How to make a musical instrument, the harp, from cardboard. Folklore ensemble "Romashinskaya Slobodka"

Gusli that you can buy from us:

Ancient harp

“Guselnaya board”, “goselnaya board” - this is the name used to refer to the instrument and its components in songs and epics: “board”, “pins” (the name of the pegs in the epics, which served to “adjust” the scabs, otherwise tuning), strings. The body of the gusli consisted of several planks, then assembled into a wide and flat box with a resonator cavity inside. In the old days, sycamore (a type of maple with white wood), mountain ash, apple tree, and spruce were used as materials for production. The strings on the harp were tuned using pegs. The body of the ancient harp had five strings.

More recently, during archaeological excavations carried out in Novgorod (1951-1962), musical instruments were discovered among objects made of leather, bone, fabric and wood in the cultural layer of the 11th century. Among the finds were parts of the most ancient harp.

Fragments of a five-string harp with the inscription “SLOVISHA”, discovered by archaeologists in the Trinity excavation site in the 11th century layer of Novgorod.

The main parts of the instrument were also found - the top and tailpiece. The inscription “Slovisha” was carved on one of the parts of the gusli. According to researchers, perhaps this is the name of an ancient guslar and at the same time the master who made the gusli. There were no holes on the top resonator deck yet.

Of particular value from archaeological excavations in Novgorod are authentic harps from the first half of the 12th century. The body of the instrument is made of a wooden block and has a more elegant shape. This is a flat trough with grooves for six pegs. The left side of the instrument has a sculptural design in the form of the head and part of the body of a lizard. On the back there is an image of a lion and a bird. Ornaments on the gusli testify to the pagan cults of ancient Novgorod. The material for production was birch, rowan, and spruce wood.

The cavity was closed from above with a spruce soundboard, enhancing their sound. At the bottom there was a round roller, the so-called. tailpiece, at the top - wooden instrument tuning pegs. Metal strings (from 4 to 6) installed on the instrument enhanced its sound. This simplest form The gusli made it possible for players to carry the instrument “under their bosom” or “under their arm”.

Musicologists believe that the five-string gusli corresponds to the five-tone scale of the Russian song. The game was accompanied by the singing of slow songs and dance melodies. The fingers of the player’s left hand were placed between the strings so that while playing they pressed the strings freely and alternately, and with their right hand they rattled the strings, striking simple sequential chords.

Over the course of many centuries, the harp has been improved by changing its shape, increasing the number of strings, and decorating it with carvings and paintings. There are helmet-shaped, triangular, trapezoidal, rectangular (plucked) harps.

Varieties of gusli

Gusli helmet-shaped, or " psalter", had a helmet-shaped glued body made of thin planks, usually spruce. The dimensions of the instrument were length 900 mm, width 475 mm, height PO mm. Number of strings from 11 to 36.

20-25-jet harps were very popular among the people. The scale is diatonic. The instrument had gut strings, so the sound was quiet and soft.

Trapezoidal gusli were designed in the 16th-17th centuries on the basis of ringed and helmet-shaped gusli. They are much larger in size - length 1500 mm, width 500 mm, height 200 mm.

The soundboard is made of spruce and has a round sound hole. On the outside of the deck there are two arched strips. One has metal pins for attaching strings, and the other has metal pegs screwed into it. The number of strings is from 55 to 66. The tuning was initially diatonic. Later chromatic. They are not widely used in folk music-making.

Gusli pterygoid(or voiced) consist of a hollowed out or glued flat wing-shaped body, on the soundboard of which 4 to 9 metal strings are stretched. Dimensions - length 600 mm, width 250 mm, shell (side) height 45 mm. Some samples of the 11th-14th centuries had 9 strings, in the 18th century there were already from 5 to 14 strings, and a range from a quart to two octaves. Their scale was diatonic, usually of the major scale, and low sounds formed a fifth bourdon in relation to the main scale.

Over time to replace musical works epic-chanted character comes song folklore, which caused the emergence of new musical instruments. The existence of gusli remains only in the northern regions of Russia - Novgorod, Pskov, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kostroma, etc. Over the past two centuries, folklore and ethnographic expeditions have found a large number of both the instruments themselves and gusli tunes, and methods of playing them.

Instrument setup

The research results showed that in all types of instruments the basis is a resonator body with with stretched strings, designed to extract sound of only one pitch. If the ancient harp has 4-5 strings, then the harp is more late period had 7-9 strings of different lengths, which were stretched parallel to one another.

For performance folk music This sound range was considered sufficient, since folk performers usually use two or three keys when playing. The gusli had the following formations:

five-string harps were tuned according to the sounds of the third row (A (1), Do (2), E (2), G (2), A (2));
seven-strings had a diatonic scale, in which the bottom string was a bourdon and was tuned to a fifth in relation to the diatonic scale;
sometimes the harp was tuned to a minor scale.

At the beginning of the 20th century, improved harp appeared, the body of which was glued together from thin planks (parts), and the number of strings increased to thirteen.

Sound extraction methods

When playing, the performer holds the harp in a vertical position, with the upper corner of the instrument slightly pressed to the chest. The knees are the main support for the gusli; during playing they are slightly apart.

The fingers of the left hand are on the strings (when playing they muffle the sound of unnecessary strings), the fingers of the right hand hit the open strings. The fingers are always located at the resonator hole. Slightly bent, without tension, touch the strings with the pads of your fingers.

The movement of the hand when striking should be directed to the right corner of the instrument.

They play the harp with a mediator.

This is a small oblong plate with a pointed corner, made of bone, plastic, plastic. Mediator dimensions: length does not exceed 25 mm, width 20 mm, thickness 1 mm, oval shape. They play with a pick from both ends: the pointed edge gives a sharp sound, the oval edge produces a softer sound. For a soft sound, the pick is slightly squeezed, loosening the fingers of the right hand. The left hand, when moving the fingers on the strings to different positions, muffles those strings included in the chord that should not sound.

