Musical instrument gusli. Abstract: What is a gusli

04.05.2019

Gusli. History of the ancient instrument

Gusli - oldest musical instrument. Thousands of years of human history have hidden from us both the age and place of their birth. IN different countries and at different nations this instrument was called by different names. Among the Slavs, the name of this instrument, I think, is associated with the sound of the bowstring. The same string that was pulled onto the bow.

In ancient times, the elastic string of a bow was called differently - “gusla”. Here is one of the hypotheses for the origin of the name of the instrument. And by attaching a hollow vessel to a string, we get a primitive musical instrument. So: strings and a resonator that enhances their sound are the basic principle of this plucked instrument.

Back in the 9th century, the Slavs amazed the kings of Byzantium by playing the harp. In those distant times, harps were made from hollowed-out dry spruce or maple boards. Maple "Yavor" is especially loved by music professionals. This is where the name of the gusli comes from - “Yarovchatye”. And as soon as the strings began to be drawn from metal, the harp began to ring and began to be called “ringing.”

The fate of this instrument has long been associated with folk song and epic traditions. Master craftsmen have been passing on the secrets of making gusli for centuries. Gusel tunes, songs of singers, were loved by both the people and the kings.

Today every orchestra folk instruments contains a harp. The sound of these instruments gives the orchestra a unique flavor of ancient psaltery ringing.

Currently, interest in the gusli has grown significantly. Modern guslars appeared - storytellers who set out to recreate ancient tradition both playing the harp and singing to the harp.

Unfortunately, if you want to purchase an instrument, you have to talk about small workshops in Russia, where harp is very rarely made as individual copies. In the whole world, it seems to me, there is not a single factory where this unique instrument is produced.

Varieties of gusli

Helmet-shaped harp, or “psalter”

Gusli that you can buy from us:

Ancient harp

“Guselnaya board”, “goselnaya board” - this is the name used to refer to the instrument and its components in songs and epics: “board”, “pins” (the name of the pegs in the epics, which served to “adjust” the scabs, otherwise tuning), strings. The body of the gusli consisted of several planks, then assembled into a wide and flat box with a resonator cavity inside. In the old days, sycamore (a type of maple with white wood), mountain ash, apple tree, and spruce were used as materials for production. The strings on the harp were tuned using pegs. The body of the ancient harp had five strings.

More recently, during archaeological excavations carried out in Novgorod (1951-1962), musical instruments were discovered among objects made of leather, bone, fabric and wood in the cultural layer of the 11th century. Among the finds were parts of the most ancient harp.

Fragments of a five-string harp with the inscription “SLOVISHA”, discovered by archaeologists in the Trinity excavation site in the 11th century layer of Novgorod.

The main parts of the instrument were also found - the top and tailpiece. The inscription “Slovisha” was carved on one of the parts of the gusli. According to researchers, perhaps this is the name of an ancient guslar and at the same time the master who made the gusli. There were no holes on the top resonator deck yet.

Special value archaeological excavations in Novgorod they present the original harp of the first half XII century. The body of the instrument is made of a wooden block and has a more elegant shape. This is a flat trough with grooves for six pegs. The left side of the instrument has a sculptural design in the form of the head and part of the body of a lizard. On back side- image of a lion and a bird. Ornaments on the gusli testify to the pagan cults of ancient Novgorod. The material used for production was birch, rowan, and spruce wood.

The cavity was closed from above with a spruce soundboard, enhancing their sound. At the bottom there was a round roller, the so-called. tailpiece, at the top - wooden instrument tuning pegs. Metal strings (from 4 to 6) installed on the instrument enhanced its sound. This simplest form of gusli made it possible for players to carry the instrument “under their bosom” or “under their arm”.

Musicologists believe that the five-string gusli corresponds to the five-tone scale of the Russian song. The game was accompanied by the singing of slow songs and dance melodies. The fingers of the player’s left hand were placed between the strings so that while playing they pressed the strings freely and alternately, and with their right hand they rattled the strings, striking simple sequential chords.

Over the course of many centuries, the harp has been improved by changing its shape, increasing the number of strings, and decorating it with carvings and paintings. There are helmet-shaped, triangular, trapezoidal, rectangular (plucked) harps.

