03
Oct
2009

A. Dorozhkin - Self-instruction manual for playing the balalaika

Format: DjVu, Scanned pages
Year of manufacture: 1963
A. Dorozhkin
Genre: textbook
Publisher: Soviet Composer
Number of pages: 61
Description: This book will help those who want to learn how to play the balalaika.

08
Apr
2010

Self-instruction manual for playing the button accordion (accordion) (Bazhilin R.N.)

Format: DjVu, Scanned pages ISBN: 5-89608-032-8
Year of manufacture: 2004
Author: Bazhilin R.N.
Genre: Self-teacher
Publisher: V. Katansky Publishing House
Russian language
Number of pages: 113
Description: The proposed self-instruction manual is a teaching aid that will be of great help to all beginners, as well as those who already play and accompany songs on the button accordion (accordion), in selecting songs by ear and improvising.
Add. information: To view DjVu you need to install the WinDjView program

01
Sep
2012

Self-instruction manual for playing with a soldering iron (V.N. Gololobov)

Author: Gololobov V.N.
Year of manufacture: 2012
Genre: Textbooks, reference books, encyclopedias
Publisher: Samizdat
Russian language
Number of pages: 999
Description: This book is not only about how to hold a soldering iron correctly, but also about the desire to understand “How does it work?”, in natural curiosity and the desire to make something of your own. When knowledge and practice are added to this framework, curiosity turns into inquisitiveness, and amateur radio becomes a wonderful activity that can not only entertain you in your leisure hours, but enriches you with an experience that will help you...

01
Dec
2009

Dragunkin A. A new cool English tutorial for beginners and beginners.

ISBN: 5-87852-151-2
Format: PDF, eBook (originally computer)
Year of manufacture: 2005
Author: Dragunkin A.
Genre: Textbook
Publisher: ANDRA
Number of pages: 430
Additionally: English Language Study Guide for Beginners and Beginners
Description: The publisher reports that Alexander Dragunkin's system "is similar to a modern, detailed car card, with the help of which you can easily and comfortably travel not only through your own country, but also through someone else's." The author provides us with "a unique and effective guide to the English language - by studying it, you experience real intelligence...

16
Mar
2008

Genre: Tutorial/book
Description: This is the best Autodesk 3ds Max tutorial book for beginners, which will help you quickly master Autodesk 3ds Max 9 - the leading application for developing 3D models and animation. The material presented in the book will allow the reader to independently master the basic techniques of modeling, creating special effects and animation in Autodesk 3ds Max 9. Here, using simple examples, issues such as creating three-dimensional models, using light sources and cameras, using modifiers and special effects, creating animation are discussed , visualization, use of add-ons. ...

10
Jan
2015

A visual tutorial for working on a netbook (G.E. Senkevich)

ISBN: 978-5-9775-0430-0, Visual tutorial

Author: G.E. Senkevich
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: BHV-Petersburg
Russian language
Number of pages: 336
Description: The book by Gleb Evgenievich Senkevich is structured in the form of illustrated answers to all sorts of questions that usually arise for a novice netbook user. We covered setting up a netbook, the basics of working in Windows 7, installing and using popular application programs (antiviruses, archivers, translators, gadgets, free Google applications and etc. ...

07
Aug
2011

Self-instruction manual for working on a PC for everyone (Revich Yu. V.)

ISBN: 978-5-9775-0616-8
Format: DjVu, Scanned pages
Author: Revich Yu. V.
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: BHV-Petersburg
Russian language
Number of pages: 576
Description: The book, as simple as possible, but in sufficient detail, tells how to communicate with a modern personal computer, how to customize it “for yourself,” solve various problems and successfully overcome emerging difficulties. Most of the described operating techniques are illustrated with practical examples based on well-known, free and freely distributed programs. In third...

08
Mar
2012

We work on a laptop in Windows 7. Self-instruction manual (A. Artemyev)

ISBN: 978-5-49807-574-7
Format: PDF, eBook (originally computer)
Author: A. Artemyev
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: Peter
Russian language
Number of pages: 400
Description: Are you planning to buy a laptop or have you just bought one? And is this your first computer? Then this book is what you need. After reading it, you will learn how to choose the right laptop. You will insure yourself against purchasing a defective product and will not lose money by purchasing a computer at an inflated price. The book talks about the types of modern laptops, their capabilities, as well as...

09
Mar
2012

A modern tutorial for working on a computer in Windows 7 (Sergey Vavilov)

ISBN: 978-5-49807-622-5
Format: PDF, eBook (originally computer)
Author: Sergey Vavilov
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: Peter
Russian language
Number of pages: 352
Description: This book will prove to you that mastering a personal computer can be done quickly and easily. With its help you will learn the principles of working in Windows 7, latest version the world's most popular operating system, get acquainted with the main software applications that allow you to work with text documents, spreadsheets, graphics, audio and video files, learn everything you need...

14
Dec
2013

Self-instruction manual for touch typing. Learning to quickly type texts on a computer (Alexey Gladky)

Format: FB2, PDF, eBook (originally computer)
Author: Alexey Gladky
Year of manufacture: 2013
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: Litres
Russian language
Number of pages: 130/75
Description: This book is addressed to users who want to quickly master the technique of quickly typing text on a personal computer. Besides theoretical material, the book contains a large number practical exercises. In addition, the book talks about popular software tools, the use of which can significantly speed up the typing process.

05
May
2012

Format: PDF, FB2, eBook (originally computer)
Author: Gladkiy A.A.
Year of manufacture: 2012
Genre: Computer literature
Publisher: Litres
Russian language
Number of pages: 295
Description: In this book we will tell you how to independently connect to the Internet on a computer with the Windows 7 Professional operating system, how to use by email and special programs designed to work on the Internet. You will also learn how to find for free on the Internet what others offer for money, and how to protect yourself and your computer from malware and other nas...

18
Apr
2015

Inspector Rebus 3. To the death (Ian Rankin)

Author: Ian Rankin
Year of manufacture: 2015
Genre: Detective
Publisher: Can't buy it anywhere
Performer: Erisanova Irina
Duration: 09:01:07
Description: Scotland Yard is powerless to find a cruel maniac who commits murder after murder with monstrous methodicality. Edinburgh detective Inspector Rebus is called to London as an “expert” on serial crimes. Overcoming the hostility of English colleagues and groping weak spots The so-called Werewolf, the inspector is getting closer to solving the bloody secret step by step
Add. information:
Digitized by: alka pet...

03
Sep
2018

Sparta. A game of life and death (Leonid Petropolsky)

ISBN: 978-5-04-093188-0
Format: FB2, eBook (originally computer)
Author: Leonid Petropolsky
Year of release: 2018
Genre: Detective
Publisher: Eksmo
Russian language
Number of pages: 288
Description: What made a young teacher at one of the St. Petersburg schools jump out of the school gym window? What is this - an ordinary suicide, the act of an unbalanced person, or has Anastasia Istomina become a victim of a crime? And why, in the same school, a month earlier, under unclear circumstances, a girl, a student of the same 11th grade that Istomina led, died? An experienced...

12
Jan
2018

Games in the city yard (Krestinsky Alexander)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 128kbps
Author: Krestinsky Alexander
Year of release: 2017
Genre: Radio play
Publisher: Radio Russia – St. Petersburg
Performer: Sergey Dreyden, Maryana Mokshina, Svetlana Pismichenko, Sergey Bekhterev, Vyacheslav Zakharov, Galina Gudova, Iruta Vingalite, Sergey Chernyachkov
Duration: 01:38:39
Description: It was a long time ago, in another century. There is no other way to say about childhood. War through the eyes of a little man. The characters he invented (sailor, girl and gentleman) help in real life. Once upon a time, an amazing author appeared in the Bonfire magazine. His name was Tim Dobry. He himself...

20
Sep
2016

Violin lessons (Viktor Shtanko)

Format: audiobook, MP3, 128kbps
Author: Victor Shtanko
Year of manufacture: 1971
Genre: Drama
Publisher: Gosteleradiofond
Performer: Anatoly Papanov, Igor Kvasha, Tatyana Lavrova, Galina Sokolova, Gennady Frolov (I)
Duration: 00:59:33
Description: For the sake of his career, surgeon Vleriy Gradov stopped performing operations and engaging in scientific activities. He gave lectures, attended all meetings and conferences, and published articles in magazines. Having met after a long separation with his friend, the talented doctor Nikita Smolyanov, Valery realized that he had wasted these years...

Preface
Lesson 1 Task: learn what notes are, how the pitch and duration of sounds are written, as well as the duration of pauses, what a beat, a beat or a unit of counting is, remember the names of musical sounds
Lesson 2 Task: tune the instrument, develop the correct fit, remember the names of the notes of the first exercises and their correspondence to the frets of the balalaika, learn to produce sound on the balalaika by plucking and rattling, learn to play exercises and songs “Quail”, “Whether in the garden, in the vegetable garden”
Lesson 3 Task: improve playing the balalaika by plucking and rattling, play the given exercises and the song “Like Downhill, Downhill”
Lesson 4 Task: play these exercises and the song “Like ours at the gate”
Lesson 5 Task: learn the fingering of the first position, play exercises and songs “Listen, guys”, “It’s like a bridge, a bridge”, “On a green meadow”, using the following techniques: rattling, single and double plucking
Lesson 6th Task: study the scale of the fourth position, learn to connect the first and fourth positions, play the given exercises, the songs “Polyanka” and “Curly Katerina”
Lesson 7th Task: get an idea of ​​the full scale of the balalaika, learn to play major scales in all keys, variations on the Belarusian theme “Kryzhachok” and S. Rachmaninov’s Polka
Lesson 8 Task: learn to play minor scales in all keys
Lesson 9th Task: learn to play chromatic scales, exercises, arpeggios and the song “Ah, Nastasya”
Lesson 10 Task: master the techniques of playing tremolo (on one, two and three strings), arpeggiato, fraction, vibrato, left-hand pizzicato and glissando, get an idea of ​​melismas and their performance, learn to extract natural and artificial harmonics, play songs “ Steppe and steppe all around”, “Oh, I’m unhappy” and “Annushka”
Repertory application

For balalaika and piano

1. A. Ilyukhin. Listen, guys, to what the string is saying. Variations on a theme of a Russian song
2. A. Ilyukhin. I went to the Cossack to Viinonyku. Variations on a Ukrainian theme
3. A. Ilyukhin and M. Krasev. Gopachok. Variations on a Ukrainian theme
4. A. Ilyukhin and M. Krasev. Hole. Variations on a Belarusian theme
5. B. Troyanovsky. The flowers were blooming. Variations on the theme of a song from the Vologda region
6. B. Troyanovsky. At the gate, gate. Variations on a theme of a Russian song
7. M. Glinka. Hail. Final chorus from the opera “Ivan Susanin”
8. A. Glazunov. Hail. Variation from the ballet “The Seasons”
9. M. Mussorgsky. Hopak from the opera “Sorochinskaya Fair”. Concert arrangement by A. Ilyukhin
10. D. Kabalevsky. Clowns
11. D. Shostakovich. Gavotte
12. A. Shalov. Siberian Polish. Concert variations on a theme by Yu. Shchekotov
13. I. Dunaevsky. Gallop from the movie “My Love”. Arranged by N. Shchuchko
14. D. Verdi. Introduction to Act 3 of the opera La Traviata
15. I. Svendsen. A golden star shines high in the blue distance. Norwegian song. Arranged by A. Ilyukhin
16. M. Moshkovsky. Spanish dance. Op.12, No. 2
17. V. Abaza. Pizzicato. Arranged by A. Ilyukhin
18. N. Fomin. Auvergne dance. Arranged by B. Troyanovsky
19. V. Andreev. Polonaise No. 1 Edited by A. Ilyukhin