Game techniques

The sound on the instrument is produced in the following ways:

rattling- alternating blows with a pick on the strings down and up;
arpeggio- sequential extraction of sounds included in the chord, from low to high sounds, the same in the reverse movement;
glissando- quick sliding of the pick along the open strings;
tremolo- rapid alternation of light blows with a pick on the strings, with a certain frequency, alternately down and up;
pizzicato- reproduction of individual sounds or chords by plucking the fingertips of the right or left hand;
extracting chords- produced by downward strokes of the mediator.

The string is struck more sharply and forcefully, with emphasis.

Design and main parts of the tool

The gusli consists of three main parts (parts): body, tailpiece, pegs; metal strings. There are examples of gusli on which, instead of wooden tailpieces and pegs, metal ones are installed - more durable, able to withstand the load when the strings are tensioned.

For the body of the gusli, dried boards of birch, rowan, maple, and spruce are used. The surface of the wood must be flat, the board must be smoothly planed on four sides (two faces and two edges) and sawn to size.

1. Top and bottom deck; 2. Resonator holes; 3. Pegs; 4. String holder; 5. Strings.

The production of the tool is carried out in the following sequence:

the wood (board) must be of high quality, without rot, cracks or falling knots;
On the smaller end side, a recess is made using a straight or semicircular chisel (you can hit it with a wooden hammer or mallet). This operation is then performed from the other end;
an oval depression is hollowed out or selected from the ends to the middle, and then the protruding middle is cut off with the same chisel;
The traces of cuts, grooves, and roughness remaining after processing are carefully cleaned with sandpaper, first with coarse grain, then with fine grain. Ideal sanding of internal containers is achieved with round discs consisting of strips of sandpaper. During operation, the nozzle is inserted into the chuck of an electric drill;
As a result of this processing, an oval or rectangular depression is formed in the workpiece (board), which should have an allowance in the thickness of the walls and bottom of approximately 3 to 5 mm.

Thus, there are four walls on the sides and ends of the board. The end sides should be wider.

Next, pegs are installed on the end or kapok bars in the upper part of the future instrument, and in the lower part - a tailpiece (a metal rod or a tube made of strong steel), capable of withstanding a fairly strong tension on the strings. Before installing the pegs and tailpiece on the body, which has a rectangular cavity and four walls, glue important detail instrument - soundboard.

Deca(from German Decke, lit. - cover) - a necessary part of the body of stringed instruments, which serves to amplify and reflect sound. It is made from resonance wood, but plywood is also used.

The vibrations of the strings are transmitted by the soundboard through the stand. The top soundboard of the instruments has resonator holes. To prevent the soundboard from deforming when the strings are pulled, it is glued to wooden strips (springs) running inside the body.

The strings are tensioned using pegs. The pegs on the body of the gusli are installed at approximately a depth of 30 mm at a slight angle for a more stable and reliable stop.

Instrument pegs

Peg- a small metal cylinder, in the upper part it has a tetrahedral head with a hole for a string, in the lower part there is a very fine notch or fine thread. Pegs diameter 7 mm, length from 50 to 60 mm. Pegs are installed on the wide side of the instrument. To secure the pegs more firmly in the rectangular cavity, you can insert and then glue a block of stronger wood (beech, maple) into the place where they are installed.

The role of the pin to which the strings are tied is performed by a metal rod (tube). Its ends are inserted into the holes of two so-called. “cheeks” made of wood. Using spikes, they are glued to the body on top of the deck. The tailpiece is attached to the narrow side of the body.

Sometimes a bent steel tube is used, the ends of which are notched to secure it firmly in the body. The diameter of the holes drilled in the bar must be less than the diameter of the tube. The tailpiece is installed in the holes using epoxy glue.

The density of the wood, the size of the holes, and the degreasing of the pegs determine the friction force between the walls of the hole and the peg and, accordingly, the tuning and cleanliness of the instrument. The diameter of the holes should be approximately 1.5 mm smaller than the diameter of the peg. Due to friction, the resistance in the peg socket exceeds the tension force. It should be taken into account that frequent unscrewing of the pegs from the body of the psaltery leads to a weakening of their firm fit.

Strings

The sound of the gusli depends on the quality of the strings. On modern harps, the strings are made of wire made from special grades of steel. The strings vary in length and have a cross-section - from thin 0.30 mm to thicker 0.70 mm. In this example, the strings stretched on the harp do not have a stand, and their sound is gentle and ringing.

Dimensions of the main parts of the tool

The design of the gusli shown in the figure differs in that string pegs are installed on a spring running diagonally across the instrument and attached to the body. The usual manufacturing options are the pegs are on the top of the body and the tailpiece is on the bottom.

We looked at a method for making a ten-string gusli from a whole piece of wood.

Joining blanks with glue

In the example above, when making a gusli, a blank from a whole board was used. Its dimensions, especially the width, were sufficient for work. But in order to make a larger tool, the width of one board is not enough, so the workpiece is glued into a small shield consisting of two boards. At home, this work is done in a simple press (the so-called vame) as follows:

As shown in the figure, beech plates are fixed: 1) in the lower part of the psaltery for attaching the tailpiece; 2) in the middle diagonally for attaching pegs; 3) in the upper part of the gusli there is a small strip for strong gluing of the soundboard. Diagonal strip 2, into which the pegs are inserted, has this shape. It simultaneously serves as a deck spring, glued to the block.

The compression of the boards is carried out by two wooden wedges driven towards each other. The touching edges of the boards are smeared with PVA, carpentry, or casein glue; when gluing, cardboard is placed under the boards so that they do not stick to the board.

