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

According to written monuments, the dombra and related instruments of other peoples on the Eurasian continent have been well known since ancient times.

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

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

Legends about the origin of dombra

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

Jochi Khan was the eldest and beloved son of Genghis Khan and the father of Batu Khan. Hunting in the Kipchak steppes, Jochi Khan was knocked off his horse and torn to pieces by the leader of a herd of kulans. No one dared to inform the formidable Genghis Khan about the tragic death of his beloved son. A cruel execution awaited the black messenger. Genghis Khan promised to pour molten lead down the throat of the person who informed him of his son’s death. Khan's nukers found a way out of the situation. They brought a simple dombra player named Ket-Buga to Genghis Khan’s headquarters and instructed him to voice the terrible news. Ket-Buga did not utter a word in front of the formidable khan. He simply played his kui (music genre for dombra) “Aksak kulan” (Lame kulan). The beautiful music of the great zhyrau Ket-Bug conveyed to the khan the harsh truth about barbaric cruelty and inglorious death. The angry Genghis Khan, remembering his threat, ordered the execution of the dombra. They say that since then there has remained a hole on the top deck of the dombra - a trace of molten lead. The mausoleum of Jochi Khan remains on the shore ancient river Kara-Kengir in the Dzhezkazgan region.

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

Modern history of dombra

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

Modern history dombra In the photo - Islam Satyrov

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

The modern dombra has a pear-shaped body and a neck with 19 frets. Despite the fact that the instrument has only two strings, its musical range is two full octaves (from D of the small octave to D of the second octave). The instrument usually has a fourth or fifth scale. Traditionally, the strings used on the dombra were gut strings made from lamb or goat intestines. But the most suitable sound turned out to be an ordinary fishing line. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of dombra of a standard shape with strings made of fishing line.

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

The unique creativity of Islam Satyrov

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

Islam recently released his debut album.

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

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

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

Instruments resembling dombra have existed since time immemorial. If you believe the stones with rock carvings of dancing people, exhibited in the Ykylas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, our ancestors played them more than 4 thousand years ago. However, the first reliable information about dombra appears only in the 16th-17th centuries.

The ancestor of the dombra is the ancient Turkic musical instrument sherter. It is shaped like a dombra, but has an open body, three strings and a short neck without frets. The sherter was made from a single piece of wood, and a leather deck was stretched over the body.

The sherter was played either by plucking or striking the strings, or with a bow. Kobyz and dombra originated from sherter.

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

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

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

Rich and deep sound

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

— You can understand well how Kazakh musical instruments sound using the example of the kobyz. When a kobyzist plays the kyl-kobyz, he does not press the strings to the fingerboard, but only lightly touches them. Thanks to this, a mass of overtones is created. Kobyz strings are made from horse hair. When this instrument is played, it actually sounds like a choir of 46 individual hairs. The same can be said about the richness of the sound of dombra.

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

— Zataevich, who perfectly penetrated into the peculiarities of Kazakh music, said that the dombra gives the impression not of something small up close, but of something large and even grandiose, but as if from afar, like the chime of a good table clock. A very apt comparison, because table clocks can sound like huge bells. Dombra gives the same amazing effect. You sit nearby, listen, and something huge sounds there, from afar. To feel this, just listen to the kuy “Aksak Kulan”.

According to the musicologist, the phenomenon of dombra lies in its depth and diversity. It can sound like an entire orchestra, conveying a wide palette of sound. Such music resonates in the souls of listeners and resonates with the human psyche. Long neck, rounded shape, soft materials and gut strings - such a simple design creates ideal acoustics.

What kind of dombra is there?

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

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

— Dombra in the central and eastern regions belonged to the Arkin school. It was used as an accompanying instrument to accompany singing. These regions had very rich vocal traditions. It was more convenient for singers to press the flat dombra to their body. It does not sound so loud and does not interrupt the voice.

The West Kazakhstan dombra has become the most widespread in modern times. This is a classic teardrop-shaped dombra, with a long thin neck and 15-16 frets on it. This dombra gives a larger acoustic range.

