It belongs to the group of plucked fish a large number of musical instruments. These are harp, guitar, balalaika, lute, mandolin, dombra and many others. How did the most famous of them appear that have survived to this day? The history of many of these musical instruments is full of interesting facts.
Where did the harp come from?
The harp is a plucked musical instrument that was one of the very first on Earth. The harp was originally modified from a regular hunting bow. Apparently, even then ancient man I tried, in addition to one bowstring, to attach several more “strings” to its base. Interestingly, this instrument is also mentioned in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. In this letter, each hieroglyph represents a specific concept. When the Egyptians wanted to write the word “beautiful”, “wonderful”, they drew a harp. It was known to the ancient Egyptians as far back as 3 thousand years BC. The lyre and the harp are the two closest relatives of the hunting bow.
Harp playing in Ireland
Irish harpists were once highly revered. In ancient times, they stood at the next level of hierarchy after the leaders. Often the harpists were blind - Irish bards recited poetry while they played. The musicians performed ancient sagas using a small portable harp. This plucked musical instrument sounds very melodic. It is very often used by composers when they need to create a mysterious atmosphere or present the listener with a mysterious natural image.
Where does the modern guitar come from?
Music history researchers still cannot give a definite answer to the question about the appearance of the guitar. The instruments that are its prototypes date back to several thousand years BC. It is believed that the origin of the guitar is also connected with the use of a hunting bow. The ancestors of the modern guitar were found by geologists in excavations of ancient Egyptian settlements. This plucked musical instrument appeared here about 4 thousand years ago. Presumably, it was from Egypt that it was distributed along the entire Mediterranean coast.
Kifara - the ancestor of the Spanish guitar
The ancient analogue of the guitar was an instrument called the cithara. It is very similar to the guitars used today. Even today in Asian countries you can find a small musical instrument called “kinira”. In ancient times, the ancestors of guitars had only two or three strings. Only in the 16th century did a guitar with five strings appear in Spain. This is where she gets the most compared to others European countries, spreading. From these times the guitar began to be called national
History of the balalaika in Rus'
Everyone knows the plucked string musical instrument, which has become one of the national symbols Rusi is a balalaika. When it appeared in Russia, no one can say for sure. There is an assumption that the balalaika originates from the dombra, which was played by the Kyrgyz-Kaisaks. The earliest mention of the balalaika in history dates back to 1688.
However, one thing is certain - this plucked musical instrument itself was invented common people. Serf peasants, in order to forget about their hard lot at least for a while, loved to have fun and play the balalaika. It was also used by buffoons who traveled around fairs with performances.
A sad story is connected with the ban on the use of the balalaika by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The angry ruler at one time ordered the destruction of all plucked musical instruments that the population had. If anyone dares to disobey the king, he will be severely flogged and sent into exile. However, after the death of the autocrat, the ban was lifted, and the balalaika sounded again in Russian huts.
National musical instrument of Georgia
What plucked musical instrument is common on Georgian soil? This panduri is the main tool for musical accompaniment, to which songs are sung and poems of praise are read. Panduri also has a “brother” - an instrument called chonguri. Outwardly they are very similar, but their musical properties are different. Panduri is most often found in eastern Georgia. This Georgian plucked musical instrument is still widespread in such areas as Kakheti, Tusheti, Kartli, Pshavkhevsureti.
How did the banjo come about?
This musical instrument has always been associated with American country style. However, the banjo can be proud of much more ancient history. After all, it has African roots. It is believed that the banjo was first played by black slaves who were brought to American lands. The musical instrument itself comes from Africa. Initially, Africans used not even wood to create a banjo, but a pumpkin. Strings made of horsehair or hemp were pulled over it.
Stringed musical instruments are those whose sound source is the vibration of the strings. In the international classification they are called chordophones. The most famous and popular instruments of this class are: guitar, violin, viola, harp, dombra, balalaika, kobyz, gusli, cello and many others.
Classification of string instruments
Music is formed through the vibration of one or several strongly stretched threads, which represent a kind of bowstring. This device is called a string. It is stretched between the jumpers on the body of the instrument. These threads differ according to the material from which they are made. It can be copper, silver, or nylon.
