- Not to be confused with Dombra
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The domra (Russian language: домра) is a long-necked Russian string instrument of the lute family with a round body and three or four metal strings. The dombra is a long-necked Stringed instrument possessing a wooden resonating chamber somewhat similar to a Banjo A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Plucked string instruments are a subcategory of String instruments that are played by plucking the strings Plucking is a way of pulling and releasing the string in A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a Musical instrument that produces Sound by means of Vibrating strings In the Hornbostel-Sachs
The domra is tuned as follows:
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History
In 1896, a student of Vassily Vassilievich Andreyev found a broken instrument in a stable in rural Russia. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed The violin is a bowed String instrument with four strings usually tuned in Perfect fifths It is the smallest and highest-pitched member Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev (Василий Васильевич Андреев - 1918 was a Russian musician responsible for the modern development of the Balalaika and It was thought that this instrument may have been an example of a domra, although no illustrations or examples of the traditional domra were known to exist in Russian chronicles. A three-stringed version of this instrument was later redesigned in 1896, patented, and introduced into the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year
Later, a four-stringed version was developed by Moscow instrument maker, Liubimov, in 1905.
In recent times, scholars have come to the conclusion that the term "domra" actually described a percussive instrument popular in Russia, and that the discovered instrument was either a variant of the balalaika or a mandolin. The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed
Today, it is the three-stringed domra that is used almost exclusively in Russia. It is played with a plectrum, and is often used to play the lead melody in Russian balalaika ensembles. Often called a pick or plec, a plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body and
The four-string domra
The four-string domra is somewhat different from the three-string variant. It is larger and has a different tuning, and as a result a different quality of sound. It is used and taught exclusively in Ukraine where it replaced the mandolin that was popular in the 1920's.
The fact that the four-stringed domra is no longer used or taught in Russia has raised the question of whether the four-string variant remains, in fact, a Russian folk instrument, or whether it has effectively become a Ukrainian folk instrument. In 2001, the Kyiv Conservatory renamed their domra class, calling it a kobza class, and ordering instruments with a slightly different appearance, but using the same tuning and playing technique. Tchaikovsky National Academy of Music ( Kiev conservatory) is a Ukrainian state establishment of higher music education of the fourth category of accreditation The term kobza refers to various musical instruments in eastern Europe Other conservatories are also following suit.
Orchestral instruments
Instruments are made in various sizes including picollo, prima, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass.
Performers
Tamara Volskaya is considered to be one of the leading contemporary performers on the domra. Tamara Volskaya is a performing Musician whose principal instrument is the Domra. She is a Merited Artist of Russia, a Laureate of the USSR competition, and a Professor at the Mussorgsky Ural State Conservatory in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Yekaterinburg (Екатеринбу́рг also romanized Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk) is a major city in the central part of Russia
See also
The balalaika (балала́йка) (also Balabaika балаба́йка - is a stringed instrument of Russian origin with a characteristic triangular body andDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic