Dombra is a Kazakh national instrument. What is dombra

12.04.2019
Dombra

Also, at one time, during the excavations of ancient Khorezm, terracotta figurines of musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezmian two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, have a typological similarity with the Kazakh dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan.

According to the written monuments of the Eurasian continent, it can be concluded that the dombra and its related instruments of other peoples on the mainland have been well known since ancient times. In the monuments of different periods in the Eurasian space, we learn about the presence of this plucked instrument, in particular from the monuments of Saka, Hunnic origin. This instrument is also found among the Kimans (Kumans). The Kipchaks are the descendants of the Cumans. Musical works (kyui) of those years have come down to us such as: Ertis tolkyndary (ertis tolqyndary - waves of the Irtysh), Mұңdy Қyz (mundy kyz - a sad girl), Tepen kok (tepen kok - lynx), Aқsaқ қaz ​​(aqsaq qaz - lame goose) , Bozіngen (bozingen - a bright camel), Zhelmaja (zhelmaja - a one-humped camel), Құlannyң tarpuy (qulannyn tarpu'y - the tramp of a kulan), Kөkeikesti (kokeikesti - a deep experience), etc.

Under the long influence of the Turkic peoples (Huns, Avars, Bulgarians, Khazars, Polovtsy, Horde), the Eastern Slavs adopted this musical instrument called domra

Legends about the origin of dombra

There are legends about dombra and its origin:

  • Before that, modern dombra was similar to Komuz, Dutar,… Jochi Khan was the eldest and favorite son of Genghis Khan and the father of Batu Khan. Hunting in the Kipchak steppes, Jochi Khan was knocked off his horse and torn to pieces by the leader of the herd of kulans. No one dared to inform the formidable Genghis Khan about the tragic death of his beloved son. The Black Herald was awaiting a cruel execution. Genghis Khan promised to pour molten lead down his throat to the one who informed him of the death of his son. Khan's nukers found a way out. They brought a simple Kazakh to Genghis Khan's headquarters - dombra player named Kety-Buga and instructed him to voice the terrible news. Kety-Buga did not utter a word in front of the eyes of the formidable khan. He just played his kyui (music genre for dombra) "Aksak kulan". The beautiful music of the great zhyrau Kety-Bug conveyed to the kagan the harsh truth about barbaric cruelty and inglorious death. Enraged Genghis Khan, remembering his threat, ordered the execution of the dombra. They say that since then a hole has remained on the upper deck of the dombra - a trace of molten lead ... The mausoleum of Jochi Khan has been preserved on the banks of the ancient Kazakh river Kara-Kengir in the Dzhezkazgan region. "Aksak-Kulan" (Lame Kulan) is one of the most beautiful Kazakh legends that glorify the power and immortality of art.
  • The legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he starts playing, the idler forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.

So the day passed, and another, and a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The older brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger one and, with all his strength, hit it on his brother's head. A magnificent instrument crashed, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the head.

Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music again sounded in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

  • The legend about the acquisition of a modern look by dombra says that earlier dombra was with five strings and without a hole in the middle. Such an instrument was owned by the glorious horseman Kezhendyk, well-known throughout the district. He once fell in love with the daughter of a local khan. Khan invited Kezhendyk to his yurt and ordered him to prove his love for his daughter. Dzhigit began to play, for a long time and beautifully. He sang a song about the khan himself, about his greed and greed. Khan got angry and ordered to spoil the instrument by pouring hot lead into the middle of the dombra. Then a hole in the middle burned out and only two strings remained.
  • Another legend about the origin of dombra similar to the previous one. The local khan’s son died hunting from the fangs of a boar, and the servants, fearing the wrath of the khan (he threatened to fill his throat with boiling lead to anyone who would tell him that something unkind had happened to his son) went to the old master Ali for advice. He made a musical instrument, which he called dombra, appeared to the khan and played it. The strings groaned, wept, as if the mournful noise of the forest swept under the silk tent of the Khan's tent. The sharp whistle of the wind mingled with the howl of a wild beast. The strings cried out loudly, like a human voice, asking for help, so the dombra told the khan about the death of his son. Beside himself with anger, the khan ordered hot lead to be thrown into the round hole of the dombra.

Dombra - kui instrument

One of the greatest dombra players is the Kazakh folk musician and composer Kurmangazy, who had a great influence on the development of Kazakh musical culture, including dombra music: his musical composition "Adai" is popular in Kazakhstan and abroad.

  • Shanak- the body of the dombra, acts as a sound amplifier.
  • Kakpak- deck dombra. Perceiving the sounds of strings through vibration, it amplifies them and gives a certain color to the sound of the instrument - timbre.
  • Spring- this is a beam on the deck from the inside. There was no spring in the Kazakh dombra before. In dombra, now, to improve the sound, a similar spring is attached to the upper part of the shell and near the stand. As a rule, it is made from spruce that has been aged for several decades without signs of rot.
  • Nuts- disconnect the "keys" on the dombra.
  • shells made from maple.
  • Stand- a very important functional element of the dombra. By transmitting the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and creating the first resonant circuit along the path of vibrations from the strings to the body, the bridge is the true key to the sound of the dombra. The strength, evenness and timbre of the sound of the instrument depend on its qualities, shape, weight and tuning.
  • String- the source of sound vibrations of the dombra. Dombra traditionally used gut strings made from mutton or goat intestines. But the most suitable sounding was the usual fishing line. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of dombra of a standard form with strings made of fishing line, which has lost its unique sounding timbre.

build

The sound of the open strings of dombra forms it fourth build . Also, he can be fifth. The sequence of tones for dombra, starting from the first string, the highest in tone: Salt, Re(small octave).

String spacing: g (part 4) d (letter notation according to Helmholtz, part 4 - pure fourth).

The musical range of dombra with 19 frets on the fretboard is two full octaves (part of a small octave, the first and the second part): from Re small octave to Re second octave.