When driving the wedges, the boards being glued together may bend upward. To avoid this, you need to put a weight on top of the planks. Woodworkers distinguish between the right and left sides of boards. The right side is located closer to the core of the trunk, the left - to its bark, so the correct gluing is when the right and left sides are glued together. To ensure bonding strength, use the tip of a knife to make scratches on both surfaces to be glued. After drying (12 hours), the workpiece is processed, removing any remaining glue.

In order to secure the pegs more firmly, the holes in the body on the left side are drilled 1.3 mm smaller than the diameter of the pegs themselves.

The outer pegs are located at a distance of 75 mm from the edge of the sides. The distance between the pegs is 25 mm. The pins for fastening the strings are installed at a distance of 15 mm from each other, a. the extreme ones are located at a distance of 45 mm.

The upper and lower decks are secured using springs on the upper and lower sides of the body. Springs increase the resistance of the deck and evenly distribute sound vibrations over it. They are glued to the soundboard and also attached to the body of the instrument.

Varieties of gusli, the body of which is made by chiseling (selecting) wood from a blank:

The body dimensions may vary, for example: 1) length 70 cm, upper part diagonally 20 cm, lower part 12 cm, pegs 9 pcs. 2) length 50 cm, diagonal top 30 cm, bottom 15 cm, pegs 13 pcs; 3) length 45 cm, width 15 cm, pegs 9 pcs; 4) length 60 cm, top 12 cm, bottom 7 cm, pegs 6 pcs. The width also ranges from 35 to 45 cm.

Sample of gusli made from planks using glue method

In order to prevent the sound of the strings from being muffled, metal plates in the shape of a corner are installed at the corners of the two end sides, and two stands made of hard wood (beech) for strings are placed on the soundboard. acute angle. Number of strings: 10 pieces.

Even in ancient times, a repertoire of gusel playing was formed: these are song, dance and dance tunes, polkas and waltzes.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the musician-ethnographer N. I. Privalov and the guslar O. U. Smolensky improved the gusli: the triangular body was glued together from wooden parts, the number of strings was increased from 5 to 13, ensemble varieties were created - piccolo, primo, viola and bass . The design of the harp differs only in the size of the body and parts, and the diameter of the strings.

Currently, the prima harp, which has 15 strings and a diatonic tuning, is mainly used.

During concert activities, there is a meeting with colleagues - Valery Garanin, Lyubov Basurmanova, Maxim Gavrilenko, Vasily Zhdankin and guitarist Ivan Smirnov. Takes an active part in festivals of sacred and traditional music. His cultural mission to Serbia at the beginning of 2005 turned out to be very important for the spiritual unity of the Russian and Serbian peoples, which resulted in the concert “Russians for the Children of Kosovo.”

Guslar singer Andrey Baikalets. Came to Moscow on foot from ancient city Irkutsk, from the sacred waters of Lake Baikal. A guslar singer from the outback, from the very heart of the people. His unexpected appearance was a joyful event for many. And his open appearance, and the sonorous sound of the gusli, and the voice itself - all this, harmoniously merging together, awakens living pictures of antiquity. The spiritual songs and epics performed by him are disturbing, warm the soul, and remain in the memory for a long time. The abundance of his repertoire and the maturity of his Christian worldview are amazing. He knows what needs to be done, where to go and what awaits us ahead. His songs sound anxiety, appeal, and at the same time, they contain hope, faith and love for one’s neighbor. His most popular album is "My Heaven to Paradise". You can watch his almost last video lesson.

These ringed wing-shaped harps are made according to original drawings created by me and are not a direct continuation of the Pskov or Novgorod tradition. As a basis, I took 3 requirements for the instrument: good sound, ease and pleasure of playing, resemblance to a bird’s wing. Trapezoidal and helmet-shaped ones are also created magically, for which I thank my bright-eyed grandfathers.
For the glory of our Family! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

IN CONTACT vk.com/guselky
Write: [email protected] ,
call: +79158959249, +79859076219.

Gusli ringed wing-shaped "Boyan" – 50000 rub.

Original development.
Number of strings – 16 pcs.
The structure is diatonic.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
The structure is diatonic.

Top deck – maple.
Bottom deck– white ash.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.

Decorated with paintings by artist Maxim Kuleshev.

"Boyan" is the harp with the largest body in this line of instruments. The 16th top string has been added, it is convenient to tune it to the minor tonic. However, "Boyan" did not lose one of the most important advantages their smaller brothers - compactness and lightness. The meditative, mesmerizing sound owes its timbre to the traditional fastening of strings using cleats and a metal shaft. When playing the harp, the strings cause the shaft to bend by some fractions of a millimeter. Because of this, the length of the strings also changes, and the effect of frequency swing (chorusing) appears. “Boyan” has a deep and soft timbre of sound, thanks to its large body and maple (spring) soundboards, it is clearly audible and distinguishable in the mix. Additional sound holes allow the instrument to be used at concerts without amplification. Tested in studio conditions and at festivals. This model can be equipped with electronic components for picking up sound using a regular guitar jack-jack cable. Both sides of the instrument are decorated with paintings by the remarkable Slavic artist Maxim Kuleshev, which he created especially for these gusli. The first instrument "Boyan" belongs to the artist himself.

Sound example:

Pterygoid ringed gusli "Ratibor"– 40000 rub.

Voiced pterygoid (similar to a wing), but helmet-shaped in essence.
Original development.
Number of strings – 15 pcs.
The structure is diatonic.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
The structure is diatonic.
Scale: top – 360 mm, bottom – 680 mm.

Top deck – white ash.
Bottom deck– white ash.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.
Utitsy, pickguard, virbel insert - beech, maple.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.
The metal shaft in the utitsa (string holder) is chrome-plated steel.