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

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

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

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

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

Kuishi skill

Kazakh folk music, which was composed and performed on the dombra, is a complex, vibrant and abstract art. Poetry in it is inextricably linked with music. Works of famous zhyrau, sal and akyn through music and oral creativity comprehend eternal philosophical questions.

— The creativity of the kuishi and akyns touches on deep themes. It cannot be taken literally. If, while playing the kyui, you seem to hear the clatter of horse hooves, then you need to understand that the author did not want to convey the horse’s running, but the impression of this running in his soul. Kazakh art is very meaningful and philosophical; it carries many meanings.

Professional school of oral and musical creativity reached its peak in the Kazakh steppe in the 19th century. Talented akyns and kuishi could devote all their time to composing and performing music, without worrying about other matters. They often made the appropriate instrument for themselves. In the villages, the performers were given shelter and food, clothes and horses. The winners of the aitys could count on a good prize and expensive gifts.

— To a good performer kuevs and songs on dombra were welcome in any home and yurt. The tradition of patronage of the arts was very developed. The winner of the aitys could be given an ingot of gold or silver as a fee. There is a known description of how Abai’s mother gave a golden hoof Birzhan-salu, admiring his performing arts.

In our time, there is still debate about who was the most skillful composer of kyuis for dombra. In Soviet times, the cult of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly was established, but Yuri Petrovich believes that the great kuishi had many equally talented contemporaries and followers.

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

Dombra in the daily life of Kazakhs

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

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

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

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

Many Asian peoples have plucked string instruments similar to the dombra and similar to it in appearance, sound and manner of playing. The Uzbeks and Turkmen have a two-stringed teardrop-shaped instrument called the dutar. The Kyrgyz have a three-stringed instrument, the komuz. The Mongols, Buryats and Khakass also have musical instruments similar to the dombra.

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

Photo gallery

If you find an error in the text, highlight it with the mouse and press Ctrl+Enter

Jazz

We always recognize jazz by ear. First of all, the composition of musical instruments in jazz attracts attention. The primacy here belongs to wind and percussion musical instruments.
The hoarse and passionate voice of the saxophone, the sharp screams of the trumpet, the distinct rhythmic pattern of the drums - their sound cannot be confused with anything. But jazz is not only a group of musicians, an orchestra. Jazz is also music to be performed in such an orchestra.
Rhythm dominates this music.
So he begins to swing the sounds, and the whole orchestra, and behind him the listeners, find themselves in the element of this mesmerizing swing. This is one of the main styles of jazz performance - "swing"... It’s like a man tired of hard work, swaying, singing a sad, hopeless song. American black slaves had such songs. This swing was brought to jazz music by black musicians. This kind of music was later called blues.
But suddenly an orchestra or ensemble, obeying the impulses of a rapid rhythm, almost lifts the audience from their seats. This rhythm is constantly interrupted, as if the musicians are choking in a patter. And each of them tries to prove that he is “right” when he is given the floor. And then the instruments all start playing together and in full voice. However general theme They haven’t forgotten the musical conversation, they talk about the same thing in their own way... So the musicians improvise in a manner called “Dixieland”.
Folk songs and dances of American blacks and whites gave rise to the art of jazz. Jazz did not want to remain only musical accompaniment for fashionable dances. Real jazz strives to become independent music, which, gathering in large halls, people listen to with interest and attention.
The whole world knows the names of the famous jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, pianist and composer Duke Ellington and other wonderful jazz artists.

Treble

If the bass is the foot, then the treble is the top of the sounding ladder of voices. In the old days, when choral art was hidden under church vaults, the role of high voices was entrusted to boyish voices - trebles. This is how choirs appeared in which only boys sing. Their voices are stronger than those of little girls, and therefore the treble parts are entrusted to the boys.

Domra and dombra

Don't confuse them. Domra (pictured left) is a Russian folk instrument, three-stringed or four-stringed, played with the help of a plate-mediator. Dombra (pictured on the right) is a two-stringed Kazakh folk instrument, played with fingers, rattling, like a balalaika.

