Russian folk instrument gusli briefly. Gusli The origin of the word gusli Gusli is an ancient musical instrument

Also, the ancient Greek cithara, the Armenian canon and the Iranian santur have similarities with the harp; these include: the Chuvash harp, the Mari (Cheremis) harp, the clavier-shaped harp and the harp, resembling the Finnish kantele, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kankles. The heroes of the Russian epic epic play the harp: Sadko, Dobrynya Nikitich, Nightingale Budimirovich.

Everyone who is interested in the history of Orthodoxy in Rus' is faced with the phenomenon of an extremely negative attitude of churchmen to such a seemingly harmless instrument as a harp. So, even the preacher of the 12th century, Cyril of Turovsky, threatened with death torment those who "tell fortunes, buzz in the harp, tell fairy tales." In the breviary of the 16th century, among the questions in confession, there are such "... did you not sing demonic songs, did you not play the harp." And hegumen Panfil scolded the people of Pskov for the fact that during the Kupala night they "played tambourines, snot and buzzing strings." historical documents testify that during the time of Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, the harp was confiscated from the population and burned by wagons. Why? Today, apparently, we can answer this question.

Let's start with the fact that back in 1903 in the Indian city of Bombay, a book was published by an outstanding Indian scientist and public figure Balla Gangadhara Tilak "Arctic homeland in the Vedas". Having devoted his whole life to studying the culture of his native people, he long and carefully analyzed ancient traditions, legends and sacred hymns, born in the depths of millennia by the distant ancestors of the ancient Indians and Iranians. Summing up those strange phenomena that were described in the sacred books of the Indians "Rigveda", "Mahabharata", "Upanishads" and in the Iranian "Avesta", Tilak came to the conclusion that these texts were created in the north of Europe, somewhere around arctic circle. It was here that the ancestral home of the Indo-Iranians or, as they called themselves, the Aryans, some of which 4-5 thousand years ago went to the territory of India and Iran, was located. Tilak's book translated into all European languages, was first translated into Russian only in 2000. In the mid-1950s, the prominent Sanskrit scholar Rahula Sankritiano described these movements in his book “From the Volga to the Ganges” and introduced them into scientific circulation. new term"Indoslavs". Note that back in 1964, one of India's leading Sanskrit scholars, Professor Durga Prasad Shastri wrote: “If I were asked which two languages ​​of the world are most similar to each other, I would answer without any hesitation - Russian and Sanskrit”.

In Sanskrit and Russian dialects "gu" means "to sound". Not to hoot means not to sound, not to make a single sound. Not a hum, not a sound. But besides this, in Sanskrit "gu" also has the meaning "to go, move." Recall that the harpists often performed their songs not only in a sitting position, but also while moving, for which they hung the harp on thin straps. Hence and Russian word“to walk”, as well as the meaning of the combinations “to celebrate a wedding” or “to celebrate a holiday”. At this time, you and I both move and “sound”.

If we delve deeper into the topic, we will see that the ancient Vedic rites, rituals, sacred texts are directly related to the North Russian folk tradition. It is well known that the great importance that was attached in Vedic mythology to waterfowl - goose, swan, duck. They symbolized the sky, light, fire, the sun, and were also the embodiment of the creator and the universe. So, in Sanskrit "hamsa" - a goose, a swan, a soul that has known the highest truth, the highest spirit, light, fire, sacred musical rhythm, the music of the universe. In the Russian folk tradition, the images of waterfowl play an exceptional role. Often, it is the goose, swan and duck that mark the sphere of the sacred in the ritual songs of the calendar cycle, and in these songs it is the harp that is an obligatory component of the voicing of the sacred text.

Here we come, perhaps, to the most important thing. In ancient Vedic texts, in such epics as "Mahabharata", "Adiparva" and "Ashvamedhikaparva", it is said that the creation of the Universe took place as follows: according to the plan and the word, which is the voiced idea of ​​the Creator, a huge egg appeared, eternal as the seed of all beings . In him, the true light was the eternal Brahmo - wonderful, unimaginable, omnipresent, the one who is the hidden and elusive cause of the real and the unreal. It is Brahmo - as a combination of male and female principles. He had only one property - sound. In Ashamedhikaparva, Brahmo is called the superluminous light, the ether. It was this superluminous light that created the space and gave rise to the basis of the personality, which is inherently celestial. Brahmo is a super-light light, which was depicted on our Russian icons as a light golden background. Golden background - that's what superlight light is called. In ancient Aryan texts, Brahmo is called ether. Ether is the highest of the elements, it has only one property - sound.

