Balalaika Orchestra Instruments

The principal instruments of a balalaika orchestra are balalaikas and domras of various sizes. Both the balalaika and the domra are members of the lute family of musical instruments. Balalaikas have three strings, generally tuned in intervals of a fourth (although some strings are paired in unison), and are played with the fingers. Domras are played with picks and exist in three-stringed and four-stringed versions: the three-stringed ones and the four-stringed bass are tuned in fourths, all the other four-stringed domras are tuned in fifths. In a balalaika orchestra, the domras will usually be playing the melodies, while the balalaikas play chords and the bass line; however, the instruments often exchange these roles.

Both the triangular balalaika and the round domra are of Asiatic origin, but were introduced into Europe many centuries ago as a result of the Mongol invasions. Producing remarkable music, they became an integral part of the folk culture in Eastern Europe. Probably because of its humble origins, and because the name "balalaika" literally means "plaything", this instrument was formerly disparaged by the upper classes, and at one time it was actually banned. Fortunately for us, folk heritage is stubborn, and the balalaika eventually experienced a brilliant renaissance.

It was Vasili V. Andreyev (1868-1918) who developed the original crude instruments into multiple voices and the concert quality instruments of the modern balalaika orchestra. A typical orchestra includes the instruments illustrated below. In addition to the balalaikas and domras, there may be brasses, woodwinds, strings, and a large group of percussion instruments.