ZAMPOGNA: Italian musical instrument

The zampogna is a general name given to a number of double chantered musical pipes that can be seen as far north as the southern part of the Marche, all through the areas in Abruzzo, Latium, Molise, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, and Sicily. The culture is now linked mostly with Christmas, and the popular Italian carol called ‘Tu scendi dalle stelle’ is gotten from the traditional music of zampogna. Meanwhile, there is ongoing revival of the musical instrument in secular use seen with the rising number of folk music cerebrations and folk music groups.

All the chanters and drones of the musical instrument are attached into a single round stock that the bag is fixed to. Each chanter is differently tuned, according to the tradition that is represents and there are in dozens. The double-reeded version of the musical instrument will have soprano chanter on the right side of the instrument and the bass chanter on the left side of the instrument, having the alto drone, but as many as three drones; the other tuned above and below the major chord can be used.

The single reed version of the musical instrument is made up of surdllina kind of the region of Cosenza and Catanzaro and the ciaramella or ciaramedda of Messina and Catania in Sicily, and in Southern Calabria.

The traditional reeds are produced from stalks of Giant Reed Arundo donax known as canna marina in the Italian language. The double reed version of the musical instrument can also be produced from plastic. The single reed versions of the musical instrument are produced from a single section of the cane.

Traditionally, the bags are produced from the hides of goats that are removed from the killed animal in one piece, cured, turned inside out and then knotted off just in front of the hindmost legs, one of the front legs functioning to house the blow pipe with the leather valve and the other knotted off. The round stock in which the two chanters and drones are attached goes into the neck of the instrument’s skin. Presently, some players of the musical instrument are replacing the original goat and sheep hide bags with the use of rubber inner tube that is covered with the use of artificial fleece.

The double reed version of the musical instrument is played commonly with the piffero that plays the melody and the zampogna alters the chord, vamping or rhythmic harmony figures or a bass line and a soprano harmony. The chanters and the drones of the musical instrument differ, according to the tradition, from a few inches long to about every size in between. 

Etymologically, the word zampogna is linked to the Greek simponia, meaning single beating reed.

The pipes are connected to the Sardina launeddas, a single reed triple clarinet made up of two chanters and a drone and performed in mouth by circular breathing.