ABSTRACT
Singing formerly marked many events in the life cycle. The oldest Slovene folk songs and instrumental music, especially children's, ritual, narrative songs from the Resia area employ just a few tones. The themes of Slovene folk songs deal with questions of life and death and the natural and supernatural worlds. Instrumental folk music accompanied all important events and customs. Many kinds of Slovenian instruments can be distinguished, including traditional instruments, those from the Middle Ages, more recently borrowed instruments, European symphonic instruments, and the currently most popular instruments, the zither and the accordion. The cimbalom played in bands with instruments borrowed from classical music: violins, violas, bass, clarinet, and, after World War II, guitars. Simple or improvised instruments, mostly used for rhythmic accompaniment or entertainment, include clappers made of stalks or wood, rattles, lids, spoons, chains, scythes, saws, and numerous children's instruments and noisemakers.