• For balalaika and six-string guitar

1. M. Rozhkov. Concert variations on the theme of the ancient romance “I Met You”
2. A. Petrov. I'm walking around Moscow. Arranged by M. Rozhkov
3. V. Ditel. Fantasy on the theme of the Russian song “Peddlers”. Arranged by M. Rozhkov and G. Minyaev

• For balalaika and button accordion

1. V. Motov. Round dance
2. N. Polikarpov. Rowan. Arranged by V. Azov and O. Glukhov
3. O. Glukhov and V. Azov. Concert fantasy on the theme of the Russian song “Oh, you carpenters”

Preface 3
I. Instrument, its qualities and tuning 5
II. Some questions about the performer’s seating and hand positioning 12
Sound production 13
Impact direction when making sounds 14
Left hand position 15
Fingering features when playing chords 23
III. Game techniques 24
Arpeggiato 24
Pizzicato with thumb 25
Pizzicato with left hand fingers 26
Rattling 30
Rattling the strings of E 31
Playing triplets 34
Rattling with a hook 35
Large, small and reverse fraction 37
Double pizzicato 39
Tremolo 42
Glissando 42
Single pizzicato 44
Tremolo one string 46
Guitar tremolo 46
Vibrato 48
Flajolets 51
Conclusion 52
List of musical examples given in brochure 54

The improvement of the balalaika at the end of the 19th century by V.V. Andreev and its appearance on the concert stage ensured its recognition by a huge audience of listeners both in our country and abroad.
The activities of the popularizers of the balalaika - V.V. Andreev and his contemporary B.S. Troyanovsky - were approved and supported by the progressive public of that time. Outstanding composers, conductors, writers and artists noted the peculiar charm of the sound of the balalaika and gave it great importance in Russian propaganda folk song. “What a beauty these balalaikas are! What an amazing effect they give in an orchestra: in terms of timbre, this is an indispensable instrument!” - with these words P. I. Tchaikovsky expressed his admiration after listening to the performance of the balalaika ensemble under the direction of V. V. Andreev on one of the Belyaev Fridays.
During the years of Soviet power, much attention was paid to folk instrumental music in our country. Original works have been written for the balalaika: concertos, sonatas, suites and other pieces, the performance of which requires great professional culture from the musician.
IN music schools schools, conservatories, art institutes and cultural institutes have opened classes of folk instruments, producing a large army of highly qualified musicians-performers and teachers who worthily continue the work of V.V. Andreev.
The growth of performing skills and the great interest of listeners in folk instruments place serious demands on the methods of teaching special disciplines in music educational institutions.
Among the current challenges for teachers teaching how to play the balalaika are: important place focuses on summarizing the rich practical experience of leading Ukrainian goyim and creating teaching aids based on this experience.
This work is intended as a textbook for teachers of music schools and colleges teaching a special instrument or method of teaching the balalaika, as well as for students independently studying the skills of playing the balalaika. It provides a theoretical part related to consistent training, methodically verified by the author’s many years of performing and teaching activities, and also takes into account huge contribution in the development of folk instrumental music by famous performing musicians and teachers, including P. I. Necheporenko, not only an excellent balalaika performer, but also an authoritative teacher who trained a large group of musicians and created a convincing school of playing the balalaika, unfortunately not recorded on paper.

I. TOOL, ITS QUALITIES AND SETTING



The body of the balalaika consists of rivets, a back, a soundboard, springs, counter shells, a lining, a mug and a bottom sill. The rivets form the bottom of the body. They are made from decorative maple (wavy or streamy, bird's eye). Some craftsmen use birch, Karelian birch, and rosewood for rivets. As the forms of the balalaika developed, the number of rivets also changed. The first balalaikas, improved by V.V. Andreev, had five rivets. The seven-studded balalaikas made by the master Galinis are famous. The creator of the modern form of the balalaika is the outstanding master-nugget S.I. Nalimov. The instruments of his work are highly valued by performers. S.I. Nalimov made a balalaika, which had six rivets, which gave the instrument a beautiful shape and high musical merits. Currently, the bottom of the body is assembled (knitted) from six to seven rivets (Fig. 1).
The heel circle increases the strength of the body in the area where the buttons for attaching the strings are installed.
The lining and corners give the balalaika body a beautiful appearance. The lining surrounds the edges of the deck and back.
Inside the body there is a ring that connects the rivets with the neck, and counter-shells that give it rigidity and increase the area for gluing the deck.
The bottom sill is located above the circle at the junction of the back and the soundboard. It is recommended to cut grooves for the strings on it, the distances between which should coincide with the grooves on the stand. This is done to avoid bending and moving the stand.
The soundboard is the critical part of the instrument. By perceiving the vibrations of the strings through the stand, it amplifies the sounds and gives them a certain timbre, strength and duration. The energy received by the soundboard from the string upon impact is spent partly on sound formation and partly on harmful losses, which consist in overcoming internal friction when sound waves propagate across the fibers in the soundboard, on the initial rocking of the soundboard and on friction at the junction of the soundboard and the body.
Rice. 1: 1 - head, 2 - tuning machines, 3 - nut, 4 - frets, 5 - dots, 6 - fret plates, 7 - shell, 8 - facing, 9 - soundboard, 10 - sound hole, 11 - rosette, 12 - stand, 13 - corners, 14 - bottom threshold, 15 - circle, 16 - back, 17 - rivets, 18 - buttons.
Deca is made from resonant spruce. having the highest speed of propagation of sound waves. The thickness of the deck should not exceed 2 mm. Boards for decking, selected according to layer and color, are tightly glued together. It is better when the deck is made in a “homogeneous way”: a wide spruce board, sawn in half thickness, is unrolled and glued along the edges. This deck is more uniform, and the annual layers are located symmetrically. The treated deck, dried for a long time, must be of the same thickness over the entire area, the upper part of which is coated with a special varnish that protects it from deformation due to changes in temperature and humidity of the surrounding air.
The resonator hole serves to increase the duration and strength of the instrument's sound and to change the air cushion inside the body when the soundboard vibrates. The resonator hole is protected from pinching by a mortise rosette, which is also a decoration of the instrument.
The shell protects the deck from mechanical damage when playing. It can be mortise or hinged.
Springs - spruce slats glued to inside soundboards They give the soundboard convexity, mechanical strength and contribute to the spread of string vibrations over the entire area of ​​the soundboard. Depending on the design of the balalaika, there are two or three springs; they are located on the deck perpendicular to the direction of the fibers, or at a slight angle (5 - 10°). The uniformity of sound vibration and sound output depend on their location, size and shape.
The stand serves to transmit vibrations of the strings to the soundboard. It is made of maple with an ebony insert under the first metal string. The stand has sawn grooves for the strings, the distances between which are unequal. The first string is slightly further from the second than the second from the third. This is done so that when playing double or single pizzicato you do not touch the second E string. The first string is not too far from the second, since with a large distance between the strings, the compactness of the simultaneous sound of all strings is lost, especially when playing with a tremolo technique (see the table below).

