Shvi
The shvi (Armenian: Շվի, "whistle", pronounced sh-vee) is a fipple flute with a labium mouth piece. Commonly made of wood (apricot, boxwood, ebony ) or bamboo) and up to 12 inches (300 mm) in length, it typically has a range of an octave and a-half. [2] The tav shvi is made from apricot wood, it is up to 18 inches (460 mm) long, and is tuned 1/4 lower producing a more lyrical and intimate sound.
The shvi is up to 12 inches in length and is made of reed, the bark of willows, or walnut wood. It has 8 holes on the front, 7 of which are used while playing, and one thumbhole. One octave is obtained by blowing normally into the shvi and a second octave is attained by blowing with slightly more force. The lower octave has a timbre similar to a recorder whereas the higher octave sounds similar to a piccolo or flute. 8-hole traditional flute. Typically, most Armenian duduk or zurna players learn the shvi before moving on to either instrument.
See also
Notes
References
- Ararat Petrossian - "Melody of Sunik", Aya Sofia Records, 1995.
- Nor Dar - "Opus of the Lizard", Libra Music, 1997.
- Various Artists - "Kalaschjan - Rural and Urban Traditional Music from Armenia", Weltmusic, 1992.
- Soviet Music and Society Under Lenin and Stalin By Neil Edmunds
External links