Today the following types of string instruments are distinguished:
1. Pinched. Examples are guitars, harps, balalaikas, harps, dombras, sitars, ouds, ukuleles, etc. Here the main way to obtain sound is plucking. This action is carried out either with a finger or with a special plectrum. It is worth noting that some keyboard instruments are sometimes included in this classification. A striking example is the harpsichord, where a plastic reed vibrates along the string.
2. Bowed. The most well-known representatives This group includes such stringed musical instruments as violin, kobyz, double bass, viola and cello. To produce sound, a special bow made of wood and stretched hairs is used at the ends of the structure. Driving such a device along the strings causes a short-term melodic vibration.
3. Drums. These stringed musical instruments require additional accessories to play. This is what a small hammer is. The piano is rarely considered a percussion string instrument. However, the most famous example there will be cymbals. It is noteworthy that all actions with the hammer are performed by the player himself.
4. The rest. All other stringed musical instruments that do not fall into the generally accepted classification belong to an unspecified species. For example, the aeolian harp. To produce sound, the bowstring will vibrate due to air flow.
Varieties of plucked string instruments
Al-ud, or simply oud, is a real cultural heritage of the Medieval East. Translated from Arabic, the name of the instrument means “tree”. The body has a round shape. The neck is relatively short and has no frets. This is why al-udh has such a unique sound. The string combination consists of 5 pairs. They all must be tuned in unison. There are also alternative versions of the instrument with 13 strings. The bowstring is made from nylon, in ancient times from the intestine of an animal.
The harp is a musical instrument that is known to the world from medieval poems and legends. This is one of the most popular and beautiful representatives of the plucked string group. Currently, there are many varieties of harps, differing in shape, number of strings and sound. The instrument is most widespread in Great Britain. It is a curved frame with many strings stretched in parallel. It amazes with its melody and soft play of tones.
Another interesting plucked instrument is the dombra, or dambur. Counts national treasure Kazakhstan. It is a kind of guitar with two tightly stretched nylon strings. Tuned to either fifth or fourth. The frets must be veiny. Located at the very top of the neck.
The most popular Western string instrument is the mandolin. The sound is achieved by plucking four double strings. These instruments differ in shape: elongated, lute-shaped, flat-bottomed. An unusual example is the Florentine mandolin, as it has five strings.
Guitar Features
This is the most common instrument in the world. It is used for both solo performance and accompaniment. Suitable for absolutely any direction and style of music, from blues to rock. Eg, Spanish guitar- a string instrument that combines the national sound of Western European and Arab peoples. It consists of only five strings. It has become widespread since the 15th century.
It would also be useful to remember the national Russian guitar. Its fundamental difference is the number of strings - seven. It appeared only at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, this instrument had no equal in popularity. It was played by such virtuosos of their craft as Mikhail Vysotsky, Semyon Aksenov, Andrey Sikhra and many other great musicians.
Nevertheless, today the classical guitar is considered the most common. It comes in different sizes and may differ in neck mounts, but one thing remains the same - the number of strings. There should be six of them in a classical guitar. In addition, it has a peg mechanism design. The classical guitar can be acoustic or electronic.
The uniqueness of balalaikas
These are musical Russians folk instruments(strings by category, plucked by typology). The balalaika has a triangular body and three strings. To produce sound, you need to hit the stretched threads with your finger at the same time. In ancient times this action was called rattling.
Balalaika is a musical instrument that is a symbol of Russian culture along with the accordion. The body can be from 60 to 170 cm. The shape of the instruments is slightly curved or oval. The body consists of six separate segments. The top of the neck is slightly bent back. Frets can be from 16 to 31. The strings on modern balalaikas are carbon. Thanks to this, such a ringing sound is achieved.
Pandora design
This string plucked instrument It is considered folk in Ukraine. The body is always oval, there is a short neck. Bandura - a musical instrument with a huge amount strings In modern models there can be up to 64 of them, in ancient variations - from 12 to 25. The bowstring is stretched from the edge of the neck to the soundboard. The higher you pinch the fretboard, the lower the sound will be.