The instrument has the largest body in the series with a 40 mm shell. Surprisingly compact and lightweight compared to other 15-string psaltery. This became possible with the use of special technologies that form a loud, resonating body with very small size and weight. The sound is meditative and enchanting. "Ratibor" is ideal for performing epics and razdolny chants, sonorous tunes. Suitable for both accompaniment and solo parts. The loud body and additional sound holes allow the instrument to be used at concerts without amplification. Tested in studio conditions and at concerts. This model can be equipped with electronic components for picking up sound using a regular guitar jack-jack cable.

You can see, touch and play at “Ratibor” with Natalia (Moscow, Novokosino metro station).
IN CONTACT
Write: [email protected]
call: +79055383606.

Sound examples:

Ringed trapezoidal gusli "Kitezh"– 21000 rub.

Voiced trapezoidal.
Number of strings – 21 pcs.
The structure is diatonic.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
Scale: top – 170 mm, bottom – 690 mm.
Height – 420 mm.
The distance between the strings is 18 mm.

Decks are birch aircraft plywood.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.
Overlays – white ash.
Insert for virbel - beech.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.

Trapezoidal student's harp. 21 strings. Stand diatonic A major (F sharp minor). An ideal option for those who want to get a three-octave, inexpensive, but sounding instrument, easy to use and well built, at the price of a 13-string gusli.

Why was this possible? It's simple: some of the technological operations in this model have been eliminated, because its decks are made of aviation birch ( good quality) plywood.

Sound example:

Wing-shaped gusli "Svetoch"– 30000 rub.

Voiced pterygoid (similar to a wing), but helmet-shaped in essence.
Number of strings – 14 pcs.
The structure is diatonic.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
Scale: top – 350 mm, bottom – 620 mm.

Top deck – maple.
Bottom deck– white ash.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.
Utitsy, pickguard, virbel insert - beech, maple.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.
The metal shaft in the utitsa (string holder) is chrome-plated steel.

The “Svetoch” gusli is a light, compact, sonorous instrument with an atypically large number of strings for ringed winged ones – 14 pcs., spanning two octaves (if the two lower strings are tuned to the third). The use of maple wood provides an expressive soft sound of the instrument, perfectly delineating notes with a minimum of overtones. In addition, this model can be equipped with electronic components for picking up sound using a regular jack-jack guitar cable. It showed excellent performance when working on stage with 10 kW amplification. Passed the recording test in studio conditions and at concerts (opening of the Ascension - 2013 festival in Gelendzhik).

Sound examples:

Ringed wing-shaped gusli “Rook” – 20,000 rub.

Voiced pterygoid (similar to a wing), but helmet-shaped in essence.
13 strings, diatonic tuning.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.

The top is maple.
The back is white ash.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.

A miniature instrument for hikes and festivals. Gentle string tension and convenient guitar buttons for changing them make “Rook” easy to play and lyrical. The use of special technologies made it possible to create a surprisingly compact and almost weightless instrument with a record number of strings for this size - almost 2 octaves. The sound, which is determined by the maple (spring) top, is round, deep and sonorous. “Ladya” stays in tune perfectly and is suitable for both accompaniment and solo parts. The loud body allows you to use the instrument as part of an ensemble and in open areas. “Ladya” performed excellently in the studio and at concerts.

You can see, touch and play on the “Rook” at Yuri’s (Moscow, Domodedovskaya metro station).
Call ahead and make an appointment and find a meeting time that is convenient for everyone.
IN CONTACT
Write: [email protected]
call: +79161233273.

Sound examples:

Ringed wing-shaped gusli “Finist” – 35,000 rub.

Voiced pterygoid (similar to a wing), but helmet-shaped in essence.
Original development.
Number of strings – 13 pcs.
The structure is diatonic.
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
Scale: top – 330 mm, bottom – 580 mm.

The top is maple.
The back is white ash.
The body is pine.
Springs are resonant spruce.
Overlay, insert for virbel - beech, maple, ash.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.
Classic guitar buttons.

An instrument similar in shape and scale to the “Rook” harp. The difference lies in the materials from which the top and back decks are made, and of course, in the decoration. On both sides of the instrument there are paintings by the artist Andrey Koptyaev, executed using the airbrush method. This is not the only design option, the theme of the paintings. Their location, size, degree of elaboration - everything depends on the task at hand and the nature of the performer.

Sound examples:

Gusli ringed pterygoid "Yarilo" – 35,000 rub.

An instrument similar in shape, scale and materials to the “Rook” harp. Its difference is in its decoration. On the top deck of “Yarilo” there is a drawing made with warm acrylic paints, emphasizing the open, sunny timbre of the instrument. The shell is decorated with an ornament of princely script. This is not the only design option, the theme of the paintings. By the way, they can be applied to any of our instruments. Their price will depend on the complexity of realizing your wishes. In this case, the cost of painting is 15,000 rubles.

Sound examples:

Heroic gusli “Varyag” – 18,000 rub.

Varyag – unusual harp. Their closest relatives– ringed pterygoids. However, their shape is quite different from that of their predecessors. The long scale and long elongated body determine the velvety meditative timbre of the instrument. Seven sound holes provide the listener with an open chorusing sound that is concentrated throughout the spacious body. The Varyag is suitable for playing tunes, accompaniment and performing simple instrumental compositions. Original development.

Number of strings– 9 pcs.
Fa sharp (top), mi (bottom).
Shell thickness – 40 mm.
Mensura – 810 mm (bottom) and 550 mm (top)

Sound example:

Fabulous Volkhov gusli “Stribozhich” – 81,000 rub.

"Stribozhich" - a fabulous instrument with a large body and a number of strings (21 pcs.), which allows you to perform a wide range of melodic and harmonic scores on it. It sounds loud, ringing and articulate when played with a pick and fingers. At the same time, it is surprisingly compact and lightweight compared to other trapezoidal harps. “Stribozhich” was created for the performance of epics, tales and razdolny chants. Thanks to the original carving, the guslar playing the Stribozhich looks like a real storyteller.
Trapezoidal Volkhov.
Original development.