Ether generates seven sounds and a chord. Then the sounds of the ether give rise to movement or wind, and it already has two properties - sound and touch, i.e. inertia. Moreover, inertia is an intrinsic property of the wind or movement. As a result of the reduction of speed above light or ether, due to touch, inertia, there appears visible light, consisting of seven colors of the spectrum, which is associated with seven primary sounds. The intrinsic properties of light are sound, touch and image. Moreover, the property of visible light is precisely the image, i.e. everything that we see in the manifested world is nothing but an image.

So, born from sound and movement, it is the visible light that is on the borderline, relating as light to the divine world (Right), and as an image to the manifested world (Reveal). Performing the sacred hymn, the harp united all three worlds into one whole. Thus, the fabric of the universe is woven from threads - words created by ritual singing on the warp threads - strings. In this structure musical instrument virtually identical to the loom.

The ancient three-string wing-shaped Russian gusli, and that is exactly what they were, is a musical instrument as close as possible to the ideal - a divine instrument.

Think about the words of the hymns of the ancient Adharva Veda, which tell about the preservation of the harmony of the Universe: “Two youths weave the warp, two scurrying into six pegs, one another stretches the yarn, and does not tear it, does not interrupt it. Here are the pegs - they are the basis of the sky, they have become voices for weaving with shuttles. The 6 pegs mentioned in the hymn, three on each side, are sacred pillars, three strings are stretched over them - the warp threads (gunas).

From year to year, from century to century, from millennium to millennium, guslars constantly repeated the act of creation of the Universe in the process of creative insight. They hum, which means that from the sound “gu” and the movement “gu”, they create the third component - visible light, which creates everything manifested in the Universe, the entire material, illusory, visible world. They nourish the cosmos with light, preventing chaos from destroying it, preserving our world and the highest law of being. And it is no coincidence that they, who were also called buffoons, and “skomrat” in Sanskrit means “messenger”, “messenger”, they said “walking around the world with light”.

In that struggle for spiritual power that went on in Rus' for a millennium, apparently, they remained undefeated, as long as, even at the end of the 20th century, the archaic form living goose tradition, which was found during the St. Petersburg expedition by the Leningrad Conservatory in the Pskov, Novgorod and Kirov regions.

Several interesting facts about goose:

Gusli is perhaps one of the most interesting Russian folk instruments. And if you think that their life is a thing of the past along with the principality of Novgorod, then you are very much mistaken.

1. Shall we hum?

In general, almost all stringed instruments, including the gusli-guds, were called "gudebnye vessels" in Rus'. Historians prove that "gusli" is a native Russian word. The verb "hum" denoted those sounds that are extracted when in contact with the strings. "Gusli" is one string, and "gusli" is their combination. Gusli sounded in Everyday life ordinary people, and at princely feasts, the harp escorted the soldiers to the battlefield, participated in the rituals. Under the harp, they performed mainly epics, as well as folk songs. They played the harp mainly with both hands, placing the instrument vertically on their knees or placing it horizontally.

2. Wide model range

In the old days, the body of the harp was made from crushed dry spruce or maple boards. The maple sycamore was especially loved by the craftsmen, hence the name of the gusli - “spider”. As soon as the strings from the veins were replaced with metal ones and the instrument “rang”, the psaltery began to be called “voiced”. The smallest number of strings recorded on the harp is five. This number can reach up to 66. However, the five-string gusli, according to scientists, the best way corresponds to the five-tone mode of the Russian song. In shape, helmet-shaped (or psalter), pterygoid (voiced) and trapezoidal harps were distinguished.