In addition, the bandura is a musical instrument that has a distinctive timbre. It is achieved using a mixed system according to registers. To play the bandura, you should pluck the strings. Special thimbles must be worn on the fingers.
Some historians consider the ancestor of the instrument to be the Russian gusli, others - the kobza. In some chronicles of the 14th century, references and drawings have been preserved that characterize a certain musical subject that was extremely widespread in the Kyiv province.
Varieties of the bowed group
These are mainly ancient folk stringed musical instruments. The names of the most common ones are: violin, viola, double bass and cello. All these tools today are the foundation of any symphony orchestra. Another type of group is the octobass. He appears in parts quite rarely due to his low sound. To produce sound, you need to move the bow along one or more strings. The range of such instruments covers about seven octaves.
The popularity of bowed instruments came in the 17th century. Even then, street musicians learned to combine instruments of different timbres into a homogeneous sound. Most often, such improvised orchestras consisted of violinists and cellists. Interestingly, you can use both the bow and your finger to extract sound from the double bass.
Drum Group Features
Getting a melody when playing such instruments is achieved by lightly hitting the strings with a special hammer. Cymbals are the most a shining example groups. In addition, sometimes as percussion instrument They use a piano, where there is a special autonomous mechanism for this.
Another well-known representative of the group is the clavichord. The principle of playing it comes down to pressing the strings with copper tangenots. The result is a specific sound. The tonality depends on the strength and frequency of the blow. A similar procedure can be done with a guitar or violin. Sometimes, to enhance the organic sound, musicians lightly strike the strings with a finger or bow.
Laryngeal-resonating instruments are considered a separate subspecies of the group. Examples include the didjiridoo and the jew's harp.
"Free" string instruments
The aeolian harp is not included in any of the groups described above, since the main method of its sound production is the vibration of the string caused by the movement of air. Thanks to this, the most soulful and subtle melody is achieved. In ancient times, such a harp was considered an object of the gods.
Eat separate species stringed instruments that have keys attached to them. In this case, the musician does not interact directly with the sound structure. An example of an instrument is the harpsichord. In it, the strings cling to small tongues.
Some instruments are a combination type. In the Middle Ages they were revered by traveling musicians. They could simultaneously play a plucked string instrument with a wheel-shaped bow.
Extracting sounds
For this procedure, the string must be stretched to a certain limit. Any touch to it produces a sound. The strings are tuned so that the musician can ultimately hit the desired notes. You can influence the bowstring by plucking, blowing, bowing, or air flow.
The stronger the tension of the string and the smaller its thickness, the thinner the sound will be. The tonality is also affected by the length of the string, the number of frets, the size of the body and drum, and the length of the neck. The melody depends on the material the string is made of. Copper ones sound louder, silver ones sound thinner, nylon ones sound dull and rough, etc.
The production of notes is also affected by pressing certain frets with your fingers or an object. When playing the guitar, this action is called a chord.
Impact on strings
The most difficult and painstaking sound production procedure is considered to be that of the violin. To play this instrument, the bow must move along the strings, centered between the bridge and the fingerboard. The position is perpendicular to the edge of the violin. To change the timbre, move the bow closer to the lower threshold of the body.
Playing plucked instruments requires knowledge of a certain sequence of notes. The contact with the string occurs in the middle of the drum. And it makes no difference whether it is a guitar or Russian stringed musical instruments, such as a balalaika or gusli.
To play the keyboard, you should initially select a manipulation object: a reed, a hammer or a tangenote. There is no direct influence of the musician on the strings.
Acoustic instruments
The string will always emit while vibrating quiet sound. Therefore, special designs were invented to enhance the tonality. In plucked instruments they are called drums. During vibration, the sound enters a closed space, creating an echo, and comes out of it amplified several times. The larger the drum, the higher the volume of the melody.
Acoustic string musical instruments are always made only from high-quality wood: spruce or maple. These materials are durable, flexible and lightweight. Some instruments can be made from carbon fibers (cello).
Electronic sound
To increase volume at the beginning of the 20th century, so-called diaphragm resonators or bells were used in violins. Similar designs were previously used in mechanical gramophones.
By 1920, resonators gradually began to disappear as electronic sound amplifiers took their place. Their operating principle was based on a magnetic pickup that received vibrations, converted them into a powerful signal and output notes through speakers.
