Ancient Russian wind instrument. Woodwind musical instruments
Basic information Avlos is an ancient woodwind musical instrument. Avlos is considered a distant predecessor of the modern oboe. It was distributed in Asia Minor and Ancient Greece. The performer usually played two aulos (or double aulos). Playing the aulos was used in ancient tragedy, in sacrifice, in military music (in Sparta). Solo singing accompanied by playing the aulos was called aullodia.
Basic information The cor anglais is a woodwind musical instrument, which is an alto oboe. The English horn got its name due to the erroneous use of the French word anglais (“English”) instead of the correct angle (“curved angle” - in the form of a hunting oboe, from which the English horn originated). Device According to the device, the English horn is similar to the oboe, but has larger size, pear-shaped bell
Basic information Bansuri is an ancient Indian woodwind musical instrument. Bansuri is a transverse flute made from a single piece of bamboo. Has six or seven playing holes. Bansuri is widespread in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Bansuri is very popular with shepherds and is part of their customs. It can also be seen in Buddhist painting around 100 AD.
Bass clarinet (Italian: clarinetto basso) is a woodwind musical instrument, a bass variety of the clarinet that appeared in the second quarter of the 19th century. The range of the bass clarinet is from D (large octave D; on some models, the range is extended down to B1 - B flat contra octave) to b1 (B flat first octave). Theoretically, it is possible to extract higher sounds, but they are not used.
Basset horn is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of clarinet. The basset horn has the same structure as a regular clarinet, but it is longer, which makes it sound lower. For compactness, the basset horn tube is slightly curved at the mouthpiece and at the bell. In addition, the instrument is equipped with several additional valves that extend its range down to the C note (as it is written). Basset horn tone
Basic information, history The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument from the family of whistling wind instruments, such as the flute, ocarina. The recorder is a type of longitudinal flute. The recorder has been known in Europe since the 11th century. It was widespread in the XVI-XVIII centuries. Used as a solo instrument, in ensembles and orchestras. A. Vivaldi, G. F. Telemann, G. F.
Key information Brelka is a Russian folk wind wooden musical instrument that existed in the past in the pastoral environment, and now occasionally appears on concert venues in the hands of musicians of folklore ensembles. The key fob has a strong sound of a very bright and light timbre. The keychain is essentially nothing more than an ancient version of the oboe, however, compared to the shepherd's pity,
Basic information Whistle is a woodwind musical instrument, a Celtic folk pipe. Whistles are made, as a rule, from tin, but there are also wooden, plastic and even silver versions of the instruments. Whistle is very popular not only in Ireland, but throughout Europe. Most whistles, however, are made in England and Ireland, and are the most popular among whistlers. Whistles exist
Oboe is a soprano register woodwind musical instrument, which is a conical tube with a valve system and a double reed (tongue). The instrument has a melodious, but somewhat nasal, and in the upper register - a sharp timbre. Instruments that are considered the direct predecessors of the modern oboe have been known since antiquity and have been preserved in their original form in different cultures. Folk instruments such
Basic information The oboe d'amore is a woodwind musical instrument, very similar to an ordinary oboe. The oboe d'amore is slightly larger than the regular oboe and, in comparison, produces a less assertive and softer and calmer sound. In the oboe family, it is set as a mezzo-soprano or alto. The range is from salt of a small octave to re of the third octave. oboe d'amour
Basic information, origin Di (hengchui, handi - transverse flute) is an ancient Chinese woodwind musical instrument. Di is one of the most common wind instruments in China. It was supposedly brought from Central Asia between 140 and 87 BC. BC. However, during recent archaeological excavations, bone transverse flutes of about
Basic information The didjeridoo is the oldest woodwind musical instrument of the aboriginal peoples of northern Australia. One of the most ancient musical instruments on Earth. The didgeridoo is the European-American name for Australia's oldest musical instrument. In northern Australia, where the didgeridoo originated, it is called yidaki. The didgeridoo is unique in that it usually sounds on one note (the so-called
Basic information Dudka is a folk wind wooden musical instrument, consisting of a wooden (usually elderberry) reed or reed and having several side holes, and a mouthpiece for blowing. There are double pipes: two folded pipes are blown through one common mouthpiece. In Ukraine, the name sopilka (snot) has survived to this day, which is rare in Russia, in Belarus it
Basic information Duduk (tsiranapokh) - a woodwind musical instrument, is a pipe with 9 playing holes and a double reed. Distributed among the peoples of the Caucasus. Most popular in Armenia, as well as among Armenians living outside of it. The traditional name of the Armenian duduk is tsiranapokh, which can literally be translated as “apricot pipe” or “soul of an apricot tree”. Music
Basic information Zhaleika - an old Russian folk wind wooden musical instrument - a wooden, reed or cattail tube with a bell made of horn or birch bark. Zhaleika is also known as zhalomeika. Origin, history of zhaleyka The word "zhaleyka" is not found in any ancient Russian written monument. The first mention of the zhaleyka is in the notes of A. Tuchkov relating to late XVII I
Basic information Zurna is an ancient woodwind musical instrument common among the peoples of Transcaucasia and Central Asia. A zurna is a wooden tube with a socket and several (usually 8-9) holes, one of which is on the opposite side. The range of the zurna is about one and a half octaves of the diatonic or chromatic scale. The timbre of the zurna is bright and piercing. Zurna is in close proximity
Basic information Kaval is a shepherd's woodwind musical instrument. The kaval is a longitudinal flute with a long wooden barrel and 6-8 playing holes. At the lower end of the barrel there can be up to 3-4 more holes for tuning and resonating. The kavala scale is diatonic. The length of the kaval reaches 50-70 cm. The kaval is widespread in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania, Macedonia, Serbia,
Basic information, device Kamyl is an Adyghe wind wooden musical instrument, a traditional Adyghe (Circassian) flute. Kamyl is a longitudinal flute made from a metal tube (most often from a gun barrel). There are 3 play holes at the bottom of the tube. It is possible that the instrument was originally made of reed (as the name indicates). The length of the reed is about 70 cm.
Basic information Kena (Spanish: quena) - a woodwind musical instrument - a longitudinal flute used in the music of the Andean region Latin America. The kena is usually made of reed and has six upper and one lower playing hole. Typically, kena is done in G (G) tuning. The quenacho flute is a lower pitched variant of the quena, in D (D) tuning.