Number of strings– 21 pcs.
Build diatonic A major (F sharp minor).
G sharp (top), G sharp (bottom).
Decks– maple.
The body is pine.
Springs – resonant spruce.
Overlays and inserts for whirbel– beech.
Chambral whirbels – MEY NE (Germany).
Strings – piano wire MEY NE (Germany), guitar strings “Mr. Musician”.
The instrument is decorated with carvings by master Mikhail Belopavlinny.

Sound example:

Electric harp. Electrical sound recording. Electronic filling.

Some models of gusli can be equipped with electronic filling upon special order. These are Rook, Rysich, Ratibor, Svetogor, Boyan, Stribozhich and Prima.
Possible different options, incl. with your devices.

I recommend a proven, sonorous, although not cheap, option with a German dual (one tablet is placed on the lower deck, the other on the upper deck) Schaller Oyster Pickup 722 pickup and a Korean instrument preamplifier Soho JP-101V. The volume control is accessible through the resonator, in keeping with new trends in guitar making. All wires are secured inside the housing with adhesive clamps. Powered by a 9V Krona battery. Richer version of preamp and sensors - Gusli, electric gusli, studio recording.

Order gusli:

Write: [email protected], call: +79158959249, +79859076219.

Production order:

I consider the order to be made if the complete set is clearly indicated (model, wood, design, method of attaching the strings, connection options) and an advance payment is made. The line for production is small, but it is there. There is no point in waiting for it to “settle”, because someone will definitely get ahead with an advance payment, and you will again find yourself behind. Orders in the form “you do it, do it, and we’ll watch and listen” are not accepted. The quality and sound of the instruments is stable and you can always hear sound samples in the group IN CONTACT or come personally to the workshop to hold a previously made instrument in your hands. The latter is preferable. There are few tools available, but they are there. You can look, touch and play at the addresses indicated under the description of the instrument.

Production time:

The approximate production time for the tool is 1-2 months from the date of advance payment. If the current situation does not allow us to complete the order on time, then I always warn about this when making an advance payment. Prepayment in cash or transfer - 50% if you do not plan delivery.

Payment:

You can pay by card SB RF: 67628038 9893816293.
Other payment methods.

Delivery:

I usually use it courier delivery emspost.ru. They deliver directly to your apartment. In Russia, delivery with packaging will cost approximately 1,500 rubles. We need your exact address with postal code, full name and contact phone number for the courier. For delivery by ems, prepayment is also 50%. The remaining 50% is after the instrument is ready before shipping. Before paying for your order, decide on the kit (tool, key).I recommend immediately buying a good German tuning key from the LAANS store. Expensive. In stock and budget option for 1500r.To tune the gusli you need a chromatic tuner. There is a large assortment in the MUZDETAL store. Well, and of course, to keep the instrument safe, you need a case (case). There are three options for sewing them:

The magic of the gusli. This antique instrument Anyone can do it, it's quite simple.

Good people, Russian people
Not by passport, but by soul mate!
Take care of your body in sobriety,
The mind is cold, but the soul is holy,
Don't let yourself be led by the enemy
By gullies, and in a crooked way,
Go ahead with a firm step
On your own land and on the Right Path.
I’ll add the words if they match,
Maybe that proverb can become a song.
If you like it, give it to others,
The right word is not lost.

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

It is difficult to understand - where do the subtle energies that organize the space around come from in this piece of wood and strings? A brief overview of the history of the gusli, types of gusli, structure, playing techniques - let's talk about this, but all this becomes unimportant when the instrument falls into your hands.

Preface to the photographs:

How it all began.

The first harp was made without drawings, without consulting anyone, and deliberately protected himself from external information. There was only one thing left - a great desire to try, to find out what kind of instrument it was, what it sounded like, how to play. I finished the carpentry quite quickly, using scrap materials and guitar tuning machines. On January 7 I installed the strings. I didn’t expect much, but... a miracle happened!

The harp sounded. And they didn’t just sound, but they sounded fabulous, bewitching, magical. I learned to play them at random, since I can play the guitar.

Over the course of a couple of days, I picked up several songs and played them by jingling. Friends and relatives appreciated it, but the desire to make a real perfect harp only intensified when I saw the shortcomings of the first model.

I made a couple more gusli. This time I studied sketches and drawings of Pskov ringed pterygoids, went to the factory of musical instruments named after. Tchaikovsky. I took the best from everywhere, developed the ergonomics of the body of the gusli, purchased German components (viribili, strings, frets, guitar bones).

This is what happened.

Vladimir Borisov - musician, poet, composer, sound engineer-arranger, holder of the Order of Unity. Faith, Truth, Honor. For action for the benefit of Russia and the unity of sound forces on Earth,” creator and leader of the creative union “POLYUBOMU.” Songs “LOVEM” have repeatedly become laureates of festivals and received awards. The song “Road” (lyrics by V. Borisov and A. Sakin, music by V. Borisov) was noticed by the film company “Paradise” and in 2009 included in the official release of the DVD with the film “Planet-51”. In December 2012, the song “Rysiuniya enchants the eyes” (lyrics and music by V. Borisov) took 1st place according to the results of the popular vote in the Music category of the Internet award “For the Benefit of the World.”

In the 1980–1990s, in the process of frontal work of folklore expeditions of St. Petersburg (Leningrad) State Conservatory, held under the leadership of Anatoly Mikhailovich Mekhnetsov, a systematic study of the folk traditions of the gusel game was carried out in the central regions of the Pskov and eastern regions of the Novgorod regions. An important part of the expedition materials is a collection of ethnographic gusli (32 samples, of which 19 are Novgorod and 13 Pskov instruments). The schematic map shows the location of the Pskov and Novgorod villages in which samples of the gusli were found (photo 01).