The sum of the distances between the strings on the stand slightly exceeds the width of the neck, so the third E string can go beyond the edge of the neck, since the thumb of the left hand, when playing towards the upper edge of the neck, always presses this string to the desired fret.
To prevent the fingers of the left hand from slipping off the fingerboard, the first string is located above it at a distance of 2.5 - 3 mm from the edge.
Stands can also be made from other types of wood (ebony, boxwood, rosewood). The shape, size and material for the stand depend on the thickness of the soundboard, the slope of the neck, the tension of the strings and the location of the springs, so it cannot be standard and is selected for each instrument separately.
The stand limits the working part of the string. During playing, it can shift, even fall due to pressure from the edge of the palm when playing with vibrato. To avoid such “accidents”, you should pour a little crushed rosin under the base of the stand and place the stand on the deck with a slight slope towards the back.
The neck is the part of the instrument on which the ease of play depends. Convenience of playing - one of the most important requirements of a musician for an instrument - provides for certain dimensions of the neck (width, thickness and oval), the length of the working part of the string (scale), the height of the frets and strings, the material and quality of processing of the neck and frets.
The neck must be durable and reliable in use. It is unacceptable to cover the fingerboard with varnish, which slows down the movement of the hand when playing. Deformation of the neck, leading to a rattling and false sound, occurs from the following reasons: the neck is too thin, damp or weak material, wide cuts for the legs of the frets. Check how straight the neck is by placing the edge of a ruler against the fret plates along the string. If there is a gap between the plates and the ruler, it means either the neck is deformed or the frets are poorly processed. In both cases, you need to contact a specialist.
On the fretboard there are metal saddles called fret plates, which serve to change the pitch of the sound,
and mother-of-pearl landmarks in the form of triangles, diamonds, circles and other figures for finding frets while playing.
Frets are sections of the fretboard enclosed between two adjacent fret plates, dividing the fretboard into semitones. Fret counting starts from the nut. There must be at least twenty-four of them on a concert balalaika.
By pressing the string against the fret plates, the length of the working part of the string changes, and, consequently, the pitch of the sound. The consumption of muscle energy of the left hand depends on the height of the fret plates. To press the strings to the frets with thin, dry fingers, low fret plates are sufficient; for fingers with thick pads, higher ones are needed.
Nickel silver fret plates contribute to the string's mellow, silvery sound, but fret quickly due to the alloy's soft structure. Plates made of harder alloys (stainless steel, silver) are also used. Steel fret plates give the string a drier sound with a metallic tint. Despite the difference in sound with fretboards made of different metals, many players prefer to use carbide fretboards, as they are more practical.
The nut is located at the junction of the headstock and the neck at the first fret. It is the support and beginning of the working part of the open strings. Grooves are sawed on it, spaced from each other at the same distance (10 - 1 mm) and to a certain depth, so that the strings do not touch the first fret plate and are at a height of 0.6 - 0.8 mm from it. With a higher position of the strings, additional muscle energy will be expended to press them to the first fret, and due to the additional tension of the strings at the moment of pressing them to the fret, as a rule, the semitone formed in relation to the open strings sounds false (inflated). Some luthiers press a metal support plate into the neck at the nut. It is not included in the fret count and is an addition to the nut. In this case, the strings, passing through the grooves in the nut, lie on a support plate, which is slightly higher than the fret plates. This achieves an “effect” when playing on open strings, which does not differ in sound from the sound of strings pressed to the frets. In practice, the support plate at the sill has no special significance.
The head is used to attach the tuning mechanics. It is glued to the fingerboard at an angle that provides optimal string pressure on the nut so that when the strings are struck, the sound is clear and pure. A special slot is selected from the bottom of the head to accommodate the mechanics, which is covered with a lid to prevent contamination and damage.
Pegging mechanics are used to tension the strings and tune the instrument. Good mechanics are smooth
rotation of the worm and column without backlash and idle movement and ensures reliable “holding” of the instrument’s tuning.
The ability to select strings, secure them to the tuning machine and buttons, set the distance between them on the stand and the height above the fingerboard and shell determines the sound quality and ease of playing the instrument.
The strings are selected for each balalaika specifically, taking into account its length, the slope of the neck, the thickness and sound output of the instrument.
The first A string should be made of high quality steel wire with a cross section of 0.28 - 0.3 mm. The strings are secured to the instrument using a loop that fits over the button. The free end of the string is fixed in the tuning machine column and wound onto it in a downward spiral counterclockwise.
The second and third strings are gut strings, with a diameter of 1 - 1.1 mm. Currently, gut strings are almost never used on the balalaika - they have been replaced by strings made of synthetic materials (nylon, nylon), which have high sound and physical-mechanical properties.
The string, fixed at both ends, vibrates under the influence of the blow. The stronger the blow on the string, the greater the amplitude of vibration of the string - the stronger its sound. The number of vibrations per second (or frequency) at different impact forces, but with the same length of the working part of the string remains unchanged.
The entire string vibrates with a constant fundamental frequency. Besides, she hesitates in separate parts, as if divided into two, three, four, etc. segments, limited by fixed points-nodes. These segments vibrate with corresponding frequencies exceeding the fundamental frequency as many times as the length of the segment is less than the length of the working part of the string. Therefore, we hear not only the main tone, but also weaker additional tones, the so-called overtones. If you lightly touch the open string with your fingers at the place where it is divided into segments (7g, 7z, 74, etc. of its length), a light sound called a harmonic is heard. Natural and artificial harmonics are quite often used when playing the balalaika.
The pitch of the sound depends on the frequency of vibration of the string. The higher the frequency, the higher the sound and vice versa, the lower the frequency, the lower the sound. The frequency of vibration of a string depends on the tension, length, diameter and material from which the string is made.
The timbre of the sound depends both on the quality of the instrument itself and on the degree of complexity of string vibrations, i.e. overtones.
The strength of the sound depends on the tension of the strings, their length and diameter. The greater the tension of the string, its length and diameter, the more it swings the soundboard and, consequently, the stronger the instrument sounds.
The strings, after being pulled onto the instrument, are somewhat stretched. The faster the process of stretching scabs, or their relaxation, occurs, the faster they will withstand a given voltage and, therefore, frequency. Gut strings and strings made of synthetic materials are more susceptible to relaxation than metal ones. You can artificially speed up relaxation by pulling back the strings you just set and tuned slightly higher, and then adjusting them. This procedure is performed several times until the strings stop stretching.
Before tuning the instrument, you should check whether the bridge is installed correctly, the location of which is theoretically determined by a distance equal to the distance from the nut to the twelfth fret plate. In practice these distances are not equal. When the strings are pressed against the frets, especially in the upper register, additional tension occurs in the jet and, consequently, an increase in the vibration frequency, which leads to an increase in tone. Therefore, the stand is shifted to a distance greater than the distance from the top nut to the twelfth fret plate by 2.5 - 3.5 mm.
Usually the location of the bridge is checked by sounding the octaves in relation to the open strings, pressing them one by one to the twelfth fret. If the octave sounds low, then the stand is shifted towards the resonator hole; if it is too high, then the stand is moved in the opposite direction. When the bridge is correctly installed, the sound of the strings pressed to the twelfth fret should correspond to the pitch of the natural harmonics played above the same fret.
Tuning of the instrument begins with the first string, bringing its tension to the pitch of the A of the first octave, by smoothly rotating the tuning mechanism clockwise. The pitch of the A is checked using a tuning fork, the vibration frequency of which is 440 Hz.
The first string can be tuned to any instrument with a proven tempered tuning - piano, button accordion, etc. If the tuned string is too high in relation to the main tone, it should be pulled back. If, after pulling back, the string does not take on the desired tone due to relaxation, then loosen its tension by rotating the knob and adjust it again.
In a similar way, tune the second and third strings, in unison, bringing them to the pitch of the notes of the first octave.
After tuning the free strings, check their joint sound in unison, pressing the second and third strings to the fifth fret (sounds A of the first octave) and into the octave, pressing the first string to the seventh fret (sounds E of the first and second octaves).
If the sound of the unison A and E octaves is beyond doubt, then the tuning can be considered complete.
Sometimes, regardless of the precise tuning of the instrument, the strings pressed against the fret plates are “out of tune” - they do not produce the desired pitch. In such cases, you should look for the cause in the strings themselves, which may be inaccurately calibrated or too worn.
False sound can also be caused by inaccurately cut sockets for fret plates. In this case, you need to contact a musician to adjust the scale of the instrument and, if necessary, replace the fret plates and the sticker on the fretboard.
A balalaika intended for solo playing, first of all, must have high sound qualities, consisting of a silvery timbre, strength, evenness, purity, depth and duration of sound when played on all strings throughout the entire range.
No less important is the neat external finish of the instrument and the ease of playing it, which depends on the shape and size of the neck, the finish of the fret plates, the length of the scale, the height and tension of the strings.
Examples of instruments with high sound and playing qualities are balalaikas created by famous musical masters- S.I. Nalimov, S.I. Sotsky and others, which are valued by folk instrument performers on a par with the works of the greatest violin makers.

II. SOME ISSUES OF THE PERFORMER'S SEATING AND HAND POSITION
The correct seating of the performer and the position of the instrument largely determines the successful mastery of playing techniques and the principles of sound production. It should be comfortable for the performer, not constrain him when playing, and at the same time outwardly beautiful and fit. Its convenience lies in the naturally free position of the performer on the chair and maintaining balance without straining the leg muscles when the body deviates to the sides. This is facilitated by support with the legs, the feet of which are 8–12 cm apart from each other, with the left leg moving forward slightly.
It is recommended to sit on a chair until halfway up the seat - no deeper, with a slight tilt of the body forward, but not slouching, and keep your head straight with a half turn towards the bar.
The position of the instrument should provide the performer with free movement of his hands while playing. This freedom appears when the basic requirements for landing and holding the instrument are met, which include the correct fulcrum points, deck slope and neck position.
The main points of support are the lower and upper corners of the tool. The lower corner is located at the level of the middle of the thighs (so that the deck is slightly turned towards the performer)
and holds them quite firmly so that the position of the instrument does not change. The knees should be connected, as holding the instrument too low will cause you to stoop.
The upper corner of the instrument is held by the right shoulder, and the elbow of the right hand does not move away from the body. The back part of the chest is slightly adjacent to the upper part of the instrument body. The forearm of the right hand touches the body at the junction of the soundboard and the back above the strings.
The extension of the left leg forward is regulated by the position of the bar, the head of which should be approximately at the level of the left shoulder. A lower position of the headstock forces the performer to tilt the body to the left and can subsequently lead to curvature of the spine, a change in posture and, as a rule, the left shoulder becomes lower than the right.
The left hand moves the bar away from itself at a distance equal to the forearm, so that the shoulder part of the hand is free along the performer’s body. During the game, the elbow is not moved away from the performer’s body and is not pressed against the body.
The left hand is adjacent to the fingerboard, with the edge of the palm at the base of the index finger touching its lower edge, and the pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb located opposite the index finger touching its upper edge.
Of course, such a landing is not an unshakable canon for all performers. It may have various deviations from the proposed standards, depending on certain characteristics of the performer.

SOUND PRODUCTION
Sound production and education of sound culture are the main tasks of the performer from the first steps of learning to play the balalaika.
Their implementation requires an analytical approach to the principles of sound production under constant auditory control and, most importantly, systematic practice.
The balalaika is an instrument that can be played using many different techniques. Each playing technique corresponds to a specific method of sound production.
Impact - producing sound using a swing and throw of the wrist. Only with the ascending pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand, the swing and strike on the string is carried out with the 2nd and 3rd fingers (finger strike).
Shchipo k - sound production, carried out (without throwing the brush) with a finger placed on the string. The pinch is divided into “pickup” and sliding.
“Pickup” - producing a sound with the pad of the index finger along one string while moving the right hand from bottom to top.
Sliding is the production of sound by a smooth movement of the right hand along all or one string.
In addition to various types of sound production on the balalaika, it is possible to create certain timbre shades and change the color of the sound. For example, when producing a sound at the bridge, you can get a sharp, dry timbre and, conversely, at the neck the timbre becomes soft, melodious, and above the neck it is quiet, hidden. Playing with harmonics gives a fabulous, silvery sound, and using vibrato gives a soft, melodious, long-lasting sound of a lyrical and sometimes excitedly dramatic nature (when producing a vibrato sound with the thumb).
To give the balalaika the sound of a snare drum, the fingers of the left hand only touch the strings without pressing against the fret plates.
The combination of different timbre options in the game gives the balalaika performer great expressive possibilities.

DIRECTION OF IMPACT DURING SOUND PRODUCTION
The sound quality is greatly influenced by the degree to which the finger enters the strings at the moment of impact and the area of ​​its contact with the string.
When your finger goes deep into the strings or large area touching the string with the pad of the nail phalanx, the sound becomes rough, rattling, with an audible knock of the finger on the strings, and the finger itself is often injured. Therefore, it is very important for a beginning performer to learn the principles of sound extraction and work on its quality from the first steps of learning.
Playing with rattling and tremolo techniques is carried out by striking the strings with the end of the index finger with minimal penetration of the nail phalanx into them. The blow should be made at a slight angle to the strings, with a bias towards the first metal string (see Fig. 2a).
A similar bias in relation to the strings is maintained when playing sounds by sliding using arpeggiato and pizzicato with the thumb.
When playing on the E strings with the first A string muted, the direction of striking the strings changes slightly. To avoid the finger hitting a muted string, the forearm turns the hand, changing its angle to the strings. In this case, blows to the strings should be made parallel to the strings (see Fig. 26).
Sound production by striking the first string when playing double and single pizzicato is done at an angle to avoid hitting the second string, which, for insurance purposes, is located at a greater distance from the first than the distance between the second and third (see Fig. 2c).
Playing on the second string requires the same slope, but the amplitude of the downward movement of the hand is limited by the first string.
When playing with vibrato with the index finger, the direction of sliding sound production goes from above the string with a tendency, when bending the finger, to stroke the string towards the bridge (see Fig. 2d).
Vibrato with the thumb is carried out by plucking while moving the finger from the first string downward, followed by moving the hand upward (see Fig. 2e).
Playing with a “hook” requires the direction of movement of the hand with the index finger bent and secured in the middle joint, plucking from bottom to top, bypassing the second string (see Fig. 2e).
The “pickup” of the second string, associated with an unprepared pluck, presents some inconveniences, consisting in switching the movement of the hand from straight to arcuate, bypassing the first string (see Fig. 2g).
When playing pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand, their movement is directed downwards from the fingerboard.
Plucking the free third string with the thumb of the left hand is carried out by hooking it with the pad of the nail phalanx, followed by sound production upwards from the fingerboard.