Basic information The clarinet is a woodwind musical instrument with a single reed. The clarinet was invented around 1700 in Nuremberg, and has been actively used in music since the second half of the 18th century. It is used in a wide variety of musical genres and compositions: as a solo instrument, in chamber ensembles, symphony and brass bands, folk music, on the stage and in jazz. Clarinet
Basic information Clarinet d'amour (Italian: clarinetto d'amore) is a woodwind musical instrument. Device Like the species instrument, the d'amore clarinet had a single reed and a cylindrical tube, but the width of this tube was less than that of a conventional clarinet, sound holes were also narrower. In addition, the part of the tube to which the mouthpiece was attached was slightly curved for compactness - the body
Basic information Kolyuk - a woodwind musical instrument - an ancient Russian variety of a longitudinal overtone flute without playing holes. For the manufacture of thorns, dried stems of umbrella plants are used - hogweed, shepherd's pipe and others. The role of a whistle or beep is played by the tongue. The height of the sound is achieved by overblowing. To change the sound, the bottom hole of the tube is also used, which is clamped with a finger or
Basic information Contrabassoon is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of bassoon. The contrabassoon is an instrument of the same type and device as the bassoon, but with a twice as large column of air contained in it, which makes it sound an octave lower than the bassoon. The contrabassoon is the lowest sounding instrument of the woodwind group and performs a contrabass voice in it. Names of the contrabassoon
Basic information Kugikly (kuvikly) is a woodwind musical instrument, a Russian variety of the multi-barreled Pan flute. Kugicle device Kugicles are a set of hollow tubes of various lengths and diameters with an open upper end and a closed lower one. This tool was usually made of kugi (reed), reed, bamboo, etc. stems, the trunk knot served as the bottom. Nowadays, plastic, ebonite
Basic information Kurai is a national Bashkir woodwind musical instrument similar to a flute. The popularity of kurai is associated with its timbre richness. The sound of kurai is poetic and epicly sublime, the timbre is soft, accompanied by a throaty bourdon sound when played. Main and traditional feature playing kurai is the ability to play with a chest voice. A light whistle is forgiven only for novice performers. The professionals play the melody
Basic Information Mabu is a traditional woodwind musical instrument of the Solomon Islanders. Mabu is a wooden pipe with a socket, hollowed out from a piece of a tree trunk. A half of a coconut was attached to the upper end, in which a game hole was made. Large specimens of mabu could reach up to a meter in length with a mouth width of about 15 cm and a wall thickness of about
Basic information Mabu (mapu) is a traditional Tibetan woodwind musical instrument. Translated from the nose, “ma” means “bamboo”, and “bu” means “pipe”, “reed flute”. Mabu has a bamboo stem with a single scoring tongue. There are 8 playing holes made in the flute barrel, 7 upper ones, one lower one. At the end of the trunk is a small horn socket. Mabu is also sometimes made
Basic information, characteristics Small clarinet (clarinet-piccolo) is a woodwind musical instrument, a kind of clarinet. The small clarinet has the same structure as the regular clarinet, but is smaller in size, which is why it sounds in a higher register. The timbre of the small clarinet is harsh, somewhat noisy, especially in the upper register. Like most other instruments of the clarinet family, the small clarinet is transposing and is used
Basic information, device Nay - Moldavian, Romanian and Ukrainian woodwind musical instrument - a longitudinal multi-barreled flute. Nai consists of 8-24 tubes of different lengths, reinforced in an arched leather clip. The length of the tube determines the pitch of the sound. Sound row diatonic. On the nai, folk melodies of various genres are performed - from doina to dance motifs. The most famous Moldovan naists:
Basic information Ocarina is an ancient woodwind musical instrument, a clay whistle flute. The name "ocarina" is translated from Italian means "gosling". The ocarina is a small egg-shaped chamber with four to thirteen finger holes. The ocarina is usually made in ceramic, but is sometimes also made of plastic, wood, glass or metal. By
Basic information Pinquillo (pingulo) - an ancient woodwind musical instrument of the Quechua Indians, a reed transverse flute. Pinkillo is common among the Indian population of Peru, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, Chile, Ecuador. The Pinkillo is the ancestor of the Peruvian quena. Pinkillo is made from cane, traditionally cut "at dawn, away from prying eyes." It has 5-6 side playing holes. Pingulo length 30-32 cm. Pingulo range approx.
Basic information, application A transverse flute (or just a flute) is a woodwind musical instrument of the soprano register. Names of the transverse flute on different languages: flauto (Italian); flatus (Latin); flute (French); flute (English); float (German). The flute is available in a wide variety of performance techniques; it is often entrusted with an orchestral solo. The transverse flute is used in symphony and brass bands, and also, along with the clarinet,
Basic information Russian horn is a woodwind musical instrument. Russian horn has different names: in addition to "Russian" - "shepherd", "song", "Vladimir". The name "Vladimir" horn acquired relatively recently, at the end of the 19th century, as a result of the success that the performances of the horn choir conducted by Nikolai Vasilyevich Kondratyev from the Vladimir region had. Horn tunes are divided into 4 genre varieties: signal, song,
Basic information Saxophone (Sax - the name of the inventor, phone - sound) is a woodwind musical instrument, belonging to the wood family according to the principle of sound production, despite the fact that it is never made of wood. The family of saxophones was designed in 1842 by the Belgian musical master Adolf Sax and patented by him four years later. Adolf Sachs named his first constructed instrument
Basic information Svirel is an ancient Russian woodwind musical instrument of the longitudinal flat type. Origin, history of the flute The Russian flute has not yet been sufficiently studied. Experts have long been trying to correlate existing whistle instruments with ancient Russian names. Chroniclers most often use three names for instruments of this type - a flute, a sniff, and a forearm. According to legend, the son of the Slavic goddess of love Lada played the flute
Basic information Suling is an Indonesian woodwind musical instrument, a longitudinal whistle flute. The suling consists of a bamboo cylindrical trunk, about 85 cm long and equipped with 3-6 playing holes. The suling sound is very gentle. Usually sad melodies are played on this instrument. The suling is used both solo and as an orchestral instrument. Video: Sulingna video + sound Thanks to these videos you
Basic information, device, application Shakuhachi is a woodwind musical instrument, a longitudinal bamboo flute that came to Japan from China during the Nara period. The Chinese name for the shakuhachi flute is chi-ba. The standard length of a shakuhachi flute is 1.8 Japanese feet (which is 54.5 cm). It determined itself Japanese name instrument, since "shaku" means "foot", and "hachi" means "eight".
Basic information Tilinka (calf) is a Moldavian, Romanian and Ukrainian folk woodwind musical instrument, which is an open pipe without playing holes. Tilinka is common in rural life, most often used by peoples living near the Carpathian Mountains. The sound of the tilinka depends on how much the musician closes the open end of the tube with his finger. The transition between notes is carried out by overblowing and closing / opening of the opposite
Strings folk instruments. Video lesson.
When asked which instrument was the prototype of the first stringed folk instrument , usually from children you can hear that this is a balalaika or a guitar. Very few people realize that it was a simple hunting bow. Indeed, many times before hunting, checking whether the bowstring is well stretched, the person noticed that different bows do not sound the same and people decided to use the bow as a musical instrument. It is inconvenient to play different bows, so the person pulled not one bowstring, but several. And as a result of this, an instrument very reminiscent of a harp in appearance was obtained. It can be assumed that in this way a third group of musical instruments appeared - strings musical instruments . But a string stretched over a bow will sound very soft, and if you bring this sounding string to a hollow tree or to an empty wooden box, the sound will increase. Thus, apparently, people came to the invention of the resonator - an integral part of any stringed instrument that amplifies the sound.
One of the most famous and ancient stringed instruments are harp. The first mention of them dates back to the 6th century, and their name comes from the ancient Slavic word "thick" - to buzz, so the sounding string was called "gusla". Thus, the harp is buzzing strings.