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Notes

Literature

This literature can be found in Kazakhstan, Astana, the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan…

  1. Akishev K. A. Kurgan Issyk. - Moscow, 1978.
  2. Alekseeva L.A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the musical structure of the Kazakh dombra.//Kazakh culture: research and search. Collection of scientific articles, Almaty, 2000.
  3. Alekseeva L. A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the Kakha dombra.// We and the universe. 2001. No. 1(6), pp52-54.
  4. Amanov B. Composition terminology of dombra cues. Alma-Ata, 1982
  5. Aravin. P. V. Steppe constellations. - Alma-Ata, 1979.
  6. Aravin. P. V. Great kuishi Dauletkerey.-Alma-Ata, 1964.
  7. Asafiev B.V. About Kazakh folk music.//Musical culture of Kazakhstan.-Alma-Ata, 1955
  8. Barmankulov M. Turkic universe.-Almaty, 1996.
  9. Vyzgo T. Musical Instruments of Central Asia. Moscow, 1980.
  10. Gizatov B. Socio-aesthetic foundations of Kazakh folk instrumental music.-Alma-Ata, 1989.
  11. Zhubanov A.K. Kazakh folk instrument-dombra.//Musicology.-Alma-Ata, 1976. p.8-10.
  12. Stakhov V. Creativity of the violin master. - Leningrad, 1988.
  13. Nazhmedenov Zhumagali. Acoustic features of the Kazakh dombra. Aktobe, 2003
  14. Utegaliyeva S.I. Mangystau dombra tradition. Almaty, 1997

Links

  • Website of the Kazakh State National Library
  • Asyl Mura project website
  • Digital library ""

An excerpt characterizing Dombra

“It’s clear that all you women are crybabies,” said Petya, pacing the room with resolute long steps. - I am so very glad and, really, very glad that my brother has distinguished himself so much. You are all nurses! you don't understand anything. Natasha smiled through her tears.
- Have you read the letters? Sonya asked.
- I didn’t read it, but she said that everything was over, and that he was already an officer ...
“Thank God,” Sonya said, making the sign of the cross. “But maybe she deceived you. Let's go to maman.
Petya silently paced the room.
“If I were in Nikolushka’s place, I would have killed even more of these Frenchmen,” he said, “they are so vile!” I would have beaten so many of them that they would have made a bunch of them, ”Petya continued.
- Shut up, Petya, what a fool you are! ...
“I’m not a fool, but those who cry over trifles are fools,” said Petya.
– Do you remember him? Natasha suddenly asked after a moment's silence. Sonya smiled: "Do you remember Nicolas?"
“No, Sonya, do you remember him in such a way that you remember well, that you remember everything,” Natasha said with a studious gesture, apparently wanting to give her words the most serious meaning. “And I remember Nikolenka, I remember,” she said. I don't remember Boris. I don't remember at all...
- How? Do you remember Boris? Sonya asked in surprise.
- Not that I don’t remember - I know what he is, but I don’t remember it like Nikolenka. Him, I close my eyes and remember, but there is no Boris (she closed her eyes), so, no - nothing!
“Ah, Natasha,” said Sonya, looking enthusiastically and seriously at her friend, as if she considered her unworthy to hear what she was about to say, and as if she was saying it to someone else with whom one should not joke. “I once fell in love with your brother, and no matter what happens to him, to me, I will never stop loving him all my life.
Natasha looked at Sonya with curious eyes and was silent. She felt that what Sonya was saying was true, that there was such love that Sonya was talking about; but Natasha had never experienced anything like it. She believed that it could be, but did not understand.
Will you write to him? she asked.
Sonya considered. The question of how to write to Nicolas and whether it was necessary to write and how to write was a question that tormented her. Now that he was already an officer and a wounded hero, would it be good of her to remind him of herself and, as it were, of the obligation he had assumed towards her.
- Don't know; I think if he writes, - and I will write, - she said, blushing.
- And you will not be ashamed to write to him?
Sonya smiled.
- No.
- And I will be ashamed to write to Boris, I will not write.
- But why are you ashamed? Yes, I don’t know. Embarrassing, embarrassing.
“But I know why she will be ashamed,” said Petya, offended by Natasha’s first remark, “because she was in love with this fat man with glasses (as Petya called his namesake, the new Count Bezukhy); now she is in love with this singer (Petya spoke about the Italian, Natasha's singing teacher): so she is ashamed.
“Petya, you are stupid,” said Natasha.
“No stupider than you, mother,” said nine-year-old Petya, as if he were an old foreman.
The countess was prepared by Anna Mikhailovna's hints during dinner. Having gone to her room, she, sitting on an armchair, did not take her eyes off the miniature portrait of her son, fixed in a snuff box, and tears welled up in her eyes. Anna Mikhailovna, with the letter on tiptoe, went up to the countess's room and stopped.
“Don’t come in,” she said to the old count, who was following her, “after,” and she closed the door behind her.
The count put his ear to the lock and began to listen.
First he heard the sounds of indifferent speeches, then one sound of Anna Mikhaylovna's voice speaking a long speech, then a cry, then silence, then again both voices spoke together with joyful intonations, and then footsteps, and Anna Mikhaylovna opened the door for him. On the face of Anna Mikhailovna there was a proud expression of a cameraman who had completed a difficult amputation and was leading the public in so that they could appreciate his art.
- C "est fait! [It's done!] - she said to the count, pointing solemnly at the countess, who held a snuffbox with a portrait in one hand, a letter in the other and pressed her lips first to one, then to the other.
Seeing the count, she stretched out her arms to him, hugged his bald head, and through the bald head again looked at the letter and portrait, and again, in order to press them to her lips, slightly pushed the bald head away. Vera, Natasha, Sonya and Petya entered the room and the reading began. The letter briefly described the campaign and two battles in which Nikolushka participated, promotion to officers and said that he kisses the hands of maman and papa, asking for their blessings, and kisses Vera, Natasha, Petya. In addition, he bows to Mr. Sheling, and to mme Shos and the nanny, and, in addition, asks to kiss dear Sonya, whom he still loves and remembers in the same way. On hearing this, Sonya blushed so that tears came into her eyes. And, unable to endure the looks that turned on her, she ran into the hall, ran away, whirled, and, inflating her dress with a balloon, flushed and smiling, sat down on the floor. The Countess was crying.
“What are you crying about, maman?” Vera said. - Everything that he writes should be rejoicing, not crying.
It was perfectly fair, but the count, the countess, and Natasha all looked at her reproachfully. “And who did she turn out like that!” thought the countess.
Nikolushka's letter was read hundreds of times, and those who were considered worthy to listen to him had to come to the countess, who did not let go of him. Tutors, nannies, Mitenka, some acquaintances came, and the countess reread the letter each time with new pleasure and each time discovered new virtues in her Nikolushka from this letter. How strange, unusual, how joyful it was for her that her son was the son who was moving in her very tiny members 20 years ago, the son for whom she quarreled with the spoiled count, the son who had learned to say before: “ pear ”, and then“ woman ”, that this son is now there, in a foreign land, in a foreign environment, a courageous warrior, alone, without help and guidance, is doing some kind of masculine business there. The entire world age-old experience, indicating that children imperceptibly from the cradle become husbands, did not exist for the countess. The maturation of her son in every season of maturation was just as extraordinary for her, as if there had never been millions of millions of people who had matured in the same way. Just as she couldn’t believe 20 years ago that that little creature that lived somewhere under her heart would scream and begin to suck her breast and start talking, so now she couldn’t believe that this same creature could be that strong, a brave man, a model of sons and people, which he was now, judging by this letter.
- What a calm, as he describes cute! she said, reading the descriptive part of the letter. And what a soul! Nothing about me… nothing! About some Denisov, but he himself, it’s true, is braver than all of them. He writes nothing about his sufferings. What a heart! How do I recognize him! And how I remembered everyone! Didn't forget anyone. I always, always said, even when he was like this, I always said ...
For more than a week they prepared, wrote brillons and wrote letters to Nikolushka from the whole house in a clean copy; under the supervision of the countess and the care of the count, the necessary gizmos and money were collected for the uniform and equipment of the newly promoted officer. Anna Mikhailovna, a practical woman, managed to arrange protection for herself and her son in the army, even for correspondence. She had the opportunity to send her letters to the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, who commanded the guard. The Rostovs assumed that the Russian guards abroad had a completely definitive address, and that if the letter reached the Grand Duke who commanded the guards, then there was no reason for it not to reach the Pavlograd regiment, which should be nearby; and therefore it was decided to send letters and money through the courier of the Grand Duke to Boris, and Boris was already supposed to deliver them to Nikolushka. Letters were from the old count, from the countess, from Petya, from Vera, from Natasha, from Sonya and, finally, 6,000 money for uniforms and various things that the count sent to his son.