Varieties of gusli

Gusli helmet-shaped, or " psalter", had a helmet-shaped glued body made of thin planks, usually spruce. The dimensions of the instrument are length 900 mm, width 475 mm, height PO mm. Number of strings from 11 to 36.

20-25-jet harps were very popular among the people. The scale is diatonic. The instrument had gut strings, so the sound was quiet and soft.

The trapezoidal gusli was designed in XVI-XVII centuries based on ringed and helmet-shaped gusli. They are much larger in size - length 1500 mm, width 500 mm, height 200 mm.

The soundboard is made of spruce and has a round sound hole. On the outside of the deck there are two arched strips. One has metal pins for attaching strings, and the other has metal pegs screwed into it. The number of strings is from 55 to 66. The tuning was initially diatonic. Later chromatic. They are not widely used in folk music-making.

Gusli pterygoid(or voiced) consist of a hollowed out or glued flat wing-shaped body, on the soundboard of which 4 to 9 metal strings are stretched. Dimensions - length 600 mm, width 250 mm, shell (side) height 45 mm. Some samples of the 11th-14th centuries had 9 strings, in the 18th century there were already from 5 to 14 strings, and a range from a quart to two octaves. Their tuning was diatonic, usually major scale, and low sounds formed a fifth bourdon in relation to the main scale.

Over time to replace musical works epic-chanted character comes song folklore, which caused the emergence of new musical instruments. The existence of the gusli is preserved only in the northern regions of Russia - Novgorod, Pskov, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, etc. Over the past two centuries, folklore and ethnographic expeditions have found large number both the instruments themselves and the gusel tunes, techniques for playing them.

Instrument setup

The research results showed that in all varieties of the instrument the basis is a resonator body with stretched strings designed to produce sound of only one height. If the ancient harp has 4-5 strings, then the harp is more late period had 7-9 strings of different lengths, which were stretched parallel to one another.

For performance folk music such a sound range was considered sufficient, since usually folk performers When playing, two or three keys are used. The gusli had the following formations:

five-string harps were tuned according to the sounds of the third row (A (1), Do (2), E (2), G (2), A (2));
seven-strings had a diatonic scale, in which the bottom string was a bourdon and was tuned to a fifth in relation to the diatonic scale;
sometimes the harp was tuned to a minor scale.

At the beginning of the 20th century, improved harp appeared, the body of which was glued together from thin planks (parts), and the number of strings increased to thirteen.

Sound extraction methods

When playing, the harp is kept by the performer in vertical position, the upper corner of the instrument is slightly pressed against the chest. The knees are the main support for the gusli; during playing they are slightly apart.

The fingers of the left hand are on the strings (when playing they muffle the sound of unnecessary strings), the fingers of the right hand hit the open strings. The fingers are always located at the resonator hole. Slightly bent, without tension, touch the strings with the pads of your fingers.

The movement of the hand when striking should be directed to the right corner of the instrument.

They play the harp with a mediator.

This is a small oblong plate with a pointed corner, made of bone, plastic, plastic. Mediator dimensions: length does not exceed 25 mm, width 20 mm, thickness 1 mm, oval shape. They play with a pick from both ends: the pointed edge gives a sharp sound, the oval edge produces a softer sound. For a soft sound, the pick is slightly squeezed, loosening the fingers of the right hand. Left hand when moving the fingers on the strings to different positions, it muffles those strings included in the chord that should not sound.

Game techniques

The sound on the instrument is produced in the following ways:

rattling- alternating blows with a pick on the strings down and up;
arpeggio- sequential extraction of sounds included in the chord, from low to high sounds, the same in the reverse movement;
glissando- quick sliding of the pick along the open strings;
tremolo- rapid alternation of light blows with a pick on the strings, with a certain frequency, alternately down and up;
pizzicato- playback individual sounds or chords by plucking the fingertips of the right or left hand;
extracting chords- produced by downward strokes of the mediator.

The string is struck more sharply and forcefully, with emphasis.

Design and main parts of the tool

The gusli consists of three main parts (parts): body, tailpiece, pegs; metal strings. There are examples of gusli on which, instead of wooden tailpieces and pegs, metal ones are installed - more durable, able to withstand the load when the strings are tensioned.