Moreover, it does not matter what material the body of the musical instrument is made of. The body of the harp resonator was usually hollowed out of pine or spruce, and the deck (deca means cover) was made of sycamore. This is where their name came from - the gusli "Yarovchaty" (distorted "Yavorchey").
Currently, there are three varieties of harp: voiced or "spring" harp, plucked harp and keyboard harp. Let's look at these three groups in order.
1. The gusli are sonorous.
Voiced gusli is the most ancient type of harp. You see them in the picture above.
This is an instrument that is a wooden box of a wing-shaped or trapezoidal shape, on top of which strings are stretched. They are played by plucking the strings either with both hands or with the fingers of the right hand only. At the same time, the left hand serves to muffle the sound of a certain string (strings that should not sound are pressed against it). On these harps, you can play a melody and rattling with a pinch, like on a balalaika, and extract chords arpeggiated, like on a harp. In the old days, folk storytellers and performers of epics often played this instrument, accompanying their singing. Boyan was one of the most famous ancient Russian storytellers.
The disadvantage of these harps is a small number of strings (usually 12-13), which limits their capabilities.
But the plucked harp (the next type of harp) significantly expanded the technical and artistic capabilities of this instrument.
They are a large rectangular table-shaped resonator, standing on legs, on which metal strings of various lengths and thicknesses are stretched (more than 60 in total). They are pinched with the fingers of both hands, which is why they are called pinched. To make it easier to navigate in such a number of strings, they are pulled in two rows. In the upper row are the main sounds of the scale, and in the lower row are the intermediate chromatic sounds.
At the end XIX century, another type of gusli appears - keyboard gusli. The mechanics of this instrument was largely borrowed from the piano. In appearance and size, they are similar to the plucked harp, but a special box with a piano keyboard and mechanics is installed on the left side of the harp.
I think you understand that the string only sounds in a free state. If you touch it, it will not sound. If on the harp of the sonorous performer he presses the strings so that they do not sound, then on the harp of the keyboard this is done by the mechanics. When not a single key of the harp piano keyboard is pressed, the mufflers (dampers) that are above each string press all the strings and prevent them from sounding. If you press, for example, the notes “do”, “mi”, “sol” on the piano keyboard, then the mufflers of these notes in all octaves will rise (and there are more than five octaves and in each octave there are these notes, but of different heights), making it possible these strings to vibrate (i.e. sound). If after that you draw along all the strings, then all the notes "do", "mi", "salt" will sound, freed from mufflers in all octaves (more than 15 notes will sound).
Thus, the process of playing due to the mechanics is simplified, and at the same time the sound becomes richer and more saturated (thanks to a large number strings).
Single-voiced melodies on the keyboard harp are rarely performed, chords are often played on them, but one-voice melodies can also be played on them, and if necessary, you can unfasten the box with the piano keyboard, turning them into gusli are plucked.
The next stringed instrument we will be introduced to will be balalaika.
The first mention of this instrument dates back to the end of the 17th century. Until the 19th century, it was a very primitive but common instrument. He could be met not only, as they said, “between common people", but also in rich houses. The popularity of this instrument is evidenced by its frequent mention in songs, proverbs, sayings, and riddles.
Remember the popular folk song"There was a birch in the field":
“I will make myself three beeps,
Fourth balalaika.
Or an example from proverbs:
"Our brother Isaiah is a balalaika without strings."
There are many references to this instrument in the works of Russian literature. Here, for example, lines from Eugene Onegin A.S. Pushkin:
Other pictures I need:
I love the sandy slope
In front of the hut are two mountain ash,
Gate, broken fence,
Gray clouds in the sky
Heaps of straw in front of the threshing floor
Yes, a pond under the canopy of thick willows
Expanse of young ducks;
Now the balalaika is dear to me ...
And here are the lines of Lermontov:
So before the idle crowd
And with folk balalaika
Sitting in the shadows a simple singer
And selfless and free!
Where did the name of this instrument come from?
Many researchers note that the root of the words "balalaika", or, as it was also called, "balabayka", is related to such Russian words as balakat joker, i.e. chatting, empty calls, therefore, in ditties, sayings, this very meaning is often emphasized, for example:
Balalaika - beep
Ruined the whole house...
Such popularity of the balalaika continued until the beginning of the 19th century, until the appearance in Russia first of the guitar, and then of the accordion, which forced it out of use.
And it is not known how the fate of this instrument would have developed if Vasily Vasilyevich Andreev had not paid attention to it. Here is how Andreev himself described his first meeting with this instrument:
“... It was a quiet June evening. I was sitting on the terrace of my wooden house and enjoying the silence of a village evening ... Quite unexpectedly, I heard sounds hitherto unknown to me ... The player played a dance song at first rather slow pace and then faster and faster. The sounds flared up more and more brightly, the melody flowed, full of rhythm, irresistibly pushing to the dance ... I took off from my seat and ran to the wing, from where the sounds rushed; in front of me, on the steps of the porch, a peasant was sitting and playing... the balalaika! sounds! .. Having looked closely at how Antip (the name of the worker) played, I asked him to immediately show some of the tricks of the game. Andreev began to learn to play this instrument and soon felt that the possibilities of this instrument were very limited: there were few frets on it, and they were not fixed, but were imposed, so they often slipped, they had to be corrected. Andreev studied various balalaikas for a long time (at that time they were of different shapes and designs) before making the final drawing of the balalaika, with which he went to the violin maker with a request to make a balalaika according to his drawing. Making the first balalaika was not an easy task. Here is how Andreev describes it:
“When in the 1880s I first turned to an instrumental maker, a very talented one, known for his special bow making and repairing vintage instruments, with a request to make a balalaika according to my instructions from the best varieties of wood, then at first he took my offer as a joke; when I assured him that I was speaking quite seriously, he was so offended that he stopped talking to me and went into another room, leaving me alone. I was very embarrassed, but nevertheless decided to insist on my point; in the end, I managed to convince him not with words, but with deeds ... I brought him a simple village balalaika, which cost 35 kopecks, on which I played myself at that time, made of simple spruce, with imposed frets, and played him several songs on it. My game surprised him so much that he agreed to make me a balalaika so that I would give him my word to anyone and never tell anyone about it, since such work is humiliating for him and can seriously damage his reputation. I sat with him for long hours, watching the work ... and repeatedly witnessed how, at each call, he quickly jumped up and covered the workbench with a handkerchief right there, so that one of his customers or strangers would not see the balalaika lying on the workbench. .."
Andreev's first concert was a great success.
In 1885, a new balalaika for Andreev was made by the famous St. Petersburg master Franz Stanislavovich Paserbsky.It differed from the first balalaika, for the first time embedded sills appeared on it, thanks to which its system was much better. There were five thresholds, which is why it is sometimes called the "five fret". There are more than 20 of them on the modern balalaika.
Let's take a closer look at her device.
The balalaika consists of a body, a neck, on which the nut and headstock are embedded, it is also called a shoulder blade. There is a peg mechanism on it, with the help of which the balalaika is tuned. There are 3 strings on the balalaika: 2 of them are tuned the same (to the note “mi”, the third string is tuned to the note “la”). They play the balalaika with a finger, most often with a technique called “rattling”, but sometimes they also play with a “pinch”.