Over time, solid-body instruments appeared, which eliminated unnecessary noise, creaks and echoes. Modern musical amplification equipment allows you not only to increase the volume of the sound, but also to give it additional effects.
Stringed instruments are musical instruments in which the source of sound is the vibration of the strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system for musical instruments, they are called “chordophones”.
History of string instruments
The methods of extracting sound from them also varied. The guitar was played with fingers, and a special plate, a plectrum, was used to play the mandolin. Later, various sticks and hammers appeared that vibrated the strings. It was this principle that formed the basis of the piano.
And soon the bow was invented: if the blow caused a short sound, then an ordinary stick with a tuft of horsehair made the string give a long, drawn-out sound. The design of stringed instruments is based on this principle.
Bowed string instruments
One of the first bowed instruments were viols. They emerged as a separate family in the 15th century. Violas are characterized by a gentle matte timbre of weak strength. They are presented in several varieties: alto, treble, double bass, tenor. Each subgroup is characterized by its own size and, accordingly, pitch. Violas are usually held vertically, on the knees or between them.
Appearing in the 15th century, it quickly gained popularity throughout Europe, thanks to its strong sound and virtuoso capabilities. IN Italian city Whole families of violin makers appeared in Cremona, whose violins are considered the standard to this day. This is for everyone famous names Stradivari, Amati, Guarneri, who formed the so-called Cremona school. And today, playing the Stradivarius violin is a great honor for the most famous musicians around the world.
Following the violin, other bowed instruments appeared - viola, double bass, cello. They are similar in timbre and shape, but differ in size. The pitch of the sound will depend on the length of the strings and the size of the body: the double bass produces a low note, and the violin sounds at least two octaves higher.
In outline, bowed string instruments resemble a viol, only with more graceful shapes and round “shoulders.” What stands out among them is the double bass, which has “sloping” shoulders to allow the musician to reach the strings.
Characteristic for different bowed instruments different way placement: compact viola and violin are convenient to hold on the shoulder, but bulky double bass and cello are placed vertically on the floor or a special stand.
And one more important fact: exactly stringed instrument usually entrusted with the main role in the orchestra.
Plucked string instruments
The second subtype of stringed musical instruments, plucked, are solo, often amateur, instruments. The most common among them is the guitar, used in various musical genres from the 15th century to the present day.
The same type of instruments includes balalaikas, gusli, domras and their varieties - from piccolo to double bass. They are especially popular in folk orchestras, less often used in symphony orchestras.
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The Guitarrón, or "big guitar" (in Spanish, the suffix "-on" indicates large size) is a Mexican double-stringed plucked musical instrument. A unique Mexican six-string acoustic bass guitar of very large size. Despite the obvious similarities with the guitar, the guitarron was invented separately, it is a modification of the Spanish instrument bajo de una. Thanks to large sizes, no guitarron needed
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Basic information Koto (Japanese zither) is a Japanese plucked string musical instrument. The koto, along with the hayashi and shakuhachi flutes, the tsuzumi drum and the shamisen, is a traditional Japanese musical instrument. Similar instruments are characteristic of the culture of Korea (kayageum) and China (qixianqin). The Japanese koto zither (the ancient name is “so”), without exaggeration, can be considered a symbol musical culture Japan, like
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Basic information, device Lavabo (rawap, rabob) is a plucked string musical instrument, common among the Uyghurs inhabiting the Xinjiang province in northwestern China. Similar to Asian rubab. Lavabo has a small round wooden body with a leather top and a long neck with a bent head. The latter is equipped with two horn-like processes at the base. Usually there are 21-23 frets (silk) on the neck,
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Basic information Mandolin (Italian mandolino) is a small-sized plucked string musical instrument, similar to a lute, but with a shorter neck and fewer strings. Derived from mandora and pandurina, etc. The strings are touched not by the player’s fingers, but by a pick or plectrum, using the tremolo technique. Since the metal strings of a mandolin produce a short sound, long notes
Basic information Ngombi is an African plucked string musical instrument, something like a harp with ten strings. The strings are attached, on the one hand, to a wooden resonator body, upholstered in leather, and to a knot extending from it, on the other; The knot is equipped with small pegs for tuning the strings. Sometimes the structure is crowned with a carved wooden figurine. The first five strings differ by an octave from the rest.
