Bandura - Ukrainian folk stringed plucked musical instrument. Has an oval body and short neck. The strings (on old instruments - 12-25, on modern ones - 53-64) are partly stretched over the neck (the so-called riots, longer, low-sounding), and partly attached to the deck (the so-called stringers, shorter, sounding high). The bandura is distinguished by its fullness of sound and a bright characteristic timbre. Bandura system is mixed, in the lower register it is quarto-second, in the modern instruments- chromatic. They play the bandura by plucking the strings with their fingers with or without special thimbles.
There are several theories regarding the origin of the Ukrainian bandura. Probably its origin is connected with the kobza, and not with the gusli. Old Russian gusli had a small number of strings (4-5), which were played with “rattling”. This way of playing is inherent in the balalaika and has not been recorded in Ukraine. By the way, how the sample of the ancient Russian harp itself was not found. After unification with the Principality of Lithuania (1321), the orientation of the Ruthenian lands was directed towards Western culture. Imperial cultural assimilation began with late XVIII century, when the multi-stringed Ukrainian musical instrument "bandura" was already formed and existed (1740).
The following facts speak in favor of the thesis about the origin of the bandura from the kobza:
In the 19th century banduras were symmetrical, which is inherent in lute-like instruments;
The main strings located on the body of the bandura are called "strings", that is, as part of the strings PRI of the main strings on the fingerboard;
The functional names of the strings on the neck of the kobza have been preserved in some places on the banduras;
The commonality of the traditional repertoire and forms of activity of kobza and bandura players;
Structural inconveniences for playing the bandura of the “doom order” on the strings in comparison with the absolute convenience of playing it on the kobza neck. The appearance of the bandura as an instrument of a homophonic-harmonic musical formation could not have happened before the appearance and formation of the system itself in European music.
[edit] Usage
Kobza-Bandura is related to Pandura or Mandora. All these instruments, through the medieval lute, originate from the Turkic instrument kopuz and the Middle Eastern oud. The image of the kobza bandura has been known since the 12th century.
Back in the 15th century. Ukrainian kobza players were invited to the royal court of Poland, and in the 18-19 centuries. - in Russian imperial court. The largest ancient kobza players are T. Bilogradsky (famous lute player, 18th century), A. Shut (19th century), O. Veresai (19th century) and others.
At the beginning of the 19th century * old-world * bandura supplanted the kobza. IN different time the bandura had 7-9 to 20-30, or even more strings made of veins, later they were wrapped around with copper wire. The bandura was widely spread among the Ukrainian Cossacks. Banduras were played by wandering blind bandura players who performed songs of specific genres - historical, thoughts, psalms, cants, etc.
A diatonic multi-stringed bandura is a musical instrument with a harp-like way of playing (without pinching the strings on the fretboard). An example of 1840 (erroneously dated 1740) is in the St. Petersburg Conservatory under the name "Nedbailo bandura".
The name of the bandura comes from the Latin (pandura) through the Old Polish (Barduny, ie Lute).
In the 17th century, the kobza was popular in Ukraine, and from early XVIII century, the fashion for it also came to the aristocratic circles of Russia. It was with the aim of dissociating itself from the “servile” name “kobza” in the lordly environment that they began to call it the noble and fashionable Western name “bandora” in the *Latin manner*. This name is recorded in many Polish sources of the 17th century, and in the royal order of 1738 on the creation of a musical educational institution in Glukhov. “In Polish dictionaries and descriptions of instruments, bandura is interpreted as a Cossack lute” (A. Famintsyn). The fact that in the cities they play the bandura, "and the peasants ... on the harp", explaining in brackets that this is the "kind of the bandura" was reported in 1788 by A. I. Rigelman. Most of the witnesses (Bergholz, Shtelin, Bellerman, etc.). The bandura of the 18th century was reported as “an instrument similar to a lute, but smaller in size and number of strings”, “only the handle is somewhat shorter”, “the tone is absolutely similar to the tone of a lute”. So, it was about the "Cossack lute" - kobza. But nearby there were real banduras with "20 or more strings ... on the last (multi-stringed banduras), not all strings are stretched along the neck, half - on the body itself" (A. Famintsyn).