3. Novgorod excavations

special value archaeological sites, which were held in Novgorod, constitute the original gusli of the first half of the XII century. Their elegant body is made of a wooden block. On the left side there is a sculpture in the form of the head and part of the body of a dragon, and on the back there are drawings of birds and a lion. Such ornaments tell us about the pagan cults of ancient Novgorod. In Novgorod, small guselki (presumably up to 37 cm long) were also found, decorated with carvings and a swastika illustrating the image of a sacred vine.

4. Slovisha

On the harp found in Novgorod, the inscription “Slovisha” is clearly visible - a name derived from “glory” and meaning “nightingale”. Apparently, it belongs to the gusli, who is also the master who made the Novgorod gusli. Although there is another version, according to which "Slovisha" is the personal name of the instrument, and not its owner. But in any case, the inscription indicates that the harp belonged to a Slav. Today, this name is given to numerous groups, clubs, schools where they teach playing the harp.

5. And what about the descendants?

Today, in every self-respecting orchestra of folk instruments there are plucked harps - table-shaped or later, improved models - keyboard harps. This instrument is able to fill any melody with the unique flavor of ancient goose chimes. Recreation ancient tradition playing the harp is played by modern harp narrators.

The material was compiled on the basis of lectures by Zharnikova S.V.

Gusli musical instrument - what is it? It belongs to the stringed plucked species. Gusli is an ancient instrument, familiar to many according to legends. But in modern time you can hear its sounds mainly in orchestras focused on playing folk Slavic music. Although there are still some talented masters who can extract music from this ancient instrument.

When were the harps created?

Since childhood, everyone has heard about the harp. What are they? This is an unusual old musical instrument. In former times, its sounds were often heard in village huts. There are many legends about this instrument and folk sayings. For the first time, the harp is mentioned in 591. But there is no more exact date for the creation of this musical instrument in any source.

A bit of history

Gusli - what is it? This is a musical ancient plucked instrument. But when he appeared is not known. There are many versions. One of them - the harp is formed from an old musical bow. It was quite primitive and famous in almost all countries. In support of this version, it can be added that the string of such a musical bow was called “gusla”. But, as mentioned above, this is only one of many hypotheses.

In the ninth century, the Slavs surprised the Byzantine kings by playing the harp. At that time, the instrument was made from dry boards of maple or spruce. The names of the gusli sometimes came from ornamental material. For example, the masters preferred But when the metal strings began to be pulled, the psaltery (there is a photo of them in this article) began to be called "voiced".

The difficult and interesting fate of a musical instrument

The fate and history of the "growth" of the gusli is closely connected with the epic and folk tradition. The secret of making a musical instrument has been passed down for centuries. Everyone loved songs and tunes on the harp: both commoners and kings. But after a while, the guslars (or guslists) began to be persecuted. And not last role played unflattering songs about the then existing power.

Over time, the body and design of the harp changed, the technology for processing the material and applying varnish underwent changes. Has changed and decorative trim. And as a result, the harp turned from a rough folk instrument into a real work of art with a unique and rich sound.

Description of the gusli

Archaeologists still find ancient Russian gusli, which date back to the 11th-13th centuries. Tools have been found in Poland and Russia. All harps have common parts: strings, peg row, body, resonator and string holder. But the shape and location may be different.

Types of gusli

In addition to three types plucked instruments, modern keyboards appeared, on which the mechanics are installed. When pressed, the strings open, and you can quickly select the desired chord. Playing the harp has become much easier. And all ancient instruments are divided into several types:

Gusli in modern times

Gusli - what is it? This is an ancient legendary musical instrument. In modern times, it is found in almost every orchestra. The voice of the harp gives the overall sound a unique flavor and zest. Interest in this musical instrument in recent times increased significantly. Modern guslars have appeared, striving to revive ancient traditions and chants.

How did they play the harp?

The harp sounded loud, but very soft. This was provided by the gut strings. The musicians played the harp while sitting on something hard. The tool was placed on the knees at a slight inclination. The top rested on the chest of the musician. Often the harpists played standing up. Some masters even managed to dance while extracting sounds from the instrument.

Playing the harp is a real skill. Modern gusli imitating old ones have from five to nine in number. The latter are located separately. The musicians play while sitting, pressing the harp to the stomach. The narrow side of the tool is turned to the right, and the wide side is to the left. in the fingers right hand there is a sliver, mediator, feather or bone. They also extract sound from the strings. And they are all affected at the same time. And the fingers on the left hand muffle too loud sound.