On November 12, the Kutuzov military army, camped near Olmutz, was preparing for the next day for a review of two emperors - Russian and Austrian. The guards, who had just arrived from Russia, spent the night 15 versts from Olmutz and the next day, right at the review, by 10 o'clock in the morning, they entered the Olmutz field.
Nikolai Rostov on that day received a note from Boris informing him that the Izmailovsky regiment was spending the night 15 miles short of Olmutz, and that he was waiting for him to hand over a letter and money. Rostov especially needed money now, when, having returned from the campaign, the troops stopped near Olmutz, and well-equipped scribblers and Austrian Jews, offering all sorts of temptations, filled the camp. Pavlohrad residents had feasts after feasts, celebrations of the awards received for the campaign and trips to Olmutz to the newly arrived Karolina Vengerka, who opened a tavern with female servants there. Rostov recently celebrated his production of cornets, bought a Bedouin, Denisov's horse, and was indebted to his comrades and sutlers all around. Having received a note from Boris, Rostov and his friend went to Olmutz, dined there, drank a bottle of wine, and went alone to the guards camp in search of his childhood friend. Rostov has not had time to get dressed yet. He was wearing a worn cadet jacket with a soldier's cross, the same breeches lined with worn leather, and an officer's saber with a lanyard; the horse on which he rode was a Don one, bought on a campaign from a Cossack; the crumpled hussar cap was smartly put on back and to one side. Approaching the camp of the Izmailovsky regiment, he thought about how he would hit Boris and all his fellow guardsmen with his fired fighting hussar look.
The guards went through the whole campaign as if on a festivities, flaunting their cleanliness and discipline. The transitions were small, satchels were carried on carts, the Austrian authorities prepared excellent dinners for the officers at all the transitions. The regiments entered and left the cities with music, and the whole campaign (which the guardsmen were proud of), by order of the Grand Duke, people walked in step, and the officers walked in their places. Boris walked and stood with Berg, now a company commander, all the time of the campaign. Berg, having received a company during the campaign, managed to earn the trust of his superiors with his diligence and accuracy and arranged his economic affairs very profitably; During the campaign, Boris made many acquaintances with people who could be useful to him, and through a letter of recommendation he brought from Pierre, he met Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, through whom he hoped to get a place in the headquarters of the commander in chief. Berg and Boris, clean and neatly dressed, having rested after the last day's march, sat in the clean apartment allotted to them in front of a round table and played chess. Berg held a smoking pipe between his knees. Boris, with his usual accuracy, with his white thin hands, placed the checkers like a pyramid, waiting for Berg's move, and looked at his partner's face, apparently thinking about the game, as he always thought only about what he was doing.
- Well, how will you get out of this? - he said.
“We will try,” answered Berg, touching the pawn and lowering his hand again.
At this time, the door opened.
“Here he is at last,” shouted Rostov. And Berg is here! Oh, petizanfan, ale kushe dormir, [Children, go to bed,] he shouted, repeating the words of the nanny, over which they once laughed with Boris.
- Fathers! how you have changed! - Boris stood up to meet Rostov, but, getting up, he did not forget to support and put the falling chess pieces in their place and wanted to hug his friend, but Nikolai moved away from him. With that special feeling of youth, which is afraid of beaten roads, wants, without imitating others, to express their feelings in a new way, in their own way, if only not in the way that elders often express it feignedly, Nikolai wanted to do something special when meeting with a friend : he wanted to somehow pinch, push Boris, but just not kiss in any way, as everyone did. Boris, on the contrary, calmly and friendly embraced and kissed Rostov three times.
They had not seen each other for almost half a year; and at the age when young people take their first steps on the path of life, both found in each other great changes, completely new reflections of the societies in which they took their first steps in life. Both had changed a lot since their last meeting, and both wanted to quickly show each other the changes that had taken place in them.
“Oh, you damn floor polishers! Clean, fresh, as if from a walk, not like we are sinners, the army, ”said Rostov with baritone sounds new to Boris in his voice and army tricks, pointing to his breeches spattered with mud.
The German hostess leaned out of the door at the loud voice of Rostov.
- What, pretty? he said with a wink.
- Why are you screaming like that! You will scare them,” said Boris. “But I didn’t expect you today,” he added. - Yesterday, I just gave you a note through a friend of Kutuzovsky's adjutant - Bolkonsky. I did not think that he would deliver to you so soon ... Well, how are you? Already shot? Boris asked.
Rostov, without answering, shook the soldier's St. George's cross hanging on the laces of his uniform, and, pointing to his bandaged hand, smiling, looked at Berg.
“As you can see,” he said.
- That's how, yes, yes! - Boris said smiling, - and we also made a glorious campaign. After all, you know, his highness constantly rode with our regiment, so that we had all the conveniences and all the benefits. In Poland, what kind of receptions there were, what kind of dinners, balls - I can’t tell you. And the Tsarevich was very merciful to all our officers.