For the body of the gusli, dried boards of birch, rowan, maple, and spruce are used. The surface of the wood must be flat, the board must be smoothly planed on four sides (two faces and two edges) and sawn to size.

1. Top and bottom deck; 2. Resonator holes; 3. Pegs; 4. String holder; 5. Strings.

The production of the tool is carried out in the following sequence:

the wood (board) must be of high quality, without rot, cracks or falling knots;
On the smaller end side, a recess is made using a straight or semicircular chisel (you can hit it with a wooden hammer or mallet). This operation is then performed from the other end;
an oval depression is hollowed out or selected from the ends to the middle, and then the protruding middle is cut off with the same chisel;
The traces of cuts, grooves, and roughness remaining after processing are carefully cleaned with sandpaper, first with coarse grain, then with fine grain. Ideal grinding of internal containers is achieved with round discs consisting of strips of sandpaper. During operation, the nozzle is inserted into the chuck of an electric drill;
As a result of this processing, an oval or rectangular depression is formed in the workpiece (board), which should have an allowance in the thickness of the walls and bottom of approximately 3 to 5 mm.

Thus, there are four walls on the sides and ends of the board. The end sides should be wider.

Next, pegs are installed on the end or kapok bars in the upper part of the future instrument, and in the lower part - a tailpiece (a metal rod or a tube made of strong steel), capable of withstanding a fairly strong tension on the strings. Before installing the tuning pegs and tailpiece, an important part of the instrument, the soundboard, is glued onto the body, which has a rectangular cavity and four walls.

Deca(from German Decke, lit. - cover) - a necessary part of the body of stringed instruments, which serves to amplify and reflect sound. It is made from resonance wood, but plywood is also used.

The vibrations of the strings are transmitted by the soundboard through the stand. The top soundboard of the instruments has resonator holes. To prevent the soundboard from deforming when the strings are pulled, it is glued to wooden strips (springs) running inside the body.

The strings are tensioned using pegs. The pegs on the body of the gusli are installed at approximately a depth of 30 mm at a slight angle for a more stable and reliable stop.

Instrument pegs

Peg- a small metal cylinder, in the upper part it has a tetrahedral head with a hole for a string, in the lower part there is a very fine notch or fine thread. Pegs diameter 7 mm, length from 50 to 60 mm. Pegs are installed on the wide side of the instrument. To secure the pegs more firmly in the rectangular cavity, you can insert and then glue a block of stronger wood (beech, maple) into the place where they are installed.

The role of the pin to which the strings are tied is performed by a metal rod (tube). Its ends are inserted into the holes of two so-called. “cheeks” made of wood. Using spikes, they are glued to the body on top of the deck. The tailpiece is attached to the narrow side of the body.

Sometimes a bent steel tube is used, the ends of which are notched to secure it firmly in the body. The diameter of the holes drilled in the bar must be less than the diameter of the tube. The tailpiece is installed in the holes using epoxy glue.

The density of the wood, the size of the holes, and the degreasing of the pegs determine the friction force between the walls of the hole and the peg and, accordingly, the tuning and cleanliness of the instrument. The diameter of the holes should be approximately 1.5 mm smaller than the diameter of the peg. Due to friction, the resistance in the peg socket exceeds the tension force. It should be taken into account that frequent unscrewing of the pegs from the body of the psaltery leads to a weakening of their firm fit.

Strings

The sound of the gusli depends on the quality of the strings. On modern harps, the strings are made of wire made from special grades of steel. The strings vary in length and have a cross-section - from thin 0.30 mm to thicker 0.70 mm. IN in this example the strings stretched on the harp do not have a stand, and their sound is gentle and ringing.

Dimensions of the main parts of the tool

The design of the gusli shown in the figure differs in that string pegs are installed on a spring running diagonally across the instrument and attached to the body. The usual manufacturing options are the pegs are on the top of the body and the tailpiece is on the bottom.

We looked at a method for making a ten-string gusli from a whole piece of wood.

