Hopefully the page will continue to develop and hold more information about balalajkas, other things that I have planed on adding are chords, tabs and musical sheets. You should be able to get your hands on one for a pretty good price, of course the "real" balalajkas will be a bit more pricey. Then you just reverse the process that I just described. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The instrument was used in folk music but was also employed in large balalaika orchestras formed in the 20th century. Does the balalajka got a pickguard? There is a dedicatory inscroption made in 1986. My friend, play! If you are a beginner at the balalajka, you probably want to find a good way to learn playing. La Bella Balalaika Metal, 3 Course Loop End Strings, BL90. Balalaika is a traditional Russian instrument with a wooden triangle-shaped body and three (or rarely six or four) strings. The three strings, usually gut, are end hitched and strung over a violin-like, or pressure, bridge. 3. Souvenir models are completely missing these and if you play much on them there is a risk that you damage the wood while strumming. The balalaika is made in six sizes, from piccolo to double bass, and has a flat back and a triangular table, or belly, that tapers to the fretted neck. The three strings, usually gut, are end hitched and strung over a violin-like, or pressure, bridge. First of there is the traditional and probably the best way, get a teacher, sadly this may be hard for such a unusual instrument. Most 6-string instruments are considered to be of inferior quality. They are normally plucked with the fingers, although metal strings are also plucked with a leather plectrum. When that is done you just take out the pegs and oil them, add oil and turn them until they run smooth again. La Bella Balalaika Strings. Tip: If you already have a Domra, check out my article on Domra Tuning and Chords, for both the 3-string and the 4-string. This also differ a bit depending on what melodies you play/your playing technique, but I have found this to be the best way to describe the playing style of the balalajka. Basic information The Balalaika usually has 3 strings tuned E-E-A. I have never heard an experienced balalajka player express him- or herself in this manner, so I can't guarante that they would agree with my picture of it. A small round sound hole is located in the narrow end of the belly. 2. The balalaika makes a sound when you strum the strings creating the guitar to vibrate and ampliphies the sound. It says: Play. This web page was from the begining foremost dedicated to my school project, which took place between the fall of 2010 and the spring of 2011. The strings on the modern Another alternative to consider might be to buy carbon-fiber strings, but I have yet to test this myself. You could also always buy a balalajka book online or try to find one at your library. The Balalaika is a unique 3 stringed instrument that comes from Russia. When you get a "new" balalajka, oil the tuning pegs, this will make it much easier to tune it. In nearly all stringed instruments the sound of the vibrating string is amplified…, Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. (This means that the E-strings are much wider than the A-string.) Just call 800-513-8271 to talk with our friendly music, strings, & gear experts. Balalaika – the renowned symbol of Russian culture beloved for generations is a stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular body and three strings. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Stringed instrument, any musical instrument that produces sound by the vibration of stretched strings, which may be made of vegetable fibre, metal, animal gut, silk, or artificial materials such as plastic or nylon. The strings on the balalaika are usually plucked by the fingers but it can also be played with a plectrum (pick). Further notes: Usually the Balalaika has 3 single strings, but there are also balalaikas with 3 double strings in unison courses. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Often, the balalaika prima is used to play solo. Note: Some players tell you you should replace both E strings with nylon strings.... Beware, not all Balalaikas (including mine) take kindly to nylon strings. The tuning pegs should work easily and do not rattle during playing. Price: $6.93. The Roosebeck Balalaika 3 String Set contains one plain steel string with a ball end, and 2 titanium strings with straight ends. How many strings does a balalaika typically have? The courses are typically tuned in an interval of perfect fifths, with the same tuning as a violin (G3, D4, A4, E5). Balalaika Strings A staple of traditional Russian folk and classical music, the balalaika is a long necked, triangular shaped lute. Is it like any instrument you know? There are many different types of Balalaikas, which are (ordered from smallest to largest in size): piccolo; prima; secunda; alto; bass; contrabass LAB_BL90. Home > Folk & Ethnic Strings > Balalaika Strings > La Bella Balalaika Strings. The different types are as follows, largest to smallest: Contrabass, Bass, Alto, Secunda, Prima and Piccolo. There is no real difference in how the two models are tuned, the extra strings are added so that the result is three double strings. Tips if you are looking to buy a balalajka. Made by Roosebeck. The Balalaika strings are tuned above middle C to: A, E, E (1st-3rd). They’re available Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. In different languages it can be spelled differently, some of them are "balalaika", "balalajka", "balalayka" and "Балалайка". 