What Russian Folk Music Instruments are the Most Popular?
If you’re a fan of Russian folk music, you might be wondering which instruments are the most popular. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most commonly used instruments in Russian folk music.
Balalaika
The balalaika is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a triangular body and three strings. The instrument can be played with the bare fingers or with plectrums. balalaika is derived from the words balalaechnik and balalika, which both mean “to dance” in Old Russian. The instrument was first mentioned in a 1688 Russian document. It gained popularity in the 18th century and became a symbol of the Russian peasantry. Balalaikas are often used in folk music and are known for their distinctive sound.
Bayan
The Bayan (Russian: Баян) is a type of chromatic button accordion developed in Russia in the early 20th century and named after its inventor, Vasily Andreyevich Bayan. The bayan has a “dry,” percussive sound and is much louder than the squeezeboxes typically used in Western European folk music. It quickly became popular, both as a solo instrument and as an accompaniment for Russian folk singing and dancing. Today, the bayan is a standard instrument in Russian orchestras and ensembles.
Duduk
The duduk is a traditional Armenian woodwind instrument made from apricot wood. It has a double-reed mouthpiece and two chambers, one for each hand. The instrument is traditionally used to play slow, haunting melodies.
The duduk is often used in film scores to create an otherworldly or melancholy mood. It was used extensively in the score for the film “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”
Garmon
The Garmon is a type of Russian folk music instrument that is very popular. It is a type of accordion that has a large number of buttons on it, which allows the player to create a wide range of sounds. The Garmon is often used in Russian folk music, and it is also very popular in other countries as well.
Kanun
The kanun is a type of zither and one of the most popular instruments in Russian folk music. It has 72 strings which are plucked with the fingers. The kanun is used to play a variety of folk music genres including Garmoshka, Kalinka, and Troika.
Kobza
The Kobza is a Russian and Ukrainian folk music instrument of the lute family, known from the 16th century. It is considered to be one of the most popular instruments in Ukrainian folk music. The Kobza acquired great popularity in the 18th-19th centuries. It was often used by blind itinerant musicians called kobzari or lirnyks.
Kora
The kora is a 21-string lute-harpsichord hybrid from West Africa. It has a calabash gourd resonator covered with skin, and a wooden neck with 21 tensioned gut or nylon strings. Theplayer’s left hand plucks the strings while the right hand strums them. The two hands often play in independently.
Balalaika
The Balalaika is a triangular shaped, three-stringed Russian folk music instrument. It has a long neck and a round body and is most commonly made from spruce or pine wood. The balalaika is believed to have originated in the Volga region of Russia in the 16th or 17th century, and it is one of the most popular Russian folk music instruments today.
There are different types of balalaikas, including the prima (or first), sekunda (or second), alto, bass, and contra-bass. The prima is the smallest and highest sounding of the balalaikas, while the contra-bass is the largest and lowest sounding. Balalaikas are typically played with a wooden plectrum called a buzika or with the fingers.
The Balalaika is most commonly heard in Russian folk music, but it has also been used in classical music compositions by composers such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
Bayan
The bayan (Russian: бая́н, IPA: [bɐˈjan]) is a chromatic button accordion played in many folk music styles of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Siberia. The vast majority of bayans have 41 keys and 120 bass buttons. These instruments come in various sizes from the smallest having 12 basses (6 rows) to the largest having 54 basses (27 rows).
Duduk
The duduk is a double-reed Armenian folk instrument with a very distinctive, haunting sound. It is made from apricot wood and has a cylindrical body with two reeds sticking out of the top. The instrument is thought to date back to ancient Armenia, and it was used in many different Armenian folk songs and dances. Today, the duduk is one of the most popular Russian folk music instruments.
Garmon
The garmon is a type of Russian folk music instrument that is most popular in the Republic of Bashkortostan. It is a portable harmonium that is played with the hands and feet. The garmon has two keyboards, one for the right hand and one for the left, as well as a bass keyboard.
Kanun
The kanun is a plucked zither with 72 or more strings. It is found in various forms throughout the Arab world, Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans. The kanun is played with the left hand plucking the strings and the right hand strumming.
Kobza
The Kobza is a traditional Russian folk music instrument that is similar to the lute. It has 11 to 13 strings and is played with a plectrum. The Kobza was very popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, but eventually fell out of favor. It has experienced a revival in recent years, however, and is once again becoming a popular folk music instrument.
Kora
One of the most popular Russian folk music instruments is the kora. The kora is a stringed instrument that is played with a bow. It is usually made out of wood and has a long neck. The kora is often used in folk music, but it can also be used in other genres of music.
The kora is a very popular instrument in Russia and has been used for many years. It is one of the most popular instruments in the country and is often used in folk music. The kora is also a very popular instrument in other countries, such as Ukraine and Belarus.
