The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-06-13
Sweet Toned instrument Has
Several Combined Musi.
cal Qualities.
PECULIAR SYSTEM OF PLAY
KEYBOARD IS SIMILAR TO BANJO,
BUT SHORTER AND " HAS BUT
THREE STRINGS ITS POSI-
RllDTIES.

6GdI WORTH mas Iducu IA iosC Win sAAS
balalaika. 1t is heard in drawing
rooms, on concert platforms, in army
messrooms; hostesses find that bal
alaika band is greater attraction at
u musical "at home" than the most
famous OF tenors.
The balalaika is an instrument that
can set your nerves tingling. 1t sug-
gests moonlight and serenades. 1t
can be plaintive as the violin and as
maddeningly sweet as the harp.
Russia invented it: for hundreds OF
years 1t has been the national instru-
ment OF the peasants; its strings ring
through the long, white winters; 1t is
heard at every summer sunset For
generations voices have blended with
its tones, and dancing feet have trip
ped to its music.
Prince Tchagadaeff, the leader Of
the Imperial Court Orchestra, showed
England the possibilities OF the in
strument last winter, when M. An
dreeff's band performed in London;
but it is only recently that amateurs
have made the balalaika a fashionable
craze. Today half the world seems to
be learning it.
Soft and Haunting.
The first attraction about the balal-
aka is the real beauty Of its tone. 1t
IS soft, sweet, haunting. The second
point in it's favor is that it is the cas-
lest OF all musical instruments to
learn Clifford Essex. who taught
hundreds of well-known folk to play
the banjo when the fashion for that
instrument was at its height, says that
the balalaika is far easier to play. He
has known pupils who have practical
~ mastered it in eight lessons, and
some who have been able to perform
quite pleasingly after two weeks prac-
tice. The instruments, which are all
imported from Russia, are simple, yet
handsome in appearance. Some Of the
most ornately decorated ones may cost
as much as E25, but they can be OBJ.
tanned at as low a sum as 80 shillings
The keyboard is something like that
OF banjo. but is shorter. and there
are only three strings. The first pc
culiarity that strikes the beginner is
that two Of the strings are tuned te
the same note-E. The other string Is
tuned to A.
Not Like Other instruments.
It is not played like the banjo, The
mandolin or the guitar. but in a man
ner quite peculiar to this one instru
ment.
The thumb OF the left hand slides
up and down the two e strings, while
the other fingers are used for thu
higher notes Of the string.
The first finger of the right hand il
passed rapidly and lightly over tn
three strings, and as it moves back
ward and forward a "tremolo" effec
il produced Occasionally all the fou
fingers OF the right hand are swep
across the strings to give the effec
banjoists call the Grasp"
A hundred different effects seer
possible with the balalaika. One c
its beauties is the rather plaintive slit
fingers gliding UP and down tn
strings.
When played as a solo instrumer
it sounds well, accompanied by
piano, but the possibilities of the ba
alaika can not be properly understood
till an entire band has been heard.
A balalaika orchestra is compose
OF almost any number of players, an
the instruments they use are of di
ferent sizes but all of the same pa
tern. There are prima secunda, alt
bass and contra-bass balalaikas.
Londoners will remember tt
haunting beauty of the "volga Boa
mans Song" played by Prince Tcha
adeffs band. 1t is supposed to re
resent the droning chants sung by me
as they carry heavy timber down
the boats. Like sailors who sing
they weigh the anchor. the volga boa
men find that music helps them
keep time.
There seems every indication tn
the balalaika will soon be almost
well known in England as it is in
native Russia. Army men going abro;
often take few lessons before lea
ing England, knowing that in lone
stations music will be appreciated.