Importance scientific discovery, made by A.M. Mekhnetsov and his colleagues, is that indisputable documentary confirmation has received the fact of the existence in the Pskov and Novgorod regions of a distinctive, ancient Russian origin folk tradition playing the wing-shaped, few-stringed harp, the distinctive features of which are manifested both in the system of tunes and performing techniques, and in the design features of the instrument.

Typological connections between the Pskov and Novgorod traditions are observed at the following levels:

String construction plucked instrument, which realizes in various forms the shape of a winged gusli;

Vertical positioning of the instrument when playing (with the longest string located at the bottom); it is possible to play sitting (the instrument is placed edgewise on the knees) and standing, while walking (the instrument is hung from the neck using a braid, for which a small hole was made in the corner part of the card);

Playing techniques - division of functions between the hands: muting the strings with the left and jingling or selective playing with the right hand; left hand is in one position (in most cases, three fingers of the left hand are placed between the strings), which determines the need for a fan-shaped arrangement of the strings; the main hand or finger strike on the strings is directed from top to bottom (clanging), which is the reason why the strings are also wound on the peg from above (thus the instrument “keeps in tune” better);

The structure of the instrument, which in the main part implements a diatonic sequence of two fused tetrachords (Mixolydian mode), which determines the harmonic basis of the tune - a comparison of two consonances in a larger-second ratio (the universal principle of tuning gusli is presented by A.M. Mekhnetsov, (photo 22);

The basis of the repertoire (playing to a procession / “to songs” and playing to a dance); principles of organizing tunes (general types of rhythmic-harmonic periods).

As a result of studying the collection of instruments, A.M. Mekhnetsov summarizes the design parameters of the gusli: “The typical features of the traditional gusli are given by the special shape of the instrument: an oblong board, beveled along the upper edge (usually from the place where the peg of the upper, short string is installed) board, usually 50–70 cm long, 20 wide in the rectangular part –30 cm and a thickness of 4–5 cm. A resonator trough, chiseled from the front or back side of the board, reaches the line of the peg row (peg bar), located at an angle of 45–60° to the base of the instrument. The part of the front side of the board protruding beyond the peg row (“opener”) is hewn along the inner plane to a thickness of 7–10 mm. The resonator trough is closed by a lid recessed into the body - the soundboard. The thickness of the soundboard and bottom of the resonator trough is 5–10 mm, the side walls of the body are 10–20 mm. The deck is secured around the perimeter with wooden (iron) nails (sometimes with glue). On the front side of the resonator box, as a rule, there is a vocal opening (3–5 cm in diameter). The main material for making the body of the gusli is fine-grained spruce and pine; In the Novgorod region, alder is predominantly used. Spruce is almost universally used for the soundboard" [see. Bibliography No. 17, p. 16].

The definition of “wing-shaped” is associated with the shape of the instrument’s body, which outwardly resembles a wing. This variety of gusli was isolated in the 1960s by K.A. Vertkov, however, the researcher’s field of view was limited to single samples of 5–9-string instruments with a slotted body available at that time in museum collections [see. Bibliography No. 2, p. 275–286].

Subsequently, two more features were identified that characterize Russian wing-shaped instruments: the principle of a fan-shaped arrangement of strings and the presence of an opening. As I. Tynurist notes, “the only significant structural detail that distinguishes the wing-shaped harp from the kantele is the flap, on which the musician’s left hand rested when the instrument was in a semi-inclined or vertical position while playing. This is a kind of ethnic feature of the winged gusli” [see. Bibliography No. 26, p. 23].

Instruments brought from the eastern regions of the Novgorod region (19 copies) indicate the existence of a typologically archaic gusel tradition in this territory. Novgorod gusli have a single set of characteristics and are embodied in a stable form.

Seven instruments (including a gusli body blank) were brought from the Khvoininsky district. An equal number - three instruments each - from nearby districts: Pestovsky, Borovichsky, two - from Lyubytinsky district, one - from Moshensky. The collection is complemented by two gusli tablets, made at the request of collectors and reproducing the appearance of primitive three-stringed children's instruments (like a gusli); they were brought from the Pestovsky and Borovichi regions. One instrument was found in the Udomelsky district of the Tver region - in the village of Lipny, located on the border with the Moshensky and Borovichsky districts of the Novgorod region. Due to the fact that the characteristics of the Tver instrument do not differ from those from Novgorod, it is included in the Novgorod collection.

Extremely important for historical assessment Novgorod tradition is the fact that all instruments have a relatively small number of strings (from 4 to 11). Of the 18 samples stored in the Folklore and Ethnographic Center, 11 are six-string and 4 are seven-string, which indicates the undoubted predominance of six-seven-string gusli in the Novgorod tradition. The collection also includes one example each of four-, eight-, nine- and eleven-string instruments.

The following design features of the Novgorod gusli prove to be stable:

15 out of 18 samples have a hollowed-out body, of which 14 instruments have a resonator box hollowed out on the back side and covered with a soundboard - overhead or inserted into grooves specially cut for this purpose (photo 02);

Pentagonal (in the diagram) body with a flap protruding beyond the line of pegs, while the resonator box is located up to the line of pegs;

Fan-shaped arrangement of strings with a significant increase in the distance between them in the wide part of the body and with a gradual decrease in length towards the shortest top string;

Wooden pegs (with spade-shaped handles) inserted into the back of the body.

An exception to the general typological series of Novgorod gusli is a 7-string instrument from the village of Kvasilnikovo, Lyubytinsky district: the body of the gusli is hollowed out on the front side and has a quadrangular rounded shape in the design, since the flap, slightly protruding beyond the boundaries of the resonator box, is cut along the line of the pegs. In addition, the peg row is oriented not to the left, like other instruments, but to right hand player - this feature is due to the fact that the harp is made specifically for left-handers (as evidenced by expeditionary data). Also in the collection there are 6-string harps, the body of which was first hollowed out from the side, but during the work the master, for unknown reasons, abandoned this idea, and in the final version the body has a prefabricated structure (village Emelyanovskoye, Khvoininsky district; photo 09).

