The txulubita made of can or tin belongs to the aerophone group.

Description of the instrument

It is made with two tin strips.

Way of playing

It is blown as in the fipple flutes.

History

As in most regions, in the 1940s, children still played this type of txulubitas in the Sakana-Barranca valley in Navarra (Beltran, 1996, 78).

WORKSHOP

Take a piece of tin can of peppers or similar, and as indicated in the drawing, cut two pieces with scissors (5x1.5 cm. And 8x1.8 cm.).

These two pieces are folded where indicated.

First, the longest piece, bending it round, forms the air container and shapes the txulubita.

Then, the other piece is placed in the part of the mouth that is still straight, bending it well and making an air channel. The end of the piece that we have twisted in a circle has to be in front of the channel, leaving an open section. Finally, what is left of the long piece is folded down, against the bottom of the mouthpiece.

To play the txulubita you have to hold it in a special way. Both sides of the air container must be closed with two fingers (thumb and index finger); then the instrument is ready to sound. To do this, you have to introduce the part of the canal in the mouth and blow.

If you want to trill (txioka egin), put a cork or ball inside the container. Because of the wind, the ball starts spinning and chirping.

SOURCES

Bibliography

BELTRAN ARGIÑENA, Juan Mari. (1996). Soinutresnak euskal herri musikan. Hernani: Orain.

MUSEO Arqueológico, Etnográfico e Histórico Vasco / Euskal Arkeologia, Etnografia eta Kondaira Museoa (1998): Haur-jolasak eta jostailuak / Juegos y Juguetes del Museo Vasco de Bilbao. Euskal Museoa Bilbao Museo Vasco / Fundación Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa (pág. 106).