Today we will talk about how to set up a balalaika for the people's order. In Russia this musical instrument has been known for several centuries. From the village, the balalaika migrated to the academic orchestras. Our grandparents knew exactly how to set up a balalaika by ear. Their experience can be a good example. In fact, in order to make simple folk tunes sound from a balalaika, it is not necessary to go to a conservatory or a music school.
The device of a balalaika
To understand how to set up a balalaika, you need to understand the principle of its work. A modern musical instrument of this type has three main parts. The first is a special triangular case. Its front part is called the "deck". The back side is glued from the wooden segments. On the deck there is a resonator window. Sometimes it is called a voice. The second part of the instrument is the neck. On it are frets. The third part is the head. It has a pin mechanism attached to it. It is through this element that you can decide how to set up a balalaika. According to the rules, the bottom and the upper should be at an equal distance from the 12th fret. It is at this point that the string is conditionally divided in half.
rules
We turn to the practical solution of the question of how to adjust the balalaika. To begin with, you should know that at present there are two basic approaches to solving this issue: rural (also called "guitar") and academic. Until the end of the nineteenth century, there was no single concept of how to set up the instrument. Village musicians proceeded from their own preferences, as well as traditions that existed in a certain place. The Balalaika turned into a concert instrument in the late nineteenth century thanks to the efforts of Vasily Andreyev, a great musician. This man introduced the academic system into practice. He assumes that a pair of upper strings is set in unison with the note "mi". Next, the note "a" is taken as the landmark. It is necessary for the bottom string, which should be set to a quart higher.
The People's Order
This version has some differences. In this case, the tuning is performed by a triad. It should be noted that the first note in it can be any. This approach is incredibly convenient. This is especially true when you need to adjust the balalaika for other instruments for a harmonious game as part of the village band.
After the first string is properly positioned, you can move on to the rest. The algorithm in this case is not too complicated. We tighten the second string in the third fret. Alternately tighten and loosen it. Thus, we achieve unison with the first string, which is open. Proceed to the next stage. The third string is clamped on the fourth fret. Set up on the open second. For convenience, you can use a tuner, a harmonica, a guitar, a piano or another instrument that is capable of producing the required notes.
Now you know how to set up a balalaika.