At the end of the last century in Kazakhstan, high in the mountains, a Neolithic rock painting depicting four dancing people and a musical instrument was discovered. The drawing of an ancient artist depicted a pear-shaped instrument very similar to a dombra (a two-stringed folk musical instrument of the Kazakhs and Nogais). It turns out that the prototype of the current dombra is more than 4000 years old and is one of the first plucked instruments - the forerunner of modern musical instruments of this kind.

Dombra and related instruments of other peoples on the Eurasian continent have been well known from ancient times according to written monuments.

So, for example, Saka nomadic tribes used two-stringed musical instruments similar to dombra more than 2000 years ago. And during the excavations of Khorezm (an ancient region and state centered on the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, now the territory of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), terracotta figurines depicting musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezmian two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, are similar to the dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Also, the mention of dombra is found in the writings of the famous traveler Marco Polo: “this instrument was present among the warriors of the nomadic Turks, who at that time in Rus' were called Tatars. They sang and played it before the fight to get the right mood."

Legends about the origin of dombra

There are several legends about the origin of dombra, here are the most interesting of them:

Jochi Khan was the eldest and beloved son of Genghis Khan and the father of Batu Khan. Hunting in the Kipchak steppes, Jochi Khan was knocked off his horse and torn to pieces by the leader of a herd of kulans. No one dared to inform the formidable Genghis Khan about the tragic death of his beloved son. The Black Herald was awaiting a cruel execution. Genghis Khan promised to pour molten lead into his throat to inform him of the death of his son. Khan's nukers found a way out. They brought a simple dombra player named Ket-Buga to Genghis Khan's headquarters and instructed him to voice the terrible news. Ket-Buga did not utter a word before the eyes of the formidable Khan. He just played his kyui (music genre for dombra) "Aksak kulan" (Lame kulan). The beautiful music of the great zhyrau Ket-Bug conveyed to the khan the harsh truth about barbaric cruelty and inglorious death. The enraged Genghis Khan, remembering his threat, ordered the execution of the dombra. They say that since then a hole has remained on the upper deck of the dombra - a trace of molten lead. The mausoleum of Jochi Khan has been preserved on the banks of the ancient river Kara-Kengir in the Dzhezkazgan region.

Another legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he starts playing, the idler forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.
So the day passed, and another, and a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The elder brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger and, with all his strength, hit it against a rock. A magnificent instrument broke, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the stone.
Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music again sounded in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

Modern history of dombra

The Kazakh people say: “Nagyz kazak - kazak emes, nagyz kazak - dombyra!”, Which means “a real Kazakh is not a Kazakh himself, a real Kazakh is a dombra!”. This emphasizes the importance of the ability to play the dombra for every Kazakh, which emphasizes the special love of the Kazakhs for this instrument, and this is true, because the dombra is the most popular Kazakh musical instrument, but other nations also have instruments similar to the dombra.


Modern history of dombra. In the photo - Islam Satyrov

So, in Russian culture there is an instrument similar in form - Domra, and the famous Russian balalaika, according to one of the theories, is considered to have descended from the dombra. In Tajik culture there is a similar instrument - Dumrak, in Turkmen culture - Dutar, Bash, Dumbyra, in Uzbek, Bashkir and Nogai culture - Dumbyra, in Azerbaijani and Turkish culture - Saz, in Yakut - Tansyr. These instruments differ in quantity (up to 3 strings), as well as the material of the strings.

Modern dombra has a pear-shaped body and neck with 19 frets. Despite the fact that the instrument has only two strings, its musical range is two full octaves (from D of a small octave to D of the second octave). The instrument is usually in fourths or fifths. Traditionally, the strings used on the dombra were sinewy, made from mutton or goat intestines. But the most suitable sounding was the usual fishing line. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of standard-shaped dombra with strings made of fishing line.


Dombra is widely used as an accompanying, solo, as well as the main instrument in Kazakh and Nogai music. The instrument has recently undergone significant changes: orchestral varieties of dombra have appeared, the volume has increased, the sound range has expanded - dombras of high and low registers have appeared. The instrument, due to its unusual timbre and bright ethnic expression, is often used in modern popular music.

The unique work of Islam Satyrov

One of the artists actively using dombra and other national instruments in their work, which I would like to talk about today, is (Islam Satyrov). Having received a musical education at the Astrakhan Musical College. M.P. Mussorgsky, he, nevertheless, did not forget the slander of his adolescence, and as a musician living today, he creates absolutely unique material that continues the traditions of the Nogai people, carrying the culture and musical heritage of his homeland to the masses.

Islam recently released his debut album.

In the music of this talented person, who performed from the first to the last all the parts in the album, called "Zaman", which means "time" in Russian, modern trends are closely intertwined with ethnic motifs.

The songs of the record are a reflection of what each of us encounters during our life - love, affection, family ties, national pride. From the first to the last note, the recording was performed by the musician himself, using rare acoustic instruments to give new life to the old melodies and rhythms of his people.

