National Bashkir musical instruments are part of the culture and history of the people. Like other ancient instruments, they reflect the characteristics, temperament and mentality of the Bashkirs, the conditions for their formation as an ethnic group. Any attentive and thinking listener while listening to folk music as if reveals for himself the soul of the people with all the most intimate and deepest secrets. So with Bashkir folk music. Variety, rich sound, unusual melody pattern - all this is created by Bashkir musical instruments.
Bashkir musical culture
Each ancient musical culture has its origins in ancient rites. Bashkir folk music was no exception. Singing was accompanied by pagan and mystical sacraments, holidays and solemn events, everyday and everyday rituals, such as hunting, harvesting and much more, including military campaigns. In this, the history of Bashkir musical culture is not much different from the history of any other people.
Another thing is that Bashkir musical instruments, as well as national voice-playing techniques, are quite unique and original. The polyphonic singing and melody of ancient instruments has always been accompanied by legends of folk legends and parables.
Music very firmly entered the culture of the Bashkir people, giving it a special character and beauty. That elusive and characteristic national shade, by which you can accurately determine - this is the sound of a traditional Bashkir musical instrument.
There are many similar and somewhat similar instruments in other ethnic cultures. But traditional musical instruments have a certain elusive distinctive voice, as if coming from the depths of history. That is why we distinguish, say, the Chinese erhu from the Indian sitar. Indeed, according to national instruments, one can judge the voice of the soul of a person belonging to a certain ethnic group.
Bashkir folk musical instruments
Although modern Bashkirs are a people that has developed and stood out as an ethnic group relatively recently, its musical culture has many features. The sound of folk instruments has a specific musical pattern and voice, highlighting the musical instruments of the Bashkir people among other ethnic groups that have settled since ancient times in the Urals and in the Volga region.
This is due to the fact that the Bashkirs have always preferred melodic musical instruments that allow you to play a branched rich melody in a wide range. The sound of the Bashkir national melody, once heard, is already difficult to confuse with anything. Although the list of Bashkir musical instruments includes about fifty varieties, it is worth stopping at the most characteristic and ancient.
Kubyz
One of the most ancient Bashkir musical instruments is kubyz. Despite its long history, the tool remains very popular today. Kubyz in appearance and sound is very similar to a harp. It also refers to reed-plucked types of instruments. This means that the sound is created using a metal tongue, which makes the performer vibrate.
With the help of special pinching movements with your fingers, the unique sound of a kubyz is born. Much depends on the skill of the performer. The instrument also acquires the fullness and richness of sound thanks to special breathing techniques and the operation of the articulation apparatus.
Kubyz until the beginning of the 20th century was very popular among the female population of Bashkiria. It is compact, its sound is delicate and quiet. In addition, with prolonged practice of playing music, women easily mastered the technique in which to play the kubyz did not require hands at all. And what could be better for a woman than being able to combine business with pleasure.
The deep velvet sound of this instrument has truly magical properties: it calms the nervous system, plunges into a state of pleasant relaxation. It is even believed that young children from these sounds are able to quickly calm down and fall asleep. Even cows give more milk when they listen to kubyz. Which, incidentally, is to their advantage many Altai housewives.
Kurai
No less ancient and eminent Bashkir musical instrument is kurai. Researchers are inclined to claim that with their history this wind instrument goes into the depths of the Stone Age. It is not surprising that the Bashkirs are so proud of him. The image of the kurai adorns the coat of arms of the republic, and its sound can be heard even in the national anthem of Bashkiria.
Kurai is a distant and ancient relative of the flute. From ancient times, it was made from the stem of a reed type plant, which grows in the Urals. Therefore, despite the fact that there are many similar wind instruments in different cultures, the kurai has its own special voice, easily distinguishable from others.
Kurai sounds best in open space - its sound takes on a special depth and can be heard over very long distances. That is why the instrument has always been popular with the Bashkir people, who lived in cattle breeding and hunting. Kurai is today the most frequent guest at any national holidays. It can be played both solo and as part of an ensemble.
On the origin and types of kurai
In many folk Bashkir epics, the origin of kurai is discussed. The most popular parable tells the story of how the main character, walking in the river valley, was attracted by beautiful melodic sounds. When the young man began to look for the source of the melody, it turned out that it was the stems of the plant that sang in the wind. Then he cut this stalk and made the first kurai out of it.
Classification of musical instruments of the Bashkirs has a dozen of its types. The most common classic kurai has 5 holes: 4 core and 1 hole for the thumb on the back of the instrument. When exploring an instrument, music educators often use the method of sequentially cutting holes. First, the student learns the simplest techniques for sound extraction. Then the first and third holes are cut. As mastery grows, the second and fourth are added to them. Well, the fifth from the back remains for the most “dessert”.
Kurai is often classified by the material from which the tool is made. So, there is a copper kurai, which resembles a tube like a brass flute and has seven holes. There is even a silver kurai, partially or completely made of silver. It is popular as an expensive souvenir and is often decorated with intricate ornaments. Agach-kurai is made from maple, hazel or viburnum.
The history of this instrument and its widespread distribution is confirmed by the fact that for more than one hundred years there has been, for example, straw kurai. It is simply made from cereal stems. The length of such a Bashkir musical instrument could not be a reference. A more authentic stem was chosen - an average of 160-180 mm, and several holes were made for the game. For simple melodies after the end of the working day in the field this was quite enough.
Or another similar kind of instrument that can hardly be called musical in the absolute sense - sor-kurai. It was similarly made from a suitable stem of any steppe grass. It was used mainly when hunting or hiking to give signals.