LEFT HAND POSITION
Position - the position of the left hand on the neck of the instrument, allowing you to perform a number of sounds without moving the hand. It is customary to divide the bar into I, II, III, IV, etc. positions. The position number is determined by the index finger and the fret on which it presses the string. So, for example, I position is determined by the index finger placed on the second fret, II position - on the third fret, III position - on the fifth fret, etc.
Intermediate semitones between two adjacent positions are called half-positions. The difference between position and half-position is determined by tonality. So, for example, in the key of C-sharp minor, the II position begins from the C-sharp note on the fourth fret, and in C minor or major, C-sharp is a semi-position, etc.
On the balalaika, positional playing is rarely used due to the different sounds of the strings and the inconvenience of producing sound on the second string at fast tempos.
When playing, the fingers of the left hand perform various motor functions, which largely determine not only the performer’s technique, but also the literacy of the musical text.
A vertical or falling motion in which the fingers of the left hand, being above the fretboard, press the string against the frets in a vertical motion, for example:
The horizontal or sliding movement is used when moving from position to position and when playing a glissando, which involves moving the fingers from note to note along the fingerboard without removing them from the strings.
The sliding-falling movement is used when substituting fingers, when one finger with a sliding movement gives way to another - falling.
The sliding motion is used when playing pizzicato with the left hand with a descending series of sounds, in which the plucking finger slides off the string in a downward motion towards the edge of the fingerboard.
For a list of sheet music examples, see the end of the brochure, pp. 54 - 55.
A falling motion with a strike on the string is used when playing pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand on an ascending scale.
The perpendicular falling motion is used when moving the fingers of the left hand from string to string.
The perpendicular sliding motion is used when playing vibrato with the left hand. Vibration is carried out by slight frequent displacement of the string along the fret plate.
The tangential movement is carried out by touching the strings with your fingers without pressing them against the fret plates.
All chords enclosed in brackets are played on half-pressed strings.
The tangential movement of removing the fingers from the string is used when playing natural harmonics.
A tangential movement with string pressure is used when playing a group of repeating sounds with a staccato stroke. In this case, the fingers are not removed from the strings after picking sounds, but their pressure on the frets is only weakened.
The positioning of the left hand and the position of the fingers on the fretboard should begin with the acquisition of motor skills in the first position on the first A string by playing arpeggiato or pizzicato with the thumb.
When playing in the first position, the neck of the instrument is located between the index and thumb of the left hand with the points touching the lower edge of the neck at the base of the index finger of the palm turned towards the neck on the first fret and the pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb to the upper edge of the neck slightly in front of or opposite the index finger. Fingers alternately, starting from the first, press the first string on the second, fourth, fifth and seventh frets (sounds B, C-sharp, D and E), and at the beginning of training, the fingers pressed to the frets should not be removed during an upward movement (up to the appearance of a feeling of independence and the exact location of the fingers in position), and during a downward movement, the fingers freed from playing should be kept above the fingerboard, not high from the strings, without bending the hand or pressing the palm against the fingerboard (Fig. 3).
The transition from position to position is carried out by a quick movement of the forearm and hand of the left hand at the moment before sound production. During the jump, the thumb slides freely along the bar without lag or tension and after the jump is strictly in its place - opposite or slightly in front of the index finger.
To avoid a noticeable pause during the jump, the finger on which the sound production ended is not removed from the string, but only weakens its pressure on the fret and, sliding along the string, without an audible glissando, moves to another position. After a jump, you should beware of a false accent, especially if the note after it falls on the weak beat of the bar.
When performing intervals with free E strings, the position of the left hand remains the same as when playing on one string.
Playing double notes with the E strings pressed to the frets involves changing the position of the hand on the fingerboard. It bends at the wrist joint enough to allow the pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb to simultaneously
Press down the second and third strings. The main phalanx of the index finger is completely adjacent to the neck of the fingerboard. The introduction of the thumb into the game and the deflection of the hand contribute to pressing the palm against the neck of the fingerboard, which slows down the movement of the hand and leads to an awkward position of the fingers on the frets. Pressing the palm against the neck of the fingerboard is also facilitated by the incorrect position of the thumb, which often in beginning performers lies flat along the fingerboard in the direction of the nail phalanx towards the upper saddle. This position of the finger and pressing the palm against the bar is unacceptable, as it quickly tires the arm muscle and impedes its movement along the bar when moving from position to position.
Quick game different intervals is associated with difficulties due to the low mobility of the thumb of the left hand, which simultaneously presses two E strings and leads the lower sound of the interval, which requires additional muscle effort. Therefore, when working on the technical fluency of the left hand, maximum attention should be paid to the thumb, achieving ease and mobility in its movements along the fingerboard both when playing staccato and legato.
Unison and small second are consonances that are not always easy to perform in terms of fingering, especially when playing on all strings, but are quite often used by composers in works for the balalaika. The only possible fingering option acceptable for playing these intervals on all strings involves three fingers: the 1st presses the first string, the 4th presses the second string, and the 3rd presses the third string.
As an exception in the upper register, the unison and small second are taken with two fingers - the index and thumb.
Much more often these harmonies are used when playing on the E strings, where the thumb presses only the third string, and the second string - the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers. The A string is muted with the 4th finger.
Some performers use only their thumb when playing the E strings, which is irrational due to the increase in muscle tension required to press two strings and their clear sound when moving from note to note.
The major second is an interval that is inconvenient to perform only in the lower register due to the large spacing and unnatural position of the fingers - the thumb, pressing the two E strings, and the index, pressing the first string and spaced three frets from the thumb. However, with regular practice and sufficient performing experience, this inconvenience becomes easily overcome.
Thirds are an interval that students do not always pay enough attention to, especially when playing at fast tempos.
In teaching aids and educational literature for the balalaika, the issue of performing not only thirds, but also other consonances is almost not touched upon.
Meanwhile, in many original works and arrangements for balalaika, especially violin pieces, playing thirds, both in slow and fast movements, is found quite often.
Continuous movement of the hand along the fingerboard at a fast pace when playing thirds should be ensured by appropriate non-stop preparation of the fingers for transitions from note to note. The complexity of such a game lies in the braking movement of the thumb, leading the lower sounds of the thirds. The upper sounds are played by the 1st and 2nd fingers.
Playing more than two sounds in a row on the first string with one finger leads to loss of clarity of sound and rapid fatigue of the hand.
Quarts. Performing fourths when playing on all strings is associated with the same difficulties as playing thirds. In printed literature for the balalaika, fourth harmonies that follow in a row throughout the entire musical structure are rare.
In this example, the sound of fourths is made by plucking the first and second strings with the middle and index fingers, and the sound of E is played on the third free string with the thumb.
Fourth consonances are more often used in playing when alternating with other intervals, where the thumb presses the sustained note to the frets, providing the remaining fingers with technical freedom of movement.
Fifths. The use of a series of fifth consonances following one another, as well as fourth consonances, is rare, but performing them at a slow tempo is quite possible.
The upper sounds of fifths are played on the first string with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers, alternating with each other depending on the construction.
Sexts in fast movement are used only when alternating with other intervals.
The fingering when playing the sixth includes the participation of all fingers of the left hand in pressing the strings.
In slow movement when playing with a legato stroke, it becomes difficult to move from sixth to sixth due to the stiffness of the thumb.
To partially relieve the thumb from tension and stiffness, it is possible to slide the movement from sixth to sixth, pressing the strings with three fingers: the 4th finger presses the first string (upper sound of the sixth), the 1st finger presses the second string (lower sound of the sixth) and thumb - third string (unison with the second string).
Sevenths are an interval used occasionally in a group of different, alternating intervals, or in the form of sustained consonances.
The execution of sevenths alternating in rapid motion is almost impossible due to the stiffness of the thumb, which is located at the extreme distance from the 3rd or 4th finger, which plays the upper sound of the interval.
Octaves are the maximum interval for stretching the fingers, the execution of which, when played on all strings, is possible only in the upper register and is associated with the same inconveniences as the execution of sevenths.
An octave group is usually played on the first and second strings, producing the sound using pizzicato or vibrato. The first string is pressed by the 4th finger, the second - by the 1st finger.
The position of the left hand on the fingerboard when playing chords, as well as double notes, largely depends on the position of the thumb. Playing chords with the third E string open does not cause significant changes in wrist position. When the thumb is introduced into the game, the hand bends at the wrist joint, but the palm does not touch the fingerboard.
On a balalaika, it is possible to play a chord consisting of three sounds in a close arrangement, the top note of which should not be lower than A of the first octave and not higher than D of the third octave.
Playing chords in a mixed arrangement is possible if the interval between the extreme sounds of the chord does not exceed an octave.
Chords in a mixed and wide arrangement, the interval between the extreme sounds of which is more than an octave, are used only with a free E string.
The sounds of major and minor triads and quartet chords are usually played with the 2nd, 3rd and thumb of the left hand, and the sounds of the sixth chord are played with the 4th, 3rd and thumb. Since the bottom note of a chord is almost always played by the thumb, symbol(b - thumb) lowers.
In practice, there are examples when the sixth chord is inconvenient or impossible to perform with the fingering given above.
In this example, the sixth chord enclosed in brackets is taken using the barre technique, in which the 3rd finger of the left hand simultaneously presses two strings to the fret - the first and second (Fig. 4).
Playing with the barre technique in the initial period of training is associated with some inconvenience in the position of the hand and fingers of the left hand. The inconvenience is created by the fact that the third finger, bent at the middle joint and straightened by the middle and nail phalanx, when playing, requires additional muscle effort to press two strings to the fret simultaneously with one finger, which leads to stiffness of the hand and deterioration in sound quality.2
As you gain practical skill in playing the barre technique, the feeling of discomfort and stiffness goes away.
The main difficulty in playing chords with a legato stroke arises during the transitions from consonance to consonance. These transitions must be precise in time, without audible transitions from chord to chord, as well as without noticeable pauses between them and false accents on the chords following the transition.
When playing legato at the moment of changing chords, it is not recommended to move your fingers from string to string.

III. TECHNIQUES FOR PLAYING ARPEGGIATO
Producing a sound with the thumb of the right hand by sliding a movement along the strings from top to bottom is called arpeggio and is indicated before the interval or chord by a perpendicular wavy line (example 34).
1 Barre is a guitar playing technique in which one finger of the left hand presses several strings to the fret at the same time. There are two types of barre - full and incomplete. Full involves pressing all the strings, incomplete - part of the strings. On the balalaika, an incomplete barre is used and usually the first and second strings are pressed to the fret with the 3rd finger.
2 The reason for poor sound quality is insufficiently tight pressing of the first or second string to the fret plate with the pad of the nail phalanx of the 3rd finger.
One begins learning to play the balalaika by mastering the arpeggiato technique because hand positioning and sound production are the simplest and most accessible compared to other playing techniques.
Place the pads of the nail phalanges of the slightly bent fingers in the right hand, except the thumb, to the lower edge of the shell. Place the pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb on top of the third E string at the eighteenth - nineteenth fret. The hand should be bent at the wrist joint and in a free state. The movement of the hand, mri, sliding the thumb along the strings is combined, consisting of a straight-line movement of the forearm and the movement of the hand, which helps the thumb to produce sound.
When the thumb slides along the strings, the remaining fingers, applied to the lower edge of the shell, exert counter pressure on it. Sliding should be done with a calm, uniform movement with a tendency to increase sonority towards the first, melodic string. Good sound is achieved with a small area of ​​contact of the pad of the thumb to the third E string, and as it approaches the first string this area increases, in short, the sliding occurs with a gradual deepening of the pad of the finger into the strings. After sound production, the pad of the thumb touches the shell below the first string, then the hand returns to its original position (Fig. 5).
If sound production with the thumb without arpeggiato is required, then the hand movement is activated.
Sometimes performers resort to making sound with their thumb on all the strings with a blow, which is carried out by swinging a bent hand without support on the edge of the shell and throwing it down quite sharply to make sound.

