Kokle
A Latgale kokle stamp issued in 2014 by the Latvian Post.
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| String instrument | |
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| Other names | Kūkle (Latgale) |
| Classification | Plucked string instrument, chordophone |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 314.122 (Diatonic lute-type stringed instrument) |
| Inventor(s) | Folk instrument |
| Related instruments | |
| Kanklės, kannel, kantele, gusli | |
| Musicians | |
| Laima Jansone, Valdis Muktupāvels | |
 Laima Jansone, Olafs Okonovs — Zalktis. Vortex of living energy (Latvian kokle music). |
Kokle (Latvian pronunciation: ['kʊ͡ɔk.le]; Latgalian: kūkle) is a Latvian plucked string musical instrument (chordophone) belonging to the Baltic zither family known as the Baltic psaltery. The first possible kokle related archeological findings in the territory of modern Latvia are from the 13th century, while the first reliable written information about kokle playing comes from the beginning of the 17th century,. The first known kokle tune was notated in 1891, but the first kokle recordings into gramophone records and movies were made in 1930s. Both kokle and kokle playing are included in the Latvian Cultural Canon.
The Baltic tribes developed the kokle based on similar zithers played by the Finnic and Slavic peoples of the region. Legendarily, the strings of the kokle were said to represent the sun. The first reliable written information about kokle playing is from the beginning of 17th century. A kokle at the Historical Museum in Riga shows Latvian runes.
The kokle has a hollow trapezoidal body usually carved out of a single piece of wood that's topped with a thin ornated wooden soundboard. Wooden tuning pegs are set into the wide tip of the body, while at the narrow tip is a metal rod upon which the strings are secured. The strings may be of brass or steel. Traditionally, there were 6-9 strings which later increased to 10 and more.
The player generally plays the instrument sitting at a table, strumming with his right hand and muting unwanted strings with his left hand. The kokle is generally tuned in a diatonic scale, with some lower strings functioning as bourdons (drones) which continuously sound.
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Wikipedia