Joining blanks with glue

In the example above, when making a gusli, a blank from a whole board was used. Its dimensions, especially the width, were sufficient for work. But in order to make a tool larger size, the width of one board is not enough, so the workpiece is glued into a small panel consisting of two boards. At home, this work is done in a simple press (the so-called vame) as follows:

As shown in the figure, beech plates are fixed: 1) in the lower part of the gusli for attaching the tailpiece; 2) in the middle diagonally for attaching pegs; 3) at the top of the gusli there is a small strip for strong gluing of the soundboard. Diagonal strip 2, into which the pegs are inserted, has this shape. It simultaneously serves as a deck spring, glued to the block.

The boards are compressed by two wooden wedges driven towards each other. The touching edges of the boards are smeared with PVA glue, carpentry glue, casein glue, and when gluing, cardboard is placed under the boards so that they do not stick to the board.

When driving the wedges, the boards being glued together may bend upward. To avoid this, you need to put a weight on top of the planks. Woodworkers differentiate between the right and left sides of boards. Right side is located closer to the core of the trunk, the left one - to its bark, therefore, correct gluing is when the right and left side. To ensure bonding strength, use the tip of a knife to make scratches on both surfaces to be glued. After drying (12 hours), the workpiece is processed, removing any remaining glue.

In order to secure the pegs more firmly, the holes in the body on the left side are drilled 1.3 mm smaller than the diameter of the pegs themselves.

The outer pegs are located at a distance of 75 mm from the edge of the sides. The distance between the pegs is 25 mm. The pins for fastening the strings are installed at a distance of 15 mm from each other, a. the extreme ones are located at a distance of 45 mm.

The upper and lower decks are secured using springs on the upper and lower sides of the body. Springs increase the resistance of the deck and evenly distribute sound vibrations over it. They are glued to the soundboard and also attached to the body of the instrument.

Varieties of gusli, the body of which is made by chiseling (sampling) wood from a blank:

The dimensions of the case may vary, for example: 1) length 70 cm, upper part diagonally 20 cm, bottom 12 cm, pegs 9 pcs. 2) length 50 cm, diagonal top 30 cm, bottom 15 cm, pegs 13 pcs; 3) length 45 cm, width 15 cm, pegs 9 pcs; 4) length 60 cm, top 12 cm, bottom 7 cm, pegs 6 pcs. The width also ranges from 35 to 45 cm.

Sample of gusli made from planks using glue method

In order to prevent the sound of the strings from being muffled, metal plates in the shape of a corner are installed at the corners of the two end sides, and two stands made of hard wood (beech) for strings are placed on the soundboard. acute angle. Number of strings: 10 pieces.

Even in ancient times, a repertoire of gusel playing was formed: these are song, dance and dance tunes, polkas and waltzes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the musician-ethnographer N. I. Privalov and the guslar O. U. Smolensky improved the gusli: the triangular body was glued together from wooden parts, the number of strings was increased from 5 to 13, ensemble varieties were created - piccolo, primo, viola and bass . The design of the harp differs only in the size of the body and parts, and the diameter of the strings.

Currently, the prima harp, which has 15 strings and a diatonic tuning, is mainly used.

IN concert activities, there is a meeting with colleagues - Valery Garanin, Lyubov Basurmanova, Maxim Gavrilenko, Vasily Zhdankin and guitarist Ivan Smirnov. Takes an active part in festivals of sacred and traditional music. His cultural mission to Serbia at the beginning of 2005 turned out to be very important for the spiritual unity of the Russian and Serbian peoples, which resulted in the concert “Russians for the Children of Kosovo.”

Guslar singer Andrey Baikalets. Came to Moscow on foot from ancient city Irkutsk, from the sacred waters of Lake Baikal. A guslar singer from the outback, from the very heart of the people. His unexpected appearance was a joyful event for many. And his open appearance, and the sonorous sound of the gusli, and the voice itself - all this, harmoniously merging together, awakens living pictures of antiquity. The spiritual songs and epics performed by him are disturbing, warm the soul, and remain in the memory for a long time. The abundance of his repertoire and the maturity of his Christian worldview are amazing. He knows what needs to be done, where to go and what awaits us ahead. His songs sound anxiety, appeal, and at the same time, they contain hope, faith and love for one’s neighbor. His most popular album is "My Heaven to Paradise". You can watch his almost last video lesson.

