Download Traditional Russian Folk Instruments Chordophones Balalaika, a

Traditional Russian Folk Instruments
Chordophones
Balalaika, a three-stringed, triangular sound-board, played with the fingers. It comes in many different
sizes today. Prima, Secunda, Alto, tenor, bass and contrabass).
The balalaika may have been derived from a Central Asian instrument, or it may be a truly native
Russian one. The earliest written documentation of its existence dates to 1688 (about two serfs being
fined for playing the balalaika while drunk). The absence of earlier references suggests that it is not
much older than that.
Balalaika
Domra, small three or four-stringed Russian variant of the mandolin with a rounded soundboard,
plucked or strummed with a plectrum. Also made in various orchestral sizes. Originally they were all
three-stringed (E-A-D). The four-string variety was developed by in the early 20th century and became
popular in Ukraine.
It seems to have been a Muscovite-era instrument that was rediscovered and restored in the 19th
century.
Gudok (also hudok), a three-stringed, pear-shaped Russian bowed instrument tuned in 5th which is
usually held vertically.
It is one of the few instruments that can be accurately documented to as early as the XII century,
through excavations in Novgorod.
Gudok
Gusli, one of the oldest known Eastern Slav musical instruments, described by the Greeks as early as
the 6th century AD. Many different varieties of this plucked string instrument exist. It has been
documented to the XIV century in illuminated manuscripts. It is likely much older, as it it very similar
to ancient instruments such as the Byzantine cithara. However, the word “gusli” found in medieval
texts referred to generic stringed instruments rather than the specific later gusli.
Kolyosnaya lira, a Russian version of the hurdy-gurdy usually made with a violoncello body. It was
probably introduced in Russia from Western Europe and became popular in the XVII century.
Semistrunnaya gitara (Semistrunka), a seven string version of the acoustic guitar with its own
preferred method of construction and unique open G major tuning. It is also nicknamed the “gypsy
guitar” although. It is tuned differently from the 6-string guitar. It was introduced in Russia in the late
XVIII and became a favorite.
Aerophones
Bayan, a chromatic button accordion. The bayan differs from western chromatic button accordions in
some details of construction:
 Reeds are broader and rectangular (rather than trapezoidal).
 Reeds are often attached in large groups to a common plate (rather than in pairs); the
plates are screwed to the reed block (rather than attached with wax).
 The melody-side keyboard is attached near the middle of the body (rather than at the
rear).
 Reeds are generally not tuned with tremolo.
 Register switches may be operated with the chin on some larger models. (also possible
with some larger European button accordions)
 The diminished seventh chord row is shifted, so that the diminished seventh G chord is
where one would expect the diminished seventh C chord in the Stradella bass system.
 Converter switches that go from standard preset chords to free bass (individual bass
notes) are common on the larger instruments.
 Newer instruments may feature a register where every tone played actually produces
a perfect fifth.
Garmon, a kind of diatonic Russian button accordion, featuring a unique unisonoric design.
The garmon (Russian: гармо́нь; IPA: [gɐˈrmonʲ],
from garmonika (Russian: гармо́ника; IPA: [gɐˈrmonʲɪkə]), which means "harmonics") is a kind of
Russian buttonaccordion, a free-reed wind instrument. A garmon has two rows of buttons on the right
side, which play the notes of a diatonic scale, and at least two rows of buttons on the left side, which
play the primary chords in the key of the instrument as well as its relative harmonic minor key. Many
instruments have additional right-hand buttons with useful accidental notes, additional left-hand chords
for playing in related keys, and a row of free-bass buttons, to facilitate playing of bass melodies.
The garmons can be of two major classes: unisonoric, meaning that each button plays the same
note or chord when the bellows is being expanded as it does when compressed, and bisonoric, in which
the note depends on the direction of the bellowswork. Examples of unisoniric type
are livenka (ливенка, after Livny, Oryol Oblast) and Khromka (Russian: Хромка, for "chromatic").