Basics The pipa is a Chinese lute-type plucked string musical instrument that plays an important role in Chinese folk music. Pipa is one of the most common and famous Chinese musical instruments, a bent neck, 4 strings, tuned in fourths or fifths. Pipa is widely distributed in Central and Southern China. Since the 8th century it has also been known in Japan under
Basic information Seven-string (Russian) guitar» title=»Seven-string (Russian) guitar» /> The seven-string guitar (seven-string, Russian, gypsy guitar) is a plucked string musical instrument, one of the varieties of guitars. Origin, history The seven-string guitar appeared in Russia at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. Her popularity is associated with the musician Andrei Osipovich Sihra, who wrote about a thousand works for her. According to one
Basic information The Sitar is an Indian plucked string musical instrument with a rich, orchestral sound. The name “sitar” comes from the Turkic words “se” - seven and “tar” - string. The sitar has seven main strings, hence the name. The sitar belongs to the lute family; in Asia there are many analogues of this instrument in terms of appearance and sound, for example the Tajik “setor”, with
The group of plucked musical instruments includes: guitars, balalaikas, domras, mandolins. In these instruments, sound is produced by plucking the strings with your fingers or an elastic plate - a mediator.
Guitar. The main components of a guitar (Fig.) are the body, neck and tuning mechanism. The body of the guitar resembles a figure eight shape and consists of a soundboard, bottom and sides. The most important part is the deck. Through the saddle glued to it, the soundboard perceives the vibrations of the strings and, together with the body, amplifies the sound and gives it a specific timbre. The soundboard contour is decorated with edging, and the sound hole is decorated with a rosette. The neck of the guitar has fret plates and a head with a tuning mechanism for tensioning the strings.
Rice. Guitar (cut):
I - body, II - neck, III - connecting screw. 1 - resonant deck; 2 - body frame; 3 - stand; 4 - button; 5 - bottom; 6 - lining (shell); 7 - fret indicators; 8 - fret plates; 9 - threshold; 10 - head; 11 - handle; 12 - sticker; 13 - heel
The length of the string between the top and bottom nut is called the scale length. Guitars with a scale length of 620 mm are called normal. If the scale length is 650 mm, then such guitars are called large concert guitars. Guitars of reduced sizes (for children) have scales of 585 mm (terts guitar), 540 mm (quart guitar) and 485 mm (quint guitar). According to the number of strings, guitars are six- and seven-string.
Variety six string guitar is a ukulele, which differs from an ordinary one in the absence of frets on the neck.
According to the sound quality and finish, guitars are distinguished between ordinary, high-quality and highest quality.
Ordinary guitars are made from hardwood (birch, beech) and varnished. High-quality guitar bodies are lined with valuable wood, varnished, and then polished. Guitars of the highest quality are made with a modified contour of the top part (for ease of performance) and two resonator holes - f-holes, like a violin. Such guitars are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and metal parts are nickel-plated.
Balalaika. The body of the balalaika has a triangular shape and consists of a soundboard, a back and a bottom glued together from rivets. In the place where the fingers hit the strings, a shell cuts in, protecting the soundboard from finger strikes. The balalaika is a three-string instrument, but some strings can be double.
Based on the number of staves, balalaikas can be five-, six-, seven- and even nine-stud. The more rivets, the more valuable the balalaika.
Depending on their purpose, balalaikas are divided into ordinary, orchestral and solo. Orchestral balalaikas include: prima, second, viola, bass and double bass.
Mandolin. The mandolin is a four-stringed musical instrument with double strings. Depending on the shape of the body, there are three types of mandolins: oval, semi-oval and flat. The sound on a mandolin is produced with a pick.
Domra. The domra, unlike the mandolin, has a hemispherical body, the neck ends with a head with a curl. The domra has single strings. Domras can be three- or four-stringed. Domras are used only as part of an orchestra of string instruments called: piccolo, prima, alto, tenor, bass and double bass.