Folk instruments. Russian folk instruments. Russian folk musical instruments

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

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 the excavations, and now no one can doubt that they were indeed common in Russia. 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 a hard day.

Let's take a closer look at Russian folk 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 Russia.

Gusli is the oldest stringed instrument of all that has come down to us. They are helmet-shaped and pterygoid. The latter were made in the shape of a triangle, the minimum number of strings they have is 5, and the maximum is14. The technique of playing the pterygoid (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 ps alter-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 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 hymns, 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's relative

It is impossible not to mention the harp, which looked like a kantele, an instrument originally from Finland. Most likely on theirThe creation of the Russians was inspired 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 equipped with three strings.

Its sizes are very different: there are models whose size reaches 600 mm, but there are also species with a length of 1.7 meters. 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 arched wooden body, but oval ones were also found in the 18th-19th centuries. If you ask any foreigner what he associates Russia with, 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.

Balalaika-double bass

This instrument did not previously have a well-established, ubiquitous tuning.

Each musician tuned it according to their preferences, the mood of the tunes they played, and local customs. However, in the 19th centuryV. Andreev radically changed this situation, 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.

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 quite 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 quite a 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.

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 the 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. Also, the instrument was notable for its very oblong neck.

Tool modification

The balalaikas played today are outwardly different from the ancient ones. The instrument was modified by the musician V. Andreev together with S. Nalimov, F. Paserbsky, as well asV. Ivanov. 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.

Balalaika can be used not only in orchestras, it is also often played solo.

Accordion

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-shells, 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 accordion, 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. Its inventorthought to be F. C. Bushman. 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 the northern capital in 1783, it was created by Frantisek Kirsnik, an organ master originally from the Czech Republic. This man came up with an original way of producing sound - by means of an iron tongue, which comes into motion from exposure to oxygen. Since the end of the 19th century, the accordion has been considered a Tatar folk instrument. There are other equally interesting versions.

Classification of accordions

These folk instruments, widespread in Russia, are divided into two types according to the way they produce 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.

• Tools 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.
• Accordion automatic.

Spoons

Our ancestors played them too. The minimum number of spoons per musician is three, the maximum is five.

These Russian folk instruments can be of different sizes. When the spoons hit each other with a convex part, a characteristic sound is obtained. Its height may vary depending on how it was obtained.

Game technique

A musician, as a rule, plays on three spoons: he holds one in his right hand, and the remaining two he places between the phalanxes 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, the 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 artists from the US 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 as well.

In ancient times in Ukraine there werecymbals, bagpipes, torbans, violins, ps altery and other wind, percussion and string instruments are common. In most cases, they were made from various improvised materials (animal bones, leather, wood).

The kobza-bandura has gained the most popularity, without which it is impossible to imagine the Ukrainian epic.

The harp has also gained wide popularity. This is an ancient instrument with strings, there could be many, 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.