A fairly large number of musical instruments belong to the plucked group. These are harp, guitar, balalaika, lute, mandolin, dombra and many others. How did the most famous of them appear, which have survived to this day? The history of many of these musical instruments is full of interesting facts.
Where did the harp come from?
Harp is a plucked musical instrument that appeared one of the very first on Earth. The harp was originally modified from a conventional hunting bow. Apparently, even then, the ancient man tried, in addition to one bowstring, to attach several more “strings” to its base. Interestingly, this tool is also mentioned in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. In this letter, each hieroglyph denotes a certain concept. When the Egyptians wanted to write the word "beautiful", "beautiful", they painted exactly the harp. It was known to the ancient Egyptians as early as 3 thousand years BC. The lyre and the harp are the two closest relatives of the hunting bow.
Playing the harp in Ireland
Once upon a time were very reveredIrish harpers. In ancient times, they stood at the next level of the hierarchy after the leaders. Often the harpers were blind - Irish bards read poetry to their playing. The musicians performed the ancient sagas using a small portable harp. This plucked musical instrument sounds very melodic. It is very often used by composers when they need to create a mysterious atmosphere or present a mysterious natural image to the listener.
Where does the modern guitar come from?
Researchers of the history of music still cannot give an unambiguous answer to the question about the appearance of the guitar. The tools that are its prototypes date back to several millennia BC. It is believed that the origin of the guitar is also associated with the use of a hunting bow. The progenitors of the modern guitar were found by geologists in the excavations of the settlements of the ancient Egyptians. This plucked musical instrument appeared here about 4 thousand years ago. Presumably, it was from Egypt that it was distributed throughout the Mediterranean coast.
Kithara - the progenitor of the Spanish guitar
An ancient analogue of the guitar was an instrument called the cithara. It is very similar to the guitars in use today. Even in our time in Asian countries, you can find a small musical instrument called "kinira". In ancient times, the progenitors of guitars had only two or three strings. Only in the 16th century did a guitar with five strings appear in Spain. It is here that she gets the most, compared to other Europeancountries, distribution. Since that time, the guitar has been called the national musical instrument of Spain.
History of the balalaika in Russia
Everyone knows the stringed plucked musical instrument, which has become one of the national symbols of Russia - the balalaika. When she appeared in Russia, no one can say for sure. There is an assumption that the balalaika originates from the dombra, which was played by the Kirghiz-kaisaks. The earliest references to the balalaika in history date back to 1688.
However, one thing is certain - this plucked musical instrument itself was invented by the common people. The serfs, in order to forget about their hard lot for a while, loved to have fun and play the balalaika. It was also used by buffoons who traveled to fairs with performances.
A sad story is connected with the ban on the use of the balalaika by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The angry ruler at one time ordered the destruction of all plucked musical instruments that the population had. If anyone dares to disobey the king, he will be severely flogged and sent into exile. However, after the death of the autocrat, the ban was lifted, and the balalaika sounded again in Russian huts.
National musical instrument of Georgia
And what kind of plucked musical instrument is widespread on Georgian soil? This panduri is the main instrument for musical accompaniment, under which songs are sung and laudatory poems are read. Panduri also has a “brother” - an instrument underthe name chonguri. Outwardly they are very similar, but their musical properties are different. Most often, panduri is found in eastern Georgia. This Georgian plucked musical instrument is still widespread in such areas as Kakheti, Tusheti, Kartli, Pshavkhevsureti.
How the banjo came about
This musical instrument is always associated with American country music. However, the banjo boasts a much older history. After all, it has African roots. It is believed that for the first time black slaves, who were brought to American lands, began to play the banjo. The musical instrument itself comes from Africa. Initially, Africans used not even a tree, but a pumpkin to create a banjo. Strings of horsehair or hemp were pulled over it.
