How much does a dombra cost?
The dombra is a stringed instrument made of hollow wood and two strings. “Our fathers were able to make it in a month with their hands, but now we can make it in a week with machines,” he said. “So far I have made a thousand dombras, and their price varies from $300 to $1,000,” he added.
What is domra made out of?
Enhance your purchase
| Brand | Russian Domra |
|---|---|
| Body Material | Wood |
| Back Material Type | Plastic |
| Neck Material Type | Maple |
| Fretboard Material Type | Beech |
How is a domra played?
The domra is held like a guitar and played with a pick and/or fingers. When played as part of the balalaika orchestra or ensemble, it plays the lead melody. One of today’s most well-known domra musicians is Tamara Volskaya, who has been named a Merited Artist of Russia.
Who invented the domra?
It is presumed that the domra was brought to Russia by the Mongolian people who invaded Russia and vast parts of Europe in the 13th and 14th Century. This presumption was affirmed by several of the travellers at that time.
What are some of the typical ethnic musical instruments that are popular in Russia?
Traditional instruments
- Balalaika, a three-stringed, triangular sound-board, played with the fingers.
- Domra, a small three- or four-stringed Russian variant of the mandolin with a rounded soundboard, plucked or strummed with a plectrum.
Is balalaika a guitar?
Balalaika is a traditional Russian instrument with a wooden triangle-shaped body and three (or rarely six or four) strings. It is sometimes called a “Russian three-string guitar.” Together with garmon’ (accordion) balalaika is a Russian symbol.
Where does the balalaika come from?
Russia
balalaika, Russian stringed musical instrument of the lute family. It was developed in the 18th century from the dombra, or domra, a round-bodied long-necked three-stringed lute played in Russia and Central Asia.
What kind of string instrument is the domra?
The domra (Cyrillic: до́мра, [ˈdɔmrɑ]) is a long-necked Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian folk string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings. In 1896, a student of Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev found a broken instrument in a stable in rural Russia.
Where does the history of the domra come from?
The history of the domra in its modern form dates back to 1896 and follows a strange story regarding a student of the Russian folk music pioneer, Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev . According to popular modern folklore, the unnamed student came across an unusual circular-bodied instrument in a stable.
What kind of tuning does the domra use?
A three-stringed version of this instrument was later redesigned in 1896, patented, and introduced into the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. The three-stringed domra uses a tuning in 4ths. Later, a four-stringed version was developed employing violin tuning by Moscow instrument maker, Liubimov, in 1905.
What’s the difference between a balalaika and a domra?
In essence, you could compare the 3-stringed model with its fellow Russian Instrument, the balalaika ( bal-al-lie-ka) as it also has three strings. Whereas the 4-stringed model is more closely allied with the mandolin (it shares the same G-D-A-E tuning). More on these comparisons are addressed later. Domra Construction: What is a Domra Made Of?