Andreev's next step was to create an ensemble of balalaika players from 8 people, then from 14. He ordered different types balalaika: I will accept, second, viola, bass and contrabass and gave concerts with this ensemble.
In 1892, during a tour in France, Andreev was awarded the title of Academician of the French Academy "for the introduction of a new element into music." Andreev's ensemble began to be invited to the most honorable stages of St. Petersburg. He was listened to and admired by many Russian musicians. In particular, P.I. Tchaikovsky said: “What a charm this balalaika is! What a striking effect it can give in an orchestra! In terms of timbre, this is an indispensable instrument!
And so, thanks to the efforts of Andreev, who was called the "father of the Russian balalaika", this instrument was revived and is now, perhaps, the most famous Russian folk musical instrument in the world.
The next tool is domra.
Musicians-scientists suggest that the Egyptian instrument "Pandura" was a distant ancestor of our Russian domra. Some peoples have instruments with similar names: Georgians have chunguri and panduri, southern Slavs have tanbura, Ukrainians have bandura, Turkmen have dutar, Mongols have dombur, Kyrgyz and Tatars have dumra, Kalmyks have domra.
IN ancient Rus' buffoons were very popular among the people. They, as we would now say, were professional artists; went to towns and villages and earned their living by giving performances. Their art was synthetic: they sang and danced and acted out various skits, in which they often ridiculed church ministers, merchants, and boyars. One of the favorite musical instruments of buffoons was domra .
In the art of buffoons, not only churchmen saw harm, but also princes, boyars, and then tsars. This is what appeared main reason the persecution of buffoons that soon began.
One of the royal decrees of the 15th century says: “Where domras, surnas and harps appear, then order them all to be washed out and, having broken those demonic games, order them to be burned, and which people will not lag behind that ungodly deed, order to beat the batogs.” And according to one of the royal decrees XVII century, 5 loaded carts with musical instruments were brought to the outskirts of Moscow, which were burned. As a result of these actions, the domra was forgotten for several centuries, and only thanks to the efforts of V.V. Andreev at the end of the 19th century, this instrument was revived.
If you look at the device of this instrument, then we will notice that, unlike the balalaika, the body of this instrument has a rounded shape.
They play it not with fingers, like on a balalaika, but with a plectrum (a bone or plastic plate), due to which the sound is extracted louder, but harder, compared to a balalaika. There are two types of domra: three-string and four-string. The four-string has the same tuning as the violin, so you can play all the works written for the violin on it. The sound of the four-stringed domra is quieter, so it is rarely used in an orchestra, but mainly it is used as a solo and ensemble instrument. Let's hear how domra sounds.
Both balalaikas and domras are part of the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. There are different types of these tools: balalaika prima, balalaika second, balalaika alto, bass balalaika, double bass balalaika, domrapiccolo, small, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, bass and contrabass. In the orchestra of Russian folk instruments, piccolo domras, small, alto and bass domras became widespread.
And in conclusion, I would like to say a few words about folk instruments accordion And button accordion , although they are not strings, today we have the last lesson on folk musical instruments and it is impossible not to talk about them.
It is impossible to say for sure exactly where the hand harmonica was first invented. It is widely believed that the accordion was invented in Germany, in early XIX century.
But there are other data as well. For example, according to the research of academician Mirek, the first accordion appeared in St. Petersburg in 1783 through the efforts of the Czech organ master Frantisek Kirsnik (he invented a new way to extract sound - using a metal tongue vibrating under the action of an air stream).
Russian accordions can be divided into two types according to the type of sound extraction: accordions, in which, when the bellows are stretched and compressed, each button, when pressed, gives a sound of the same pitch, and accordions, in which the pitch changes depending on the direction of the bellows.
The first type includes such accordions as "livenka", "Russian wreath", "khromka" (the most common in our time).
To the second type - "talyanka", "turtle", "Tula", "Vyatka". Harmonies can also be divided according to the type of the right keyboard, depending on the number of rows of buttons. In general, it must be said that in appearance the accordions are very different. The most common harmonium in our time is the two-row "khromka", but there are also three-row instruments and instruments with one row of buttons.
What is the main difference between an accordion and an accordion? On the harmonica, the system is diatonic. To understand what a diatonic scale is, imagine a piano keyboard. It has white and black keys. If the piano had an accordion-like tuning, it wouldn't have black keys. You can easily play Russian tunes on the harmonica (there are no chromatic sounds in them).
But there are melodies in which there are chromatic sounds (like black keys on a piano). It is impossible to play such melodies on the harmonica; Harmony's possibilities are limited.
To get rid of this shortcoming, a harmonica with a full chromatic scale was invented, and it was designed by the Bavarian master Mirwald from the city of Zieletue (Germany) in 1891. This instrument had a three-row push-button right keyboard with a range of four octaves. The sound during unclamping and squeezing the fur was the same. The accompaniment of the left keyboard at first consisted only of major triads, but it was soon improved. That is, it was already a button accordion, only it had not yet been called that way.
Around 1892, such a harmonica became known in Russia, where the scale system of its right keyboard was called “foreign”, and later, in the 20th century, these instruments began to be made by Moscow masters, and then Tula and others. In Russia, the Moscow layout has been the standard layout for button accordions to date.
Since 1906, three-row button accordions with the Moscow layout were made at the Tula factory "Brothers Kiselev".
The Russian harmonica makers made an important improvement to the design of the left keyboard of the Mirwald harmonica.
In September 1907, the St. Petersburg master Pyotr Egorovich Sterligov made a button accordion, on which he had been working for more than two years, for the outstanding harmonist Y.F. Orlansky-Titarenko, and gave this instrument a name in honor of the ancient Russian singer-storyteller Boyan (Bayan), mentioned in the poem " The word about Igor's regiment ”, this name was first used on posters in early May 1908 in Moscow. Thus, an instrument now popular in our country appeared - button accordion
In 1913, P.E. Sterligov made the first in Russia, and possibly in the world, a five-row button accordion with two auxiliary rows of buttons in the right keyboard, like a modern button accordion. Following Sterligov, other masters began to make five-row button accordions.
Bayan consists of three parts - the right and left semi-hulls, between which there is a fur chamber. The sound in the bayan arises due to the vibration of the reeds in the openings of the voice bar under the influence of an air stream from the fur chamber or into the fur chamber.
The right and, to a lesser extent, the left keyboards may have a number of register switches, depending on the number of simultaneous voices when pressing one button.
Bayans have a 3 or 5 row right keyboard. In the 5-row keyboard, the first two rows (from fur) are auxiliary, they duplicate the notes located in the other three rows.
Let's listen to how the modern button accordion sounds. Performed by the laureate International competitions, Professor of the Voronezh Academy of Arts Alexander Sklyarov, Evgeny Derbenko's play "Gallop" will be performed.
Today we talked about the main stringed Russian folk instruments (gusli, balalaika, domra) and popular folk instruments accordion and button accordion.
Our next topic will be the instruments of the symphony orchestra.
Wind folk instruments. Video lesson.
