Domra
Encyclopedia
The domra is a long-necked Russia
n string instrument
of the lute
family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
found a broken instrument in a stable in rural Russia. 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.
The three-stringed domra uses a tuning in 4ths.
Later, a four-stringed version was developed employing a violin tuning 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
.
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.
Instruments are made in various sizes including piccolo, prima, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass.
is considered to be one of the leading contemporary performers on 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.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n string instrument
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
of the lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
family with a round body and three or four metal strings.
History
In 1896, a student of Vasily Vasilievich AndreyevVasily Vasilievich Andreyev
Vasily Vasilievich Andreyev was a Russian musician responsible for the modern development of the balalaika and several other traditional Russian folk music instruments, and is considered the father of the academic folk instrument movement in Eastern Europe. His accomplishments included:*...
found a broken instrument in a stable in rural Russia. 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.
The three-stringed domra uses a tuning in 4ths.
Later, a four-stringed version was developed employing a violin tuning 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
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
or a mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
.
Today, it is the three-stringed domra that is used almost exclusively in Russia. It is played with a plectrum
Plectrum
A plectrum is a small flat tool used to pluck or strum a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick, and is a separate tool held in the player's hand...
, and is often used to play the lead melody in Russian balalaika
Balalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
ensembles.
Orchestral instruments
The basic domra is tuned as follows:- Three strings—EAD tuning
- Four strings—GDAE tuning (like the mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
or the violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
)
Instruments are made in various sizes including piccolo, prima, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass.
- Piccolodomra : b1 e2 a2 Tessitura
- Primdomra : e1 a1 d2 http://balalajka.dk/english/primdomtab.html
- Soprandomra : b e1 a1 http://balalajka.dk/english/mezsodomtab.html
- Altdomra : e a d1 http://balalajka.dk/english/altdomtab.html
- Tenordomra : B e a http://balalajka.dk/english/tendomtab.html
- Bassdomra : E A d http://balalajka.dk/english/basdomratab.html
- Kontrabassdomra (minor): 1E 1A D http://balalajka.dk/english/kondomlo.html
- Kontrabassdomra (major): 1A D G http://balalajka.dk/english/kondomhi.html
Performers
Tamara VolskayaTamara Volskaya
Tamara Volskaya is a performing musician whose principal instrument is the domra. She graduated Kiev Conservatory of Music, is a Merited Artist of Russia, a Laureate of USSR music competitions, and a Professor at the Mussorgsky Ural State Conservatory of Yekaterinburg, Russia.She also performs on...
is considered to be one of the leading contemporary performers on 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
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
, Russia.
See also
- BalalaikaBalalaikaThe balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
- The Andreyev State Russian Orchestra