Yes, in early XIX century, there were also lute-like multi-stringed musical instruments that were "Ukrainized", began to be called banduras, and performers on them - bandurists.
Comparing the banduras with the Veresaeva bandura, we can conclude that the main strings on the banduras for playing were short strings located to the right of the fretboard above the soundboard of the instrument, and the basses on the fretboard were carried minor role. On the bandura by O. Veresai, the main functions in the performance of melody and bass are laid down in the way of playing the fretboard (like on a guitar), and six strings performed additional function- increased range when playing in one position ( folk way game in which the hand does not move up the neck, but is in one place).
Any open string (especially vein) sounds better pressed without calculations to the fretboard. It is much easier to master playing an instrument with a stable pitch. Therefore, the first chores prompted the musicians to create a new multi-stringed musical instrument, which in the 19th century. displaced the lute-like kobza, adopting certain performing traditions from it, and in some rural areas and the name of the instrument itself.
Bandura- Ukrainian folk stringed musical instrument.
It has an oval body and a short neck. The strings (on old instruments - 12-25, on modern ones - 53-70) are partly stretched over the neck (the so-called basses", longer, low-sounding), partly attached to the deck (the so-called servants , shorter, high-sounding). The bandura is distinguished by its fullness of sound and a bright characteristic timbre. The bandura's tuning is mixed, in the lower register it is a quarter-second, in the upper it is predominantly diatonic, in modern instruments it is chromatic. They play the bandura by plucking the strings with their fingers with or without special "nails".
The bandura's tuning is mixed, in the lower register it is a quarter-second, in the upper it is predominantly diatonic, in modern instruments it is chromatic. The bandura is played by plucking the strings with or without special thimbles.
Origin
The tool is very ancient origin, because it is similar to tools Eastern peoples, for example, Chinese and Indian baths. The bandura reminds Spanish guitar and has a resemblance to the pandora, on which the Greek rhapsodes sang the exploits of their heroes, as well as to the bzura, the folk instrument of the Crimean Tatars.
Device
Components of Bandura: a short and wide neck, called a handle; the bent part of the neck is called the head, in which the pegs (kilochki) sit to pull up and lower the strings. The body of the bandura has the appearance of a convex oval, resembling a hollowed-out pumpkin; it's called a spinner. The circumference of the oval of the speedboard extends a little to the side (like the edges of a bowl) for convenient placement of the bells that hold the short strings of the bandura, and is called a strap. The soundboard covering the speedboard is called the top, or dike. At the very bottom of the soundboard, against the fingerboard, there is a strip of wood, grasped tightly by 2 - 3 screws - a stringer to which the strings are attached. A round hole is cut in the middle of the soundboard - a voice box for sound propagation (you give out a voice). Between the stringer and the vocalist, closer to the first, there is a wooden stand - a filly, on which all 12 strings lie.
The bandura is usually made from solid linden wood, has 12 strings: 6 thick and long and 6 thinner and shorter. strings large sizes are called riots and stretch from the strut along the soundboard and the entire neck, where they are wound on keels in the head. The first string, extreme, long (bass) is made of sheep's gut and wrapped with a cantle (dry gold), the 2nd and 3rd (bass) are also made of guts (guts), the 4th copper (drotova), the 5th naz. prima, 6th - third (both from the intestines, called Roman, i.e. from transparent intestines, better dignity), the remaining 6 strings - the stringers - all from the intestines. These stringers are directed not to the neck, but to the top of the soundboard, where they are attached. The lack of resonance of the bandura, if its body is small, makes it necessary to replace the intestinal tethers with copper ones, due to which the bandura wins in sonority. The number of bandura strings can be more than 12, sometimes it reaches 25-30.
Modern types of bandura
IN Soviet time the bandura was transformed into a heavy, non-mobile, multi-stringed instrument. However, it was preserved in its original form thanks to the efforts of the architect and musician Georgy Tkachenko. Today, the bandura has been updated by young workers of the Kyiv kobza workshop under the guidance of the artist and musician Nikolai Budnik.