Wind folk instruments can be divided into 3 groups:
1. Whistling
2.Reed
3. Ear pads
Whistling wind instruments are the most ancient representatives of this group. The sound in them is formed due to the fact that the stream of air that is blown into them is cut into 2 parts. Perhaps, which of you had to blow air into a bottle to make it sound? Sound in this case is obtained due to the fact that part of the air jet is directed into the bottle, and part - past it, and thanks to this it begins to sound. On the example of a whistle, which we will talk about a little later, we can see that part of the air, when blown, enters the whistle, and part goes past. The sound of all wind whistling instruments is based on this principle. The only difference is that when playing on some of them, the performer himself has to direct the air stream in this way, and in some of them a special whistle is inserted for this, thanks to which this stream is divided.
One of the most ancient instruments of this group are coogicles, which can be called the Russian version of the Pan flute.
In Russia, a variety of the Pan flute exists mainly in the southern regions (Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod) and in different villages has its own names - “kuvichki”, “kuvikly”, “pipes”, “tarsals”, but its most stable name is “kugikly ". Cookies are called so because they were made from reed stalks, which are called kugi. Reed pipes are harvested in late autumn, when the bulrush stalks are fully ripe. At the junctions of the tubes, the so-called "joints", cuts were made around the tube with a sharp knife. Slightly broken, they were separated from one another. Tubes were obtained, tightly closed at one end and open at the other. Then the inner walls of the tubes were cleaned of deposits either with a goose feather ( folk tradition manufacturing), or a round stick. Sometimes other plants that had tubular stems were also used to make kugicles. Usually the googicles consisted of 3 -5 tubes the same diameter, but different lengths (usually from 10 to 16 cm). The upper ends of the tubes were open, the lower ends were closed. The trunks, unlike the Pan flute, were not fastened together. Open tube ends brought to the mouth, blew on the edges of the slices, thus extracting sounds. You know that by lengthening the tube, we will get a lower sound, and by shortening the tube, we will get higher sounds, but in this way the coogicles were not usually tuned, because by mistakenly shortening the tube more than necessary, it turned out to be unusable. Instead of shortening the tube, a pebble was placed in it at the bottom or wax was poured, that is, in case of an error, it could be corrected. Sometimes the lower ends were plugged with plugs that could be moved up and down to change the volume of air in the tube and thus adjust them.
Men didn't usually play coogicles, that's clean female instrument. They were usually played by an ensemble of 3-4 performers.
Quite often, coogicles act as an accompanying instrument.
The next representative of this group, whom we will meet, will be whistles.
A characteristic feature of which is that many of them are not made of wood, like most Russian folk instruments, but of clay. In many countries of the world there is a tool called akarina, which means goose in Italian. Initially, it really looked like a caterpillar, but later these instruments began to be made in the form of various animals.
In Rus', such instruments were simply called whistles. In different areas they different shape, but most often they were made in the form cockerels with 2-3-4 holes. The coloring of the whistles had its own symbolism.
I must say that some craftsmen, making whistles, cared only about them. appearance, and then, playing on this whistle, it was only possible to create a certain background.
And some masters, on the contrary, did not care too much about the appearance of the whistles, but carefully worked on their system.
Many whistles have only two playing holes, and they extract 4 different sounds from the instrument.
If you clamp both holes, the lowest sound will sound, if you hold the left hole, and if you release the right hole, the next sound of the scale will sound. By changing the fingers, i.e. by holding the right one and releasing the left one, one can extract the third sound of the scale, and by releasing both holes we get the fourth sound.
Perhaps the next most common tool is flute.
This instrument has different names: pipe, duda, snot, sipovka, squeaker, pyzhatka, etc. The structure of all these instruments is the same: a hollow tube with holes made, on one side of which a whistle is inserted. If you clamp all the holes and blow into the flute, then the lowest sound will sound. Releasing all the holes in turn, we will shorten the sounding column of air and each time the sounds will be higher and higher.
The flute is made from various materials(you can make it from oak, pear, acacia, bamboo). However, they will sound slightly different.
The material from which a flute is made does not affect its sound as much as, for example, the material from which stringed instruments are made. The people sometimes made it from a branch of a tree. Remember the famous words folk song“There was a birch in the field”: I will cut three rods from a birch, I will make three beeps out of them. This is sung about making a flute. In the spring, during sap flow, they took a branch, pulled off the bark from it, thus obtaining a tube and made a flute out of it (in the song it is called a “horn”. A flute can also be made from some kind of metal tube (for example, from ski pole), by drilling holes in the right places, and inserting a whistling device on one side.
The next group of wind folk musical instruments is reed wind instruments.
The very name of groups of musical instruments tells us how to produce sound on them. If the whistling sound is extracted with a whistle inserted into the tube, then in the reeds a tongue sounds, which vibrates when air is blown into the instrument.
The most common tool in this group is pitiful. The name of the instrument comes from the fact that it makes a rather pitiful sound (albeit a bit harsh if played indoors).
It consists of tubes with holes made in it, at one end of which a cow horn is planted, and a mouthpiece is inserted into the other, on which there is a tongue that vibrates when air is blown into the instrument. Because of this cow horn, this instrument is sometimes mistakenly called a horn.
The longer the tongue was, the higher the pity sounded, and vice versa, the shorter the tongue, the higher the sound of the pity. Previously, the tongue was tied to the mouthpiece and it was very inconvenient to tune the pit. For more than 30 years he worked in the orchestra of the Pyatnitsky Choir famous performer and master of wind folk instruments N.Z. Kudryashov, who came up with the idea of attaching the tongue with a ring made of polyvinyl chloride insulating tube, which is used by electricians. Thanks to this, the process of setting up a zhaleyka has been greatly simplified. By sliding this ring back and forth, you can change the length of the sounding tongue, thus adjusting the pity
They play not only one pity, there are also ensembles of pityers, in which they play on pityers of different lengths, having a different system. Just like the parts of the choir, they are called: stingy soprano, stingy alto, stingy tenor and stingy bass.
And the last instrument of this group (reed wind instruments), which we will get acquainted with, is bagpipes.
It is believed that the name of the instrument comes from the name of the place of its appearance - Volyn, which was part of Kievan Rus.
On ancient maps you can see where it was located.
Many peoples of the world have an instrument of similar design.
In Belarus it is called a duda, its English name can be translated into Russian as a game bag, in the Netherlands it is called (translated into Russian) a buzzing bag, in Ukraine, Moldova and Poland it is called a goat, etc.
Why does it have such strange names?
The fact is that it was made earlier, usually from goat or calf skin, sewing a bag out of it, into which, most often, zhaleyki were inserted. A tube was inserted into one hole, from the front legs in the skin, through which air was pumped into the skin. There was a non-return valve in this tube that did not allow air to escape from this bag. A stinger was inserted into the hole from the other leg, and one or two more stingers were sewn into the neck opening, which sounded, always making the same sound. These lingering sounds are called bourdons, they sound continuously, creating a harmonic background of the melody. They hold the bagpipe, more often, under the arm, periodically pumping air into the bag. When you press the bag, air comes out of it through the vents, making them sound.
This instrument is especially popular in Scotland, and is considered a national relic.
In Scotland, this instrument is even included in military bands.
I must say that now, in the manufacture of bagpipes, most often an inflatable bag is made not from a goat skin, but from an oxygen medical pillow, into which the pity is sewn, and then this pillow is covered with a goat skin. It's easier and more reliable to make a bagpipe.
