Dombra

Dombra ( Kazakh домбыра ), also dombyra, dumbyra, dambura, danbura, is a widely used plucked instrument of folk music in several Central Asian states.

Description and distribution

The lute instrument similar to the Turkish saz away with its long neck. The pear-shaped sound box is made of cedar wood, the ceiling for any other softwood. The length is from 100 to 130 centimeters. The dombra has two strings that are tuned in fourths distance (d -g ), rarely at a distance of a fifth, second or unison. The melody is usually played on the highest string. Originally, the strings made ​​of gut, nylon is used today. There are two variants: the Kazakh dombra with frets and the Uzbek Dutar without frets and two traditional silk strings. Old, played in the Kazakh Music dombras had nine frets for a diatonic Tonvorrat, today's instruments allow 15 to 17 frets with a chromatic tone sequence. Until the mid-20th century in the north- east of Kazakhstan (by Semipalatinsk) was still playing a three-stringed dombra.

The dombra is a traditional instrument in Kazakhstan ( dombura, dombyra ), Uzbekistan, Badakhshan ( dambura ), Turkmenistan, Tajikistan ( dombura ) and Kyrgyzstan and is partially as a national symbol. The Kazakh poet Abai had Qunanbajuly, the major contribution to the development of the Kazakh written language, is often shown with a dombra in the arm. The instrument is played solo, to accompany singing and folk dance music.

Other instruments of the Central Asian group Dotar ( Dutar ) resemble the dombra. The tonal range of the Uighur rawap is an octave above that of the Uzbek Dutar.

Discography

• The Kui Shertpe of Karatu: Dombra from Kazakhstan. Musique du Monde, Buda Musique, CD 2006