Today, concert bandura players in Ukraine use instruments of the Kyiv type. Mainly produced by Chernihiv or Lvov musical factory. These instruments are made according to the design of I. Sklyar and V. Gerasimenko. The standard prima bandura has 55-58 strings and is tuned in the key of G major. concert instruments differ from the prima's bandura in that they have a mechanic for rebuilding the strings. Concert instruments have 61-65 strings. Both factories made instruments in children's sizes. The Lviv factory also produces a teenage bandura, which can also be ordered with a mechanical rebuilder.
Banduras of the Kharkov type (designed by the Goncharenko brothers) are popular in the diaspora. Instruments are diatonic (34-36 strings), semi-chromatic and chromatic. Equipped with mechanics for rebuilding individual strings.
In the 60s, experimental Kiev-Kharkov banduras designed by I. Sklyar were made, which, unfortunately, did not take root in Ukraine. The instrument was built on the basis of the Kyiv bandura and was not convenient for playing by the Kharkov method. Complex mechanics for rebuilding the key negatively affected acoustic features concert versions of this instrument.
IN Lately attempts were made to revive the Kharkov bandura in Ukraine. V. Gerasimenko made several versions of the Kharkov bandura, the latter is equipped with total mechanics for restructuring, but the instruments are not yet perfect, they are not yet mass-produced.
- (Polish bandura; original source: Greek pandura - three-stringed zither) Ukrainian multi-stringed plucked instrument. Known from... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Ukrainian folk stringed plucked musical instrument, has an oval body and a short neck. The strings (on old instruments - 12-25, on modern ones - 53-64) are partly stretched over the neck (the so-called riots, longer, low-sounding), and partly attached to the deck (the so-called stringers, shorter, sounding high).
The bandura's tuning is mixed, in the lower register it is a quarter-second, in the upper it is predominantly diatonic, in modern instruments it is chromatic. The bandura is played by plucking the strings with or without special thimbles.
Origin
The instrument is of very ancient origin, as it has similarities with the instruments of the eastern peoples, for example, the Chinese and Indian baths. The bandura resembles and resembles the pandora, on which the Greek rhapsodes sang the exploits of their heroes, as well as the bzura, the folk instrument of the Crimean Tatars.
Device
Components of Bandura: a short and wide neck, called a handle; the bent part of the neck is called the head, in which the pegs (kilochki) sit to pull up and lower the strings. The body of the bandura has the appearance of a convex oval, resembling a hollowed-out pumpkin; it's called a spinner. The circumference of the oval of the speedboard extends a little to the side (like the edges of a bowl) for convenient placement of the bells that hold the short strings of the bandura, and is called a strap. The soundboard covering the speedboard is called the top, or dike. At the very bottom of the soundboard, against the fingerboard, there is a strip of wood, grasped tightly by 2 - 3 screws - a stringer to which the strings are attached. A round hole is cut in the middle of the soundboard - a voice box for sound propagation (you give out a voice). Between the stringer and the vocalist, closer to the first, there is a wooden stand - a filly, on which all 12 strings lie.
The bandura is usually made from solid linden wood, has 12 strings: 6 thick and long and 6 thinner and shorter. Larger strings are called riots and stretch from the stringer along the soundboard and the entire neck, where they are wound on keels in the head. The first string, extreme, long (bass) is made of sheep's gut and wrapped with a cantle (dry gold), the 2nd and 3rd (bass) are also made of guts (guts), the 4th copper (drotova), the 5th naz. prima, 6th - third (both from intestines, called Roman, i.e. from transparent intestines, of the best dignity), 6 other strings - priprisniki - all from intestines. These stringers are directed not to the neck, but to the top of the soundboard, where they are attached. The lack of resonance of the bandura, if its body is small, makes it necessary to replace the intestinal tethers with copper ones, due to which the bandura wins in sonority. The number of bandura strings can be more than 12, sometimes it reaches 25-30.