Well last group musical wind instruments that we need to get acquainted with is embouchure musical instruments . The most famous instrument of this group is horn . The name of the instrument comes from the French wordbouche- the mouth, since the sound on them is formed from the vibration of the lips themselves, folded in a certain way. At the end of the instrument, into which air is blown, there is a special cup for the lips, which is called a mouthpiece, therefore this group of instruments is sometimes called mouthpiece.
Horns were made in 2 ways.
The first method consisted in the fact that two halves of the horn were hollowed out and cut out from two blanks in a longitudinal section, and then glued together and tightly wrapped with birch bark.
In the second manufacturing method , the horn was turned on lathe from a solid workpiece, inside which a hole was burned.
The mouthpiece was sometimes integral with the horn, and sometimes inserted into it. The first professional ensemble of horn players was created at the end of the 19th century by Nikolai Vasilyevich Kondratiev, who was called the Vladimir horn players choir. This horn choir great success performed not only in our country, but also abroad.
The ensemble consisted of 12 horn players, which were divided into three groups: high, medium and low. Therefore, the size of the horns was different (from about 40 to 80 cm). Later, similar ensembles arose in other cities.
Nowadays, there are quite a few groups of horn players who carefully preserve and develop folk traditions.
History of musical instruments. Video lesson.
When did musical instruments originate? You can get very different answers to this question (from 100 years to tens of thousands). In reality, no one can answer this question, since it is unknown. But it is known that one of the most ancient tools found during archaeological excavations is more 40 thousand years(it was a flute made from an animal bone, the femur of a cave bear). But wind instruments did not appear first, which means that musical instruments appeared even earlier.
What was the first instrument?
The first prototype of a musical instrument was human hands. At first, people sang, clapping their hands, which were, as it were, his musical instrument. Then people began to pick up two sticks, two stones, two shells, and instead of clapping their hands, they hit each other with these objects, while receiving various sounds. The toolkit of people largely depended on the area where they lived. If they lived in the forest zone, then they took 2 sticks, if they lived by the sea - 2 shells, etc.
Thus, instruments appear, the sound of which is extracted by means of a blow, therefore such instruments are called percussion .
The most common percussion instrument is, of course, drum . But the invention of the drum belongs to a much later time. How this happened, we cannot now say. We can only guess. For example, once, having hit a hollowed tree in order to drive out bees from there and take honey from them, a person listened to an unusually booming sound that comes from hitting a hollowed tree, and he came up with the idea to use it in his orchestra. Then people realized that it was not necessary to look for a hollow tree, but you could take some kind of stump and hollow out the middle in it. Well, if you wrap it on one side with the skin of a dead animal, you get a tool very similar to drum. Many peoples have tools of a similar design. The only difference is that they are made of different materials and slightly different in shape.
In the music of different nations percussion instruments play a different role. Especially important role they played in the music of African peoples. There were various drums, from small drums to huge drums, reaching 3 meters. The sound of these huge drums could be heard for several kilometers.
There was a very sad period in history associated with the slave trade. Europeans or Americans sailed to the African continent to capture and then sell its inhabitants. Sometimes when they came to the village, they did not find anyone there, the inhabitants had time to leave from there. This happened because the sounds of the drum that came from the neighboring village warned them about this, i.e. people understood the "language" of drums.
Thus, the first group percussion instruments .
What group of instruments appeared after the drums? These were wind Instruments, which are called so because the sound is extracted from them by blowing in air. What led a person to the invention of these tools, we also do not know, but we can only assume something. For example, one day, while hunting, a man went to the shore of a lake. Dul strong wind and suddenly a man heard a sound. At first, he was wary, but upon listening, he realized that it was a broken reed that sounded. Then the man thought: “What if you yourself break the reed, and blowing air into it, try to make it sound?” Having successfully done this, people learned to extract sounds by blowing air. Then the man realized that a short reed makes higher sounds, and a long one lower ones. People began to tie reeds of different lengths and, thanks to this, extract sounds of different heights. Such an instrument is often referred to as the Pan flute.
This is due to the legend that a long time ago in ancient Greece there lived a goat-footed god named Pan. One day he was walking through the forest and suddenly saw a beautiful nymph named Syrinx. Pan to her... And the beautiful nymph took a dislike to Pan and began to run away from him. She runs and runs, and Pan is already catching up with her. Syrinx prayed to her father - the river god, that he would save her. Her father turned her into a reed. Pan cut that reed and made himself a pipe out of it. And let's play it. No one knows that it is not the flute that sings, but the sweet-voiced nymph Syrinx.
Since then, it has become customary that multi-barreled flutes, similar to a fence of shortened reed pipes, are called Pan flutes - on behalf of ancient greek god fields, forests and grasses. And in Greece itself, it is now often called the syrinx. Many nations have such instruments, only they are called differently. The Russians have kugikly, kuvikly or kuvichki, the Georgians have larchemi (soinari), in Lithuania - skuduchay, in Moldova and Romania - nai or muskal, among the Latin American Indians - samponyo. Some call Pan's flute a flute.
Even later, people realized that it was not necessary to take several pipes, but it was possible to make several holes in one pipe, and by clamping them in a certain way, extract various sounds.
When our distant ancestors made some inanimate object sound, it seemed to them a real miracle: before their eyes, dead objects came to life, gained a voice. There are many legends and songs about the singing reed. One of them tells how a reed grew on the grave of a murdered girl, when they cut it and made a flute out of it, she sang and told in a human voice about the death of the girl, named the name of the killer. This tale was translated into verse by the great Russian poet M.Yu. Lermontov.
Cheerful fisherman sat
On the banks of the river
And in front of him in the wind
The reeds swayed.
He cut the dry reed
And pierced the wells
He pinched one end
Blowed at the other end.
And as if animated, the reed spoke -
Thus arose the second group of musical instruments, which are called wind
Well, the third group of musical instruments, as you probably already guessed, is string group of instruments . And the very first stringed instrument was a simple Hunter bow. Many times before hunting, a person checked whether the bowstring. And one day, having listened to this melodious sound of a bowstring, a man decided to use it in his orchestra. He realized that a short bowstring made higher sounds, and a longer bowstring made lower sounds. But it is inconvenient to play on several bows, and the person pulled on the bow not one bowstring, but several. If you imagine this tool, you can find in it similarities with harp .
Thus there are three groups of musical instruments: percussion, wind and strings.
Percussion folk instruments. Video lesson
Russian folk percussion instruments are the first of three groups of folk instruments.A characteristic feature of Russian folk percussion instruments is that some of them were household items.Perhaps one of the most common Russian folk instruments are spoons. Spoons used to be wooden, and these wooden spoons people began to use it as a percussion instrument. They usually played on three spoons, of which two were held in one hand, and the third in the other. Children often play with two spoons, fastened together Spoon performers are called spoons . There are very skillful spoon players who play with more spoons, which are stuck both in boots and in the belt.
The next percussion instrument, which was also a household item, is rubel . It is a wooden block with notches on one side. It was used to wash and iron clothes. If we run a wooden stick over it, then we will hear a whole cascade of loud, crackling sounds.
