The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian
stringed musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...
with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the third string is a
perfect fourth
A fourth is a musical interval encompassing four staff positions in the music notation of Western culture, and a perfect fourth () is the fourth spanning five semitones (half steps, or half tones). For example, the ascending interval from C to ...
higher. The higher-pitched balalaikas are used to play melodies and chords. The instrument generally has a short
sustain
In sound and music, an envelope describes how a sound changes over time. It may relate to elements such as amplitude (volume), frequencies (with the use of filters) or pitch. For example, a piano key, when struck and held, creates a near-immedi ...
, necessitating rapid strumming or plucking when it is used to play melodies. Balalaikas are often used for
Russian folk music
Russian folk music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people.
Ethnic styles in the modern era
The performance and promulgation of ethnic music in Russia has a long tradition. Initially it was intertwined with ...
and
dancing
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
.
The balalaika ''family of instruments'' includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest: the piccolo balalaika, prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass balalaika, and contrabass balalaika. There are balalaika orchestras which consist solely of different balalaikas; these ensembles typically play Classical music that has been arranged for balalaikas. The prima balalaika is the most common; the piccolo is rare. There have also been ''descant'' and ''tenor'' balalaikas, but these are considered obsolete. All have three-sided bodies; spruce, evergreen, or fir tops; and backs made of three to nine wooden sections (usually maple).
The prima balalaika, secunda and alto are played either with the fingers or a
plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsic ...
(pick), depending on the music being played, and the bass and contrabass (equipped with extension legs that rest on the floor) are played with leather plectra. The rare piccolo instrument is usually played with a pick.
Etymology
The earliest mention of the term ''balalaika'' dates back to a 1688 Russian document. Another appearance of the word is registered in a document from the Verkhotursky district of Russia, dated October 1700. It is also mentioned in a document dated 1714 and signed by
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
regarding the wedding celebrations of
N.M. Zotov in Saint Petersburg. In the
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian ( uk, украї́нська мо́ва, translit=ukrainska mova, label=native name, ) is an East Slavic language of the Indo-European language family. It is the native language of about 40 million people and the official state langu ...
the word was first documented in the 18th century as "balabaika"; this form is also present in
South Russian dialects and the
Belarusian language, as well as in
Siberian Russia. It made its way into literature and first appeared in "Elysei", a 1771 poem by V. Maykov. "Balalaika" also appears in
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
's ''
Dead Souls
''Dead Souls'' (russian: «Мёртвые души», ''Mjórtvyje dúshi'') is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature. The novel chronicles the travels and adv ...
'', written between 1837 and 1842.
Types
The most common solo instrument is the prima, which is tuned E
4–E
4–A
4 (thus the two lower
strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
are
tuned to the same pitch). Sometimes the balalaika is tuned "guitar style" by folk musicians to G
3–B
3–D
4 (mimicking the three highest strings of the
Russian guitar
The Russian guitar (sometimes referred to as a "Gypsy guitar") is an acoustic seven-string guitar that was developed in Russia toward the end of the 18th century: it shares most of its organological features with the Spanish guitar, although som ...
), whereby it is easier to play for Russian guitar players, although classically trained balalaika purists avoid this tuning. It can also be tuned to E
4–A
4–D
5, like its cousin, the
domra
The ''domra'' (Cyrillic: до́мра, ) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
The first known mention of domra is in ''Admonit ...
, to make it easier for those trained on the domra to play the instrument, and still have a balalaika sound. The folk (pre-Andreev) tunings D
4–F
4–A
4 and C
4–E
4–G
4 were very popular, as this makes it easier to play certain
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompani ...
s.
Balalaikas have been made in the following sizes:
:
Factory-made six-string prima balalaikas with three sets of double courses are also common. These have three double courses similar to the stringing of the
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
and often use a "guitar" tuning.
Four-string alto balalaikas are also encountered and are used in the orchestra of the
Piatnistky Folk Choir.
The piccolo, prima, and secunda balalaikas were originally strung with gut with the thinnest melody string made of stainless steel. Today, nylon strings are commonly used in place of gut.
[Basic Information](_blank)
''www.balalajka.com'' accessed 30 January 2021
Amateur and/or souvenir-style prima balalaikas usually have a total of 16 frets, while in professional orchestra-like ones that number raises to 24.
Technique
An important part of balalaika technique is the use of the left thumb to fret notes on the lower string, particularly on the prima, where it is used to form
chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord (as ...
. Traditionally, the side of the
index finger
The index finger (also referred to as forefinger, first finger, second finger, pointer finger, trigger finger, digitus secundus, digitus II, and many other terms) is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the mid ...
of the right hand is used to sound notes on the prima, while a
plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harpsic ...
is used on the larger sizes.
