Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

BALALAIKA

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V03, Page 234 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

BALALAIKA , a stringed See also:

instrument said to have retained its See also:primitive See also:form unchanged, very popular in See also:Russia among the peasants, more especially in See also:Ukraine. The instrument has a triangular soundboard to which is glued a vaulted back, forming a See also:body having a triangular See also:base, enabling it to stand upright. To the body is added a fretted See also:neck strung with two, three or four strings, generally so See also:tined as to produce a See also:minor chord when sounded together. The strings are generally plucked with the fingers, but the peasants obtain charming glissando " effects by sweeping the strings lightly one after the other with the fingers or See also:side of the See also:hand. The Balalaika is See also:common to the Slav races, who use it to accompany their folk-songs and dances. It is also to be seen in the hands of See also:gipsies at rural festivities and fairs.

End of Article: BALALAIKA

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
BALAKLAVA 		[next]
BALANCE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat....

Site © 2006 - Net Industries