

Crafting trembita is an uneasy and challenging process, it requires mastery and patience and consists of the following steps:

  • Selection of wood.
  • Trimming the trunk.
  • Splitting the spruce along the trunk.
  • Removing the core.
  • Installing a mouthpiece, which is called a squeaker.
  • Wrapping the cone with birch bark.
  • Soaking the finished instrument in the water of a mountain river for better sound. 

What is so special about this musical instrument is that it exclusively uses thunderbolts, referring to a spruce tree struck by lightning. The trunk can only be opened so perfectly by the power of nature, and only a tree affected in this way can produce an ideal sound. Moreover, there's a belief that trembitas crafted from thunderbolts have the ability to repel evil spirits. It is also important that the tree, thunderbolt, must be at least 120 years old, making it difficult to find the necessary tree (starapravda).

Considering its length, the trembita holds the title of one of the longest musical instruments in the world.

 

Man in traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirt playing the trembita outside

Photo licensed through under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Older man in traditional Ukrainian dress playing the trembita outside with hills in the background.

Photo licensed through Adobe Stock

Large stone monument in the Carpathian Mountains depicting two people playing trembitas.

Monument To The Hutsuls With Trembitas in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. Photo licensed through Adobe Stock.

Overview of trembita

Did you know that it is believed that the best trembitas are made of a trunk that was struck by a lightning?

First Hutsul Culture Festival in Kyiv

Hutsuls are ethnographic group of Ukrainian highlanders living in Ukrainian Carpathian, they are believed to be descendants of the most ancient Slavic tribe, Uliches.

Ruslana - Wild Dance

Ruslana’s song "Wild Dances" symbolizes Ukraine’s diverse ethnography and brought Ukraine its first victory as well as international attention at Eurovision in 2004. Trembita motifs are heard at the beginning.

Sources and Suggested Reading:

Helbig et al. Culture and Customs of Ukraine. Greenwood Press, 2009.