The sound is then produced by pulling a bow (usually made of horsetail) over the string[s] with the left hand, which generates the dramatic and sharp sound.
A guslar does not only play the instrument, but also reproduces and composes poems (usually in the decasyllable meter) about heroes and historical events. Gusle is always accompanied by singing; the guslar himself or musical folklore sings epic poetry.

Gusle has had a significant role in the history of Serbian epic poetry because of its connection to the patriotic oral legacy. Good amount of the epics are about the era of the Ottoman occupation, and the struggle for the liberation from it. The first known Serbian guslar was Dimitrije Karaman.

You can hear how it sounds in this You Tube video of Miljan Miljanic. 

The post Gusle – Serbian national musical instrument first appeared on Tourist Wedding - Destination wedding story.

Serbians consider themselves a musical nation – this belief is grounded on a centuries old heritage of music that has been formed under the influence of both the East and the West.

As the country was caught between pieces of the Roman Empire, Hungary, Byzantium, near the Ottoman Empire and Venice, Serbia was influenced by a variety of other cultures; which affected the music so that it contains elements that are characteristic of the Balkan area.

“He, who sings, thinks no evil” is an old Serbian saying that will describe Serbian’s attitude towards music in the best possible way.

People used to sing all the time and in various occasions, and songs created in the field or at festivities would spread around followed by the sound of the fifes, trumpets, drums and bagpipes. Some of them survived until this day reminding us of the past times.

• The “gusle”: a single-stringed musical instrument and the “frula”: a musical instrument resembling a flute, are typical folk musical instruments in Serbia.
• There is also “tamburitza”: a kind of guitar, typical for the region of Vojvodina.
• The accordion and the violin, even though extremely popular now, came into use much later.
• The trumpet has gained large popularity, and is celebrated especially at the Guca Brass Festival and on Serbian weddings as well.

Photo by Aleksandar Janjanin wedding photographer / AjproFoto

The post “He, who sings, thinks no evil” first appeared on Tourist Wedding - Destination wedding story.