Dombra in Kazakh culture

One of the greatest dombra players is the Kazakh folk musician and composer Kurmangazy, who had a great influence on the development of Kazakh musical culture, including dombra music: his musical composition "Adai" is popular in Kazakhstan and abroad.

Not only Kazakhs have dombra. This instrument has its analogues in many nations. In Russian culture there is a domra instrument similar in shape, in Tajik culture - Dumrak, in Uzbek culture - Dumbyra, Dumbrak, similar in shape to Dutar, in Kyrgyz culture - Komuz, in Turkmen culture - Dutar, Bash, Dumbyra, in Bashkir culture - Dumbyra , in the Nogai culture of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - Dombyra, in Turkish culture - Saz. These instruments sometimes differ in the number of strings (up to 3 strings), as well as in the material of the strings (nylon, metal).

History of the instrument

Also at one time, during the excavations of ancient Khorezm, terracotta figurines of musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezmian two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, have a typological similarity with the Kazakh dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan.

According to the written monuments of the Eurasian continent, it can be concluded that the dombra and its related instruments of other peoples on the mainland have been well known since ancient times. In the monuments of different periods in the Eurasian space, we learn about the presence of this plucked instrument, in particular from the monuments of Saka, Hunnic origin. This instrument is also found among the Kimans (Kumans). The Kipchaks are the descendants of the Cumans. Musical works (kyui) of those years have come down to us such as: Ertis tolkyndary (ertis tolqyndary - waves of the Irtysh), Mұңdy Қyz (mundy kyz - a sad girl), Tepen kok (tepen kok - lynx), Aқsaқ қaz ​​(aqsaq qaz - lame goose) , Bozіngen (bozingen - a bright camel), Zhelmaja (zhelmaja - a one-humped camel), Құlannyң tarpuy (qulannyn tarpu'y - the tramp of a kulan), Kөkeikesti (kokeikesti - a deep experience), etc.

Dombyra - kui instrument

For the Kazakhs, kuy is more than a work, it is a sounding page in the history of their people, their customs and culture. Therefore, the Kazakhs highly valued the performers of kyui - kyuishi, among which dombyra players made up the vast majority (kui are performed not only on dombyr). The Kazakh people say: a real Kazakh is not a Kazakh himself, a real Kazakh is a dombra. At the same time, one must understand that the Kazakhs cannot imagine their past, present and future without their favorite instrument - the dombra. It is also necessary to clarify that the word Kazakh means a free warrior, an independent individual who, if he exists in a group, then only of his own free will, while joining the community of worthy and serving him, protecting him, giving labor, life, health and skill without a trace, like a fearless man - a warrior earner.

The structure of the dombra

Dombra has retained its basic structure and appearance for centuries. Folk masters are constantly striving to expand its sound capabilities, melodiousness, rather than diversify the form. So, for example, the Central Kazakhstan dombra is distinguished by a flat body and two gut strings on it. A typical, most common dombra with an oval body is shown in the photo. Below are the names of the components of dombyra.

Shanak- the body of the dombra, acts as a sound amplifier.

Kakpak- deck dombra. perceiving the sounds of strings through vibration, it amplifies them and gives a certain color to the sound of the instrument - timbre.

Spring- this is a beam on the deck from the inside, in German it is called “der Bassbalken”. There was no spring in the Kazakh dombra before. The length of the violin spring is assumed to be in the range from 250 to 270 mm - 295 mm. In dombra, now, to improve the sound, a similar spring (250-300 mm long) is attached to the upper part of the shell and near the stand. As a rule, it is made from spruce that has been aged for several decades without signs of rot.

shells made from maple. The blanks should have such a thickness that when finishing the shells, depending on the density of the maple, their thickness is 1-1.2 mm.

Stand- a very important functional element of the dombra. By transmitting the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and creating the first resonant circuit along the path of vibrations from the strings to the body, the bridge is the true key to the sound of the dombra. The strength, evenness and timbre of the sound of the instrument depends on its qualities, shape, weight and tuning.

String- the source of sound vibrations of the dombra. Dombra traditionally used gut strings made from mutton or goat intestines. It was believed that strings from the intestines of a two-year-old sheep had the best qualities. Such strings give a low sound and, accordingly, a low mood, characteristic of folk music. G-c, A-d, B-es, H-e. Of sheep from different regions of Kazakhstan, preference is given to sheep from Atyrau and Mangystau regions. Apparently, the salinity of pastures for livestock in these places favorably affects the quality of the strings. For orchestral works of world classics, the low mood turned out to be inconvenient. Therefore, in the thirties, in connection with the creation of orchestras of folk instruments, the tuning of the d-g strings was chosen. However, the vein strings could not withstand it and quickly burst. Akhmed Zhubanov tried to use catgut, silk, kapron, etc. as a material, but ordinary fishing line turned out to be the most suitable in terms of sound. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of dombra in the standard form with strings made of fishing line, which has lost its unique sounding timbre.

Legends about the origin of dombra

There are legends about dombra and its origin:

  • The legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he plays, he forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.

So another day passed, and then a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The older brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger and, with all his strength, hit it against the rock. A magnificent instrument broke, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the stone.

Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music again sounded in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

  • The legend about the acquisition of a modern look by dombra says that earlier dombra was with five strings and without a hole in the middle. Such an instrument was owned by the glorious horseman Kezhendyk, well-known throughout the district. He once fell in love with the daughter of a local khan. Khan invited Kezhendyk to his yurt and ordered him to prove his love for his daughter. Dzhigit began to play, for a long time and beautifully. He sang a song about the khan himself, about his greed and greed. Khan got angry and ordered to spoil the instrument by pouring hot lead into the middle of the dombra. Then a hole in the middle burned out and only two strings remained.
  • Another legend about the origin of dombra similar to the previous one. The local khan’s son died hunting from the fangs of a boar, and the servants, fearing the wrath of the khan (he threatened to fill his throat with boiling lead to anyone who would tell him that something unkind had happened to his son) went to the old master Ali for advice. He made a musical instrument, which he called dombra, appeared to the khan and played it. The strings groaned, wept, as if the mournful noise of the forest swept under the silk tent of the khan's tent. The sharp whistle of the wind mingled with the howl of a wild beast. The strings cried out loudly, like a human voice, asking for help, so the dombra told the khan about the death of his son. Beside himself with anger, the khan ordered hot lead to be thrown into the round hole of the dombra.

