Ancient Lithuanian Kanklės / Technique of playing

Technique of playing of Suvalkiečiai

Kanklės of Suvalkiečiai are held on the knees. The strings are hit with the bone. The technique of playing is almost same to the playing of Western Aukštaičiai and Žemaičiai, only used much wider and got more systematic at the beginning of the 20th century. Later on it was the foundation for the professional playing.

Picture: Playing position of the Suvalkiečiai (APV 1994:67)

While playing with the bone, the fourth or fifth finger of the left hand covers the 10th string, and the first, second and third fingers are interchanged. The dances and some songs are played in a mixed order: interchangeable hitting the string with the bone and fingers of the left hand.

Notes:

1.		The dance "Šocas" of Suvalkiečiai (best view). Played by P. Puskunigis in 1937 (Slavinskas 1937:309). Record fragment (KC 1996);