PIZZICATO WITH YOUR THUMB
Plucking a sound by plucking one string at a time with the thumb of the right hand in a top-to-bottom motion is called pizzicato with the thumb.
When playing pizzicato with the thumb on the first string with support on the lower edge of the shell, significant changes
There is no newness in hand and sound production compared to arpeggiato. The only thing is that the amplitude of movement of the forearm and hand is reduced, but the combined movement of the hand, as in arpeggiato, remains, especially at slow tempos. At fast paces, the amplitude of movement of the hand and forearm is minimal (Fig. 6).
When playing the second E string, thumb movement is limited to the first A string. Long-term playing at a fast pace with the hand resting on the edge of the shell leads to muscle fatigue and, consequently, to stiffness in hand movement, which worsens the sound quality and disrupts the rhythm.
In this example, pizzicato is best played with the thumb without resting on the edge of the shell. With this type of play, the movement of the forearm goes from rectilinear to rotational, the hand makes throws, and the thumb, fixed in the main joint, produces a sound on the string with a blow.
Mastering playing with the thumb without support is recommended after mastering the double pizzicato technique (see below).

PIZZICATO WITH THE FINGERS OF THE LEFT HAND
Pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand is a rather effective playing technique, used as a kind of sound color in many works of balalaika literature. A characteristic feature of this technique lies both in the sound itself and in the transfer of sound production to the left hand, with the right hand providing only the starting points for pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand.
In practice, there are three types of this technique: descending pizzicato, ascending pizzicato and thumb pizzicato.
Pizzicato is indicated with the fingers of the left hand by a plus sign (+) above the notes.
With a descending pizzicato, the sequence of sounds goes downward. The principle of sound production is to simultaneously press the strings with your fingers to the frets according to the written notes. Then the right hand produces only the sound of the first note, the remaining notes, over which there are plus signs (+), are sounded using the fingers of the left hand pre-positioned on the frets and alternately picking them up from the previous note to the next one by hooking the string with the pad of the finger and sliding it down from vulture.
The descending pizzicato is the starting point for:
1) arpeggiato
2) pizzicato with your thumb
3) rattling
5) vibrato
Quite often, the note after the grace note is played pizzicato with the fingers of the left hand.
When switching from triplets to tremolo or continuous clanking, use left-hand pizzicato on the last beat of the triplet.
In an ascending pizzicato, the sounds rise in succession. This type of pizzicato is quite difficult to play, requiring a thumb swing and a strong blow with the pad on the fret corresponding to the note, so that the string sounds from this blow. The blow should be swift, and the position of the finger after the blow should be precise and quite tightly pressing the string to the fret plate. Typically, an ascending pizzicato is used to sound the next of two joined notes, the interval between which is no more than a third.
The sound appears not only from striking with the 2nd or 3rd fingers, but also from the persistence of string vibrations when the right hand plays the previous note.
Rising pizzicato is used in combination with vibrato:
with pizzicato thumb:
Pizzicato is played with the fingers of the left hand in some triplets and mordents.
The interval between two adjacent notes is greater than a third; it is possible to perform a glissando from the previous note to the next one.
Descending and rising pizzicato on the second string is used less frequently due to the shorter duration and matte sound of strings made of synthetic materials, and is used if necessary only in the lower register or when playing on a free string.
The fingering for pizzicato on the second string involves playing G-sharp notes with the 3rd finger, and F-sharp with the 1st finger in order to create the greatest leverage, facilitating better string hooking and stronger quality sound production.
Playing pizzicato with the left thumb is used only on the third free string. The sound is produced by the pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb by hooking the string and sliding it up from the fingerboard.

RAGING
The method of playing by uniformly successive alternating strokes from top to bottom and bottom to top with the index finger of the right hand on all strings has two names - rattling and stroking.
The improvement of the balalaika, associated with the establishment of a certain tuning, increasing the playing range, changing the size of the body and neck, and most importantly, improving the sound quality, attracted many game lovers to it and opened the way to professional performance. Tutorials and Schools began to appear with a specific definition of playing techniques and their designation. Thus, in one of the first manuals for the balalaika - the School of Playing Great Russian Instruments by D. I. Minaev, edited by V. V. Andreev - the main technique of the game is called stroke: “The main technique of the balalaika is the stroke game, when the index finger is struck back and forth on all three strings at once.”
The definition of the stroke technique has survived to this day, and nowadays many balalaika players and domristas call the game a uniform alternation of strokes on the strings with a stroke, or a double stroke. However, the word stroke, literally translated from German as a line or feature, is used by musicians to indicate the character and color of the sound, which is not entirely true and accurately defines the essence of the basic technique of playing the balalaika.
The term rattling is derived from the words rattling, strumming. In V. Dahl's explanatory dictionary the words are rattling, jingling, strumming, strumming means playing the strings with your fingers. These definitions also applied to playing the primitive, unimproved balalaika, which was popular among the people until the end of the 19th century. Currently, the term “rattling” sounds somewhat archaic, but still quite figuratively and accurately characterizes the specifics of the main technique of playing the balalaika.
Rattling is a playing technique, in the process of working on which beginning performers acquire motor skills of the right hand, which are derivatives for mastering other techniques - double pizzicato and tremolo.
The movements of the performer’s right hand determine the subtlest nuances, strokes, tempo and character of the piece being performed. Therefore, from the very first steps of learning to play an instrument, you should carefully delve into the meaning of working on mastering the principles of sound production and strive to achieve high quality performance with the least amount of energy.
When playing clanking, the main motor function is performed by the forearm. Its movement is rectilinear, the amplitude of which at a slow pace should be quite wide ( extreme points The positions of the hand when moving the forearm are before the downward blow just above the chin, after the blow - at the hip).
At a fast pace, the rectilinear movement of the forearm is reduced to a minimum and turns into rotation. When moving the forearm, do not strain the brachialis muscle and secure the elbow joint, and also do not move the elbow away from the upper corner of the instrument.
When producing sound, the hand should be bent and freely perform an oscillatory function in a combined movement with the forearm. The thumb and index fingers are in a natural position, the rest are slightly bent at the joints of the middle phalanges so that the pads of the nail phalanges, when striking the strings with the index finger, do not touch the scabs, but are not pressed against the palm. A free, bent hand, without fingers clenched into a fist, creates the necessary weight and leverage, providing a compact, strong blow to the strings when throwing.
The starting position before making a sound with an overhead blow is the lowered forearm and a free, bent hand (Fig. 7).
To strike the strings, the forearm calmly rises, reaches the highest point and suddenly,
with a rapid downward movement, he turns and throws the wrist (see Fig. 8).
When alternating several strikes on the strings from above, constancy of amplitude and uniform sequence of hand movements are of great importance. The speed of returning the hand to the upper position for the next throw of the hand should be measured, corresponding in time to the duration of the performed intervals, being a kind of aftertact.
The index finger producing the sound should not go deep into the strings and strike with the edge of the nail. The brightest, deepest, richest sound is obtained by striking the strings tangentially with the tip of the index finger with a bias towards the first melodic string above the twentieth - twenty-second fret.
During initial training, strikes from above should be carried out at intervals equal to half the duration in moderate pace along the free strings, emphasizing each beat.
Then the beats are made in quarter durations at the same tempo, emphasizing the first and third quarters in the bar. The second and fourth quarters, performed without emphasis, are performed with passive strokes without a sharp throw of the wrist.
And finally, they strike at the same tempo with eighth notes, emphasizing the 1st and 5th eighth notes in the bar.
Alternating overhand strikes with half, quarter and eighth durations can be combined into one exercise.
Sound production with a blow from below is made with the pad of the index finger at the moment of raising the forearm upward. The student should be warned against the tendency to fix the wrist joint and the joints of the index finger - at the beginning of training, it is enough to just touch the strings with your finger, following the rhythm of the performance. In the future, when alternating blows from above and below, the brush should be activated, controlling not only the uniform sequence of blows, but also the sound of the strings, which are equal in strength and duration.
When working on continuous rattling, it is advisable to play exercises on open strings, alternating four or two strokes from above with continuous strikes from above and below.
Exercises on open strings enable the performer to focus his attention to control the coordination of the movement of the right hand and the sound quality of the strings.
Having achieved a uniform, high-quality sound by striking open strings, you should move on to playing the exercise and the first position.
Introducing the thumb of the left hand into the game should begin with consonances that are accessible to a beginning performer and then gradually complicate his motor functions.
The next stage of working on clanking is a change of position, in which, at the moment before sound production, you should quickly move your left hand with a sliding movement, accurately place your fingers on the frets and make the next blow in time. When changing positions, especially on the weak beat of a bar, you should beware of false emphasis, which results from inability to control various movements left and right hands at the same time. With quick, sharp movements of the left hand, the right hand, as a rule, involuntarily tends to respond with the same movement (parallelisms of hand movements). These parallelisms lead to false accents.
When playing with continuous rattling, all durations of the musical text, depending on the tempo and nature of the performance, are divided into eighths, sixteenths, and the blows from above fall on odd beats, from below - on even beats.
In practice, an abbreviated designation for the method of play is used by crossing out the stems with one, two or three dashes, respectively indicating crushing into eighths, sixteenths and thirty-seconds.
Along with continuous rattling, which requires constant alternation of the direction of strikes on the strings, mixed strikes are used, without observing a strict sequence.
Mixed strokes are used when playing folk songs of a dance nature and tunes, the performance of which requires emphasizing individual weak beats, accents and syncopations, which are not always indicated in the musical text, but must be identified by the performer.
To emphasize the weak beat of a beat, syncopation or acceptance, the blow should be carried out from above with a more rapid downward movement of the forearm and an activated throw of the hand. If the accented note falls on a blow from below, then the latter must be replaced by a blow from above.
The second and third strings, made of synthetic materials, unlike the first bright-sounding, metal string, have a muted, matte shade. Their use in the game should be very careful, taking into account the timbre of the sound.
In addition to using the E strings to give the sound a certain timbre coloring, quite often there are individual harmonies in musical construction, the execution of which is impossible without muting the A string. Such consonances are located below the A sound of the first octave.
Mastering the strumming of the E strings does not cause any special changes in the movement of the right hand. It performs the same functions as when playing on all strings (the rectilinear movement of the forearm, the position and amplitude of the hand, and the force of impact are maintained).
To soften the tapping of the index finger on the first string, the direction of the strike changes slightly (see the section “Direction of the strike when making sounds”).
The first string is muted by touching it without pressing the pad of the nail phalanx of the 4th finger of the left hand to the fret. In initial learning to play two strings, this “unnatural” position of the 4th finger on the fingerboard creates a feeling of discomfort, which goes away with sufficient training.

PERFORMANCE OF TRIPLES
A triplet is a three-beat rhythmic figure formed by dividing into three equal parts some rhythmic unit, a simple two-beat measure, a complex measure (for example, or parts thereof.
The sound of the beats of a triplet differs in auditory perception: the first beat is strong, the second and third are weak. The strong beats of triplets are highlighted by actively striking the strings with a subsequent weakening of the sonority on the second and third beats.
At slow tempos, all beats of triplets fall on the beats from above, at fast tempos, the beats alternate (down and up). The main task when playing a group of triplets at moving tempos is to highlight their first beats with equal sound strength. It should be borne in mind that if the first beat of a triplet is performed with an overhand strike and its emphasis occurs, naturally,
then when striking from below, it requires artificial release due to the active throwing of the hand upward. After throwing the hand, the hand tends to make a response downward with the same impact, which is a clear prerequisite for performing a false accent on the second beat of the triplet. Avoiding a false accent is possible only with a passive blow from above with relaxation of the arm muscles and free fall of the hand downwards.
Performing triplets surrounded by different durations is associated with certain rhythmic and line difficulties, and great attention should be paid to this when playing with the jingling technique.

