page_title: Russian traditional music
section_title: Chordophones
hierarchical_section_title: Russian traditional music / Traditional instruments / Chordophones
caption_attribution_description: Gudok
context_page_description: Russian traditional music specifically deals with the folk music traditions of the ethnic Russian people. It does not include the various forms of art music, which in Russia often contains folk melodies and folk elements or music of other ethnic groups living in Russia.
context_section_description: Balalaika, a three-stringed, triangular sound-board, played with the fingers. It comes in many different sizes, prima being the most common. Two of the strings are tuned alike in descant, prima, secunda, and alto balalaikas.
  Domra, a small three- or four-stringed Russian variant of the mandolin with a rounded soundboard, plucked or strummed with a plectrum. It is also made in various orchestral sizes. Originally they were all three-stringed (E-A-D). The four-string variety was developed by in the early 20th century and became popular in Ukraine.
  Gudok (also hudok), a three-stringed, pear-shaped Russian bowed instrument tuned in fifths which is usually held vertically.
  Gusli, one of the oldest known Eastern Slav musical instruments, described by the Greeks as early as the 6th century AD.  Many different varieties of this plucked string instrument exist.
  Kolyosnaya lira (Wheeled Lyre), a Russian version of the hurdy-gurdy usually made with a violoncello body.
  Semistrunnaya gitara (Semistrunka, Russian guitar), a seven string version of the acoustic guitar with its own preferred method of construction and unique open G major tuning.
caption: Gudok