Gusli is a stringed musical instrument, most common in Russia.

The gusli is a flat resonator box with strings stretched over it. Under different names- kannel, kankles, kok-le, kantele, kusle, kesle - this multi-stringed plucked instrument is known among the peoples of the Baltic and Volga regions.

In Rus', gusli has been known since the 11th century. The shapes differed between wing-shaped psaltery, also called ringed or vernal, and helmet-shaped. Both were held on their knees when playing, but on the first the strings were plucked with a special thin plate - a plectrum, and on the second - with the fingers of both hands. At the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. rectangular gusli were created in Russia. They had a table-shaped body with a lid, and up to 66 strings were stretched inside it. While playing, the strings were plucked with the fingers of both hands, the sounds were loud and did not fade for a long time.

Nowadays three types of gusli are common: ringed, plucked and keyboard. The ringed gusli is the direct descendant of the ancient winged gusli. They are usually trapezoidal in shape. When playing, the performer holds them on his knees, producing sound in several ways: he plucks the strings with the fingers of both hands or only with his right hand, and muffles the strings with his left; uses a plectrum, then the sound becomes especially sonorous. They play this harp and rattle it like a balalaika. At the beginning of the 20th century. musician-ethnographer, conductor N. I. Privalov and guslier O. U. Smolensky reconstructed this type of gusli: they gave it a triangular shape, increased the number of strings - from 5-9 to 13, and created ensemble gusli - piccolo, primo, viola and bass. Currently, only prima is used predominantly. The Soviet performer D. Lokshin designed chromatic ringed gusli, which greatly expanded the artistic capabilities of the instrument.

Plucked harp is an improved rectangular harp. They consist of a metal frame on wooden legs with strings stretched over it. Their scale is chromatic; they can play chords and even various polyphonic pieces. Numerous strings are placed on two levels: on the top there are strings tuned diatonically, on the bottom there are strings that provide the missing chromatic sounds.

The keyboard harp was designed by V.V. Andreev’s closest associate, N.P. Fomin. Device, appearance and their range is similar to plucked harp, but all the strings are located in the same plane, and above the strings there is a box with a system of mufflers - dampers. This entire system is controlled using 12 one-octave keys of a piano keyboard located on the edge of the damper box. When you press a key, the damper associated with it rises and opens the strings corresponding to a given sound in all octaves at once. Most often, arpeggiated chords are played on the keyboard gusli. Right hand The performer runs a pick (a thin plate with a pointed end) along the strings, and presses the necessary keys with his left hand. Using the pedal located near the keys, all dampers are raised at once. When the pedal is pressed, the keyboard psaltery can be used as a plucked psaltery.

In modern Russian folk orchestra This type of gusli is used; in professional groups there is a duet of plucked and keyboard gusli.

History of the gusli

Gusli is a musical instrument, the name of which in Russia refers to several varieties of recumbent harps. Psalted harps have similarities with the Greek psalter and the Hebrew kinnor; these include: Chuvash gusli, Cheremis gusli, clavier-shaped gusli and gusli, which are similar to the Finnish kantele, Latvian kukles and Lithuanian kankles.

The Chuvash and Cheremis gusli have a striking resemblance to images of this instrument preserved in the monuments of our antiquity, for example, in a handwritten service book of the 14th century, where a person playing the gusli is represented in the capital letter D, in the Makaryevskaya Chetye-Minea of 1542, etc.

In all of these images, the performers hold the harp on their knees and pluck the strings with their fingers. The Chuvash and Cheremis play the harp in exactly the same way. The strings of their harps are intestinal; their number is not always the same. Psalter-shaped harps were brought to Russia by the Greeks; The Chuvash and Cheremis borrowed this instrument from the Russians (see also: Mari music).

The clavier-shaped gusli, which is still found today, mainly among the Russian clergy, is nothing more than an improved type of psalter-shaped gusli. This instrument consists of a rectangular resonance box with a lid, which rests on a table. Several round cutouts (voices) are made on the resonance board, and two concave wooden bars.

On one of them there are screwed iron pegs, on which are wound metal strings; the other beam plays the role of a stringer, that is, it serves to attach the strings. The keyboard-shaped psaltery has a piano tuning, with the strings corresponding to the black keys placed below those corresponding to the white keys.

