The Gaida, also known as Gayda, Gaita or Tulum, is a type of bagpipes. It consists of a bag, a mouthpiece and a part that produces sound. The latter consists of two separate pipes: the melody chanter, which is small, includes finger holes, and produces the melody, and the drone, which is longer and without holes, and produces a single note to establish tonality. The Gaida is often confused with the Tsabouna, but it differs because of its additional (third) pipe that is used as the bass drone. The drone is a long pipe (60-70 cm), thus establishing the tonic an octave lower than the melody. The Gaida is used in Thrace, Macedonia and across the Balkans. It is typically made by the musician himself, out of goat or – in rare cases – sheep hide. After the hide is processed, the mouthpiece and three tubes are attached to the bag. The mouthpiece, or blow pipe (fysouna, fereki, stomio) is a wooden conical tube, with a small leather check valve at the end, into which the musician blows to fill the bag with air. The mouthpiece and pipes are commonly made out of the wood from cornel, plum or almond trees. The melody chanter usually has seven finger holes in the front and one in the back. It is cylindrical, ranging from 25-30 cm in length, and resembles a recorder. The reed (Tsabouna, zabouna, koumousi, gaidokalamo) is attached to the part where the chanter meets the bag. The drone pipe (bouri, tzamara, bourou) is a long pipe without holes, which establishes the tonic of the melody pipe by playing a single sound. The size of the drone varies, but it is always larger than the melody chanter. The third pipe of the Gaida, the bass drone, is also without holes. The way the Gaida is played is characterised by melodic flourishes, known as ornamentation. Most Gaida players begin their performances with a slow tune, followed by lively dance tunes (zonaradikos, syrtos, antikristos, etc). The Gaida is played solo, or in combination with other instruments, such as the lyra, tarabouka, daires, etc. In the past, it was the most prominent, and often the only instrument played at weddings, fetes and festivals.