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The balalaika (балала́йка) is a stringed instrument of Russia n origin, with a characteristic Triangular body and 3 strings (or sometimes 6, in pairs). STRUCTURE AND TECHNIQUE 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 Tune d 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 Thumb to fret notes on the bottom string, particularly on the prima, where it is used to form Chord s. 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 Heel . The contrabass balalaika rests on the ground on a wooden or metal pin drilled into one of its corners. HISTORY The origins of the balalaïka are not precisely known. Early representations of the balalaika show it with anywhere from two to six strings, which resembles certain Central Asian instruments. Similarly, Fret 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 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 Jester s whose tunes ridiculed the Tsar , the Russian Orthodox Church , and Russian society in general. The first written reference to a balalaika was on an arrest slip for two serfs in 1688, accused of being drunk and disorderly outside the Kremlin in Moscow , playing the balalaika. 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. Musical instruments are not allowed in Russian Orthodox liturgy. A likelier reason for the triangular shape is given by the writer and historian Nikolai Gogol in his unfinished novel ''Dead Souls.'' He states that a balalaika was made by peasants out of a pumpkin. If you quarter a pumpkin, you are left with a balalaika shape. Another theory is: Before Tsar Peter The Great, instruments were not allowed in Russia. When Peter allowed them, only the boat builders knew how to work with wood. The balalaika looks a little like the front of a boat, if held horizontally. In the late 19th century, a Russian nobleman, Vassily Vassilievich Andreyev , embarked on a project to standardize the balalaika for Orchestra l use. Andreyev, with the assistance of Luthier s, and furniture maker Nalimov, 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:
RISE OF THE BALALAIKA ORCHESTRA The end result of Andreyev's labours was the development of a strong orchestral tradition in Tsarist Russia, and, later, the Soviet Union . The balalaika orchestra in its full form -- balalaikas, Domra s, Gusli , Bayan , Kugikles , Vladimir Shepherd's Horns , Garmoshkas and several types of Percussion Instrument s -- has a distinctive sound: strangely familiar to the ear, yet decidedly not entirely Western. Not surprisingly, the concept of the balalaika orchestra was adopted wholeheartedly by the Soviet government as something distinctively Soviet (i.e., Russian). Enormous amounts of energy and time were devoted by the Soviet government to foster conservatory study of the balalaika, from which highly skilled ensemble groups such as the Osipov State Balalaika Orchestra emerged. Balalaika virtuosi such as Boris Feoktistov and Pavel Necheporenko became stars both inside and outside the Soviet Union. The world-famous Red Army Ensemble used a normal orchestra, except that the violins, violas and violoncellos were replaced with various sizes of balalaika and domra. Regrettably de-emphasized in the Soviet-encouraged rise of the professional orchestra was the vibrant Folk tradition from whence the balalaika stemmed. However, a Cabaret style of playing remained, and the balalaika was also played by some Russian Gypsie s. The cabaret/gypsy tradition was brought over to the United States by Russian Immigrant s in the early 20th Century. One notable U.S. cabaret-style player was New York's Sasha Polinoff . On a peculiar note, the 1968 self-titled album by the Beatles , commonly referred to as the " White Album ", contains the song Back In The USSR , which includes the following lyrics: Take me to your daddy’s farm Let me hear your balalaikas ringing out Come and keep your comrade warm. I’m back in the USSR . The tongue-in-cheek song gives mention to the instrument and undoubtedly showcased it to the world. In addition, some Russian Orthodox Church es in larger U.S. cities sponsored smaller balalaika orchestras where village-style and Andreyev-style playing coexisted side by side. The Balalaika received mention by the German band Scorpions in the 1990s song Wind Of Change , which celebrated the changes in Eastern Europe during the post Cold War period. The lyrics of the song referring to the Balalaika: The wind of change Blows straight into the face of time Like a stormwind that will ring the freedom bell For peace of mind -- Let your balalaika sing What my guitar wants to say... EXTERNAL LINKS
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