| Classification | wind |
|---|---|
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | Edge-blown aerophones (The player blows against the sharp rim at the upper open end of a tube) |
| Playing range | |
| sixth | |
| Related instruments | |
| panpipes | |
The larchemi (Georgian: ლარჭემი), or soinari (Georgian: სოინარი), is an ancient Georgian musical instrument of the panpipe family. It is known as "larchemi" in Samegrelo and "soinari" in Guria, but there is no difference in the instrument; those in Guria may be smaller. The larchemi was in the past found also in Abkhazia, Imereti and Lazeti (where it was called ostvinoni). By 1958, when it was studied by Kakhi Rosebashvili, it had largely disappeared.
The larchemi consists of a row of six reed pipes. Two bass pipes in the middle are tuned a second apart; the other pipes are tuned in thirds from them. The instrument can be played by two performers, who take three pipes each.
References
- Larchemi-Soinari. Open Museum: State Museum of Georgian Folk Songs and Musical Instruments. Archived 15 March 2012.
- ^ Nina Shvelidze (2006). Georgian Multistemmed Salamuri – Larchemi /Soinari Archived 2015-07-10 at the Wayback Machine. In: Rusudan Turtsumia, Joseph Jordania (eds.): Second International Symposium on Traditional Polyphony. Tiflis: International Research Center for Traditional Polyphony of Tbilisi State Conservatoire. p. 407–412
- Tiberiu Alexandru, Grigol Chkhikvadze. "Panpipes: 5. Central Europe and Asia". Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Accessed June 2014. (subscription required)
| Musical instruments of Georgia (country) | |
|---|---|
| String instruments | |
| Woodwind instruments | |
| Percussion instruments | |
| See also | |