Literature

This literature can be found in Kazakhstan, Astana, the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan…

  1. Akishev K. A. Kurgan Issyk. - Moscow, 1978.
  2. Alekseeva L.A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the musical structure of the Kazakh dombra.//Kazakh culture: research and search. Collection of scientific articles, Almaty, 2000.
  3. Alekseeva L. A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the Kakha dombra.// We and the universe. 2001. No. 1(6), pp52-54.
  4. Amanov B. Composition terminology of dombra cues. Alma-Ata, 1982
  5. Aravin. P. V. Steppe constellations. - Alma-Ata, 1979.
  6. Aravin. P. V. Great kuishi Dauletkerey.-Alma-Ata, 1964.
  7. Asafiev B.V. About Kazakh folk music.//Musical culture of Kazakhstan.-Alma-Ata, 1955
  8. Barmankulov M. Turkic universe.-Almaty, 1996.
  9. Vyzgo T. Musical Instruments of Central Asia. Moscow, 1980.
  10. Gizatov B. Socio-aesthetic foundations of Kazakh folk instrumental music.-Alma-Ata, 1989.
  11. Zhubanov A.K. Kazakh folk instrument-dombra.//Musicology.-Alma-Ata, 1976. p.8-10.
  12. Stakhov V. Creativity of the violin master. - Leningrad, 1988.
  13. Nazhmedenov Zhumagali. Acoustic features of the Kazakh dombra. Aktobe, 2003
  14. Utegaliyeva S.I. Mangystau dombra tradition. Almaty, 1997

Notes

see also

Links

  • Website of the Kazakh State National Library
  • Asyl Mura project website

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Synonyms:

Dombra is the most beloved and most common instrument in the musical life of the Kazakhs. Kazakh dombra is a two-stringed plucked instrument made of solid wood. It is used both as an accompaniment, and as a solo, and as the main instrument in Kazakh folk music. Dombra has not lost its relevance to this day. Many modern musicians include the sound of dombra in their compositions.

The design of the Kazakh dombra was slightly different depending on the region. So in the west, in the Caspian steppes, the dombra had a rounded teardrop shape with a thin long neck. Pernet frets, like the strings, were made from mutton or goat intestines. In the central and eastern regions of Kazakhstan, dombras were made with a flat bottom deck and a short, thick neck. Most often, its dombra was made from solid pieces of wood: spruce, maple, plane tree, but there are also glued specimens of dombra. On East Kazakhstani dombras, 7-9 frets were imposed, which ensured the playing of accompaniment or the performance of song melodies.

The constituent parts of the Kazakh dombra are the same in all regions of Kazakhstan. This is a shanak - a dombra body that acts as a sound amplifier. Kakpak - soundboard of dombra. Perceiving the sounds of strings through vibration, it amplifies them and gives a certain color to the sound of the instrument - timbre. The spring is a beam on the deck from the inside. There was no spring in the Kazakh dombra before. Currently, to improve the sound, a spring with a length of 250-300 mm is attached to the upper part of the shell and near the stand. As a rule, it is made from spruce that has been aged for several decades without signs of rot.

The shells are made from maple. The blanks should have such a thickness that when finishing the shells, depending on the density of the maple, their thickness is 1-1.2 mm.

The stand is a very important functional element of the dombra. By transmitting the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and creating the first resonant circuit along the path of vibrations from the strings to the body, the bridge is the true key to the sound of the dombra. The strength, evenness and timbre of the sound of the instrument depends on its qualities, shape, weight and tuning.

The string is the source of the sound vibrations of the dombra. Dombra traditionally used gut strings made from mutton or goat intestines. It was believed that strings from the intestines of a two-year-old sheep had the best qualities. Such strings give a low sound and, accordingly, a low mood, characteristic of folk music. G-c, A-d, B-es, H-e. Of the sheep from different regions of Kazakhstan, preference is given to sheep from Atyrau and Mangystau regions. Apparently, the salinity of pastures for livestock in these places favorably affects the quality of strings made from mutton intestines. For orchestral works of world classics, the low mood turned out to be inconvenient. Therefore, in the thirties, in connection with the creation of orchestras of folk instruments, the tuning of the d-g strings was chosen. However, the vein strings could not withstand it and quickly burst. Akhmed Zhubanov tried to use catgut, silk, kapron, etc. as a material, but ordinary fishing line turned out to be the most suitable in terms of sound. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of dombyra among the Kazakhs of a standard form with strings made of fishing line, which has lost its unique sounding timbre.

There are two main techniques for playing the dombra - by hitting the strings with all fingers and by pinching the strings.

The composing and performing art of dombra improvisations reached a high artistic perfection in the 19th century. Abyl, Kurmangazy, Dauletkerey, Dina - in the West, Tattimbet, Kazangap - in the East, Kozhek - in the South, and dozens of other names - bright individuals, with their own style, their schools, traditions. Dombra was also a faithful companion of professional itinerant singers. The images of Birzhan-Sala, Akhan-Sere, Mukhit, Dzhambul, Amre and other famous akyns and singers are invariably associated with the accompanying dombra.

One of the greatest dombra players is the Kazakh folk musician and composer Kurmangazy, who had a great influence on the development of Kazakh musical culture, including dombra music: his musical composition "Adai" is popular in Kazakhstan and abroad. As for the history of the appearance of such an instrument as dombra, there is evidence that the prototype of the modern Kazakh dombra existed more than 4000 years ago, as evidenced by rock paintings found by archaeologists high in the mountains of the Almaty region on the Maitobe plateau in 1989. These drawings depict four dancing men with an instrument resembling a dombra in shape.

