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107the tradition of polyphonic singing does not represent the majority of the population ofBulgaria.The “polyphonic corner” of Bulgaria (the Southwestern part of the country) istraditionally divided into four regions: Pirin, central-western Bulgaria, Velingrad, and thePazardjik-Ihtiman region (for slightly different regional division see Rice, 1977, 2003).Drone polyphony leads throughout the polyphonic traditions. The drone is usuallyperformed by a few singers, and the melodic line is performed by a soloist (or soloists).Most of the polyphonic songs are performed by women. The men’s tradition of vocalpolyphony is known from the village Nedelino in Rhodope Mountains. Men mostly playinstruments at weddings and, as professionals, have a good income (unlike the singingwomen). Antiphonic performance is very widely spread. Maybe the best-known featureof Bulgarian songs is their sharp dissonant sound, based on the frequent use of dissonantintervals (particularly seconds). Here are some examples from the Pirin region, where therhythm can be free:Ex. 45. Bulgaria, Pirin. (Kaufman, 1968:90, #123)Ex. 46. Bulgaria, Pirin. (Kaufman, 1968:75, #92)A different character is present in central-western Bulgaria. This region is betterknown as the “Shop Region”, or “Shopluka” in Bulgarian. The art of clashing seconds isbrought to its highest point here, and the rhythm is usually relentless. Although mostBulgarian polyphony is based on two-part singing, there have been examples of threepartsinging recorded in “Shop Region” (see the last Bulgarian example). Anothertradition of three-part singing, known from earlier publications as two-part singing, wasdiscovered and studied independently by Gerald Florian Messner and Tim Rice (Rice,1977; Messner, 1980). Katzarova-Kukudova (1962) studied three- and four-partpolyphony elements when two antiphonic groups merge together. Here are few morepolyphonic examples from Bulgaria:Ex. 47. Bulgaria. (Kaufman, 1968:15, #42)