Brass band

Can you hear the music coming? Yes, yes, you are standing, and the music, the orchestra, is approaching you. Listen up! They sound wind instruments- This is a brass band.
Most often, his music can be heard when military units are marching. Or while walking in the park. After all, wind instruments (especially brass instruments) have a very loud sound that carries far, far away...

Kazakhstan is an amazing and beautiful country whose culture will never cease to amaze. Even if you look at just a number of unique musical instruments, you begin to understand that this is an extraordinary people. Kobyz, zhetygen, sybyzgy, sherterb, asyatayak - where else can you find such instruments? The originality and uniqueness of each nation is something that no one can ever take away from humanity. Such cultural riches of the Republic of Kazakhstan will be discussed further.

Kazakh music

For the Kazakh people, music has always been something supernatural and everyday at the same time. The legends of this people speak of its unearthly origin. At the same time, for any Kazakh, being a musician is the same as being able to walk or talk. It is worth noting that solo performances are typical, where the musician manifests himself as an artist who creates directly in public. Previously, it was very rare to find any ensembles or even duets. And if people sang together, it was most often in unison.

One of the main musical instruments of Kazakhstan

Here we will talk about a unique masterpiece. Dombra is a musical instrument that is rightfully considered a national treasure of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It mainly stands out because it only has two strings, but this does not limit it in any way. Anyone who knows how to play the dombra will be able to create beautiful and absolutely complete music using just these two strings. It is important to mention here that the dombra can easily be either a solo instrument or played in a large orchestra, creating a unique musical background.

Dombra is a musical instrument that is classified as a plucked instrument. This means that sound is extracted from it in one of the following ways:

1. With a pinch.
2. With a blow of the hand.
3. Using a mediator.

The result is a quiet, gentle and soft sound that is suitable for both loud orchestral music and quiet and lyrical solo themes.

Part of Kalmyk culture

An interesting fact is that the dombra is a Kalmyk musical instrument just as much as a Kazakh one. The Kalmyks did not have full-fledged and professional singing in ensembles or even a theater. It was common for them to hear various kinds of solo performances, which were organized by storytellers accompanied by music. It was precisely for this accompaniment that the dombra was used. Often, along with this action, they begin to dance and sing along in unison. The dombra (a musical instrument, a photo of which you will see below) has firmly entered the culture of Kalmykia, which should never be forgotten.

What does it consist of?

The musical instrument dombra, like any other, has its own components. In many ways they are typical for plucked items, but it will be very interesting to take a closer look at them. So, the design of the dombra includes:

1. Corps (in Kazakh culture - shanak). It functions as an amplifier for sound waves, as in other similar instruments.
2. Soundboard (in Kazakh culture - kakpak). It not only amplifies sound waves, but also gives them a characteristic sound coloring, thereby forming the timbre of the instrument. Depending on the shape or unevenness of the soundboard, this timbre of seemingly identical instruments can vary quite significantly.
3. Stand. Almost the entire sound of the instrument depends on the qualities, weight, shape and tuning of this part. It directly affects the strength, evenness and timbre of the dombra sound.
4. Strings. They are a source of sound, which means that without them nothing would happen.

Traditional dombra strings have always been gut strings, which were made from the entrails of a goat or ram. At one time, strings made from the intestines of sheep that were already two years old were considered the highest quality. They gave the sound a lower scale, and this was precisely what was characteristic of traditional Kazakh music. Nowadays, strings are most often made from fishing line. For all other elements of the dombra, any high-quality wood is suitable.

Variety of species

The Kazakh musical instrument dombra has several varieties. It is important to say here that although the classification of its types includes a three-string instrument, the two-string dombra is a classic representative of its family. So, there are the following types of this string instrument:

1. Two-string.
2. Three string.
3. Widebody.
4. Double sided.
5. Podgriffnaya.
6. With a hollow neck.

What is played on the dombra?

We continue to consider what dombra is (photos are presented in the article). This section describes perhaps the most important thing about this tool. You still don’t know what it can be used for?