The Pskov collection of instruments includes 13 gusli from the central regions of the region: four each from Krasnogorodsky and Pytalovsky, three from Ostrovsky and one each from Opochetsky and Palkinsky districts.

Compared to the Novgorod ones, the Pskov gusli is more diverse in structure and represents the next stage in the development of the constructive idea of the instrument (photo 03). The following significant changes are observed:

Increasing the number of strings: most Central Pskov gusli are characterized by the presence of 9–10 strings (8 instruments, which is 2/3 of the collection); in addition, the collection contains two 11-string instruments and one instrument each with 7, 12, 17 strings;

As a rule, harps have a prefabricated body on a frame (9 instruments), and only four samples have a hollowed-out body (in three the body was hollowed out from the front side, in one - from the back);

The opener is retained, but in many cases the resonator box extends beyond the line of pegs (10 out of 13 instruments have a hollow opener that acts as an additional resonator);

Metal pegs are inserted from the face of the instrument.

As a result, we can say that a new, improved variety of winged gusli is being formed in the Pskov region.

For a comparative study, not only statistically confirmed general signs, but also exceptions, which make it possible to build the stages of transformation of the instrument design in a certain evolutionary sequence and discover the generic connection of the Novgorod and Pskov gusel traditions.

First of all, it is significant that there are two 9-string Pskov instruments from the village of Avdoshi (photo 04) and the village of Desyatskiye, Krasnogorodsky district, which completely repeat the constructive idea of the Novgorod gusli - they have a hollowed-out body on the back side and a characteristic opening.

The famous 7-string dugout gusli of Trofim Ananyev also fully corresponds to the Novgorod type of instrument - the first example of Russian wing-shaped gusli, which entered the museum of the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1889 and described by A. S. Famintsyn [see. Bibliography No. 28, p. 68-74]. This instrument was brought from the village of Deeva Gorki, Yablonetsky volost, Luga district, St. Petersburg province (now belongs to the Strugo-Krasnensky district of the Pskov region). It is significant that the instrument has a body hollowed out on the side and wooden pegs inserted from the back - features that are absent in the examples of Pskov gusli brought from expeditions in the 1980s, but indicative of the Novgorod collection of instruments. It is also important that Trofim Ananiev held the instrument vertically while playing, resting its long edge on his knees, and inserted three fingers of his left hand between the strings.

In the collection of the Russian ethnographic museum contains two gusli made by Fedot Artamonov (a worker of the Putilov plant, a former peasant of the village of Klimova, Dokatovskaya volost, Pskov province and district). Gusli entered the Ethnographic Department in 1911 along with other instruments from the collection of N. I. Privalov. As A. A. Gadzhieva notes, “both instruments are nine-stringed, hollowed on top, with an opening of ≈1/3; small round resonator holes are grouped into a circle (the second instrument has two such circles); pegs are wooden, inserted from below” [see. Bibliography No. 5, p. 522]. Features of the instrument, such as the number of strings (9) and the body hollowed out on top, indicate a connection with other Pskov instruments, and wooden pegs inserted from the bottom are typical of the Novgorod gusli.

An exception in the Novgorod collection are three instruments with a prefabricated body (photo 05) from the Khvoininsky, Borovichi and Lyubytinsky districts (six-, nine- and eleven-strings, respectively), although in their own way appearance these instruments do not differ from other examples of Novgorod gusli with a dugout body. Two instruments from the Pskov collection have a similar prefabricated design (12-string and 17-string gusli from the Pytalovsky and Ostrovsky districts; photo 06). This group of Pskov and Novgorod instruments constitutes a transitional link in the evolutionary chain. A completely definite typological connection between the two traditions is revealed at the level of instrument design.

At the same time, a gradual modification of the postcard occurs. As a transitional model from the Novgorod to Pskov type of gusli, we can imagine samples from the village of Sukmannaya Gorushki, Ostrovsky district (7-strings) and the village of Mekhovo, Krasnogorodsky district (9-strings). These Pskov instruments have a hollowed body, a small volume of strings is retained, but the opening has a resonator cavity, takes on a rounded shape, and the soundboard is placed on the front side (photo 07).

The main typological features indicating that all considered instrument variants belong to the wing-shaped type of gusli include a fan-shaped arrangement of strings and a blade protruding beyond the line of pegs. Based on the expedition materials, it can be judged that the shape of the opener completely depends on the vertical position of the instrument and is adapted for ease of play. In eight Novgorod and four Pskov instruments, the openings protrude significantly beyond the line of the pegs and are cut at a right angle (in many samples the edges are slightly beveled). To this number we will add six more Pskov instruments, in which the corners of the opening are slightly smoothed or have a figured shape.

In the light historical study gusli, other questions arise related to the design of the instrument and the shape of the psaltery. Based on Novgorod archaeological materials and the restoration work of V.I. Povetkin, it is known that the Novgorod tradition of the 11th–13th centuries was characterized by gusli with a playing window (“lyre-shaped” gusli) [see. Bibliography No. 20, p. 284–320]. During the expeditions of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, no instruments with a similar design were found. But in this regard, the Novgorod gusli with a figured postcard shape is of particular interest in expedition collections. These are instruments from the villages of Kuntsovo (photo 02), Poptsovo (photo 08), Emelyanovskoye (photo 09) in the Khvoininsky district, as well as from the villages of Shchukina Gora in the Pestovsky district and Udino in the Borovichi district. In the sample from the village of Poptsovo, the shape of the cutout is more prominent, rounded, and in the gusli from the village of Emelyanovskoye, the wavy cutout is made from the side edge. Some external similarity of these instruments with the gusli with the playing window from the Novgorod archaeological excavations is explained by the general structural function of the cutout in the opening. When studying the techniques of playing the instrument, it becomes obvious that the recess in the opening (as well as the slight bevel of the upper line of the opening) are created for the convenience of positioning the left hand. Due to the shaped cutout (bevel), a stable position of the hand is fixed - a support appears to give the entire instrument immobility during playing (which is especially important when playing while walking), at the same time this promotes the close positioning of the left hand to the strings.