Our next tool that we will get acquainted with will be ratchet . There are two varieties of this tool. Ratchet, which is a set of wooden plates tied together with a rope and a circular ratchet, inside which is a toothed drum, during the rotation of which a wooden plate hits it.
No less popular percussion folk instrument is tambourine , which is a wooden hoop with metal small plates, on one side of which the skin is stretched.
The next Russian folk percussion instrument is box . It is a piece of wood, usually made of hardwood, with a small cavity under the top of the body that amplifies the sound produced by drumsticks or xylophone sticks. The sound of this instrument conveys well the clatter of hooves or the sound of heels in a dance.
Russia with its vast expanses cannot be imagined without triplets horses, without coachmen. In the evening, in the snowy perga, when visibility was very poor, it was necessary for people to hear the approaching three. For this purpose, bells and bells were hung under the arc of the horse. Bell It is a metal cup open to the bottom with a drummer (tongue) suspended inside. It sounds only in limbo. Bell it is a hollow ball in which a metal ball (or several balls) rolls freely, hitting the walls when shaken, as a result of which a sound is extracted, but duller than a bell.
So many songs and instrumental compositions are devoted to the Russian troika and coachmen that it became necessary to introduce a special musical instrument into the orchestra of folk instruments that imitates the sound of coachman's bells and bells. This tool is called bells . A strap is sewn onto a small piece of leather the size of a palm to help hold the instrument in the palm of your hand. On the other hand, as many bells as possible are sewn on. By shaking the bells or hitting them on the knee, the player extracts sounds reminiscent of the ringing of the bells of the Russian troika.
And now we will talk about a tool called kokoshnik .
In the old days, village watchmen were armed with so-called mallets. The watchman walked
at night in the village and knocked on it, letting fellow villagers understand that he was not sleeping, but working, and at the same time scaring away thieves.
According to the principle of this watch mallet, the percussion folk instrument kokoshnik is arranged. It is based on a small wooden frame, covered with leather or plastic, which is hit by a ball suspended from the top. The player makes frequent oscillatory movements with his hand, forcing the tied ball to dangle from side to side and alternately hit the walls of the kokoshnik.
The following musical instrument is called firewood . It consists of logs tied with a rope of different lengths. Not all woods will sound good. It is better to take hardwood firewood. Logs are taken in different lengths, but approximately the same thickness. After the instrument is made, it is tuned.
We got acquainted with the main Russian folk instruments, and in conclusion I would like to introduce you to some of the most famous percussion instruments of other peoples.
A very common Latin American instrument is maracas.
Maracas or maraca is the oldest shock-noise instrument of the native inhabitants of the Antilles - the Taino Indians, a kind of rattle that makes a characteristic rustling sound when shaken. Currently, maracas are popular throughout Latin America and are one of the symbols of Latin American music. Typically, a maraca player uses a pair of rattles, one in each hand.
In Russian, the name of the instrument is often used in the not quite correct form "maracas". A more correct form of the name is "maraka".
Initially, the dried fruits of the gourd tree, known in Cuba as "guira" and in Puerto Rico as "iguero", were used to make maracas. The gourd tree is a small evergreen plant that is widely distributed in the West Indies (Antilles), Mexico and Panama. Large iguero fruits, covered with a very hard green shell and reaching 35 cm in diameter, were used by the Indians to make both musical instruments and utensils.
For the manufacture of maracas, fruits of a small size with a regular rounded shape were used. After removing the pulp through two holes drilled in the body and drying the fruit, small pebbles or plant seeds were poured inside, the number of which in any pair of maraks is different, which provides each instrument with a unique individual sound. At the last stage, a handle was attached to the resulting spherical rattle, after which the instrument was ready.
And now let's get acquainted with a very famous Spanish percussion instrument - castanets.
Castanets are a percussion musical instrument, which consists of two concave shell plates, connected by a cord in the upper parts. Castanets are most widely used in Spain, southern Italy and Latin America.
Similar simple musical instruments, suitable for rhythmic accompaniment of dance and singing, were used in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.
The name castanets in Russian is borrowed from Spanish, where they are called castañuelas ("chestnuts") because of their resemblance to chestnut fruits. In Andalusia, they are more commonly referred to as palillos ("sticks").
The plates were traditionally made of hardwood, although in Lately for this, metal or fiberglass is increasingly being used. IN symphony orchestra, for the convenience of performers, castanets are most often used, fixed on a special stand (the so-called "castanets-machine").
The castanets used by Spanish dancers and dancers were traditionally made in two sizes. Large castanets were held with the left hand and beat off the main movement of the dance. Small castanets were in the right hand and beat off various musical drawings which accompanied the performance of dances and songs. Accompanied by songs, the castanets performed only as a role-play - during a break in the voice part.
In world culture, castanets are most strongly associated with the image of Spanish music, especially with the music of the Spanish gypsies. That's why this tool often used in classical music to create a "Spanish flavor"; for example, in such works as G. Bizet's opera Carmen, in Glinka's Spanish overtures Jota of Aragon and Night in Madrid, in Rimsky-Korsakov's Spanish Capriccio, in Spanish dances from Tchaikovsky's ballets.
Although percussion instruments are not given the main role in music, but not infrequently, percussion instruments give the music a unique flavor.
The first Russian folk musical instruments arose a long time ago, back in time immemorial. You can learn about what our ancestors played from paintings, handwritten brochures and popular prints.
A number of tools were found during excavations, and now no one can have any doubts that they were indeed common in Rus'. Our ancestors could not live without music. Many of them were able to independently produce the simplest tools, which were then inherited. In the evenings people gathered and played, resting from the day's work.
Let's take a closer look at musical instruments. Every inhabitant of our country should have at least a general idea of them.
Gusli
This is an instrument with strings. He first appeared in Rus'.
Gusli is the oldest of all that have come down to us. They are helmet-shaped and pterygoid. The latter were made in the shape of a triangle, their minimum number of strings is 5, and the maximum is 14. On the wing-shaped (voiced) harp is such that a person touches all the strings with his right hand at once. And the left at this time neutralizes unnecessary sounds. As for the helmet-shaped ones (they are also called psalter-shaped ones), a person plays them with both hands at once. These folk instruments are quite difficult to master, but they are worth it.
Clavier-shaped harp
Let's consider them. They were common not only in antiquity, but also in the twentieth century, they were often played by representatives of the clergy.
These harps were similar to psalter-shaped ones, but much better. The basis of this instrument was a rectangular box equipped with a lid. On one side, several golosniks (special oval holes) were cut out, then a pair of wooden chips were attached to it. Metal pegs were screwed into one of them, strings of the same material were wound on them. Another sliver served as a keeper. No special explanation is required here, the name speaks for itself. Strings were fixed on it. This instrument was inherent in the piano system. Interestingly, the strings, similar to the dark keys, were located below the corresponding white ones. To play the clavier-like harp, one had to know the notes. Otherwise, there would be no normal melody. Folk instruments, the pictures of which you see in front of you, enchant everyone who hears them.
Kantele relative
It is impossible not to mention the harp, which in appearance resembled a kantele - an instrument originally from Finland. Most likely, the Russians were inspired to create them by the traditions of this country. Unfortunately, in the twentieth century, such harps were completely forgotten.