2 sets of 3 strings... loop ends... plain steel. (I will perhaps add a tutorial with pictures later on.). The hardest thing about tuning a Balalaika is finding information on how to do it. "Alla goda ting äro tre" translated to English it goes something like this "All good things go by three". The representative size, called the prime, or treble, is usually tuned E–E–A in the octave above middle C. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. It generally has 3 strings. The most common solo form of the instrument is the prima, which is tuned E-E-A (thus the two lower strings are tuned to the same pitch). One of the most important things that affect the sound are the strings. I have done this on several of mine, some of which almost was not working and it makes a huge difference, now they work just as if they would be new. If you want an explanation on how the balalajka works and how you play on it, I would tell you that you play the melody of the songs on the A-string and then accompany yourself on the two E-strings. 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. Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December…, Musical instrument, any device for producing a musical sound. The left hand thumb strikes the 3rd string whereas the other fingers strike the 1st and the 2nd string. three strings . but it … If this is your first balalajka then buy the cheapest one that you can find and get a better one when you know some more about it and are sure that you want to continue playing. This is at least what I recommend. Although this is the "classic" tuning, some players tune G-B-D, the same as the top three strings of a Russian Guitar, or E-A-D, like the Domra- … First mentioned in written records in 1688 in Moscow, the balalaika existed in various forms with triangular and oval bodies, differing numbers of strings, and movable tied-on string frets, and was mainly used … Grannys souvenir from Russia is a balalaika. The difference in sound is very noticable and is in a sense similar to that of a 6-stringed guitar versus a 12-stringed guitar. Balalaika Strings. When comparing the guitar to the mandolin , the guitar is much more difficult to learn than the mandolin because it has more strings. Balalaika Strings Have a question about Balalaika Strings? This is one of the reasons to why it might be hard to find information about it on the Internet. Basically the project was to build an Electric Balalajka, and with this I succeeded. I will end this subject with a Swedish saying that is a bit relevant to the three strings on the balalajka. Balalaikas exist with both two-, three-, four- or six-strings. Take a look on eBay.com/eBay.de or eBay.co.uk. Four and 6-string balalaikas are known to exist but the 3-stringed type is by far the most common as they are easier to play the rapid runs required of the balalaika. Personally I use "Cleartune" which is an iPad/iPhone app. Normally you can have it in two different models with three-or with six-strings, (though there also exist two- and four-stringed versions, but they are very rare.) Normally you can have it in two different models with three- or with six-strings, (though there also exist two- and four-stringed versions, but they are very rare.) Short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument (a chordophone in the Hornbostel-Sachs classification of instruments), usually with 11 strings grouped in 6 courses, but some models have 5 or 7 courses, with 10 or 13 strings respectively. To keep your balalajka tuned correctly, I would recommend you to use a pitch pipe, today you can use your computer or mobile phone to tune it easily. It is sometimes called a “Russian three-string guitar.” For centuries, balalaika was a popular village folk instrument played by skomorokhs (a kind of jester-musician) to entertain people. (0.040" in width). If you as me do not understand a word Russian this can prove to be a problem, the best book that I have found so far is "Mel Bay's Complete Balalaika Book" by Bibs Ekkel. Use a piano or electronic tuner as a reference for tuning. Is mandolin harder than guitar? The balalaika is unique that it has a triangular body and 3 strings (or sometimes 6, in 3 pairs). Therefore it got available to the "common" people in a much larger scale. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, balalaika, or balalayka - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). BALALAIKA. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Titanium strings have a translucent purple hue, and a polished smooth feel similar to a nylon string, but they have a slightly brighter tone and increased projection. Usually steel strings, but sometimes a … Typically, the width of the neck at the first fret is 27-30 mm, 12-th fret – 34-36 mm, thickness – at the 1-st fret – 14-15 mm, 12-th fret – 16-17 mm. Acoustic Guitar Strings. To Arkashka from Pet'ka. The principal types of such instruments, classified by the method of producing sound, are percussion, stringed, keyboard, wind, and electronic. 200. If you have the same plan in your mind, this webpage should provide you with some help, if you have got any additional questions or suggestions on how to improve balalajka.com, feel free to contact me! Ask an older person you know – a grandparent or an older friend or neighbour – what was their favourite music when they were a child. The height of the strings above the 12-m fret – 3-4 mm. A small round sound hole is located in the narrow end of the belly. Balalaika, Russian stringed musical instrument of the lute family. The instrument can feature three strings or six strings with double courses, and most modern balalaikas feature steel strings rather than traditional gut strings. 15.07.86" This instrument was a birthday gift from a boy Arkadiy to his friend Peter. 3. 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