Ģīga

Musical string instrument
Postage stamp showing Latvian traditional instruments, amongst those the ģīga (2nd instrument from top)

The ģīga or divstīdzis is a two-stringed bowed zither found in Latvia.

The instrument is descended from the psalmodicon (Latvian: vienstīdzis or manihorka), a bowed monochord developed in Sweden in 1829 for liturgical singing. From there it filtered down to the Latvian peasantry who sometimes added a second string for harmony.[1]

See also

  • Giga, a type of bowed lyre
  • Fiðla, a bowed zither native to Iceland

Sources

  • Folklora.lv

References

  1. ^ Folklora.lv
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Latvian musical instruments
Percussion
  • Eglīte
  • Trīdeksnis
  • Vargāns
  • Velna bungas
  • Robdēlis
String
  • Dūda
  • Ģīga
  • Kokles (zither kokles, concert kokles)
  • Pūšļa vijole
  • Spēles
Wind
  • Dūdas
  • Ganurags
  • Rags
  • Stabule
  • Svilpaunieks
  • Taure
  • Tāšu taure
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  • MusicBrainz instrument


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