RAGING WITH A "GRAPPLE"
In the example above, plucking from bottom to top on one string alternates with striking from top to bottom on all strings. Similar examples in the literature for the balalaika are found quite often and they are performed using the technique of rattling with a “hook.”
Pickup is a term used by performers on plucked string instruments, associated with producing sound by striking the adjacent string from bottom to top.
When playing the balalaika, the functions of the pick-up expand - it is used both when playing on the second string and on the first.
Alternating the pick-up with strikes on all strings requires securing the bent index finger in the middle joint, which gives it the opportunity to produce a bright, dense sound by plucking from below, but with a subsequent strike from above on all strings, the position of the finger should be natural (Fig. 9).
The hook occurs both on the strong beat of the bar and on the weak beat.
In combination with clanking, it creates the impression of the sound of two instruments: one playing the melody (pickup), the other accompanying (strike from above).
The hook is also used when playing some triplets, which are followed by sound production starting from the top (tremolo, clanking).
Fraction is the production of sound by sliding blows on the strings, continuously following each other with the fingers of the right hand.
By the nature of its sound, it resembles an arpeggio and is indicated by a double vertical wavy line or the abbreviated word Dr. The disadvantage of these designations is that neither one nor the other indicates the type of shot and the direction of impact.
A positive resolution to this issue was given by the Department of Folk Instruments of the Kyiv Conservatory named after P. I. Tchaikovsky, which set itself the task of eliminating confusion in the designation of strokes and, if possible, simplifying the technique of recording them. In the new system of strokes developed by the department, the cut is indicated in the same way as the arpeggio - by a wavy line, but with a conditional indication above it of the type of fraction and the direction of impact with oblique lines:
arpeggio
large fraction small fraction
reciprocal fraction.
Big fraction. Extracting sound with sliding blows on all strings, continuously following each other with the five fingers of the right hand, moving from top to bottom, starting with the little finger and ending with the big, is called a large fraction and is performed as a quadruple grace note to consonance.
The starting position before producing sound with a large shot is the hand raised above the strings, bent and secured in the wrist joint with the fingers actively pressed, except for the thumb, which is pointed upward (Fig. 10).
Carrying the brush over the strings, strike them one by one with your fingers, starting with the little finger. The thumb completes the sound production with a short active strike on the strings using a sharp downward movement of the forearm. After striking with the thumb, the hand should be relaxed
Small fraction. Producing sound with sliding blows on all strings, continuously following each other with four fingers of the right hand, starting with the little finger and ending with the index finger, is called a small fraction and is performed as a triple grace note to consonance.
The principle of sound production is the same as when playing with a large shot. The only thing is that when finishing a small shot with a glancing blow with the index finger, the forearm remains in place, followed by a sharp downward movement if it is followed by a blow on the strings with the thumb, or an upward movement to carry out a blow with the index finger.
Reverse fraction. Extracting sound by sliding blows on the strings from bottom to top, continuously following each other with four fingers of the right hand, without the participation of the thumb, is called a reverse fraction and is performed as a triple grace note to consonance.
The reverse fraction has an undoubted advantage over the small fraction, consisting in a brighter, rhythmically clear sound and, most importantly, in saving the consumption of muscle energy when moving the forearm, since after sound production it directly prepares the initial position of the hand for the subsequent strike on the strings with the thumb or index finger above. Sound production during reverse fractions can begin with either the index finger or the little finger.
The first option is performed by alternately sliding along the strings of the pads of the nail phalanges, straightened, moved away from each other and secured in the joints of the fingers, starting with the index and ending with the little finger. In this variant, the hand, bent and secured in the wrist joint, rotates from bottom to top using the rotational movement of the forearm. The joints of the fingers and hands should be secured only at the moment of sound production (Fig. 11).
The second option also begins by sliding the pads along the strings, fingers straightened and moved away from each other, but starting from the little finger and ending with the index finger.
At the moment of sound production, the fingers are tucked in turn, the hand is bent, helping the fingers slide along the strings, and the elbow is slightly moved away from the instrument, eliminating the unnatural position of the hand after sound production (Fig. 12).
Fractions should be used with a sense of proportion; where required, emphasize the strong beat of a bar, syncopation, the beginning or end of a phrase, etc. Sometimes an entire musical structure is played with a fraction.
In this case, it is called a continued fraction.
The abuse of the fraction, its use to cover up rhythmic and technical negligence, speaks not only of the poor taste of the performer, but also of poor mastery of the instrument.

DOUBLE PIZZICATO
Producing sound by striking one string alternately with the thumb and index finger of the right hand is called double pizzicato.
This playing technique is derived from jingling, but due to the fact that sound production is carried out by striking one string, the amplitude of the hand’s vibrations is reduced and the linear movement of the forearm is limited as much as possible.
Mastering the double pizzicato technique begins with acquiring the skills of producing sound with the thumb by striking the first string from top to bottom, without touching other strings. The sound is produced over the twenty-second - twenty-fourth fret. The thumb, after striking the string, slides along the shell, then the hand returns to its original position for the next blow.
After acquiring the skills of making sounds with the thumb, they move on to alternately making sounds with the thumb and index finger. To do this, the nail phalanx of the index finger is bent at the middle joint, bringing it closer to the nail phalanx of the thumb. The remaining fingers, adjacent to each other, are in a naturally straightened state and, when producing sound, slide along the lower edge of the shell (Fig. 13).
Straightened fingers adjacent to each other (little, ring and middle fingers) are a lever that gives additional weight and force to the hand when striking the string, which is a necessary condition for extracting a compact, bright sound. Some performers curl their fingers, as when playing with jingling (Fig. 14).
This position of the brush is more lightweight, and the sound when playing is less dense - superficial.
After making sound with the thumb, when the hand moves upward, the index finger with its pad slides along the shell and strikes the string from below. It should be remembered that when playing the double pizzicato technique, only the forearm (small linear movement) and hand (oscillatory movement) are in motion.
At a fast pace, the linear movement of the forearm turns into a rotational one. The thumb and index fingers must be secured when playing.
Further work on this technique consists of achieving an equivalent, high-quality sound of the string, both when struck from above and below, and in the ability to produce sound on different strings and in various combinations.
Pieces for balalaika often contain figurations and passages, the execution of which requires double pizzicato sound production, but on different strings.
In this example, eighth notes are played on the second string, and thirty-second notes on the first string.
To avoid unnatural stretching of the fingers and performing several leaps in a row, broken intervals greater than a third and leap passages are best played by alternating sound production on the second and first strings.
Playing double pizzicato alternately on the second and first strings does not cause changes in the position of the right hand and the principle of sound production, if the sound produced on the second string falls on the strike with the thumb from above.
Playing double pizzicato on the second string is associated with some inconvenience for the free movement of the right hand due to the first string, which limits the movement of the thumb after a strike from above and during a reverse strike from below, interfering with the natural sound production with the index finger. Therefore, the hand is secured in the wrist joint, the amplitude is limited, and the thumb and index fingers are included in the movement.
The hook when playing double pizzicato on the first string (example No. 70) is associated with sound production with the index finger by striking the second string in an upward motion.
To produce sound by picking up the second string, the first string is bypassed by slightly turning the hand, securing it at the moment of picking up and engaging the index finger in the movement.
Double pizzicato on the second string is sometimes replaced by alternate playing on the third and second strings, in order to make it more convenient technically and create a clear staccato sound of the E strings.
When playing on the third and second strings, the hand takes a position parallel to the soundboard, without tilting towards the first string.

TREMOLO
A playing technique in which sound is produced by frequently alternating strikes on the strings with the index finger is called tremolo.
When playing a tremolo, the technical challenge is to produce a sound that is perceived by the ear as continuously flowing. This is facilitated by blows of equal force on the strings from above and below.
Excessive frequency of blows leads to a deterioration in sound quality, since the strings, before they have time to sound, are muffled by the next blow.
The principle of sound production and the position of the right hand when playing tremolo is similar to clanking, but the movement of the forearm and hand changes. The forearm moves from a rectilinear movement to a rotational one, and the hand increases the oscillatory movement and limits the amplitude.
When playing a tremolo on the E strings, the A string is muted, just like when playing by strumming the E strings. To avoid knocking on a muted string when playing sound, the hand should be slightly turned so that the index finger striking the strings does not touch the first string.

GLISSANDO
The sliding movement of the fingers of the left hand along the fingerboard without loosening the pressed strings with an audible intermediate sound is called glissando.
This unique, effective technique, which requires a certain dexterity of hand movement, should not become an end in itself; it can only be used in accordance with the nature of the music. “The impression of glissando is directly proportional to the rarity of its use,” wrote the famous musician L. Auer.
The continuity of the sound of the glissando during the transition from note to note is carried out along the chromatic scale in an ascending and descending movement in two ways - sound from a blow or pinch and subsequent sliding, and continuous sound production during sliding.
In an upward movement, a glissando is easier to perform than in a downward movement. This is because the instrument has natural support on the thigh as it moves upward down the fretboard. right leg, while in the downward movement a special force is required to hold the tool.
A light glissando, sounding from a blow or pluck when playing on one pizzicato string with the thumb, or vibrato, is carried out immediately after sound production by smooth sliding along the string of the nail phalanx of the 1st or 2nd finger of the left hand, set vertically and turned out in relation to the fingerboard fingernail along the fingerboard towards the stand.
The time slide must coincide with the duration of the note from which it begins. The hand makes the same movement as when moving from position to position. A finger sliding along the string does not weaken its pressure and stops on the final glissando note exactly at the fret plate.
The completion of an ascending glissando is possible from the previous sound of the string on the next note after the slide, or by the next sound production.
The downward glissando ends with the note following it only with another sound production by the right hand or pizzicato by the fingers of the left hand.
In performing practice, when playing fast passages, sometimes instead of a written series of sounds, due to fingering inconveniences, a measured glissando is used, in which the number of strikes on the string with the right hand at the moment of gliding with the left should coincide with the number of notes contained in this passage.
A measured glissando is also used when playing on all strings using the clanking technique.
The most difficult thing for beginners to do is glissando when playing all the strings with a tremolo technique, since the fingers pressing the strings to the frets slow down the uniform sliding along the fingerboard, which is why the sound quality suffers. Particularly difficult is the downward glissando, the execution of which requires additional effort to hold the instrument, since the left hand, when sliding towards the headstock, can displace the balalaika from its natural position and deprive it of stability.