Workshops and factories

Gusli is a musical instrument for the manufacture of which there are practically no large factories. There are only small workshops that are created in the villages by true lovers of antiquity. Therefore, each copy of the harp in the old style becomes an almost unique and inimitable creative example.

Guslyars in Rus' occupied a special position. These people entertained the prince and the people, and told stories about the days of the past, and talked about how the world works. Could, on occasion, and conjure, with their special, poetic magic. They are also the keepers of ancient laws and regulations. It was believed that if a harp sang a song before performing any important business (for example, matchmaking or war), then this business was guaranteed good luck. The funerals of princes, heroes, etc., could not do without harpists, and a wedding without a singer is not a wedding at all. The Guslyars were very respected, they considered it an honor to receive them. It is in principle possible to mistreat, and even more so harm or kill, harpists, but such acts cover the shame of the person who committed them. Magi - all respected and revered profession. These are the wisest of the wise. Becoming a sorcerer is possible only after many years of training. Magi serve as intermediaries between people and gods, perform rituals, prayers and sacrifices (including human ones). The Magi resolved disputes between people, advised whom to elect a prince. They conjured with the help of rituals, spells, magic potions. They knew how to treat (especially magical diseases such as the evil eye). Witches and sorcerers lived mostly in the forest, knew herbs and spells. attitude towards them ordinary people was wary, because it is not known what powers they possess and what they are capable of, what they do - good or bad.

Exiles - people for one reason or another expelled from the tribe / clan. They are not fed, they are not helped, they are not treated, they are not loved. If they survive, it's a big deal. You can expel a person by a special rite in the presence of a sorcerer.

The Slavs did not know slavery as such. The captive / captive became "slave" for a certain period, after which they could go to all four sides or remain free. In addition, it was possible to redeem - for the same amount that was paid upon purchase or by agreement with the captive.

3. SPECIAL RITES.

3.1 Initiation.

To become a member of the tribe, the child had to go through an initiation. It happened in three steps. The first - immediately at birth, when the midwife cut the umbilical cord with the tip of a combat arrow in the case of a boy, or with scissors in the case of a girl, and swaddled the child in a diaper with signs of the family.

When the boy reached three years old, he was put under a harness - that is, they put him on a horse, girded him with a sword and took him around the yard three times. After that, they began to teach him proper masculine duties. At the age of three, a girl was given a spindle and a spinning wheel for the first time. The action is also sacred, and the mother girded her with the first thread spun by her daughter on her wedding day to protect her from spoilage. Spinning among all peoples was associated with fate, and from the age of three, girls were taught to spin fate for themselves and their home.

At the age of twelve or thirteen, upon reaching marriageable age, boys and girls were brought to the men's and women's houses, where they received a full set of sacred knowledge they needed in life. After that, the girl jumped into a poneva (a kind of skirt worn over a shirt and talking about maturity). The young man after the initiation received the right to wear military weapon and get married.

3.2 Wedding.

The still preserved expression "to get married around a birch" quite accurately conveys the meaning of the wedding ceremony of the Russians. The wedding consisted of worshiping Lada, Rod and Triglav, after which the sorcerer called for a blessing on them, and the newlyweds walked around three times sacred tree, calling as witnesses the gods, churs and shores of the place where they were. The wedding was necessarily preceded by a conspiracy or kidnapping of the bride. The bride was generally obliged to go to a new clan, as if by force, so as not to inadvertently offend the guardian spirits of her clan ("I do not betray, they lead by force"). By the way, many hours of sobs and mournful songs of the bride are connected with this. At the feast, the newlyweds were forbidden to drink (it was believed that they would be drunk from love). The newlyweds spent the first night on distant sheaves covered with furs (a wish for wealth and many children).

3.3 Funeral.

The Slavs knew several funeral rites. During the heyday of paganism, the most common and honorable was burning, followed by the pouring of a barrow. After that, a feast was held on the mound in memory of the deceased. In the second way, the so-called mortgaged dead were buried - those who died a suspicious, unclean death, or who did not live in truth. The funeral of such dead was expressed in throwing the body far away into a swamp or ravine, after which it was covered with branches from above. This was done in order not to defile the land and water with an unclean corpse.