It should be noted that the classic kurai has a length of 600 to 800 mm. Another kind of kurai has a similar length - Kazan, with the only difference being that it is made of metal tubes. But Nogai is a little shorter, up to 700 mm, and has only two playing holes. This tool is considered female.
Dumbira
Similar instruments are widespread among peoples with Turkic roots: among Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, and, of course, among the Bashkirs. Most of all, the dumbira resembles a Kazakh dombra, but unlike the one mentioned above, it has fewer strings - only three, and also has a shortened neck.
Dumbira played an important historical role in the fate of many generations of Bashkirs, therefore, it can rightfully be considered a musical instrument of the Bashkir people. The fact is that most of all, it just so happened, this instrument was in honor among the wandering storytellers, the so-called sesens. They performed at the bazaars, walked around the yards and, playing three dumbry strings, told parables, sang songs.
As often happens, such storytellers were in a popular voice and expressed those thoughts and ideas that worried the masses at that moment. So, in the XVIII century they were severely persecuted by the imperial authorities for propaganda of the ideas of liberation and independence of the Bashkir people. Together with the Sesens, the national Dumbira also went down in history. Now this tool is difficult to find in everyday life. At the beginning of the XX century, it was replaced by a mandolin of serial production.
It is gratifying that, thanks to the research and efforts of musicians and masters of the older generation, the Dumbir today is experiencing a rebirth. Based on the written sources of ancient masters, these enthusiasts recreate the old look of the national instrument and continue to popularize it.
Zurna
Another Bashkir musical instrument, the name of which is similar to the name of spice or national clothing. In fact, this is a wind instrument, in many ways similar to a duduk or balaban. Zurna is widely distributed not only in Bashkiria, but also in the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Balkans. However, everywhere the tool has its own specifics and its manufacturing secrets. In Bashkiria, it is customary to call it a weed.
Sornai is traditionally made from animal horns, mainly cattle, and therefore has a relatively short length of not more than 400 mm. There is a zurna of mouthpiece and reed type. They differ in the presence of a peeler and the number of holes. It is known that the mouthpiece of the mouthpiece type was universally used not only for playing music, but also for signaling during hunting and wars. The reed analogue was especially loved by civilians - shepherds and pastoralists.
Dungur
Dungur or dongor - percussion instrument. Although it is believed that in Bashkir music, rhythmic and percussion sounds most often faded into the background, giving way to the primacy of melody. However, it was the dungur that was most often used to set the rhythm.
Since ancient times, the Bashkirs have used all kinds of household items as buckets, buckets, shields or trays. Like it or not, the rhythm of the melody, especially the festive fun one, plays an important role. From one of these household appliances, the Dungur was born at one time. It was made of wood scraps, bent into a ring and covered with leather.
Bashkir folk musical instruments traditionally give preference to sonority and melody. After all, the Dungur is perhaps the only one of them belonging to the class of membrane phones. However, one should not forget about the important role of all kinds of pagan rites, which were invariably accompanied by rhythmic sounds with an increasing pace. Presumably, the Dungur was used for shamanism in this area.
Voice Techniques
You can not limit the culture of playing music only with musical instruments of Bashkiria. After all, this people knows how and loves to use the capabilities of the human voice in music. During the performance of traditional melodies, masters of various voice techniques are able to weave their voice so skillfully into the melody pattern that the distracted listener is literally mesmerized, not immediately realizing that this alien sound is created by a human voice.
One of the most common singing techniques in Bashkiria was called Uzlau. And it would be unfair, speaking about the musical culture of this people, to bypass this topic. I knot called the technique of solo throat singing, usually performed in the range below the worker. Although there are varieties of high singing in this technique.
Traditionally, it is the extraction with the throat of unusually low deep sounds that accompanies national melodies, in particular the kurai game, if we talk about the musical culture of Bashkiria. The skill of throat singing from ancient times was passed down among the indigenous people from generation to generation. Each master had his secrets akin to magical rites. In general, in this technique of sound extraction there is a lot of magic. It is no coincidence that the knot singing invariably accompanied the magical rituals of shamans.
Tools Popular in Bashkiria
In addition to Bashkir musical instruments, photos with which invariably accompany any article about the musical culture of this republic, other original instruments are appreciated and popular here. In fairness, it is worth noting that the culture of using foreign instruments is very young in comparison with playing authentic instruments. So, around the end of the 19th century, the Bashkirs recognized and loved the Russian accordion. Although the nature and structure of music played in harmony is quite far from traditional Bashkir ethnic music, its appearance in the ranks of popular musical instruments has made a real revolution.
Simple harmonious tunes were traditionally performed in harmony, designed to entertain the audience and cheer up. A variety of harmonics, common in other regions of Russia, is the button accordion. He also came to Bashkiria relatively late, already in the twentieth century. And despite the fact that the local school of playing the instrument and accordion is relatively young, it is already famous throughout the country and even beyond its borders.
Ubiquitous distribution in Bashkiria received both string and bow instruments. However, most of all - mandolin and violin. These instruments often make excellent ensembles with traditional Bashkir ensembles such as kurai or kubyz. On the mandolin, the repertoire of historical content is most often performed. While the violin often replaces the kubyz of the bow class, the so-called kyl-kubyl, and accompanies in ensembles with a melodic repertoire of a mystical character.
After getting acquainted with the rich history and the enviable variety of Bashkir musical instruments, we come to realize the close connection of the musical culture of the people with its history, nature and conditions for the formation of national characteristics. Bashkir ethnic music is melodic, but at the same time difficult for both performance and listening. For a full and deep acquaintance with it, you must be open to ancient knowledge and be wise enough to accept it.