Because of the large size of the contrabass's strings, it is not uncommon to see players using plectra made from a leather shoe or boot
heel
The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower Human leg, leg.
Structure
To distribute the compressive for ...
. The bass balalaika and contrabass balalaika rest on the ground, on a wooden or metal pin that is drilled into one of its corners.
History
It is possible that the emergence and evolution of the balalaika was a product of interaction with Asian-Oriental cultures. In addition to European culture, early Russian states, also called
Rus' or Rusi, were also influenced by Oriental-Asian cultures. Some theories say that the instrument is descended from the
domra
The ''domra'' (Cyrillic: до́мра, ) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
The first known mention of domra is in ''Admonit ...
, an instrument from the
East Slavs
The East Slavs are the most populous subgroup of the Slavs. They speak the East Slavic languages, and formed the majority of the population of the medieval state Kievan Rus', which they claim as their cultural ancestor.John Channon & Robert H ...
. In the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
, similar instruments such as the Mongolian
topshur
The ''tovshuur'', also known as ''topshur'', ''topshuur'' or ''tovshuur'' (Mongolian Cyrillic: ; mn, , tobshiğur) is a two or three-stringed lute played by the Western Mongolian (Oirats) tribes called the Altai Urianghais, the Altais, Tuvans ...
, used in
Kalmykia
he official languages of the Republic of Kalmykia are the Kalmyk and Russian languages./ref>
, official_lang_list= Kalmyk
, official_lang_ref=Steppe Code (Constitution) of the Republic of Kalmykia, Article 17: he official languages of the ...
, and the
Panduri
The panduri ( ka, ფანდური) is a
traditional Georgian three-string plucked instrument common in all regions of Eastern Georgia: such as Pshav-Khevsureti, Tusheti, Kakheti and Kartli. The panduri is generally used to accompany solo ...
used in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
are played. It is also similar to the Kazakh
dombra
The ''dombra'', also known as ''dombyra'' ( kz, домбыра, uz, dombira, ba, думбыра) is a long-necked Kazakh, Uzbek and Bashkir lute and a musical string instrument. The dombyra shares certain characteristics with the komuz a ...
, which has two strings. Variants of the dombra played by the
Bashkirs
, native_name_lang = bak
, flag = File:Bashkirs of Baymak rayon.jpg
, flag_caption = Bashkirs of Baymak in traditional dress
, image =
, caption =
, population = approx. 2 million
, popplace ...
often have 3 strings and may represent an instrument related to both the dombra and the balalaika.
The pre-Andreyev period
Early representations of the balalaika show it with anywhere from two to six strings. Similarly,
fret
A fret is any of the thin strips of material, usually metal wire, inserted laterally at specific positions along the neck or fretboard of a stringed instrument. Frets usually extend across the full width of the neck. On some historical instrume ...
s on earlier balalaikas were made of animal gut and tied to the neck so that they could be moved around by the player at will (as is the case with the modern
saz, which allows for the playing distinctive to Turkish and Central Asian music).
The first known document mentioning the instrument dates back to 1688. A guard's logbook from the
Moscow Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...
records that two
commoners
A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
were stopped from playing the Balalaika whilst drunk. Further documents from 1700 and 1714 also mention the instrument. In the early 18th century the term appeared in Ukrainian documents, where it sounded like "Balabaika". Balalaika appeared in "Elysei", a 1771 poem by V. Maikov. In the 19th century, the balalaika evolved into a triangular instrument with a neck that was substantially shorter than that of its Asian counterparts. It was popular as a village instrument for centuries, particularly with the ''
skomorokh
A skomorokh ( in Russian, in Old East Slavic, in Church Slavonic. Compare with the Old Polish , ) was a medieval East Slavic harlequin, or actor, who could also sing, dance, play musical instruments and compose for oral/musical and dramatic pe ...
s'', sort of free-lance musical
jester
A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...
s whose tunes ridiculed the
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...
, the
Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
, and Russian society in general.
The Andreyev period
In the 1880s,
Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev
Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev (russian: Василий Васильевич Андреев; 26 December 1918)
article on the city ...
, who was then a professional violinist in the music salons of St Petersburg, developed what became the standardized balalaika, with the assistance of violin maker V. Ivanov. The instrument began to be used in his concert performances. A few years later, St. Petersburg craftsman Paserbsky further refined the instruments by adding a fully chromatic set of frets and also a number of balalaikas in orchestral sizes with the tunings now found in modern instruments. One of the reasons why the instruments were not standardised, was because people in the outlying areas built their own instruments because there was so little communication for them. There were no roads and weather conditions were generally bad. Andreyev patented the design and arranged numerous traditional Russian folk melodies for the orchestra. He also composed a body of concert pieces for the instrument.