Burial in the ground, which we are accustomed to, became widespread only after the adoption of Christianity.

4. HOLIDAYS.

There are five main holidays in the year - Korochun (beginning of the year, winter solstice on December 24), Komoyeditsy, or Maslenitsa (spring equinox on March 24), Kupala (summer solstice on June 24), Perunov day (July 21) and Kuzminki (harvest festival, the holiday of the Family, childbirth, autumn equinox September 24).

The overwhelming majority of ancient Slavic pagan festivals and prayers were held publicly, were an “event”, a joint spell of nature and were held not in a house or village, but outside the everyday household circle.

The nature of many pagan festivals was so ubiquitous, associated with all nature around the village (forests, groves, springs, rivers, swamps, hills and mountains); that it is almost impossible to find places of ancient round dances, Kupala bonfires, sacrifices to water, various “games between the village”.

The only exceptions are sacred ceremonies on the hills, on the mountains, “red hills”, which very often during archaeological surveys provide interesting material about ancient pagan cults.

Revered idols were set up by the pagan Slavs, as a rule, on the hills Chronicles of Perun always mark his position on the hill: Prince Igor, swearing an oath to an agreement with Byzantium, “come to the hills where Perun stands”. Vladimir placed idols on the top of the Starokievskaya mountain above the Dnieper. After the baptism of Rus', the place of pagan temples on such hills was occupied christian churches:

“Red Hills”, “Red Hills”, where Shrovetide burnings of winter effigies were held, the rite of conjuration of spring, the meeting of Lada and Lelya, rolling eggs on Fomin's week (which was called “Red Hill”) were probably near each village. In flat places, where there were no noticeable hills, the peasants marked the first spring thaws in the meadows, where the snow began to melt first of all, and there they held the ceremony of welcoming spring.

For “cathedrals” or “events” of a larger scale than the inhabitants of one village, for the population of a shipyard, or even more so of a tribe, more noticeable mountains were required, which from year to year served as a place for large pagan worship.

The longevity of such religious centers is interesting: having arisen around the 1st millennium BC. e. (and maybe in bronze age), they conveyed their ancient pagan essence up to late medieval XV century AD, and on many of them Christian churches and monasteries arose. Bear holidays with exactly the same name, which has preserved the ancient Indo-European form of “komoeditsa”, are also known among the Slavs. In Belarus, komoeditsy were held on March 24, on the eve of the Orthodox Annunciation. Housewives baked special “comas” from pea flour; dances were arranged in clothes turned inside out with fur in honor of the spring awakening of the bear. The ancient Shrovetide turned out to be shifted from its calendar period by the Christian Great Lent, incompatible with Shrovetide revelry. And since the post was subject to a movable Easter calendar, the pagan Maslenitsa, although it survived after the baptism of Russia and has survived to this day (at least in the form of pancakes), but its timing is changeable. The initial term of the undisturbed Maslenitsa is the spring equinox. An indispensable mask at the Maslenitsa carnival is a “bear”, a man dressed up in a bear coat or a turned-out sheepskin coat.

... The bowstring rang,
An arrow flew...

Gusli is an ancient musical instrument. Thousands of years of human history have hidden from us both the age and place of their birth. AT different countries and different peoples called this instrument differently. Among the Slavs, the name of this instrument, I think, is associated with the sound of a bowstring. The same string that was pulled over the bow.

In ancient times, the elastic bow string was called differently - "gusla". Here is one of the hypotheses for the origin of the name of the instrument. And by attaching a hollow vessel to a string, we get a primitive musical instrument. So: strings and a resonator that amplifies their sound is the main principle of this plucked instrument.

AT old Russian manuscript, "The Tale of a Belarusian Man and Monasticism", the miniaturist depicted in the letter "D" the figure of the king (possibly the psalmist David) playing the harp. Their form corresponds to the instrument that existed in those days in Rus'. These are the so-called "helmet-like" harps. The shape of their body really resembles a helmet. Subsequently, the shape of the flat resonator box changed. Trapezoidal gusli appeared. The number of strings on the instrument has decreased, and the shape of the body has also changed. So the winged gusli appeared.