Modern types of bandura
In Soviet times, the bandura was transformed into a heavy, non-mobile, multi-stringed instrument. However, it was preserved in its original form thanks to the efforts of the architect and musician Georgy Tkachenko. Today, the bandura has been updated by young workers of the Kyiv kobza workshop under the guidance of the artist and musician Nikolai Budnik.
Today, concert bandura players in Ukraine use instruments of the Kyiv type. Mainly produced by Chernihiv or Lvov musical factory. These instruments are made according to the design of I. Sklyar and V. Gerasimenko. The standard prima bandura has 55-58 strings and is tuned in the key of G major. Concert instruments differ from the prima bandura in that they have a mechanism for rearranging the strings. Concert instruments have 61-65 strings. Both factories made instruments in children's sizes. The Lviv factory also produces a teenage bandura, which can also be ordered with a mechanical rebuilder.
Banduras of the Kharkov type (designed by the Goncharenko brothers) are popular in the diaspora. Instruments are diatonic (34-36 strings), semi-chromatic and chromatic. Equipped with mechanics for rebuilding individual strings.
In the 60s, experimental Kiev-Kharkov banduras designed by I. Sklyar were made, which, unfortunately, did not take root in Ukraine. The instrument was built on the basis of the Kyiv bandura and was not convenient for playing by the Kharkov method. The complex mechanics for rebuilding the key negatively affected the acoustic features of the concert versions of this instrument.
Recently, attempts have been made to revive the Kharkov bandura in Ukraine. V. Gerasimenko made several versions of the Kharkov bandura, the latter is equipped with total mechanics for restructuring, but the instruments are not yet perfect, they are not yet mass-produced.
Video: Bandura on video + sound
Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the tool, see real game on it, listen to its sound, feel the specifics of the technique:
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Name:
Group: plucked strings
Homeland: Ukraine
Origin: The oldest image of the bandura, which has come down to us, refers to XII century. There are several versions about the origin of the bandura. The first version is the origin of the bandura from the Russian instrument - the gusli, the second, second version is the origin of the bandura from the kobza. It is the second version that seems more likely to historians, since the bandura and kobza have a number of similarities.
Timbre: differs in fullness of sounding and a bright characteristic timbre.
Sound extraction method: They play the bandura by plucking the strings with their fingers with or without special thimbles.
Device: It has an oval body and a short neck. The strings (on old instruments - 12-25, on modern ones - 53-64) are partly stretched over the neck (the so-called riots, longer, low-sounding), and partly attached to the deck (the so-called stringers, shorter, sounding high).
Virtuoso performers: bandura player Georgy Matveev - soloist of the Odessa Philharmonic, Stepan Matsura, Roman Grinkov, Georgy Matveev, Viktor Mishalov
Many have not even heard of such a beloved Ukrainian musical instrument as the bandura. In ancient times, the bandura was mainly the instrument of the blind elders-kobzars, whom the guide boys led from village to village, where they played their instrument for the people, earning their livelihood. locals As soon as they heard about the appearance of a kobzar in the village, they immediately ran to listen to his game and singing. The songs of the bandura players, as a rule, were about the life of the people, about its heroes, about the events that took place on native land. From sad. The lyrical songs of the kobzar-bandurist were weeping. And when the master sang a cheerful song, the legs themselves were torn into a fast dance.
Bandura is a stringed plucked musical instrument, which was once very popular among the Ukrainian people. It has an oval body and a short neck. The strings are partly stretched over the neck (these strings are called riots), and partly attached to the deck (these strings are called strings). The main strings for playing the bandura are short strings located to the right of the fretboard above the soundboard of the instrument, and the basses on the fretboard played a secondary role. The kobzars play the bandura while sitting, holding it at an angle, so that the strings are on the right and the basses are on the left. Fingering the strings right hand, the melody is played, and on the riots, the left hand is accompanied by it.
The oldest image of a bandura that has come down to us dates back to the 12th century.
By the 15th century, the bandura had become so famous that Ukrainian kobza-bandura players were invited to play at the Royal Court of Poland, and later, in the 18th century, XIX centuries with their game they entertained the Russian imperial court.
The modern academic bandura is an instrument that has passed long history development and improvement. From the very beginning of its existence, the bandura had only 7-9 strings. Banduras of a later time already had 20-30 strings, and today's academic bandura is already a 60-string instrument.
