The common fluier is the equivalent to the Irish tin whistle, but made out of wood with the lower aperture of reduced diameter. These are found all over the Balkans.

The fluier come in various sizes with the largest known as the fluier mare or caval and the smallest known as the fluieras or trisca. In Transylvania it is known as trisca. The larger version is known as the fluieroi.

The end blown (not stopped) smaller fluieras and larger fluierul mare are types of fluier that are found in Moldavia, particularly Bucovina. The fluier dobrogene is a variant found in Dobrogea which is similar to the small fluier of Moldavia. It has a seventh hole for the thumb (like a recorder) and is made of reed.

Generally if the pipe has six finger holes these are equally spaced for small pipes, and in two sets of three for larger pipes. This gives rise to a diatonic scale not conforming to the western tempered scale, but which sounds correct when playing the traditional tunes.

Similar instruments found in surrounding countries are known as; Frula (Serbia), Duduk (Bulgaria), Dentsvika (Ukraine), Dudka (Ukraine), Duduk (Serbian Vlach), Floghera (Greece), Fluier (Romania), Furulya (Hungary), Fujarka (Poland), Jedinca (Croatia), Ovcharska svirka (Turkey).

The end-blown fluier is a cylindrical tube open at both ends, like the tilinca, made of wood or metal with six finger holes. End blown pipes are also found in some surrounding countries; Floyera (Greece), Salamayyia (Eygpt), Shupelka (Bulgaria), Soplika (Ukraine).

Fluier gemanat

A twin flute made from one piece of wood. Alongside the six holed fluier is a drone pipe. The drone may have a finger hole to change the note by a tone. The Bulgarian equivalent is the dvojka.