Balalaika orchestra
The end result of Andreyev's labours was the establishment of an orchestral folk tradition in Tsarist Russia, which later grew into a movement within the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. The balalaika orchestra in its full form consists of balalaikas,
domra
The ''domra'' (Cyrillic: до́мра, ) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
The first known mention of domra is in ''Admonit ...
s,
gusli
''Gusli'' ( rus, гусли, p=ˈɡuslʲɪ) is the oldest East Slavic multi-string plucked instrument, belonging to the zither family, due to its strings being parallel to its resonance board. Its roots lie in Veliky Novgorod in Novgorodian Ru ...
,
bayan,
Vladimir Shepherd's Horns,
garmoshkas and several types of percussion instruments.
With the establishment of the Soviet system and the entrenchment of a proletarian cultural direction, the culture of the working classes (which included that of village labourers) was actively supported by the Soviet establishment. The concept of the balalaika orchestra was adopted wholeheartedly by the Soviet government as something distinctively proletarian (that is, from the working classes) and was also deemed progressive. Significant amounts of energy and time were devoted to support and foster the formal study of the balalaika, from which highly skilled ensemble groups such as the
Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra
The N. P. Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra (Государственный русский народный оркестр имени Н. П. Осипова) is a Russian folk music orchestra. It was founded in 1919 by the balalaika player B. C. ...
emerged. Balalaika virtuosi such as
Boris Feoktistov and
Pavel Necheporenko became stars both inside and outside the Soviet Union. The movement was so powerful that even the renowned
Red Army Choir, which initially used a normal symphonic orchestra, changed its instrumentation, replacing violins,
viola
The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...
s, and
violoncello
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D ...
s with orchestral balalaikas and
domra
The ''domra'' (Cyrillic: до́мра, ) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
The first known mention of domra is in ''Admonit ...
s.
Solo instrument
Often musicians perform solo on the balalaika. In particular,
Alexey Arkhipovsky
Alexey Vitalyevich Arkhipovsky (also spelled as Arhipovskiy, russian: Алексей Витальевич Архиповский; born 15 May 1967) is a modern-day Russian balalaika player.
Personal life
Alexey Arkhipovsky was born in 1967 in t ...
is well known for his solo performances. In particular, he was invited to play at the opening ceremony of the second semi final of the
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Euro ...
in Moscow because the organizers wanted to give a "more Russian appearance" to the contest.
Notable players
See
Russian balalaika players (English Wikipedia) and a larger one in Russian
Категория:Балалаечники России
*
Vasily Andreyev
Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev (russian: Василий Васильевич Андреев; 26 December 1918)
article on the city ...
*
Alexey Arkhipovsky
Alexey Vitalyevich Arkhipovsky (also spelled as Arhipovskiy, russian: Алексей Витальевич Архиповский; born 15 May 1967) is a modern-day Russian balalaika player.
Personal life
Alexey Arkhipovsky was born in 1967 in t ...
*
Elina Karokhina
*
In popular culture
Through the 20th century, interest in Russian folk instruments grew outside of Russia, likely as a result of western tours by Andreyev and other balalaika virtuosi early in the century. Significant balalaika associations are found in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta and Seattle.
*
Ian Anderson
Ian Scott Anderson (born 10 August 1947) is a British musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work as the lead vocalist, flautist, acoustic guitarist and leader of the British rock band Jethro Tull. He is a multi-instrumentalist w ...
plays balalaika on two songs from the 1969
Jethro Tull album ''
Stand Up
Stand Up may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Stand-up comedy, a comic style in which a comedian performs in front of a live audience
Film
* ''Stand Up'' (2007 film), a film featuring Modi Rosenfeld
* ''Stand Up'' (2008 film), a Brit ...
'': "Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square" and "Fat Man".
*
Wes Anderson
Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. His films are known for their eccentricity and unique visual and narrative styles. They often contain themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Cited by so ...
's 2014 film ''
The Grand Budapest Hotel
''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson. Ralph Fiennes leads a seventeen-actor ensemble cast as Monsieur Gustave H., famed concierge of a twentieth-century mountainside resort in the fiction ...
'' (winner of the 87th
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by t ...
)
employs many balalaikas in both
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat (; born 23 August 1961) is a French film composer and conductor. He has won many awards, including two Academy Awards, for his musical scores to the films ''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' and ''The Shape of Water'', ...
's original score and several sound-track recordings by the
Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra
The N. P. Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra (Государственный русский народный оркестр имени Н. П. Осипова) is a Russian folk music orchestra. It was founded in 1919 by the balalaika player B. C. ...
.
* Oleg Bernov of the Russian-American rock band the
Red Elvises
The Red Elvises (also known as ''Igor and Red Elvises'', after founding member and bandleader Igor Yuzov) are a Russian-American band that performs funk rock, surf, rockabilly, reggae, folk rock, disco and traditional Russian styles of music. Th ...
played a red electrified contrabass balalaika during the band's North American tours. Dejah Sandoval currently tours with the Red Elvises and plays the bass balalaika.