There are several versions about the origin of the bandura. The first version is the origin of the bandura from the Russian instrument - the gusli, the second, second version is the origin of the bandura from the kobza. It is the second version that seems more likely to historians, since the bandura and kobza have a number of similar features, and the harp was practically not used on the territory of Ukraine. Over time, the bandura completely replaced the kobza.
During Soviet times, the bandura was transformed into a heavy multi-stringed instrument. After the collapse Soviet Union young kobza-bandura players appeared in Ukraine, who revive the ancient national instrument. Today, banduras are made on music factories in Lviv and Chernihiv, and some talented kobza-makers make banduras on their own. Some seek to recreate an ancient musical instrument of a certain type, others, on the contrary, seek to modify this musical instrument.
bandura player
Once lived in Ukraine,
Cheerful in body and pure in heart,
There lived an old man, a venerable blind man,
Gray-haired bandura player.
In a black cap, in a gray coat
And with a bandura on the belt,
For many years he walked among people
On the native side.
Pearl-word, wonder-song
Poured prophetic from the tongue.
Ached the strings on the bandura
under the hand of an old man.
He has a lot of clear smiles,
He knew how to cause many tears,
And that the bird of God, songs,
Where he sat down, he sang there.
He gave his soul for the song
Song fed the body;
He was born nameless
Reposed nameless...
Dead Cossack! But the songs are alive;
Everyone knows them, everyone sings!
Their familiar consonances
Themselves so cling to the heart!
To the dark night, falling asleep,
Children, future people,
Hear him from afar
In the song of the mother sings ...
Konstantin Sluchevsky
bandura on paintings:
Vasily Gaichuk (b. 1955) - Vareniki with cherries 
Andrey Lipatov - Ukrainian borscht 
Arkady Rusin. Still life with bandura. 1969 
Dmitry Bezperchiy. Bandurists 1860 Cossack Mamai is one of the most popular images of a Cossack knight in Ukraine, who is called the cosmogonic personification of the Ukrainian people as a whole.
For the first time, Mamai appears in the Ukrainian folk puppet theater, the so-called nativity scene. Samples of paintings by Cossack Mamai appear from mid-eighteenth century. The symbol became so popular and well-aimed in depth among the people that it even competed with icons.
Legends about the Cossack Mamai can be found among folk legends, translations, jokes. But his image is best reproduced in folk painting: in a velvet zhupan, morocco boots and blue trousers; a round shaved head with a “seedless man” twisted behind the ear, a long mustache, black eyebrows, brown eyes, a thin nose, ruddy cheeks - before you is a portrait of a handsome young man, which he has developed in the popular imagination.
Unknown artist. Cossack bandura player. Beginning of the nineteenth century. 
Cossack Mamai in such paintings was always painted with a kobza, which is a symbol of the singing soul of the people. The horse in the picture symbolized fidelity, the oak - fortitude. Often in the drawings we see the image of a spear with a flag, a Cossack damask and a glass. These were things associated with the death of a Cossack - a spear was placed at the burial site, a damask and a glass were placed in the grave - they reminded of the transience of life and the Cossack fate, in which the threat of death in battle was an everyday reality.
Unknown artist. Cossack Mamai. Such pictures were painted on the canvas, on the walls of buildings, windows, dishes, beehives, and even on doors with bright, rich colors, often with the inscription: “I am a Cossack Mamai, don’t bother me.” This testified to the kindness, independence and cheerful disposition of the owners. The mentioned drawings, which have come down to our time, not only successfully decorated the house, but also talked about the tastes and worldview of the owners.
Alexander Antonyuk. Kazak is a bandura player. There are several theories of the origin of the word "bandura", based, for the most part, also on semantic research: "pandura" - Assyria, "bandora" - England, "bandurria" - Spain, "panduri" - Georgia, "pandzura" - Bulgaria, " pandura/tambura" - Serbia. It should be noted that the original name has little to do with a particular instrument. So English bandora and Ukrainian bandura, except for their names, have nothing in common. However, the namesake from England has common features with Ukrainian bandura. The Poles learned the name of the instrument from numerous Italian musicians at the beginning of the 16th century. These Italians (mostly Jewish musicians) were the distributors of the term to England and to the east, to Poland during the Renaissance.