No matter how surprising it may sound, you can play any music on the dombra - from classical works and folk motifs to modern pop music. To do this, you just need to learn how to handle these two strings and, of course, practice a lot. Although earlier ensembles with dombra were something incredible, today it can play with any other instrument in pairs or even in an orchestra. Together with other folk music, it sounds very harmonious and pleasant.

Although it is quite possible to perform music of any genre on the dombra, the kui is considered its main asset. The steppe peoples have been performing this music for pleasure for hundreds of years, and ignorance of musical literacy does not stop them in any way.

Kuy can be performed in two styles: boi and shertpa. The first option is familiar and familiar to us, but the second involves performing it by lightly pulling the string. Shertpa was started by the Kazakh hero Tatimbet around the 19th century.

A lot of musicians tried to master playing the dombra and it turned out to be difficult or even impossible for them. The whole secret was that it is very difficult to understand how two strings can create full-fledged and absolutely beautiful music.

Are dombra and domra the same thing?

Very often people use these two words as synonyms, giving them the same meaning. If you allowed yourself to do this, then it was a huge mistake. Even people with musical education They don’t always know the difference between these instruments, so this will be discussed in more detail later.

The musical instrument dombra, as already mentioned, is two-stringed, while domra is a three- or four-stringed masterpiece that Russian culture is already proud of.

What these two instruments have in common is that they are plucked instruments, and they use mediators to produce sound. In history and culture they were used for approximately the same purposes.

in music?

You don’t need to imagine much to imagine a domra. It is very similar to the balalaika, but its main body is not triangular, but oval. Domra consists of three main parts, and in this way it is quite similar to dombra. The most common type is a small dombra, the body of which is a hemisphere. In addition to the body, the instrument consists of a neck, often called a neck, and a head.

Another thing that needs to be said about the body is that it includes such elements as a body, a soundboard, buttons for securing strings and a bottom sill.

Instead of a conclusion

It is no secret that folk musical instruments have always had not only great cultural value in their homeland, but also have had a significant influence on modern music. Quite often it can seem that folk motifs are dying out along with a huge number of other cultural traditions. But in fact, the younger generation will never forget their history if we tell it to them. And this directly applies to music. The musical instrument dombra in Kazakhstan and Kalmykia or domra in Russia is our heritage. Growing up, our children begin to not only respect such things, but also revive them.

History of Kazakh musical instruments.

“I touched the long-necked dombra - and behold
Two strings ring, the dombra sings.
Have fun, play, young friends, -
Unnoticed, but the flight of our days is fast!”

Ibray Sandybaev. Song "Balkurai".

Visiting cultural events in Kazakhstan.