SINGLE PIZZICATO
Producing sound by evenly alternating strikes from above and below with the index finger on one string is called single pizzicato.
This technique is used when playing fast technical passages, mainly scale-like construction.
When playing single pizzicato, the hand is in a free, bent position. The index finger at the base of the leg phalanx is secured by the thumb and middle finger. The remaining fingers are closed and tucked (but not clenched into a fist). The nail of the little finger touches the shell, being a fixator of the bend of the hand and the constant depth of the index finger behind the string during sound production.
Combined movement of the forearm and hand. The forearm performs a rotational function, and the hand performs an oscillatory function. The sound is produced by the pad of the nail phalanx of the index finger with a slope towards the shell when striking the string from above.
At the initial stage of mastering this technique, the sound is produced only by striking the first string from above with slow, even strokes of the brush. Moreover, at a slow pace, the rectilinear movement of the forearm is activated, the amplitude of which, with more frequent throws per unit time, is reduced and the movement turns into rotational.
In performing practice, playing with a single pizzicato and with straightened fingers (little, ring and middle fingers) is used. In this case, the hand takes the position as when playing double pizzicato. The pad of the thumb is adjacent to the base of the nail phalanx of the index finger from the side - the remaining fingers are straightened, closed and, when making sounds, slide their pads along the lower edge of the shell.
When playing single pizzicato, a passage requiring a transition from string to string can be performed without changing the position of the hand if the string change occurs on an odd beat, i.e., on an overhead strike.
Sometimes there are passages, one sound of which must be played on the second string, and the rest on the first.
In this example, the G sharp note is played on the second string by hitting the thumb from above, and the A note by hitting the first string from below with the index finger.
The most difficult thing to do when playing single pizzicato is to perform hooks that require changing the position of the hand.
In the example given, the use of fingering placed on top necessitates picking up (i.e., switching the sound production to the second string), which is necessary
on an even (fourth) sixteenth note with a strike of the index finger in a upward motion. The use of fingering placed from below eliminates the pbdtsep, since the transition to the second string is carried out on the odd (third) sixteenth.

TREMOLOS ONE STRING
Tremolo on one string is a playing technique derived from single pizzicato. As one of the most difficult to achieve a pure, melodious, bright sound of a string, it requires systematic work on its development under constant auditory control of the quality of sound production.
Tremolo, both on the first and second strings, is used when playing legato or individual sustained durations.
Tremolo with vibrato. Currently, many performers use the technique of playing tremolo on one string simultaneously with vibration, for which the base of the hand at the wrist joint is applied to the first string behind the bridge. The index finger, bent and secured in a perpendicular direction to the first string, produces sound by frequently alternating sliding blows on it with the pad of the nail phalanx. Vibration is carried out by increasing the sound by additional tension on the string under pressure from the adjacent hand.
The occasional use of tremolo with vibrato undoubtedly gives a peculiar color to the sound of the string, but through? the measured use of this technique only speaks of the poor taste of the performer.

GUITAR TREMOLOG
Alternately producing a sound with four or five fingers of the right hand with uniform strikes on the string is usually called a guitar tremolo.
This technique allows you to perform with the least amount of energy some melodic and harmonic figurations consisting of notes of small durations, short trills, gruppetto, triple and quadruple grace notes.
Mastering the technique begins with acquiring the skills of alternating sound production with uniform finger strikes
along the string with a bending movement of the phalanges from bottom to top, with the exception of the thumb, which produces sound by striking the string from top to bottom.
Opened and spread fingers, starting with the little finger, with the pads of the nail phalanges, alternately tucking, strike the string. Considering that the little finger and ring finger are connected by one tendon and when playing pizzicato with five fingers they often simultaneously produce sound, the little finger should be taken away from the ring finger at a slightly greater distance than the distance between the unclenched middle and index fingers, and slightly bent. When making sounds, the hand bends and the elbow is slightly moved away from the body, eliminating the unnatural position of the bent hand after making sounds. The forearm rises upward in a smooth movement, allowing the fingers to produce sound with uniform, alternating strikes on the string.
When playing a continuous tremolo with four fingers alternately, starting with the thumb, the elbow does not need to be moved away from the body. The thumb produces the sound by striking from above on any string, or arpeggiato on all strings, and the remaining fingers by striking from below only the first string.
Four-finger pizzicato begins by striking the string from below with the ring, middle, index and thumb, finishing with a blow from above. With this technique it is possible to perform triple grace notes and triplets.
Five-finger pizzicato begins with uniform, alternating strikes on the string from below with the little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb, finishing with a strike from above. With this technique it is possible to perform quadruple grace notes, short trills, and a group of five pots.

VIBRATO
Mastery of various types of vibrato gives the performer the opportunity to significantly enrich the sound palette of the instrument. Depending on the nature of the music, the sound using vibrato can be expressively melodious or rapidly excited, light, transparent or deep, rich.
UR In performing practice, several types of playing with this technique are used: 1) vibrato when making sound with the index finger, 2) vibrato when making sound with the index and middle fingers, 3) vibrato when making sound with the thumb, index and middle fingers, 4) vibrato when making sound with the thumbUb) vibrato when playing tremolo with the index finger on one string, 6) vibrato with the fingers of the left hand.
Mastering the technique of playing vibrato when making sound with the index finger begins with acquiring the skills of uniform rotational movement of the forearm and straight hand of the right hand without making sound. The edge of the palm rests against the strings behind the bridge, with the fulcrum on the first string at the base of the little finger. The hand is a direct continuation of the forearm and should not bend at the wrist joint during sound production. The pad of the nail phalanx of the thumb is adjacent to the side of the middle phalanx of the slightly bent index finger (Fig. 15).
Vibration is carried out by uniformly raising and lowering the sound. The sound decreases when the hand is tilted towards the strings. At this moment, the edge of the palm puts pressure on the stand, which bends the deck, thereby weakening the tension of the strings. When you move your hand away from the strings, the edge of your palm puts pressure on the string behind the bridge, increasing its tension.
The sound is produced with the pad of the index finger in a smooth, sliding movement from above towards the soundboard and at the same time towards the stand, as if stroking a string. Then, with a calm movement, the hand is moved upward from the string to vibrate and perform the next sound production.
You should beware of sharply moving your hand upward after playing a sound and pressing too hard on the string with the edge of your palm, as this leads to false accents, false intonation and poor sound quality.
Continuous play of vibrato with the index finger at a moving pace tires the hand, leads to stiffness and loss of sound quality. In such cases, vibrato is used by alternating sound production with the index and middle fingers.
When using this technique, the load on the muscles of the index finger and forearm is reduced, since with one downward movement of the hand, two sounds are produced alternately by striking the string of the index and middle fingers. The movements of the forearm, hand and fingers are similar to those of playing vibrato with one index finger.
Alternating sound production with the index and middle fingers can also be used on two strings.
Simultaneous sound production with the index and middle fingers is used when playing intervals.
When playing with vibrato on three strings, the thumb, index and middle fingers are involved in sound production. Each finger corresponds to a specific string: the thumb plucks the sound on the third string, the index finger on the second, and the middle finger on the first. The sequence of finger movements during sound production can be different and depends on the structure of the figuration being performed.
In this example, sound is produced alternately with the middle, thumb and index fingers.
IN following example sound production with the thumb alternates with simultaneous sound production with the middle and index fingers.
Some arpeggiated chords are played with vibrato by alternately sliding the third, second, and first strings with the thumb, index, and middle fingers.
Thumb vibrato differs from previous techniques in that it has a different point of support on the strings behind the bridge, the movement of the hand, and the direction in which the string is struck when making sounds.
The edge of the palm at the wrist joint is attached to the first string behind the stand. After making sound with the thumb, the hand is moved upward from the string without participating in the movement of the forearm. At the moment the hand is withdrawn, the edge of the palm exerts pressure on the string behind the stand, which leads to vibration of the sound only in the upward direction (Fig. 16).
This playing technique is used when performing emotionally rich, climactic Fig. 16 moments in music.
Thumb vibrato is sometimes used when playing arpeggiated chords.

FLAGS
Playing with harmonics, which impart lightness and silvery transparency to the sound of the string, is quite common in performing practice.
Due to the different methods of sound production, harmonics are divided into natural and artificial.
F ajoletes are revealed overtones, that is, sounds obtained from partial vibrations of the string, the height of which depends on the place where the finger of the left hand touches the string. And>lajo-lets are located at points dividing the string into 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 equal parts. In relation to the main tone, they form a certain interval sequence, which remains unchanged at any basic tone in height. So, for example, by touching half of the sounding string with your finger, you can extract an octave harmonic in relation to the fundamental tone, a third - a fifth through an octave, a quarter - through two octaves, a Vs - a third through two octaves, etc.
Harmones, which are more distant in interval terms from the main tone, sound weak, dull and are rarely found in the literature for the balalaika.
Natural harmonics, practically played over the 5th, 7th, 12th, 19th and 24th frets of the first string and over the 12th and 19th frets of the second or third string, are reproduced at the moment of sound production by touching string over the metal fret of the fingertip of the left hand and quickly remove it from it.
Natural harmonics are indicated by a circle above the note and sound especially good and lasting when played with vibrato.
When playing artificial harmonics, the fingers of the left hand press the string to the frets, which determine the fundamental tone. The right hand performs the function of producing sound and playing harmonics. To do this, place the nail phalanx of the thumb, retracted from the index finger bent at the middle joint, on the string from above, and attach the edge of the nail phalanx of the index finger to the same string from below, opposite the metal fret from which the harmonic is removed. The thumb produces the sound with a downward movement, and the index finger, after producing the sound, quickly moves away from the string.
Artificial harmonics are conventionally designated by a diamond above the main note from which they are played, and the location of the diamond on the staff indicates the fret from which it is played. For example, if you press the first string on the 2nd fret with the first finger of your left hand, you can extract artificial harmonics at the 7th, 9th and 14th frets and the harmonics will sound in interval proportions to the main B tone of the first octave, two octaves higher, a fifth through an octave and an octave.
In a similar way, you can extract artificial harmonics from any note.

CONCLUSION
In working on the brochure, the author proceeded from the principles of teaching the balalaika that exist in the Leningrad performing school, closely associated with the name of the famous teacher and performer, State Prize laureate, Honored Artist of the Republic Pavel Ivanovich Necheporenko? lived and worked in our city for many years.
The rich performing and teaching experience of the gifted musician left a deep imprint on the teaching methods of the Leningrad musical institutions in which he worked and where his students and followers now work. Author as a student music school them. M.P. Mussorgsky, studied under the direct supervision of this wonderful teacher, communication with whom prompted the creation of this brochure.
Many methodological provisions covered in the work are based and confirmed in practice and do not cause any controversy. Some issues related to the direction of movement of the fingers and hands, the direction of striking the strings during sound production, are discussed in the brochure for the first time and, undoubtedly, require quite careful study. Therefore, the author will gratefully accept all comments and suggestions regarding not only controversial issues, but also directly the methods of teaching how to play the balalaika.

