The Macedonian lyra (Greek: Μακεδονική λύρα), also called the Macedonian lira, is a Greek pear-shaped, three-stringed bowed musical instrument associated with the traditional music of Macedonia, especially the local musical traditions of the Drama regional unit and parts of Serres. In the Drama area it is also known as the Drama lyra or Dramini lyra (Greek: Δραμινή λύρα).
The instrument belongs to the wider family of Greek bowed lyras. It is classified as a bowed chordophone, with sound produced by the friction of a bow against its strings. Within Greek lyra types, it belongs to the pear-shaped group, alongside the Cretan, Dodecanesian, Thracian and Constantinopolitan lyras, rather than to the bottle-shaped group represented by the Pontic and Cappadocian lyras.
In Drama, the lyra is especially connected with the villages of Monastiraki, Xiropotamos, Petrousa and Pyrgi, where it is used for local dances, songs and ritual festivities. In these villages it is traditionally paired with the ntaharé or daïres, a frame-drum percussion instrument. This two-instrument ensemble is called a zygiá (Greek: ζυγιά).
Name and regional forms The term "Macedonian lyra" may be used broadly for related lyra traditions of Greek Macedonia, including the Drama lyra and the related lyra tradition of Pontismeno in Serres. The more specific term "Drama lyra" refers to the local form used in the native villages of Drama. The Drama and Pontismeno forms share similarities in tuning and playing technique, but they differ in repertoire and in the way two lyras are used together. In the Pontismeno form, one lyra may carry the main melody while the other keeps the drone; in the Drama form, when two lyras play together, both normally participate in the melodic line.
Construction The Macedonian lyra is a wooden, pear-shaped instrument with three strings. The body is traditionally made from a single piece of wood, with no additional wooden reinforcement on the fingerboard area. The resonating body is commonly made from fruitwoods such as mulberry, walnut, plum, cherry or pear, while other woods, such as linden, have also been used experimentally by local makers.
The soundboard is usually made from pine, fir or cedar, selected for straight-grained structure. The bridge and soundpost are made from the same type of material as the soundboard in order to aid sound transmission inside the resonating body. The pegs are commonly made from the same wood as the body, while the tailpiece is made from hard material such as wood or horn from a goat or cow, so that it can withstand string tension during tuning.
Older practice used gut strings. The bow is traditionally wooden and strung with natural horsehair. Rosin is applied to the bow hair to create the friction needed for sound production.
Tuning and playing technique The Drama lyra has three strings, but the strings do not have identical musical functions. The first string is the principal melodic string and is stopped with the fingernail, a technique also found in other Greek bowed lyras. The third string is used more limitedly and may be stopped with the flesh of the fingertip. The middle string functions as a drone or isokratima.
The bow is normally placed near the bridge and the strings are played in pairs, either first–second or second–third. The middle string therefore continues to sound as a drone while the melody moves around it.
Tuning and performance style vary between villages. In Xiropotamos and Monastiraki, the lyra is tuned A4–A3–E4 and is played with vibrato. In Petrousa, it is tuned G4–G3–D4 and is played in a more legato style.
Use in local ensembles In the traditional music of Drama, the lyra is one of the main melodic instruments, together with the gkáinta bagpipe. The villages of Xiropotamos, Monastiraki, Petrousa and Pyrgi are especially associated with the lyra and ntaharé pairing, while Kali Vrysi, Micropoli, Pagoneri and Volakas are more closely associated with the gkáinta and ntaharé pairing.
Although the word zygiá literally means a pair, performances may involve more than two musicians. In local festivities, two or more lyras and several ntaharé players may perform together. The ntaharé used with the lyra has a sharper sound than the heavier-sounding percussion used with the gkáinta in some other Drama villages.
Village Main ensemble Notes Xiropotamos Lyra and ntaharé One of the main lyra villages of Drama; the lyra is tuned A4–A3–E4 and is played with vibrato. Monastiraki Lyra and ntaharé One of the main lyra villages of Drama; the lyra is tuned A4–A3–E4 and is played with vibrato. Petrousa Lyra and ntaharé One of the main lyra villages of Drama; the lyra is tuned G4–G3–D4 and is played with a legato style. Pyrgi Lyra and ntaharé One of the main villages where the lyra remains a reference point in local traditional music. Kali Vrysi Gkáinta and ntaharé Belongs to the wider Drama musical network, but the main melodic instrument is the bagpipe rather than the lyra. Micropoli Gkáinta and ntaharé Belongs to the wider Drama musical network, with the bagpipe as the main melodic instrument. Pagoneri Gkáinta and ntaharé Belongs to the wider Drama musical network, with the bagpipe as the main melodic instrument. Volakas Gkáinta and ntaharé Belongs to the wider Drama musical network, with the bagpipe as the main melodic instrument.
Performance context and village customs The Macedonian lyra is closely connected with the local musical life of the native villages of Drama. It is used in village feasts, weddings, gatherings, cultural-association events and annual customs around the Twelve Days of Christmas and Theophany. In these contexts the lyra is usually performed with the ntaharé or daïres, while in other Drama villages the equivalent melodic role is often taken by the gkáinta bagpipe.
Village Custom or occasion Description Monastiraki Arapides Associated with the early-January custom around Theophany. A large feast is held on 5 January, while on 6 January the local group, or tseta, goes from house to house offering wishes for the new year. The lyra and ntaharé accompany dancing, feasting and cultural-association events. The feast of Zoodochos Pigi is also described as one of the major annual celebrations for the village and the wider Drama area. Xiropotamos Arapides Associated with the custom on 7 January, the feast of Saint John. Performers visit houses connected with name-day celebrations, while costumed figures such as papoudes, gkilinges and tsoliades dance to local repertory including Leka–Ramna, Teska, Baidouska, Syrtos and Sygkathistos. Petrousa Babiden Associated with the early-January cycle around Theophany and Saint John. The event includes costumed participants, bells, dancing, food, drink and a circular route through the village. Related elements include the camel figure and haraptski, with the lyra and ntaharé accompanying local dances and songs. Pyrgi Twelve Days customs Associated with the Theophany period. The village custom includes an all-night gathering known as davaniska, in which villagers remain awake, drinking and dancing to the sound of the lyra and ntaharé until morning.
Repertoire The repertoire of the Macedonian lyra consists mainly of dance tunes and songs performed in local feasts, ritual events, weddings, village gatherings and table-song contexts. In the Drama tradition, rhythm, dance and social function are closely connected: a rhythmic category may also name the dance, while some pieces may be performed in more than one local context. The repertoire includes metrical table songs, dance songs, ritual pieces connected with the early-January customs, wedding-road songs, and local songs connected with historical themes.