Slavic Folk Music Crossword – Can You Solve It?

Can you solve this Slavic folk music crossword? Test your knowledge with this fun puzzle!

Slavic Folk Music

What is Slavic folk music?

Slavic folk music is the traditional music of the Slavic peoples, who share a common culture and historical heritage. Slavic folk music has been influential in the development of Western music, and has also been an important source for Romani (Gypsy) music and Armenian duduk music. The first Slavic professional musician known by name is the 10th-century musician known as “Croat”, from Croatia.

Where does Slavic folk music come from?

Slavic folk music is music of the Slavic peoples, composed or performed by ethnic Slavs. It covers a broad range of styles, dates from the medieval period to contemporary times, and makes use of a wide range of instruments.

Slavic folk music has its roots in the music of ancient Slavic tribes. In the 12th century, new influences began to enter via Central and Eastern Europe: sophisticated urban music imported by foreign merchants and colonists as well as folk music brought back by returning crusaders. This new music included elements from both Christian and pagan traditions, and helped to shape the distinctively Slavic musical traditions that would develop in the centuries that followed.

The earliest surviving examples of Slavic folk music date from the 12th century, when such songs were first recorded by foreign travelers. By the 16th century, a rich tradition of instrumental folk music had developed, often featuring lively dances such as the polka and mazurka. In subsequent centuries, Slavic folk music continued to evolve, adopting new influences from outside as well as developing distinctive regional styles.

Today, Slavic folk music is enjoyed both within the Slavic community and beyond, with many people enjoying traditional tunes at concerts and festivals or listening to modern interpretations on CDs and online streaming services. Whether you’re already a fan of this type of music or are just curious to learn more about it, we hope you enjoy exploring the fascinating world of Slavic folk tunes!

What are the characteristics of Slavic folk music?

Slavic folk music is characterized by its use of modes, or melodic scales. The most common of these is the minor scale, which has a sad or somber sound. Slavic folk music also often uses the Dorian and Phrygian modes, which have a more upbeat sound.

In addition to its use of modes, Slavic folk music often features intricate melodies and lengthy musical phrases. This is in contrast to the more simple melodies found in Western folk music. Slavic folk music also often makes use of drones, or sustained notes that serve as a background for the melodic phrases.

Slavic folk music is typically performed on acoustic instruments such as the violin, accordion, and zither. In recent years, however, some Slavic folk bands have begun to experiment with electric instruments and synthesizers.

The Slavic Folk Music Crossword

The clue list

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Across
1. This type of fiddle is found in Romania, Moldova and the Republic of Georgia (5)
4. This 20th-century virtuoso was born in what is now Ukraine (8)
7. Eulogy song for a dead man sung by a woman, found in Bulgaria (6)
9. This instrument, similar to a zither, is used in Ukrainian music (4)
10. This is the name for a specific type of Russian accordion (10)
11. These are Montenegrin love songs (7)
13. These string instruments are used in Croatian music, similar to violins (5)
15. Traditional Slovenian Alpine Shepherd’s flute (4)
17. This wind instrument is often used in Macedonian music and resembles an oboe (6)
18. Traditional songs from Dalmatia which telling stories of lost love (8)
20. These are Polish folk songs which discuss religious topics and mythology (7)
22. This instrument, looking like a lute, is found in Russian and Ukrainian music (5)
24. Instrument from Belarus which has only one string and is bowed (4)

Down
1. East Slavic people who traditionally live in present-day Belarus and Ukraine (7)
2. Folklore from this region would typically be sung in Polish, Ukrainian or Ruthenian dialects (10)
3. In Bulgaria, this refers to a solo vocal performance without accompaniment by instruments or other voices (8)
5. What you might see at a Kolo, a type of folk dance originating from Croatia (4,4)
6. You might hear one of these if you attended a Slava, a Serbian Orthodox tradition celebrating the family’s patron saint (5,5) 8 These bagpipes are found throughout the Balkans and are also known as Gajda or Gajde (6) 12 Solo singing with guitar accompaniment originating from Bosnia & Herzegovina(9) 14 Type of wind instrument common to Slovakian folklore ensembles(7) 16 Wooden flute which often has six holes and originated in Bohemia & Moravia(6) 19 Dances which generally involve couples holding hands and often donein lines or circles(5,3) 21 Slovenian dance which derives its name from the way participants hop onone foot while advancing(6)…

The completed crossword

ACROSS
1. A type of Eastern Slovakian folk music 7. A genre of Polish folk music 9. A Moldovan and Romanian folk dance 11. An Estonian folk instrument related to the violin 13. A Hungarian, Romanian and Slavic folk dance

DOWN
2. A verse form common in Slavic folk music 3. A Russian and Ukrainian plucked string instrument 4. A popular Czech and Slovakian Polka 5. The largest drums used in Kletzmer music 6. A Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian dance 8. Yiddish for ‘little’ 10. A dive bomb sound commonly heard in Klezmer music 12. An energetic Ukrainian folk dance

Conclusion

The Slavic Folk Music Crossword was a great way to learn about the different types of Slavic folk music. It was also a great way to test your knowledge of the genre. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about Slavic music.

How did you do?

If you got stumped on any of the clues, don’t worry – there are plenty of resources available to help you learn more about Slavic folk music. Check out some of the links below for more information.

-The music of Poland: an introduction (Polish Music Information Center)
-Songs and dances from Poland (Folk Songs of the world)
-Tunes from Eastern Europe (Musical Traditions)
-10 traditional songs from Slavic countries (NPR Music)

What did you learn?

Completing this crossword should give you a good overview of some of the key aspects of Slavic folk music. If you need any help, feel free to check out the clue list below.

You should now know:
-The difference between Russian and Ukrainian music
-What an accordion is
-A popular Slavic dance
-What type of music is popular in Bulgaria
-How many notes are in a chromatic scale

We hope you had fun completing this crossword – if you did, please share it with your friends!