And during the excavations of ancient Khorezm, terracotta figurines of musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezm two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, have a typological similarity with the Kazakh dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan. birds and animals - “Akku” (“Swan”), “Kaz” (Goose), “Nar” (“Camel”), kui about lame-footed creatures and an unfortunate hunt - “Aksak kyz” (“Lame girl”), “ Aksak kulan "(" Lame kulan "), kui-crying about drowned children and cubs of animals -" Zhorga ayu "(" Pacer Bear ")," Zarlau "(" Crying ")," Zhetym kyz "(" Orphan Girl ”), etc. All of them have preserved the echoes of the ancient forms of religion, cults and totemic ideas of the people and still carry the living history of silently gone millennia.

An instrument resembling a dombra in shape is also found on the monuments of Saka, Hunnic origin, as well as among many ancient tribes that inhabited the Eurasian space in different periods of time.

Marco Polo noted in his writings that this instrument was present among the warriors of the nomadic Turks, who at that time were called Tatars in Rus'. They sang and played it before the fight, to achieve the appropriate mood.

Many beautiful folk legends are associated with dombra, with the history of its origin and the acquisition of a modern look by dombra.

The legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he plays, he forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.

So another day passed, and then a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The older brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger and, with all his strength, hit it against the rock. A magnificent instrument broke, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the stone.

Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music again sounded in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

The legend about the acquisition of a modern look by dombra says that earlier dombra was with five strings and without a hole in the middle. Such an instrument was owned by the glorious horseman Kezhendyk, well-known throughout the district. He once fell in love with the daughter of a local khan. Khan invited Kezhendyk to his yurt and ordered him to prove his love for his daughter. Dzhigit began to play, for a long time and beautifully. He sang a song about the khan himself, about his greed and greed. Khan got angry and ordered to spoil the instrument by pouring hot lead into the middle of the dombra. Then a hole in the middle burned out and only two strings remained.

Another legend about the origin of dombra is similar to the previous one. The local khan’s son died hunting from the fangs of a boar, and the servants, fearing the wrath of the khan (he threatened to fill his throat with boiling lead to anyone who would tell him that something unkind had happened to his son) went to the old master Ali for advice. He built a musical instrument, which he called dombra, appeared to the khan and informed him by music about the death of his son. Beside himself with anger, the khan ordered hot lead to be thrown into the round hole of the dombra.

Dombra is a virtuoso philosophical instrument of the Kazakh, in skillful hands dombra can convey the whole gamut of human feelings and experiences, dombra embodies the symbolism of Al-Rabi's teaching about music as the highest abstraction accessible to human understanding. You can listen to another work performed on dombra here.

- It is noteworthy that in the republic they decided to designate a whole day of the year as the day of a musical instrument, and this instrument became the dombra. Dombra is a symbol of musical culture from the nomads of antiquity to the present day, - Yuri Petrovich begins his story.


Dombra-like instruments have existed since time immemorial. According to the stones with rock carvings of dancing people, exhibited in the Ykylas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, our ancestors played them more than 4 thousand years ago. However, the first reliable information about dombra appears only in the XVI-XVII centuries.


The ancestor of the dombra is the ancient Turkic musical instrument sherter. It resembles a dombra in shape, but has an open body, three strings and a short neck without frets. Sherter was made from a single piece of wood, and a leather soundboard was pulled over the body.


Sherter was played both by plucking or striking the strings, and with the help of a bow. Kobyz and dombra originated from the sherter.


Traditionally, craftsmen hollowed out dombra from a single piece of wood. As a material, any tree species that grew in the area was used. Over time, to improve the acoustic properties of the instrument, the method of its manufacture has changed. Dombra began to be made from separate glued parts, and hardwoods - pine, larch, spruce - began to be chosen as raw materials.


One of the main differences between modern dombra and the instruments that were played Kurmangazy And Dauletkerey, are strings. Now they are made from fishing line, but until the beginning of the 20th century, gut strings were used on dombra, made by a complex process of dressing mutton or goat intestines.

- The fishing line sounds very bright and powerful, but the gut strings give a special flavor, a very deep and soft sound. Frets - in Kazakh they are called "perne" - were also made from veins. Due to this, the sound of traditional dombra is rich in overtones and overtones.


Rich and deep sound

According to Yuri Petrovich Aravin, despite the simple design, dombra, like other Kazakh musical instruments, has a powerful and rich sound.

- It is possible to understand well how Kazakh musical instruments sound, using the example of kobyz. When a kobyz player plays the kyl-kobyz, he does not press the strings to the fretboard, but only lightly touches them. This creates a lot of overtones. Kobyz strings are made from horsehair. When this instrument is played, it actually sounds like a chorus of 46 individual hairs. The same can be said about the richness of the sound of dombra.


Experienced musicians, performing kui, can reflect in their music the grandeur of the vast expanses of the steppe, the clatter of hundreds of hooves or the rumble of an advancing army. Speaking about the power of dombra sound, Yuri Petrovich remembered a quote from the famous researcher of Kazakh folk music Alexander Zataevich:

- Zataevich, who perfectly penetrated into the peculiarities of Kazakh music, said that the dombra gives the impression of not a small one close up, but something big and even grandiose, but as if from afar, like the striking of a good dining room clock. A very apt comparison, because table clocks can sound like huge bells. Dombra gives the same striking effect. You sit nearby, listen, and there sounds something huge, from afar. To feel this, it is enough to listen to the kui “Aksak Kulan”.


According to the musicologist, the phenomenon of dombra lies in its depth and diversity. It can sound like an entire orchestra, conveying a wide palette of sound. Such music resonates in the soul of the listeners and resonates with the human psyche. With a long neck, round shape, soft materials and gut strings, this simple design creates perfect acoustics.


What is dombra

When imagining dombra, most people keep in mind an instrument of a strictly defined shape. A round teardrop-shaped body, a long neck, two strings - this is how dombra is depicted everywhere, from the cover of school textbooks to historical documentaries. In fact, there are many varieties of this instrument, which were made in various regions of Kazakhstan. Arka, Semipalatinsk, Zhetysu dombra are known. Traditionally, researchers distinguish two main types of dombra and schools of playing it - West Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan.


East Kazakhstani dombra has a flat back deck, scoop-shaped body, short thickened neck (neck) with 8 frets.

— Dombra in the central and eastern regions belonged to the Arka school. It was used as an accompanying instrument to accompany singing. These regions had very rich vocal traditions. It was more convenient for the singers to press the flat dombra to the body. It doesn't sound as loud and doesn't overwhelm the voice.