*
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
, featured the balalaika (played by her brother
Paddy Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
) in two of her Top-40 singles, "
Babooshka" and "
Running Up That Hill
"Running Up That Hill", titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on some releases, is a song by the British singer and songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single from Bush's album ''Hounds of Love'' on ...
".
*
Katzenjammer, the Norwegian all-girl pop band, uses two contrabass balalaikas, both of which have cat faces painted on the front. They are named Børge and Akerø.
*
David Lean
Sir David Lean (25 March 190816 April 1991) was an English film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Widely considered one of the most important figures in British cinema, Lean directed the large-scale epics ''The Bridge on the River ...
's 1965 film ''
Doctor Zhivago
''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations.
Description
The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago and deals with love and loss during ...
'' features balalaika prominently in the score and the plot.
* VulgarGrad, an Australian band fronted by actor
Jacek Koman
Jacek Koman (born 15 August 1956) is a Polish actor and singer.
Early life
Koman was born in Bielsko-Biała, Poland, to actors Halina Koman (née Dobrowolska; born 3 January 1923) and Adam Koman (24 December 1922 – 1 December 2005), and ca ...
, plays songs of the Russian criminal underground, and uses a contrabass balalaika.
*
RebbeSoul plays the balalaika on numerous songs on the RebbeSoul albums ''Fringe Of Blue'', ''RebbeSoul-O'', ''Change The World With A Sound'', and ''From Another World''. He also plays the balalaika on the Common Tongue album, ''Step Into My Word'' and on the Shlomit & RebbeSoul album, ''The Seal Of Solomon''.
*The instrument is featured in the episode "The Secret War" of the 2019 Netflix series "Love, Death & Robots"
*The instrument is used alongside a piano and an accordion in the piece "A Journey" from the soundtrack of the 2013 animation "The Wind Rises"
*Selo i Ludy, a Ukrainian folk band, utilises the balalaika
*The instrument makes a brief appearance in
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
's 1931 film "City Lights"
*The
Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
' song "
Back in the U.S.S.R." includes the lyric "let me hear your balalaikas ringing out"
*"
Wind of Change" by
Scorpions
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
includes the lyric "let your balalaika sing what my guitar wants to say "
*The balalaika is played in Boris the Blade Theme from the 2000 comedy crime film "Snatch" directed by
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie (born 10 September 1968) is an English film director, producer and screenwriter. His work includes British gangster films, and the ''Sherlock Holmes'' films starring Robert Downey Jr.
Ritchie left school at age 15 and wor ...
See also
*
Domra
The ''domra'' (Cyrillic: до́мра, ) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
The first known mention of domra is in ''Admonit ...
*
Gibson Flying V
The Gibson Flying V is an electric guitar model introduced by Gibson in 1958. The Flying V offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Explorer, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, which was designed ...
*
Timeline of Russian innovation
This timeline of Russian Innovation encompasses key events in the history of technology in Russia, from the Grand Duchy of Moscow up to the Russian Federation.
The entries in this timeline fall into the following categories:
* indigenous inven ...
References
* Блок В. Оркестр русских народных инструментов. Москва, 1986.
* Имханицкий М. В. В. Андреев – Материалы и документы. Москва, 1986.
* Имханицкий М. У истоков русской народной оркестровой культуры. Москва, 1987.
* Имханицкий М. История исполнительства на русских народных инструментах. Москва, 2002.
* Пересада А. Балалайка. Москва, 1990.
* Попонов В. Оркестр хора имени Пятницкого. Москва, 1979.
* Попонов В. Русская народная инструментальная музыка. Москва, 1984.
* Вертков К. Русские народные музыкальные инструменты. Музыка, Ленинград, 1975.
External links
Balalaika Part Names And Setup – Balalaika Lesson 1on ibalalaika.com
* (en
article by Dmitry Belinskiy from the newspaper ''Krymskaya Pravda''. Balalaika music, video
by Georgy Nefyodov
Chord reference for Prima-Balalaika* (rus
balalaika.org.ru music sheets, video, forum, etc.
*
* (de
russische-balalaika.de – informative WebsiteAn example of a reconstructed pre-Andreyev balalaika with two stringson YouTube
An example of a Bessarabian tune on balalaika, Dieter and Ally Hauptmannon YouTube.
The magicof
Alexey Arkhipovsky
Alexey Vitalyevich Arkhipovsky (also spelled as Arhipovskiy, russian: Алексей Витальевич Архиповский; born 15 May 1967) is a modern-day Russian balalaika player.
Personal life
Alexey Arkhipovsky was born in 1967 in t ...
. ''Sharmanka'' ("Hurdy-gurdy"). YouTube.
{{authority control
Necked bowl lutes
Russian inventions
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