For clavier-shaped gusli there are notes and a school compiled by Kushenov-Dmitrevsky. In addition to the psaltery-shaped gusli, there are kantele, similar to the Finnish instrument. This type of gusli has almost completely disappeared. It is very likely that it was borrowed by the Russians from the Finns. The ancient Slavic word means kifara, that is, at the beginning of the Middle Ages it expressed the general concept of string instruments.

From this word came modern names: gusle - among Serbs and Bulgarians, gusle, guzla, gusli - among Croats, gosle - among Slovenes, guslic - among Poles, housle ("violin") among Czechs and gusli among Russians. These instruments are quite diverse and many of them are bowed, for example. guzla, which has only one horsehair string.

Musical instrument: Gusli

“In a certain kingdom, in a certain state...”. This is how many Russians start folk tales, which we enjoyed listening to with great pleasure as children. Here we met good and evil heroes, as well as a lot of different wonderful magical things, such as a self-assembled tablecloth, an invisible hat and a samogud harp, which made us dance tirelessly. Gusli is a traditional Russian folk musical instrument that has been played in Rus' since time immemorial and which was mentioned not only in fairy tales and epic epics, but also in other forms folk art such as songs and sayings.

A humorous folk saying: “And in the feast, and in the world, and in good people" - fits this glorious instrument perfectly. Princely and boyar feasts, rural and city fraternities, weddings and funerals, pagan games and buffoon performances - in ancient times everything was accompanied by the sound of the gusli, which is now rightfully considered a symbol of our great country and an exponent national character Russian person. Poets glorify them in their poems, and artists depict them in their paintings. In cinema, the sound of gusli is very often used to musicalize the enchanting beauty of Russian nature.

Sound

The sound of the gusli, this unique instrument, captivates listeners from the first notes. His sonorous, but at the same time gentle and melodic voice in the skillful hands of the performer can depict bells, the murmur of a stream, and birdsong. The soft, rich and iridescent timbre of the instrument creates a feeling of peace and tranquility.

The source of sound on the harp is stretched flexible strings, each of which is tuned to the desired pitch. The sound is produced using the fingertips or a pick.

Gusli, which has a wide variety of types, differ in shape, number of strings, size and tuning. Some instruments are tuned according to chromaticity, others have a diatonic scale, which can be changed at the request of the performer. The tighter the string is, the higher the sound produced.

On different types The gusli uses various sound production techniques, such as plucking (pizzicato), arpeggio, rattling, glissando, tremolo and others.

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Interesting facts

Different peoples have instruments very similar in design to the harp, but with different names. In Lithuania - kankles, in Latvia - kokle, in Finland - kantele. In Iran - santur, in Armenia - canon, in China - guqin.

It is correct to call a gusli player a guslist, not a guslar, as many people think.
The Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible had an ensemble of guslists at his court for his personal entertainment.
In 1654, by special order of the Patriarch of All Rus' Nikon, five large loaded carts with buffoon instruments, including harps, were brought to the banks of the Moscow River and burned there in front of all the people. The huge fire burned for several days.
At the court of Empress Catherine II, the virtuoso performer, composer and collector of folk songs V. Trutovsky served as the chamber-guslist.
In May 1945, a guslist ensemble performed in Berlin on the steps of the fallen Reichstag. And also at a concert in Moscow dedicated to the Victory Parade.
The first song recorded with notes for performance on the gusli was Ukrainian folk song“Oh, eat the cherry.” I recorded it French composer F. Bualde in St. Petersburg in 1803.
In 2006, in the city of St. Petersburg, which is considered the world capital of guslar culture, the “Petersburg Guslar Club” was formed. The main goal of this organization is the active promotion of the instrument, the study, preservation and development of performing skills on the gusli.

Design

Gusli currently has several varieties, differing in shape, tuning and number of strings, but they all have characteristic design features, which include three main parts: the body, the tailpiece and the pegs.

Frame The wing-shaped psaltery includes upper and lower soundboards, which are connected to each other by a shell (frame).

On the top deck, which is usually made from resonant spruce, there is a resonator hole, a metal plate with pins, a stand and a saddle.

