The txulubita (with holes) is an instrument of the flute group, and thus aerophone family.

Description of the instrument

It is a branch stick. At one end, next to the knot, the mouth piece is made. Taking out the stick, the bark acts as a flute tube. At the lower end, we introduce the stick that we had previously extracted. A hole is made in the tube to change the pitch.

Way of playing

By introducing the upper end of the txulubita in the mouth and blowing, it emits sounds similar to the trill of birds. By opening and closing the hole, you get two-note melodic phrases (to get more notes, you have to make more holes).

History

In many countries, sound toys of this type were made for children in spring, the time of the rise of the sap. Ash is used in some places and chestnut in others. These instruments usually don't work for long. Therefore, it is usually best to make them when they are going to be used. As we've said before, spring used to be the time to make and play them.

WORKSHOP

(Beltran, 1996, 61-63)

To make a txulubita, a branch stick is cut. Next to the node of the branch, it is cut cleanly what will be the end of the mouth piece.

Then, in the center, all the way around the bark, make two parallel cuts one next to the other, removing the ring of bark that remained in the middle. Thus, the bark of the wand is divided in two.

Next, we begin to shape the end that will be the mouth piece. First, the front hole is opened at the end, making the cut and removing that piece of bark, and then the rear recess throughout the stick that will serve to place the lips.

Now you have to remove the entire bark tube from the top of the rod. To make the sap move and the bark to loosen, the stick is placed on the thigh, the razor is grasped by the cut, and the handle is tapped while turning the stick. Many times, when doing this, a song or cantilena was recited, marking the rhythm with the taps that were given against the stick. We collected the following in Iribas (Navarra):

Txulubite malabite

Frantzin sartu, Españin atera.

Txulubite malabite

Frantzin sartu, Españin atera.

Izeeerdi, izeeerdi, izeeerdi, izeeerdi.

Txulubite malabite

Enter France, exit Spain.

Txulubite malabite

Enter France, exit Spain.

Sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat.

Txulubite biribille tronpeta,

Frantzin sartu, Españin atera.

Txulubite biribille tronpeta,

Frantzin sartu, Españin atera.

Izeeerdi, izeeerdi, izeeerdi, izeeerdi.

Txulubite round trunk,

Enter France, exit Spain.

Txulubite round trunk,

Enter France, exit Spain.

Sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat.

When saying the last word, ed four times, with the rhythm slowed down and without striking, the stick is rubbed with the handle of the knife, from the center to the end.

Once this is done, grabbing the stick with both hands and turning the two parts in the opposite direction and pulling it outwards, the entire skin tube is extracted from the stick.

Next, take the stick and cut the plug from the mouth, making a clean cut and making a recess for the channel that allows air to pass through.

To finish, the block is put in place and the part of the stick without bark is put into the bark tube. the plug of the mouthpiece and the inserted stick, one or more holes are made and the txulubita is ready to be used.

SOURCES

Bibliography

BELTRAN ARGIÑENA, Juan Mari. (1978). Azal doiñuak: Sunpriñu eta Txulubite. Cuadernos de Etnología y Etnografía de Navarra, nº 29. 349-362. Iruñea: Institución Principe de Viana.

(1996). Soinutresnak euskal herri musikan. Hernani: Orain.

ETNIKER. (1993). Juegos infantiles en Vasconia. Etniker Euskalerria. Gasteiz: Eusko Jaurlaritza.