When comparing the Novgorod and Pskov gusli, one can also trace the evolution of the tailpiece design:

For most instruments (16 samples), the function of a tailpiece is performed by a metal bracket, which is due to the convenience and reliability of this part;

One Novgorod and four Pskov samples have the previous type of tailpiece - a wooden “duck” (photo 03); evidence that this detail is of ancient origin is provided by similar designs on the gusli found in Novgorod archaeological expeditions.

In three Pskov gusli, the tailpiece has a shape borrowed from zither-shaped instruments: the strings are attached to screws (nails) from the end of the narrow part of the body and then tensioned through a curved metal plate / stand (photo 06); Such a tailpiece muffles the sound of open strings and leads to the appearance of rattling overtones, which explains the rarity of its use.

The study of expeditionary gosling collections allows us to draw a conclusion about the gradual process of the emergence and recognition of the acoustic significance of resonator holes. V.I. Povetkin, based on materials from archaeological expeditions, concluded that the Novgorod gusli is not characterized by “vocal” holes [see. Bibliography No. 21, p. 297–300] . One 9-string Novgorod instrument from the collection of the Folklore and Ethnographic Center actually has no holes (village of Kholshchagino; ill. 05). Most Novgorod gusli have very small holes - either single or in the form of a rosette. Obviously, a large resonator hole on the miniature, light and ringing body of the Novgorod gusli made of alder would be redundant. Using the example of the Pskov collection of gusli, one can observe how the aesthetically designed “vocal” rosettes (photos 04, 06, 07) are replaced by large round resonator holes (modeled on factory instruments), which become an obligatory element of the design. In improved models (6 Pskov instruments), a second round resonator hole is made in the hollow opening (photo 03). The acoustic significance of these holes is fully understood by the craftsmen.

Thus, an evolutionary sequence is built that allows us to talk about the history of changes in the design of Russian winged gusli. But what caused these changes? Why do archetypal indicators remain in the Novgorod traditions, while in the Pskov traditions there is active development and new modifications of the instrument appear? In all likelihood, the answer is related to the geographical location of these two centers of the Russian gusel tradition. The complexity and development of the Pskov tradition is explained, on the one hand, by long-term and productive contacts with the peoples of the Baltic states, on the other hand, by active migration flows of the Russian population moving through the territory of the central Pskov region and often settling there for residence (for example, the resettlement of Old Believers to areas of the Pskov region is known) . In contrast, the territory of the eastern part of the Novgorod region is known as reserved and difficult to access (it is no coincidence that various forms of ritual folklore have been preserved in this area).

It is also important to emphasize that during the expeditions, the memories of village residents about the existence of gusli in the relatively recent past - at the beginning of the 20th century - were also recorded in the territories of other regions of the Pskov and Novgorod lands. This gives grounds to assert that the surviving two centers not so long ago belonged to a single Pskov-Novgorod instrumental tradition, covering a wide geographical area.

Since the 1980s, interest in authentic ethnographic and archaeological harps has been growing, workshops have been created, and individual master makers of instruments based on samples have been working. In Novgorod in 1990, V. I. Povetkin created the Center musical antiquities, thanks to the reconstruction work he began in the mid-1970s to restore the forms and sounds of ancient Russian gusli, beeps and snots, based on exhibits found in archaeological expeditions.

The results of the scientific systematization of expedition collections, descriptions, photographs and drawings of musical instruments are presented in the publications: Mekhnetsov A.M. Russian gusli and gusli game: Research and materials. St. Petersburg, 2006; Gusli - Russian folk musical instrument: Exhibition catalog / Scientific. ed. A. M. Mekhnetsov; author-comp. 1–2 parts G.V. Lobkova; author-comp. 3 parts V.V. Koshelev. St. Petersburg, 2003.

See: Mekhnetsov A.M. Russian gusli and gusli playing: Research and materials St. Petersburg, 2006. P. 19.

The absence of resonator holes is one of the main differences between the harp of the 11th–14th centuries, reconstructed by V.I. Povetkin, from instruments from the Museum collection musical culture named after Glinka in the reconstruction of N.L. Krivonos.

Tatiana Mayorova

Miracle - guitar - 1st place.

Material used: plywood tied with wool threads on one side and covered with material with painted notes on the other side, decorations with Velcro.

Musical instrument can be decorated different drawings embroidery (in this photo there are flowers). This allows the child to develop fine motor skills, fantasy through Velcro decorations.

Merry bells – 3rd place.

Material used: multi-colored hair ties, bells.

The child puts rubber bands on his hands and performs various movements to the sound of bells. This musical instrument can be used for rhythmic accompaniment of dances, dances, songs, games and staging plays.

Bells help develop a sense of rhythm and musical ear.

Touch piano.

Material used: the board is covered with paper, Velcro is black and white.

Each piano key is made of Velcro, which allows the child to develop fine motor skills and tactile sensations.

Material used: candy box, pencil, rubber bands. In decoration musical instrument A child took part – appliqué + finger painting.

Knock.

Material used: 2 bars, door hinges, handles.

Just a guitar.

Material used: multilayer cardboard, fishing line for strings, bells for voicing.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF GROUP TEACHERS.

Tambourine - 1st place

Material used: hoop, multi-colored thin ribbon, bells, thin material.

Veselushki – 1st place.

Material used: multi-colored fabric, bells.

Data tools are decoration music corner, are used by children in free, playful, theatrical activities and in classes.

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