Cimpoi
Cimpoi
a Moldavian folk instrument. A mouth-blown bagpipe, the cimpoi consists of a reservoir in the form of a sheepskin bag and three wooden pipes: a blowpipe, a melody pipe, and a drone pipe. The conical melody pipe is in one piece and has seven finger holes. The drone pipe, which sounds a continuous bass tone, is made in three joints and is tuned to the interval of a fourth or an octave of the melody pipe. The cimpoi is used to play melodies embellished by melismata, trills, and appoggiaturas (seeORNAMENTATION). The instrument produces a powerful, shrill tone of an unvarying timbre.