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The balalaika (балала́йка) is a stringed instrument of Russian origin, with a characteristic triangular body and 3 strings (or sometimes 6, in pairs).
The modern balalaika is found in six sizes:
The most common solo instrument is the prima, tuned E-E-A (the two lower strings being tuned to the same pitch).
The piccolo, prima, and secunda balalaikas are ideally strung with gut (or, today, usually nylon) strings on the lower pegs and a wire string on the top peg.
An important part of balalaika technique is the use of the left-hand thumb to fret notes on the bottom string, particularly on the prima, where it is used to form chords. The index finger is used to sound notes on the prima, while a plectrum is used on the larger sizes. One can play the prima with a plectrum, but it is considered rather heterodox to do so.
Due to the gigantic size of the contrabass' strings, it is not uncommon for the plectrum to be made of a leather shoe or boot heelThe heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneum, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. In the long-footed mammals, both the hoofed species ( unguligrade) and the clawed.
The origins of the balalaika are not precisely known, but most likely it was imported into Russia by the Mongols from Central AsiaCentral Asia is a region of Asia. Various definitions of its exact composition exist. Definitions Under one definition, Central Asia covers about 9,029,000 km2, or 21% of the continent. Under this definition Central Asia includes the following countries:, from whence several kinds of fretted long-necked chordophoneA chordophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating string or strings stretched between two points. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instruments stem, including the PersiaPersia is the historical name for the state of Iran. The name was used in the West due to the ancient Greek name for Iran, Persis''. Persia is used to describe the nation of Iran, its people, or its ancient empire. The name Persia comes from a province inn sitarThe sitar is a Hindustani classical music instrument. It typically has a gourd acting as the resonating chamber. A distinctive feature is the frets, which are moveable (allowing fine variation in tuning) and raised (so that resonant, or sympathetic, strin, the UzbekUzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Uzbekistan, but also in Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Xinjiang province of China and other countries in Central Asia. The Uzbeks predominatly follow Islam (mainly Sunni Islam) in a form that bec and UyghurUyghurs (also called Uighurs Uygurs or Uigurs ( Chinese: or in pinyin: weiwu'er) are a Turkic ethnic group of people living in northwestern China (mainly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they are the dominant ethnic group together with Han p dutar, and the Turkish saz.
Early representations of the balalaika show it with anywhere from two to six strings, which would be consistent with the nature of the Central Asian instruments described above. Similarly, frets 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 microtonal playing distinctive to Turkish and Central Asian music).
Eventually, the balalaika evolved into a triangular instrument with a neck substantially shorter than its Asian counterparts. It was popular as a village instrument for centuries, particularly with the skomorokh s, sort of free-lance musical jesters whose tunes ridiculed the Tsar, the Russian Orthodox Church, and Russian society in general.
A popular notion is that the three sides and strings of the balalaika are supposed to represent the Holy Trinity. This idea, while whimsical, is quite difficult to reconcile when one is confronted with the fact that at various times in Russian history, the playing of the balalaika was banned because of its use by the skomorokhi, who were generally highly irritating to both Church and State.
In the late 19th century, a Russian nobleman, Vassily Vassilievich Andreyev , embarked on a project to standardize the balalaika for orchestral use. Andreyev, with the assistance of luthiers, developed the multiple balalaika sizes and tunings in use today. He arranged many traditional Russian folk songs and melodies for the orchestra and also composed many tunes of his own.
Andreyev simultaneously revived two other long-lost Russian instruments:
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