“In Polish dictionaries, the bandura instrument is described in the same way as the Cossack lute.” (O. Famitsyn).
Elena Ivanova. Summer chord 
M. Deryazhny. Bandura player 1957 To this day, bandura is a favorite Ukrainian instrument. In Ukraine, the State Bandura Chapel was organized. There are also amateur bandura ensembles.
But the ancient kobza and bandura should not be confused with the modern bandura, which belongs rather to the family of harps, zithers, gusel, and appeared in early nineteenth century. Although, due to the confusion of the nomenclature, the name "bandura" was used to describe the kobza until 1800.
Kobza is mine, faithful squad,
My little banduro!
With these words, the mortally wounded hero of the thought “On the death of a Cossack bandura player” addresses his dearest life partner. But what did the Cossack play on - the kobza or the bandura?
Some researchers claim that the first glory went to the kobza. The bandura picked up this fame, and, as a more advanced instrument, replaced the kobza.
The name "kobza", "koboz", "kobuz", etc. can be traced back to 1250, both in Slavic and non-Slavic written sources. Therefore, the appearance of the tool can be attributed to more ancient times. Semantic studies prove the existence of similar instruments in other countries: "kopuz" - Turkey, "kopus" - Croatia, "koboz" - Hungary, "cobza" - Romania, etc. Thus, the location of the homeland of kobza is exclusively in the ancient territories of Ukraine would be unjustified, but, undoubtedly, in these lands the instrument acquired its final form.
Ibn Dasta in the 10th century, speaking of Rus', notes the following: “They have various musical instruments, such as lutes-kobza, gusli, pipes, as well as pipes almost two cubits long, while the kobza has eight strings ...”
Oleg Omelchenko. Old kobzar 2006 Kobza is an integral attribute of the Cossack Mamai, a character puppet theater Nativity scene.
K. Hildebrandt, a member of the Swedish delegation to the hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky, visiting Ukraine in 1656-1657, describes in detail his stay and the reception given by the hetman. In an informal setting, the hetman played the lute.
The Dane Adam Olearius also mentions a certain type of "lute" common among Ukrainians in the 17th century.
“An instrument similar to a lute, but smaller in size and with a smaller number of strings”, “only the neck is somewhat shorter”, “tonality is absolutely similar to a lute” - all this was said in the 18th century about the “Cossack lute” - kobza.
Around 1700, some Ukrainian kobza lutes acquire additional strings. Such tools are preserved only in the drawings. It is not known whether the improvement was a local invention or whether it came from Europe, but it is certain that these tools were the direct ancestor of the torban.
In the 18th century, the kobza gave way to a similar, but more complex and perfect instrument - the bandura, which has not one, but two sets of strings. Kobza finally fell into disuse after 1850.
Alexey Petrenko. Song 1985 Everyone knows the name of the classic Ukrainian literature, a remarkable poet Taras Grigoryevich Shevchenko. He immortalized in his work the image of a kobzar - a folk storyteller who accompanied his songs-thoughts by playing the kobza. He also called the collection of his poems "Kobzar". Many centuries ago, kobzars appeared in Ukraine. They were itinerant singers, often blind. But blindness did not prevent them from seeing the evil that was going on around, the troubles that befell ordinary people. Kobzars sang about all this, about the fate of the people, about the struggle of Ukrainians against the oppressors, accompanying themselves on the kobza, the instrument from which their nickname came. That is why Taras Shevchenko called himself a kobzar: after all, he also sang of ordinary people, called to fight against oppression and arbitrariness.
Therefore, I think, we can conclude that at the beginning of this material, it was not without reason that the Cossack turned to his instrument with the words both kobza and bandura. Because, as it turned out, these are two names of the same instrument, which has gone through serious constructive changes over the centuries and is the pride of Ukrainian musical culture.
"Pandura Passport" printable file - download
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