A sound hole or rosette increases the duration and intensity of the sound.

The strings are secured to pins located on a metal plate.

The pegs used to tension the strings are made of metal and have the shape of a cylinder with a diameter of 0.7 cm and a length of 5 or 6 cm.

The stand and saddle, which determine the height of the strings, are made from harder wood. A brass or copper fret plate is inserted into the center of the bridge and saddle.

The back is made of maple, birch, walnut, and rowan.

Inside, wooden blocks called springs are glued to the top and bottom decks to increase resistance and distribute sound vibrations evenly.

Story

The history of the gusli, one of the most ancient instruments, its roots go back to time immemorial. The beginning of their origin, like all stringed instruments, was associated with the string of a hunting bow, which, when pulled strongly, produced a sound pleasant to the human ear. Then the bowstring, which acted as a string, was attached to the body, which had a cavity inside and served as a resonator. Thus, a simple musical instrument was obtained, which, undoubtedly, subsequently evolved and was modified accordingly. An instrument similar to the gusli is found among many nationalities and has a variety of names. There is an assumption that among the Slavs the name of the instrument is associated with the same sounding bowstring, which in the old days was called “gusla”.

There is no doubt that the gusli has been known in Rus' since time immemorial, but one of the first, indirect sources that contain images of the instrument are manuscripts dating back to the second century AD, as well as drawings in ancient temples. Then we learn more reliably about the harp in the writings of the Byzantines, dating back to the end of the sixth millennium, in which they express their surprise at the skillful playing of the Russians on instruments similar to citharas. And only from the middle of the 20th century, thanks to the findings of scientific archaeological expeditions carried out in the area of the ancient Russian cities of Novgorod and Pskov, we began to have an idea of the harp on which our distant ancestors played music.

Gusli is a stringed musical instrument, most common in Russia.

The gusli is a flat resonator box with strings stretched over it. Under different names - kannel, kankles, kok-le, kantele, kusle, kesle - this multi-stringed plucked instrument is known among the peoples of the Baltic and Volga regions.

The keyboard harp was designed by V.V. Andreev’s closest associate, N.P. Fomin. Their structure, appearance and range are similar to plucked psaltery, but all the strings are located in the same plane, and above the strings there is a box with a system of mufflers - dampers. This entire system is controlled using 12 one-octave keys of a piano keyboard located on the edge of the damper box. When you press a key, the damper associated with it rises and opens the strings corresponding to a given sound in all octaves at once. Most often, arpeggiated chords are played on the keyboard gusli. With his right hand, the performer runs a pick (a thin plate with a pointed end) along the strings, and with his left hand presses the necessary keys. Using the pedal located near the keys, all dampers are raised at once. When the pedal is pressed, the keyboard psaltery can be used as a plucked psaltery.

In the modern Russian folk orchestra this type of gusli is used; in professional groups there is a duet of plucked and keyboard gusli.

History of the gusli

The clavier-shaped gusli, which is still found today, mainly among the Russian clergy, is nothing more than an improved type of psalter-shaped gusli. This instrument consists of a rectangular resonance box with a lid, which rests on a table. Several circular cutouts (voices) are made on the resonance board, and two concave wooden blocks are attached to it.

On one of them, iron pegs are screwed in, on which metal strings are wound; the other beam plays the role of a stringer, that is, it serves to attach the strings. The keyboard-shaped psaltery has a piano tuning, with the strings corresponding to the black keys placed below those corresponding to the white keys.

For clavier-shaped gusli there are notes and a school compiled by Kushenov-Dmitrevsky. In addition to the psaltery-shaped gusli, there are kantele, similar to the Finnish instrument. This type of gusli has almost completely disappeared. It is very likely that it was borrowed by the Russians from the Finns. The ancient Slavic word means cithara, that is, at the beginning of the Middle Ages it expressed the general concept of stringed instruments.

Modern names come from this word: gusle - among the Serbs and Bulgarians, gusle, guzla, gusli - among the Croats, gosle - among the Slovenes, guslic - among the Poles, housle ("violin") among the Czechs and gusli among the Russians. These instruments are quite diverse and many of them are bowed, for example. guzla, which has only one horsehair string.