Back in the 9th century, the Slavs surprised the kings of Byzantium with the harp. In those distant times, the psaltery was made from dugout dry boards of spruce or maple. Maple "Yavor" is especially loved by music masters. This is where the name of the harp comes from - "Yarovchatye". / And as soon as the strings began to be pulled from metal, the harp rang and began to be called "voiced".

The fate of this instrument has long been associated with the folk song and epic tradition. For centuries, craftsmen have passed on the secrets of making gusli. Goose tunes, songs of singers, were loved by both the people and the kings. But often folk singers sang unflatteringly about the authorities.

These persecutions of the harpists (this word sounds so correct), or, as the harpists began to call them disparagingly, did an unkind service to the fate of the instrument. Interest in his improvement was not the same as he was in the fate of the violin. But time has changed this ancient instrument. Its design, body shape, wood processing technology, varnishes, decorative finishes - all this has long removed the harp from the category of an archaic, purely folk instrument, turning it into a stage professional instrument with a rich and unique sound.

Today, every orchestra of folk instruments includes plucked harps - table-shaped and keyboard harps. The sound of these instruments gives the orchestra a unique flavor of ancient goose chimes.

Currently, interest in the harp has grown markedly. Modern harp players appeared - storytellers who set out to recreate the ancient tradition of both playing the harp and singing to the harp. Along with three types of plucked harps, the main technique of playing which is plucking and rattling, keyboard harps also appeared. The mechanics installed on them, when you press the keys, open the strings, and makes it possible to select the desired chord. This greatly simplifies playing the harp as an accompanying instrument.

Unfortunately, if you want to buy an instrument, you have to talk about small workshops in Russia where the harp is very rarely made as separate copies. In the whole world, it seems to me, there is not a single factory where this unique instrument. The money goes for anything: wild entertainment, wars, pleasures... Diversion of funds for the manufacture of at least one ground-to-air combat missile would be more than enough to build a small music factory. How sad and painful it is to realize today. But ... the psaltery sounds and will sound forever!

In the article we will analyze the meaning of the word gusli, and also talk about the features of this instrument. The term has Old Slavic roots. It is associated with the word "hum". It's about about the Russian folk stringed musical instrument of the zither type. The name is found already in the sources of the XI century. It could historically refer to a variety of musical instruments.

It should be mentioned separately modern usage this term. Now the gusli is a musical instrument that is stringed, plucked and has a trapezoidal shape. Similar to citrus. Musicians who play such a musical instrument are called harpists. Details below.

Story

To understand what a harp is, you should know that it is a musical instrument, the varieties of which include zhetygen, psaltery, lyre, kithara, harp. The Iranian santur and the Armenian canon also have similarities with it. The musical harp was used by the heroes of the epic Russian epic: Nightingale Budimirovich, Dobrynya Nikitich, Sadko.

Researchers of the early twentieth century drew attention to an amazing detail. They noted the similarity of the Mari and Chuvash gusli with the drawings of the instrument we are considering on the pages of medieval Russian manuscripts. In these images, the performers hook the strings with their fingers. They hold the instrument itself on their knees. The Mari and Chuvash played in the same way at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The number of strings was not always the same. Psalter-shaped harp, according to researchers, was brought to Russia by the Greeks. The Mari and Chuvashs borrowed this instrument from the Russians. Clavier-shaped gusli were found at the beginning of the twentieth century mainly among the Russian clergy.

This instrument consists of a special rectangular resonant box, complete with a lid, which is placed on a table. A number of round cuts are made on the board - voices. A pair of concave wooden bars is attached to it. Iron pegs are screwed into one of these elements. Metal strings are wound on them.

The other bar serves to attach the strings. Clavier-shaped harps have a piano system. In this case, the strings that correspond to the black keys are placed below those that correspond to the white ones.

Notes were created for clavier-shaped harps. There was also a school, which at the beginning of the twentieth century was founded by Fyodor Kushenov-Dmitrevsky. This person is also the author of a tutorial dedicated to this instrument.