Dombra- the most common Kazakh folk instrument. Dombra could be found in every yurt; it was one of the most necessary and obligatory items in the life of the Kazakhs. A very famous Kazakh instrument. Carved from solid wood. The most common dombra is two-string, but there is also a three-string one. A good domplayer can play like a whole orchestra on two strings.
The history of this instrument goes back centuries. During excavations ancient city In Khorezm, archaeologists found terracotta figurines of musicians playing two-stringed plucked instruments. Scientists have established that Khorezm two-strings existed at least two thousand years ago; they were one of the musical instruments of the Saka nomadic tribes.
These ancient two-strings are very similar to the Kazakh dombra and are its prototype. Thus, with the help of archeology it was proven ancient origins dombra There are two types of dombras – western and eastern. Different forms of dombras were due to the characteristics of two performing traditions. To perform fast, virtuosic tokpe-kuys it was necessary that left hand could move freely and slide along the bar.
Therefore, the neck of Western dombras was thin and elongated. These techniques were not applicable when performing on eastern dombras with a wide, shortened neck. The size of the instruments and the shape of the body influenced the strength of the sound: the larger the size, the louder the dombra.
The nature of the sound was also influenced by the technique of the right hand: in tokpe-kuys the sound was produced on both strings with strong wrist strokes, and in shertpa soft plucking of the strings with individual fingers was used. Thus, there was a close connection between the structure of dombras and the kyuis that are performed on them. The dombra could be not only two-stringed, but also three-stringed.
In the past, three-string dombras were found in various regions of Kazakhstan, but at present they are preserved only in the Semipalatinsk region. Shanak - the body of the dombyra, acts as a sound amplifier. Kakpak is the soundboard of the dombyra. perceiving the sounds of strings through vibration, amplifies them and gives a certain color to the sound of the instrument - timbre.
The spring is a beam on the inside of the deck; in German it is called “der bassbalken”. There were no springs in the Kazakh dombyra before. The length of the violin spring is expected to range from 250 to 270 mm - 295 mm. In order to improve the sound of the dombyra, a similar spring (250 - 300 mm long) is now attached to the upper part of the shell and near the stand.
As a rule, it is made from spruce that has been aged for several decades without signs of rot. The shells are made of maple. The blanks must have such a thickness that when finishing the shells, depending on the density of the maple, their thickness is 1 - 1.2 mm. The stand is a very important functional element of the dombyra.
By transmitting the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and creating the first resonant circuit along the path of vibrations propagating from the strings to the body, the bridge is the true key to the sound of the dombra. The strength, evenness and timbre of the instrument’s sound depend on its qualities, shape, weight and tuning. The string is the source of sound vibrations of the dombyra. The dombyra traditionally used gut strings made from lamb or goat intestines.
It was believed that best qualities have strings from the intestines of a two-year-old sheep. Such strings give a low sound and, accordingly, a low tune, characteristic of folk music. G-c, A-d, B-es, H-e. Among sheep from different regions of Kazakhstan, preference is given to sheep from Atyrau and Mangystau regions. Apparently, the salinity of livestock pastures in these places has a beneficial effect on the quality of strings made from sheep intestines.
For orchestral works of world classics, the low mood turned out to be inconvenient. Therefore, in the thirties, in connection with the creation of folk instrument orchestras, the tuning was chosen d-g strings. However, the vein strings could not withstand it and quickly burst. Akhmed Zhubanov tried to use catgut, silk, nylon, etc. as a material, but ordinary fishing line turned out to be the most suitable in sound.
As a result, today we have the only widespread type of dombyra among the Kazakhs of a standard form with strings made of fishing line, which has lost its unique sound timbre. Legend of dombra says that it was invented to tell the khan about the death of his only son. The Khan did not want to hear about his son’s death and ordered the throats of anyone who dared to tell him about it to be filled with lead.
The musician, who did not say a word, was able to convey the sad news to the khan by playing the dombra. The hot lead burned the wood, and a hole formed in the dombra. Many centuries later, in 1925, the Kazakh singer Amre Kashaubayev captivated the discerning audience at the World Exhibition decorative arts in Paris with his singing and virtuoso playing of the dombra.
At the same time, his voice was recorded by the Paris Voice Museum. Famous composer and musicologist Akhmet Zhubanov in 1933 created a dombra ensemble at the Alma-Ata Music and Drama College. Since 1938, for the first time in the history of Kazakh music, the orchestra began to perform works from sheet music, and reconstructed kobyz and dombra were introduced into its composition. In 1944, the orchestra was named after the folk singer Kurmangazy.

Kui Dombra.

“Play your kui, dombra, play,
Pour out a wonderful melody,
Murmur like mountain streams,
Let your heart sing with joy.
So that all the fog in the mountains disappears,
So that all the clouds clear from heaven,
So that everyone listens to you, -
I love your tunes,
Play even stronger, dombra!
Three pegs and two strings,
Yes, nine knots - dombra.
Yes, ten fingers that are free
Any cause wind.
Ride your fingers like a horse,
In the most beautiful of all chases,
Play even harder, dombra!
Hey, listen, working people,
How sweetly the dombra sings
In the hands of the people's kuishi.
And the distance of the steppes, and the passion of the soul -
Everything turns into a game!
Play even harder, dombra!
Hey, working people singer,
Lord of strings, connoisseur of hearts,
Excite me with fun.
I will forever remember your cue
About a new life, young.
You, our wise chronicler.
Play even harder, dombra!”