The slide whistle is a flute which belongs to the aerophone group.

Description of the instrument

It is a branch stick. At one end, next to the knot, the tip of the mouth 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.

Way of playing

The mouth of the txulubita is introduced into the mouth and it is blown, inserting and removing the stick. Thus, melodies with trills and glissandos are produced. Newly manufactured, the instrument has a lot of sap, and the stick glides on with ease. When dried, it is impossible to make it sound.

History

In many areas of the Basque Country, sound toys of this type were made for children in spring, at 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

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.

Then, in the center, along the entire turn of the bark, make two parallel cuts one next to the other, removing the ring of bark that has 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 embouchure. First the front hole is opened at the end, making the cut and removing that piece of bark, and then, with the piece in place, the rear recess is made that will serve to support the lower lip.

Now you have to remove the entire tube of bark from the stick. To make the sweat of the sap move and the bark to loosen, the stick is placed on the thigh, the razor is held upside down and the handle is tapped by 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 rotating the two parts in the opposite direction and pulling it outwards, the entire tube of bark from the mouth part is extracted from the stick.

Next, the stick is taken and the block of the mouth is cut, making a clean cut and making a recess for the channel that allows the passage of air.

To finish, the block is put in place and the part of the peeled stick is put into the bark tube.

SOURCES

Bibliography

BELTRAN ARGIÑENA, Juan Mari. (1978). Azal doiñuak: Sunpriñu eta Txulubite. Cuadernos de Etnología y Etnografía de Navarra, 29 zk. 349-362 orr. Iruñea: Institución Principe de Viana.

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

ETNIKER. (1993). Juegos infantiles en Vasconia. Etniker Euskalerria. Gasteiz: Eusko Jaurlaritza (pág. 687-694).

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. 107).