1. Exercise
2. Russian folk song"From village to village." Arr. P. Necheporenko
3. A. Duran. Waltz. Arranged by A. Dobrokhotov
4. Russian folk song “I am sitting on a pebble.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
5. B. Goltz. Humoresque
6. Exercise
7. V. Beletsky and N. Rozanova. March-grotesque
8. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
9. Russian folk song “Ay, all the gossips go home.” Arr. M. Kra-seva
10. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
11. V. Beletsky and N. Rozanova. Sonata, 1 hour
12. S. Vasilenko. Waltz from the suite, op. 69
13. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
14. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
15. Y. Dont. Etude. Arranged by E. Blinov
16. F. Kreisler. Viennese caprice. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
17. P. Sarasate. Fantasia on themes from the opera "Carmen". Arranged by N. Osipov
18. S. Vasilenko. Serenade from the suite, op. 69
19. Russian folk song “Ivushka”. Arr. N. Uspensky
20. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
21. P. Sarasate. Fantasia on themes from the opera "Carmen". Arranged by N. Osipov
22. Exercise
23. A. Varlamov. Red sundress
24. Exercise
25. S. Vasilenko. Malaguena
26. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
27. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov 28 - 32. Exercises
33. B. Goltz. Drawing
34. Exercise
35. F. Liszt. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Arranged by N. Osipov
36. P. Sarasate. Gypsy tunes. Arranged by N. Uspensky 37 - 39. Exercises
40. F. Liszt. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Arranged by N. Osipov
41. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
42. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
43. Russian folk song “Kamarinskaya”. Arr. B. Troyanovsky
44. N. Shulman. Bolero
45. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
46. ​​I. Albeniz. Serenade. Arranged by B. Troyanovsky
47. I. Albeniz. Seville. Arranged by N. Vasiliev.
48. Sh. Ours. Gypsy dance. Arranged by N. Lukavikhin
49. Russian folk song “Ay, all the gossips go home.” Arr. M. Kraseva
50. P. Necheporenko. Variations on a Theme of Paganini
51. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov 52 - 54. Exercises
55. Russian folk song “Oh, you, evening.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
56. Russian folk song “Throughout the entire village of Katenka.” Arr.B. Troyanovsky
57. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
58. Russian folk song “Oh, you, evening.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
59. Russian folk song “The month is shining.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
60 - 61. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
62 - 64. Exercises
65. A. Dobrokhotov. Trepak
66. Russian folk song “Play, my bagpipes.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
67. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
68. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
69. K. Myaskov. Toccata
70. K. Myaskov. Toccata
71. J. Rameau. Tambourine. Arranged by B. Troyanovsky
72. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
73. V. Beletsky and N. Rozanova. March-grotesque
74. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
75. A. Corelli - F. Kreisler. Folia. Arranged by A. Shalov
76. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
77. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
78. Yu. Shishakov. Concert, II part.
79. N. Shulman. Bolero
80. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
81. K. Myaskov. Toccata
82. N. Shulman. Bolero
83. Russian folk song “Dark cherry shawl.” Arr. A. Shalova
84 - 87. Exercises
88. P. Necheporenko. Variations on a Theme of Paganini
89. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
90. S. Vasilenko. Gavotte from the suite, op. 69
91. P. Tchaikovsky. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the ballet "The Nutcracker". Arranged by A. Shalov
92. S. Vasilenko. Concert, II part.
93. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
94. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
95. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
96. G. Tartini - F. Kreisler. Variations on a gavotte theme by A. Corelli. Arranged by N. Osipov
97. Exercise
98. Russian folk song “One hour at a time.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
99. Exercise.

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Lesson 1 (tuning the balalaika and seating the player)

Before setting up your balalaika, check that the string stand is positioned correctly. It should be positioned so that the distance from it to the 12th fret is equal to the distance from the 12th fret to the nut ( Distance AB must be equal to distance BV (see picture)). If this condition is not met, the balalaika will sound false.

Balalaika and the names of its parts

Adjust the first string of the balalaika using a tuning fork so that it produces the sound of A of the first octave.

Tune the second and third strings so that each of them produces the E sound of the first octave.

Landing of the player.

Proper fit must meet two basic requirements: stability of the instrument and freedom of playing movements. You should sit about halfway up the seat of the chair, not deeper. Place your legs on full feet, and move your left one slightly forward. Place your heels a little less than a palm’s width apart from one another, and slightly turn your toes out. The distance between the knees is approximately the width of the palm. The balalaika needs to be positioned so that it is comfortable to hold. To do this, you need to correctly find the tool support points. There are four of them. The first is formed if you place the balalaika at the lower angle between the thighs. In this case, the balalaika should be turned slightly to the right so that the junction of its body and back rests on the right thigh, and the middle of the two side staves of the body rests on the left thigh. The second is created by resting the upper corner of the instrument on the lower right part of the player’s chest. The third occurs after the player places the shoulder of his right hand on the upper corner of the balalaika in such a way that it is secured between the body and the player’s shoulder. The fourth fulcrum is movable, it is connected to the fingers of the left hand and the neck. The bar on one side rests on the lower part of the main phalanx of the index finger, and is supported by the junction of the main and nail phalanges of the thumb on the other side.

The headstock should be approximately at the level of the player's left shoulder joint. The shoulder part of the left arm is located in a free state along the student’s body, is not pressed against the body and is not moved far from it. The distance of the neck from the player’s body is determined by the position of the elbow joint of the left hand at an angle of approximately 90°. The wrist joint of the left hand is in a natural position when the back of the hand and forearm form a straight line, with a slight turn towards the little finger.

Proper posture is of great importance for playing the instrument. The freedom of playing movements and, ultimately, the freedom to realize the creative intentions of the performer depend on how well the student adapts to the instrument.

References:

1. P. Necheporenko, V. Melnikov “School of playing the balalaika”

2. A. Ilyukhin “Tutorial for playing the balalaika”

Shalov A. Basics of playing the balalaika.

Name: Basics of playing the balalaika
A. Shalov
Publisher: Music
Year: 1969
Language: Russian
Format: pdf

Size: 5 mb.

Attention!!! The collection has been cleared of debris and the double pages have been separated. Good quality.

PREFACE

The balalaika, with its inherent color of sound, rightfully occupies an honorable place in the large family of folk string instruments.
The improvement of the balalaika at the end of the 19th century by V.V. Andreev and its appearance on the concert stage ensured its recognition by a huge audience of listeners both in our country and abroad.
The activities of the popularizers of the balalaika - V.V. Andreev and his contemporary B.S. Troyanovsky - were approved and supported by the progressive public of that time. Outstanding composers, conductors, writers and artists noted the unique charm of the sound of the balalaika and attached great importance to it in the promotion of Russian folk song. “What a beauty these balalaikas are! What an amazing effect they give in an orchestra: in terms of timbre, this is an indispensable instrument!” - with these words P. I. Tchaikovsky expressed his admiration after listening to the performance of the balalaika ensemble under the direction of V. V. Andreev on one of the Belyaev Fridays.
During the years of Soviet power, much attention was paid to folk instrumental music in our country. Original works have been written for the balalaika: concertos, sonatas, suites and other pieces, the performance of which requires great professional culture from the musician.
In music schools, colleges, conservatories, art institutes and cultural institutes, classes of folk instruments have been opened, producing a large army of highly qualified musicians-performers and teachers who worthily continue the work of V.V. Andreev.
The growth of performing skills and the great interest of listeners in folk instruments place serious demands on the methods of teaching special disciplines in music educational institutions. " „
Among the urgent tasks facing teachers who teach playing the balalaika, an important place is occupied by summarizing the rich practical experience of leading musicians and creating teaching aids based on this experience.
This work is intended as a textbook for teachers of music schools and colleges teaching a special instrument or method of teaching the balalaika, as well as for students independently learning the basics of playing the balalaika. It provides theoretical hours associated with consistent training, methodically verified by many years of performing and teaching activity of the author, and also takes into account the enormous contribution to the development of folk instrumental music by famous musicians-performers and teachers, including P. I. Necheporenko, not only an excellent performer on balalaika, but also an authoritative teacher who trained a large group of musicians and created a convincing school of playing the balalaika, which, unfortunately, was not recorded on paper.

Preface
I. Instrument, its qualities and tuning
II. Some questions about the performer's seating and hand positioning
Sound production
Direction of impact when making sound
Left hand position
Fingering features when playing chords
III. Game techniques
Arpeggiato
Pizzicato with your thumb
Pizzicato with left hand fingers
Rattling.
Rattling on the E strings
Execution of triplets.
Rattling with a "hook".
Major, minor and reverse fractions.
Double pizzicato...
Tremolo..
Glissando.
Single pizzicato.
Tremolo one string at a time.
Guitar tremolo.
Vibrato.
Flajolets.
Conclusion.

LIST OF NOTE EXAMPLES GIVEN IN THE BROCHURE
1. Exercise
2. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
3. A. Duran. Waltz. Arranged by A. Dobrokhotov
4. Russian folk song “I am sitting on a pebble.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
5. B. Goltz. Humoresque
6. Exercise
7. V. Beletsky and N. Rozanova. March-grotesque
8. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
9. Russian folk song “Ay, all the gossips go home.” Arr. M. Kra-seva
10. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
P. V. Beletsky and N. Rozanova. Sonata, 1 hour
12. S. Vasilenko. Waltz from the suite, op. 69
13. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
14. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
15. Ya. Milks. Etude. Arranged by E. Blinov
16. F. Kreisler. Viennese caprice. Arrangement II. Necheporenko
17. P. Sarasate. Fantasia on themes from the opera "Carmen". Arranged by P. Osipov
18. S. Vasilenko. Serenade from the suite, op. 69
19. Russian folk song “Ivushka”. Arr. II. Uspensky
20. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
21. P. Sarasate. Fantasia on themes from the opera "Carmen". Arranged by N. Osipov
22. Exercise
23. A. Varlamov. Red sundress
24. Exercise
25. S. Vasilenko. Malaguena
26. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
27. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov 28-32. Exercises
33. B. Goltz. Drawing
34. Exercise
35. F. Liszt. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Arranged by N. Osipov
36. P. Sarasate. Gypsy tunes. Arranged by N. Uspensky 37-39. Exercises
40. F. Liszt. Hungarian Rhapsody Mb 2. Arranged by N. Osipov
41. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
42. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
43. Russian folk song “Kamarinskaya”. Arr. B. Troyanovsky
44. N. Shulman. Bolero

45. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
46. ​​I. Albeniz. Serenade. Arranged by B. Troyanovsky
47. I. Albeniz. Seville. Arranged by N. Vasiliev.
48. Sh. Ours. Gypsy dance. Arranged by N. Lukavikhin
49. Russian folk song “Ay, all the gossips go home.” Arr. M. Kra-seva
50. P. Necheporenko. Variations on a Theme of Paganini
51. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov 52-54. Exercises
55. Russian folk song “Oh, you, evening.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
56. Russian folk song “Throughout the entire village of Katsnka.” Arr.B. Troyanovsky
57. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
58. Russian folk song “Oh, you, evening.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
59. Russian folk song “The month is shining.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky 60-61. S. Vasilenko. Concert, III part.
62-64. Exercises
65. A. Dobrokhotov. Trepak
66. Russian folk song “Play, my bagpipes.” Arr. B. Troyanovsky
67. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
68. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
69. K. Myaskov. Toccata
70. K. Myaskov. Toccata
71. J. Early. Tambourine. Arranged by B. Troyanovsky
72. K. Saint-Saens. Dance of Death. Arranged by N. Osipov
73. V. Beletsky and II. Rozanova. March-grotesque
74. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
75. A. Corelli - F. Kreisler. Folia. Arranged by A. Shalov
76. Russian folk song “From village to village.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
77. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
78. Yu. Shishakov. Concert, II part.
79. N. Shulman. Bolero
80. N. Rimsky-Korsakov. Flight of the Bumblebee. Arranged by P. Necheporenko
81. K. Myaskov. Toccata
82. N. Shulman. Bolero
83. Russian folk song “Dark cherry shawl.” Arr. A. Shalova
84-87. Exercises
88. P. Necheporenko. Variations on a Theme of Paganini
89. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
90. S. Vasilenko. Gavotte from the suite, op. 69
91. P. Tchaikovsky. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the ballet "The Nutcracker". Arranged by A. Shalov
92. S. Vasilenko. Concert, II part.
93. S. Vasilenko. Toccata from the suite, op. 69
94. P. Kulikov. Concert Variations
95. S. Vasilenko. Romance from the suite, op. 69
96. G. Tartini - F. Kreisler. Variations on a gavotte theme by A. Corelli. Arranged by N. Osipov
97. Exercise
98. Russian folk song “One hour at a time.” Arr. P. Necheporenko
99. Exercise