Pterygoid

Considering the question of what a harp is, it should be noted that they are yarovchatye. Historically, this type of musical instrument is the first. As a rule, such harps accompany the singer's voice or solo. They have a diatonic scale.

The winged harp is an instrument that was widespread in the 19th-20th centuries in the northwestern territories of Russia, bordering Finland, Karelia and the Baltic states. Related instruments are found there: cannel, kantele, kokles, kankles. The largest number instruments were found by researchers in the Novgorod and Pskov regions.

Winged gusli have a variety of shapes. The strings are stretched fan-shaped and taper towards the “heel”. You can select tools that have a beveled body. It narrows as it approaches the tailpiece. The thickness of the tool varies between 4-6 centimeters, and the length does not exceed 800 mm.

A special feature here is a thin postcard - about 6-11 mm. During the game, it is used to support left hand. After all, she quickly gets tired of hanging over the strings. This type the harp has 5-17 strings. More often they are from 6 to 9. They are tuned in accordance with the steps of the diatonic scale.

The top or bottom end strings can be tuned as bourdon strings, which constantly sound during playing. There are about twelve different methods for tuning the harp. On winged instruments, as a rule, they play by touching all the strings at once. This technique is called "rattling". Unnecessary strings are muted with the fingers of the left hand.

This is achieved by placing three or four (rarely) fingers between the strings. This approach allows you to change chords with particular speed. The blow usually comes from top to bottom. Also here you can achieve greater smoothness of the sound. To do this, strikes from the bottom up are added, equal in strength to the first. You can also play melodies on this instrument. Sometimes techniques are used to pluck sounds with the fingers of the left hand. As a rule, it is large and unnamed.

Helmet-shaped

For a long time historiography was dominated by the idea of ancient Russian origin this tool. Later, an assumption arose about borrowing this design from the peoples of the Volga region. Modern researchers who are wondering what a gusli is, and what are the features of this particular species, take a more cautious view.

At the same time, they point to a possible relationship between this instrument and the Western European psaltery. Attention should be paid to the point of view of the historian A. A. Novoselsky. In his opinion, this type of harp used in music was borrowed from Western European peoples. This is indicated by the name and resemblance to the psalterium.

Helmet-shaped harp originated in Rus' in the nineteenth century. Five images of musical instruments were found in Veliky Novgorod. All depict a musician with an instrument similar to a helmet-shaped harp. Such a performer was called a buzzard.

Lyre-shaped

In music, this type of harp is also called a playing window. They were distributed in Ancient Rus', as well as in Poland in the XI-XIII centuries. The earliest finds came from Novgorod and the Polish city of Opole. They date back to the 11th century. Such harps in the upper part have an opening. This feature makes such finds related to other lyre-shaped structures.

Stationary

Answering the question of what a harp is, it should be noted that they are table-shaped, rectangular and clavier-like. All of them are also called stationary. They have a chromatic scale. The tool was developed in XVI-XVII centuries based on helmet-shaped and voiced gusli. It also existed as a portable instrument, which was horizontally placed on the musician's knees.

Plucked

Such harps, together with keyboards, can also be called concert or academic. Range and action are not bright here. pronounced features. It is the same as that of the keyboard harp. This assumes a more complex technique of the game. The strings are plucked with both hands. The left one creates the accompaniment, the melody is played by the right one.

Keyboards

Such a harp was created in 1905 by N. P. Fomin on the basis of rectangular ones. They are used by orchestras of folk instruments, mainly for playing chords, as an accompanying instrument. The performer presses the keys with his left hand, plucks the strings with a leather pick with his right hand, less often without it. The main technique of the game is arpeggio - the transition to the upper sound from the lower one.

Data

The musical instrument gusli, in essence, is a purely Russian phenomenon (if we talk about the form that we talked about above). Various Slavic peoples there are tools with similar names. This applies to Bulgarians, Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs. These tools are varied. They are often bowed.

In 1980-1990, in the course of frontal work by the folklore expeditions of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory, headed by Anatoly Mikhailovich Mekhnetsov, the remains of an archaic type of gusel game in the Pskov and Novgorod regions were revealed. By the way, when the Bible was translated into Russian, kinnor was called gusli.