Western Kazakhstani dombra in modern times has become the most widespread. This is a classic teardrop-shaped dombra with a long thin neck and 15-16 frets on it. Such a dombra gives a greater acoustic range.

— Powerful dynamic kyui played on the West Kazakhstan dombra. Thanks to its sound qualities, it has gained popularity among professional musicians.


The collection of the Ykylas Museum presents unique dombras that belonged to famous akyns, kuishi, composers and poets. Among them, you can also find many interesting types of this musical instrument. For example, on the front deck of a 160-year-old dombra Makhambet Utemisova cut out three small holes instead of one. Also noteworthy is a copy of the famous dombra abaya. In form, this is a typical East Kazakhstan dombra, but it has three strings.


- The three-string dombra of Abai should not confuse you. The fact is that the Kazakhs in this region came into close cultural contact with the Russian population. Abaevskaya dombra adopted three strings from the balalaika. Abai respected Russian culture and ordered just such an instrument for himself.


In the mid-30s, dombra, along with other Kazakh folk instruments, acquired an orchestral sound. Akhmet Zhubanov On the basis of the Music and Drama College, he created the first orchestra of folk instruments in the republic. An experimental workshop was opened in the technical school in order to improve and unify dombra and kobyz for the orchestral range. To create new variants of dombra, Zhubanov attracted talented craftsmen - brothers Boris And Emmanuel Romanenko, Kambara Kasymova, Makhambet Bukeikhanov. This is how dombra-prima, dombra-alto, dombra-tenor, dombra-bass and other instruments appeared, which became an integral part of national orchestras.


— The Romanenko brothers had experience with Russian musical instruments. The famous Russian Orchestra of V. V. Andreev was taken as a model for the orchestra of folk instruments. Just as at one time the balalaika was remade to orchestral sound, the dombra was transformed. For example, a huge double bass dombra sounds completely different compared to a standard dombra. Instruments made by Romanenko, Kasymov and their followers are still valued among musicologists.


Kuishi Mastery

Kazakh folk music, which was composed and performed on the dombra, is a complex, vibrant and abstract art. Poetry is inextricably linked with music. The works of famous zhyrau, sals and akyns comprehend eternal philosophical questions through music and oral art.

— The work of kuishi and akyns touches on deep themes. It cannot be taken literally. If during the sounding of the kui it seems that you hear the clatter of horse hooves, then you need to understand that the author did not want to convey the horse's run, but the impression of this run in his soul. Kazakh art is very meaningful and philosophical, it carries many meanings.


The professional school of oral and musical creativity reached its peak in the Kazakh steppe in the 19th century. Talented akyns and kuishi could devote all their time to composing and performing music without worrying about other things. Often they made their own tool. In auls, performers were given shelter and food, clothes and horses. Aitys winners could count on a good prize and expensive gifts.

— A good performer of kyuis and songs on dombra was welcome in any house and yurt. The tradition of patronage was very developed. As a fee, the winner of the aitys could be awarded an ingot of gold or silver. There is a description of how Abay's mother gave a golden hoof Birzhan-salu admiring his performing arts.


In our time, there are still disputes about who was the most skillful composer of kyuis for dombra. In Soviet times, the cult of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly was established, but Yuri Petrovich believes that the great kuishi had many no less talented contemporaries and followers.

— Kyui Kurmangazy is very bright, memorable and eccentric, but there are stronger works in the pantry of Kazakh music. After the revolution, he was singled out among others because of his poor origin, relegating composers such as Dauletkerey to the background. Just listen to the kui "Zhiger"! It contains such depth and tragic power... It is impossible to say who was the most talented Kazakh composer. There are many musical works for dombra, and everyone can find their favorite.


Dombra in everyday life of Kazakhs

Dombra played an important role in the life of not only professional performers and akyns, but also ordinary nomadic herders. Dombra was an indispensable attribute in every yurt and hung in a place of honor on the kereg. Children learned music by playing a miniature dombra - shinkildek. Adults knew the motives of famous songs and kyuis and could play the simplest of them.


— Kazakhs are by nature very musical and aesthetic people. Long wanderings across the steppe contributed to the development of contemplation and music-making. We must also not forget that music was a means of communication. No one has ever played the dombra just like that, out of the blue. At first, you told who you were, who you came from, where you were going, and what you saw. Music certainly accompanied the word, it helped the perception of words. For example, in order to inform relatives about the death of a relative, they often invited kuishi, who played estirta - a notice of death.


The great importance of dombra in the life of Kazakh society is also evidenced by many legends and myths, where this musical instrument appears. The most famous of them is associated with the times of the Mongol invasion:

— U Genghis Khan had a son Zhoshi, who ruled the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Zhoshi also had an older son who was very fond of hunting kulans. Once, during a hunt, the leader of a herd of kulans knocked the prince out of the saddle, and the herd trampled him. No one dared to tell Zhoshi the bad news, because, according to custom, the messenger could be executed for this. Then they invited kuishi, who played the estirta khan on the dombra, sad news. Through the sounds of dombra, he conveyed the clatter of horses, the fear of kulans, the courage of their leader and the voice of the soul of the deceased young man. When he finished playing, Zhoshi understood everything and said: “You brought me bad news and you are worthy of death.” “I didn’t bring it to you, but my dombra,” answered kuishi. Then the khan ordered to pour hot lead into the dombra. This legend says a lot about the sound-visual properties of dombra and the power of its impact on people.


Many Asian peoples have stringed plucked instruments similar to dombra and similar in appearance, sound and playing style. The Uzbeks and Turkmens have a two-stringed teardrop-shaped instrument - the dutar. The Kyrgyz have a three-stringed instrument komuz. The Mongols, Buryats and Khakasses also have musical instruments similar to the dombra.


- It cannot be argued that dombra is a unique and inimitable invention of the Kazakhs. Many peoples have analogues, but dombra can be called one of the amazing options for musical perfection. This seemingly simple instrument is capable of expressing the deepest experiences of the human soul. In the past, he was closely connected with the Kazakh people, and I hope that this will be the case in the future.

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