Now you know the most famous ancient folk stringed instruments.
Balalaika
Many folk musicians still play it today. The balalaika is a plucked instrument with three strings.
Its dimensions vary greatly: there are models whose size reaches 600 mm, but there are also species 1.7 meters long. In the first case we are talking about the so-called prima, and in the second - about the balalaika-double bass. This instrument has a slightly curved wooden body, but in the XVIII— 19th century x were also oval. If you ask any foreigner what he associates with Russia, then he will certainly come up with a balalaika. The accordion and the pity are also symbols of our country, but less popular.
Sound Features
The sound of the balalaika is loud, but gentle. The most common playing techniques are single and double pizzicato. Not the last place is also occupied by rattling, fractions, vibrato, tremolo. Folk instruments, including the balalaika, sound quite soft, although loud. The melodies are very soulful and often sad.
Double bass balalaika
Previously, this instrument did not have a well-established, widely used tuning.
Each musician tuned it according to their preferences, the mood of the tunes played, and local customs. However, in the 19th century, this situation radically changed, after which the balalaika became an indispensable attribute of many concerts. Folk instruments, the photos of which you see, are still used by many musicians in their performances today.
Academic and popular system
The system, created by Andreev, has gained immense popularity among performers traveling around the country. It became known as academic. In addition to it, there is also the so-called popular system. In this case, it is easier to take triads, and the difficulty lies in the fact that it is rather difficult to use open strings. In addition to all of the above, there are local ways to tune the balalaika. There are twenty of them.
We can say that the balalaika is a fairly popular folk instrument. Many learn to play it in music schools in our country, as well as in Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus. Folk instruments today attract a lot of young people, and this is good news.
ancient balalaika
There is no single answer to the question of when the balalaika appeared - there are many versions. It gained popularity in the 17th century. It is possible that her ancestor is Kazakh dombra. The ancient balalaika was a rather long instrument, the body length of which was approximately 27 cm. And its width reached 18 cm. The instrument was also notable for its very oblong neck.
Tool modification
The balalaikas played today are outwardly different from the ancient ones. The musician V. Andreev, together with S. Nalimov, F. Paserbsky, and V. Ivanov, modified the instrument. These people decided that the soundboard should be made from spruce and the back from beech. In addition, Andreev suggested making the tool a little shorter, up to 700 mm. The remarkable man F. Paserbsky invented a whole group of balalaikas: I will accept, tenor, double bass, piccolo, alto, bass. Today it is impossible to imagine a traditional Russian orchestra without them. Some time later, this man, who made many Russian folk instruments, received a patent for them.
The balalaika can be used not only in orchestras, it is also often played solo.
Harmonic
This is a reed instrument belonging to the pneumatic keyboard family.
The accordion should not be confused with the accordion and button accordion.
This tool consists of two half-cases, on which there are panels with keys and buttons. The left side is needed for accompaniment: if you hold down one key, you will hear a bass or a whole chord, and the right side is for playing. In the middle there is a fur compartment for pumping oxygen to the accordion sound bars.
How does this instrument differ from an accordion or button accordion:
On a standard harmonica, a musician usually extracts exclusively diatonic sounds, in some cases chromatic sounds are also added;
Fewer octaves;
Compactness.
Who invented this tool?
There is no exact information about where the first accordion was made. According to one version, it was created in Germany, in the 19th century. F.K. Bushman is considered its inventor. But there are other versions. In Germany, there is an opinion that the accordion was created in Russia, and according to the scientist Mirek, the first such instrument was made in northern capital in 1783, it was created by Frantisek Kirsnik, an organ master originally from the Czech Republic. This man came up with original way receiving sound - by means of an iron tongue, which comes into motion from exposure to oxygen. WITH late XIX For centuries, the accordion has been considered a Tatar folk instrument. There are other, no less interesting versions.
Classification of accordions
These folk instruments, common in Russia, are divided into two types according to the method of producing sound. The first category includes accordions, in which, during the movement of the bellows, all keys, when pressed, make sounds of the same pitch. These tools are quite popular. And the second category includes accordions, in which the pitch of the sound depends on the direction in which the bellows are moving. The first type includes the Khromka (the most popular today), the Russian Wreath, and the Livenka instruments. And "Talyanka", "Tula", "Skull" and "Vyatka" belong to the second category. It is possible to classify accordions by the type of the right keyboard, and more specifically, by the number of keys. To date, the "hromka" has become widely known, which has two rows of buttons, but there are tools with three, and some even have only one row. Now you understand that there are many accordions and they are all different.
- Instruments with one row of buttons: "Tulskaya", "Vyatka", "Livenskaya", "Talyanka". The last name is derived from "Italian", there are 12/15 keys on the right, and 3 on the left.
- Tools with two rows of buttons: "Khromka", "Russian wreath".
- The harmonica is automatic.
spoons
Our ancestors played on them too. The minimum number of spoons per musician is three, the maximum is five.
These Russian folk instruments can be different sizes. When the spoons hit each other with a convex part, a characteristic sound is obtained. Its height may vary depending on the method of obtaining it.
Game technique
The musician, as a rule, plays on three spoons: he holds one in his right hand, and places the remaining two between the phalanges of his left. It's easy to imagine. Most performers strike on the leg or arm. This is explained by the fact that it is so much more convenient. The blows are made with one spoon on two, clamped in the left hand. In some cases, scoops are supplemented with small bells.
Belarusian musicians prefer to play with just two spoons.
It should be noted that scoops are widespread among folk performers from the USA and Britain. Jeff Richardson, a member of the English art-rock band Caravan, plays electric spoons during concerts.
Ukrainian folk instruments
A few words should be said about them.
In ancient times, cymbals, bagpipes, torbans, violins, psaltery and other wind, percussion and string instruments were common in Ukraine. In most cases, they were made from various improvised materials (animal bones, leather, wood).
The most popular was the kobza-bandura, without which it is impossible to imagine the Ukrainian epic.
The harp also gained wide popularity. This is with strings, there could be a lot of them, up to thirty or forty. In addition to Ukrainians and Russians, they were played by Czechs, Belarusians and many other nationalities. This suggests that the harp is really magnificent, and today they should not be forgotten.
Be sure to listen to the folk instruments whose names you now know. Beautiful melodies will definitely not leave you indifferent.
This is the sixth lesson in the series about the brilliant inventions of the Russians. This time we will talk about the instrument, without which not a single Russian fairy tale can do. I will try to show you how to draw a balalaika in stages: Balalaika is a symbol of the Russian people and proof that only three strings and half a liter are enough for creativity. Despite the apparent simplicity of the device, learning to play on it is not easy. The training takes about five years. And it's not a fact that after that you can easily play freestyle on it.
But don't get upset. On DeiFan, you will only need a couple of hours to draw this instrument, even if you are holding a pencil for the first time in your life:
How to draw a balalaika with a pencil step by step
Step one. Let's sketch first. This can be done using geometric shapes: 
Step two. Add the head, neck and body. 
Step three. Now let's add the frets and the pattern on the balalaika. 
Step four. Gently shade to give it realism. Here is the result: 
I really hope that the lesson was useful for you. Write to me, what other musical instruments would you like to portray? We have more such lessons.
