In the territory of Serbia, the playing of bagpipes (gajde), a folk musical instrument, includes the practice of solo playing on double and triple bagpipes. The musical repertoire of folk compositions for this instrument includes folk dances, songs, improvisational forms and specific songs of a ritual character (harvesting, bridal, funerary, the koledari procession in southeastern Serbia). In practice, bagpipe playing is rarely accompanied with singing, which is primarily found among the players of triple bagpipes in Vojvodina. The distinguishing features of the style include a special playing technique, melodic and rhythmic ornaments, as well as specific procedures of the formal shaping of music (folk dances, songs and improvisations).
Playing on bagpipes is performed by gajdaš, svirac, gajdar, gajdardžija, karabaš (Vlachian: cărabăş) and is typical of Serbian, Macedonian and Vlach communities.
This form of performing arts is predominantly present in the eastern part of Serbia: southeastern and northeastern Serbia (the Negotin, Zaječar, Bor and Majdanpek region, Požarevac, the Svrljig region and the surroundings areas, the Niš region, Zaplanje, Šopluk, the Leskovac region) and Vojvodina (predominantly Banat – Kikinda, Zrenjanin and Pančevo, as well as Sremska Mitrovica).
