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 Krylovidnye gusli | |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 315.2 (Troughzither withresonator) |
| Playing range | |
varies Russin traditional tuning: E3 A3 H3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 | |
| Related instruments | |
Thegusli (Russian:гусли,IPA:[ˈɡuslʲɪ]) is the oldest East Slavic multi-string plucked instrument, belonging to the zither family, due to its strings being parallel to its resonance board. Its roots lie inVeliky Novgorod inNovgorodian Republic. It has its relatives in Europe and throughout the world:kantele in Finland,kannel in Estonia,kanklės in Lithuania,kokles in Latvia,Zither in Germany, citera in the Czech Republic, andpsalterium in France. Furthermore, thekanun has been found inArabic countries, and theautoharp, in the United States. It is also related to such ancient instruments as Chinesegu zheng, which has a thousand-year history, and its Japanese relativekoto. A stringed musical instrument calledguslim is listed as one of theMe in ancientSumer.
The termgusli derives from the verb *gǫsti (make sound, howl, play music) with the suffix *slь (fromProto-Indo-European *-trom). In the times of theKievan Rus', the termgusli is believed to have simply referred to any generic stringed instrument. The root of the term comes from a word meaning "make sound in the wind." The term was eventually associated with the trapezoidalgusli-psaltyry (which may have originated inByzantium).
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Thegusli is one of the oldest musical instruments that have played an important role in the Russian music culture.Vertkov states that the first mentions of thegusli date back to 591 AD to a treatise by theGreek historianTheophylact Simocatta which describes the instrument being used bySlavs from the area of the laterKievan Rus' kingdom. However, it is not exactly clear what instrument was meant by that word, because inOld Slavic orOld Russian "gusli" was used to refer to any stringed instrument. The first documented gusli were recorded in 1170 inVeliky Novgorod inNovgorodian Rus'.[1] The Greek historianTheophan also mentioned thegusli.[citation needed] During the war at the end of the 6th century, the Greeks tookSlavonic prisoners and found a musical instrument named theGusli. This corresponds to what theArabic authorsAl-Masudi andIbn-Dasta mentioned in the 10th century.[citation needed]
Thegusli are thought to have been the instrument used by the legendaryBoyan (a singer of tales) described in theLay of Igor's campaign.[citation needed]
The instruments were used by the wanderingSkomorokh musicians and entertainers. Preserved instruments discovered by archaeologists in various digs have between five and nine strings with one example having twelve strings.[citation needed]
FolkGusli have from eleven to thirty-six gut or metal strings, tuneddiatonically.
There were two main forms:
Shlemovidnye gusli (Helmet-shaped gusli;Russian:Шлемовидные гусли) is a variety of Gusli held by the musician on his knees, so that the strings are horizontal, theresonator body under them. He uses his left hand to mute unnecessary strings and thus form chords, while strumming all the strings with his right hand. The instrument was spread in southern and western regions ofKievan Rus'.
Krylovidnye gusli ("wing-shaped gusli";Russian:Крыловидные гусли) is much smaller, and has more resemblance toBaltic psaltery such as thekankles,kokles,kannel andkantele. They are held much more like modernguitars (although the strings are still muted by the left hand through a special opening in the instrument's body). This modification was more prevalent in northern parts of Russia, especiallyNovgorod andPskov.
TheKeyboard Gusli ["Claviroobraznie Gusli" |(Russian:Клавирообразные гусли)] is a heavily strung 19th-century variant with an iron frame, supported on a stand or with table legs. It has a one-octave piano-typechromatic keyboard. Pressing a key raises the dampers on all strings of that note. Pressing the keys for a chord enables its arpeggiated execution.
A number of Slavic folk music instruments have names which are related to Gusli such as the Czech violinhousle and the Balkan one-stringed fiddlegusle. In western Ukraine and Belarus,husli can also refer to a fiddle or even a ducted flute. The violin-like variant of the instrument is also related to the South Slavic gusle.
The psaltery variant is related to thezither. It is also related to theLithuaniankanklės, theLatviankokles, theEstoniankannel and theFinnishkantele. Together these instruments make up the family known asBaltic psalteries.
A related instrument is thetsymbaly, ahammered dulcimer.
InUkraine, it is thought that the gusli may have influenced the development of the multi-stringedbandura, which largely replaced it in the nineteenth century.
