Play the dangubica

[stfx]

Does anyone know how to play one of these, I know its a solo instrument, but does anyone have notes for it or tell me how its tuned, and how I would be able to play it.

btw: Its a 4 string and I ve heard peaople call it a "shargia" I think thats how its spelt.

[Mark Forry]

There's a long interesting story with this topic -- here's a beginning:

First, any time you get beyond the major modern tamburica instruments -- prim, brac, celo, bugarija, bas/berde -- the terminology gets pretty ambiguous. "Dangubica" is one of those terms -- it basically means "a little thing to waste your day with". So to identify what you've got, here a few basic questions:
- Is it shaped like a prim or like something else? Does it have a triangular body? Long neck?
- Is it four single strings? Any double strings?
- How are the frets arranged? Are they chromatic frets (evenly spaced, like a prim or guitar), or diatonic (unevenly spaced, like an Appalachian dulcimer), or something else?

If you've got something that looks more or less like a prim, that has four single strings, and that has diatonic frets, it's probably a tamburica samica (i.e., a little tambura that you play by yourself). That's what they call them in Slavonija, Vojvodina and parts of Lika. I've also heard them called dangubica sometimes but not always.

In this format, the strings are tuned unisons separated by a fourth; for example, d-d-g-g (bottom to top). The strings should be far enough apart to let you play chords. So if you put your finger on the second fret of the top string, you get a g chord -- ddgb. If you cover the two top strings at the first fret and the lowest string with your thumb at the second fret, you get a d chord -- f#daa. And so on -- you can get maybe 4-5 chords out of it, enough for simple seoske pjesme i kola.

The really cool thing is when the good players play kolos. They play a two-sixteeths + eighth figure really fast with their right hands, like for slavonsko kolo, but they accent the eighth notes heavy, and that makes it sound like a bugarija. So one guy sounds like he's playing first, second, and rhythm parts all by himself -- it's so cool! You can hear recordings of samica players on the old Croatian village folklore recordings -- like Vesela je Sokadija and some of the Joza Vlahovic recordings -- only thing is, I don't think they've been reissued on CDs, they're just on LPs.

"Sargija" is totally different. It usually means the Bosnian village tambura, really rough hewn, like a huge wooden spoon. To make the body, they usually take a quarter of a tree trunk, so the cross-section is triangular. I've seen them with anywhere from 3-6 strings, and what they play is *really* different from what they play in Slavonija and Vojvodina. It's kind of a boondocks version of the Turkish saz.

I'm gonna be gone for the next few weeks, but when I get back (early November), I'll try to dig up some photos and maybe a fingering chart.

Ziveli -- Mark

[duka]

Just to add to what Mark said, the samica in the Panonian region (Slavonija, Baranja, etc.) is not known as a dangubica. That term is usually meant to describe the samica from Lika. The main difference between the two is size. The eastern is smaller (like a prim) and the western is larger (like a brac). Otherwise they are the same instrument. In some texts you'll see the Slavonian samica called a tamburica.
As far as the sargija goes, not even the greatest ethnomusicologists can pinpoint the exact specs of a sargija. The reason is that they vary greatly from village to village. As Mark correctly stated, the number of strings and tunings that have been seen and heard are endless.
I play both the samica and sargija. My Licka Dangubica is tuned DD AA and the Slavonska samica is tuned EE BB. My sargija has been tuned GG DD A(A) and GG DD G(G). The brackets mean that sometimes there was a 6th string. All strings are played at the same time.

[morovich]

What Mark and Duka have told you is correct, but none of us can be sure without seeing the instrument.

A couple of questions....did someone in your family (Grandparent or elder) tell you that this instrument was called Sargija? The reason I ask is beacause its not out of the question that in some village somewhere, this instrument was called Sargija. Where did you get the instrument? Is it a family heirloom or an ebay find? How old is it? If you email me a picture, I can identify it for you.

I suspect that what you might have is a farkas brac, which is very common in antique tambure in America. They were sold by the gazillion. Dangubice are VERY rare to find on this continent. Usually "folklorasi freaks" like Duka, Mark and I have those kinds of instruments and even in Lika they were rare as they were replaced by tambure in the first quarter of the 1900's. Folklore groups like Lado and Vlahovic used them in choreographies, so a bunch were made in the 1970's and '80s using very old original models.

Except for very few field recordings, most of the recordings of Licke Dangubice are from the performing ensembles and usually they are playing Licki Tanac. The groups from Lika are using tambure which are longer necked and sound a bit different. (Dangubice are VERY twangy!!)

To add a playing element, of the two G strings, one plays melody, and the other harmony and the 2 D's play drone. Sounds like what you have is a Dangubica from Lika. I sometimes tune this instrument down to F/C for some songs.

Cetingrad in Kordun region has a version called kutarevka, other regions just call it tambura. Playing techniques vary from town to town.
JM

[ken kosovec]

Another extremely rare instrument similar to the Samica, Dangubica, and Sargija, is the GIRLica. Even knowledgeable ethno-musicologists such as Mark and Mark are not aware of this instrument. The only known player of this unique instrument is Zvonko Grlica father of Chris (or Charlie) and Joe Grlica. It is a prim shaped instrument with 3 double strings with a very thick neck that is lubricated from lamb grease which must be present on your hands before playing. All of the strings are played at one time to generate a complete orchestra sound-melody, harmony, and chords. Instead of the usual pick made from cow horn, a chicken bone is used from one of the many wild chickens that roam the Grlica's river front estate. This is truely a rare talent and instrument. I had the pleasure of witnessing this phenomonom along with others including John Morovich who was taking very careful notes. Naturally, he uses it to accompany his singing. It was also refreshing to see, instead of a cigarette hanging from his mouth, he had a green onion. I think he himself should be one of the featured "bands" at Tamburland Fest next year.

[morovich]

BRAVO KENNY

[Dennis Kosovec]

Ken - Slow day in real estate??

Mark - Slight correction -- I think you meant the 4th fret on the top string for the G chord (I can be so anal...)

David (ala Horsovec) - Thank you for the compliment - but the "old man" isn't THAT old.

Yeseta's - Had a blast! Your repertoire is endless as is your energy!

[Tominellay]

....Went to the Survivors' Picnic.....quite a few pear-shaped bodies there, all with thick necks, all well lubricated....

[stfx]

well its use to be my grandpas and I asked my grandma about it and she called it a dangubica, my grandparents are from Lika, so when I asked my dad hes from bosna and he called it a sargija so thats where I got sargija from. But any way its originally from Lika and a man by the name Nikola Marnicic is the maker.

its four single strings, long thin neck, uneven fret spacing, and a pear shaped body also.

[Mark Forry]

Cool -- a bunch of dangubica geeks! Hey, maybe we oughta have a Dangubica Extravaganza some year. Hour after hour of dangubica tunes ... alcohol would come in really handy ... :rolleyes:

Dennis -- that's second diatonic fret, it's a third up from open, trust me -- you think that's anal? Bring it on! tongue.gif

[stfx]

I was windering If any of you guys have notes for it, or some songs even, or mabye like a chord chart or something.

[Mark Forry]

STFX -- Yeah, I might have something. I'm gonna be outta town for a few weeks, but I'll look around when I'm back. I went to a folklore seminar on Krk a long time ago; Zeljko Bradic was teaching licka samica. I might have some notes -- vidicemo.

[stfx]

Thanks man

[Clive]

I never had notes for Samica, Sargija or Dangubica, all by ear, but it'd be interesting to see music for them. The only notes i recall ever seeing was on an arangement MSTO did for Samica, looked kinda hard to read