Bisonoric garmons are, e.g., Tula accordion (Russian: Тульская гармонь, after Tula)
and talyanka (тальянка, "Italian")
Kolyuka (Russian: Калюки), a hollow pipe with no additional air holes, used for whistling sounds.
Kugikli/Kuvikly (Russian: Куги́клы (куви́клы)), simple panpipes
Svirel, a Russian flute
Svirel is a simple wooden (sometimes metal) pipe. On the upper end it has a beak-like whistle
device and in the middle of the face side it has several (usually six) finger-holes cut out. Wooden pipe
is made of buckthorn, hazel, maple, ash tree, or bird cherry tree. Two such pipes were found during
archeological excavations of the Old Novgorod in 1951-1962. One of them dating back to the late 11th
century is 22.5 cm (approximately 9 inches) long and has four finger-holes. The second pipe dating to
the early 15th century is 19 cm (approximately 7.5 inches) long and has only three holes. Medieval
texts seem to refer to several pipe-like instruments by different names. It is possible that these
differences indicate double-pipe instruments or other variations.
Vladimirsky rozhok, made in Russia's Vladimir Oblast (region) by shepherds who composed
melodious calls on it. This horn has a range of two octaves and a very distinctive idiosyncratic sound.
A rozhok is a conical straight tube with the six playing holes: five on top and one underneath. The total
length of a rozhok ranges from 320 to 830 mm (13" to 33"). A mouthpiece is cut in the form of a small
cap, and the lower end of the tube is shaped like a conical bell. A rozhok is usually made
of birch, maple, or juniper. Musicians say that rozhoks of juniper have the best sound.[citation
needed] In the past they were made in the same manner as a shepherd's rozhok, in which two halves are
fastened together with birch bark; today they are turned.[2] The sound of a rozhok is strong, but
mellow, having a range of about an octave, or a little more. There are several types of rozhoks: the
shortest one, having the highest sound is called vizgunok (squeaker); the longest and thus the lowest
one is call bas (bass), while a mid-size instrument is called a polubasok(half-bass). It
is polubasok instruments that are most frequently used for solo playing. At the end of the 19th century,
the name Vladimir was added to this instrument's name, due to the success of a chorus of rozhok
players from the Vladimir region.
Volynka, a traditional Slavic bagpipe. The volynka is constructed around a goat skin air reservoir into
which air is blown through a pipe with a valve to stop air escaping. (Modern concert instruments often
have a reservoir made from a basketball bladder}. A number of playing pipes [two to four] extend from
the reservoir holding the air. The main playing pipe on which the melody is played has five to seven,
sometimes eight finger holes. The other pipes produce a drone. This is usually either a single tonic note
or a perfect fifth. Each of these playing pipes has a double reed usually made from a goose quill. In the
20th century this instrument has lost the popularity it had previously, and is rarely used today in an
authentic context.
Zhaleika, a Russian folk clarinet/hornpipe. The zhaleika (Жалейка in Russian, also known
as брёлка or bryolka) is the most commonly possessed and used Russian wind instrument, also known
as a "folk clarinet" or hornpipe.
The zhaleika consists of a single reed that can be covered by a mouthpiece (or "wind cap"). The
design consists of a wooden barrel with finger holes and a flared bell that can be made of either natural
or man-made materials. It can either consist of a single or double pipe. The single pipe is about 10–
20 cm long with a reed made out of either cane or goose feather with an end bell made of cow horn
or birch bark with 3–7 finger holes. The double pipe consists of two pipes and one bell, and is found
mainly in the southern parts of Russia.
Idiophones
Buben, an equivalent of the tambourine
Bubentsy (Russian: бубенцы) jingle bells
Korobochka, an equivalent of the wood block
Lozhki, an equivalent of spoons using wooden spoons (sets of 3-4, both hands)
Rubel, an equivalent of the washboard
Treshchotka, an equivalent of the clapper.