Dombra

All you want to know about Dombra

Dombra
Dombra
Classification *Plucked string instrument
Other names Bass guitar
Related instruments * Tambura

The dombra is a long-necked stringed instrument possessing a wooden resonating chamber, somewhat similar to a banjo or a lute, and especially popular in the Central Asian nations.

An image of a Dombra on a Kazakhstan stamp

The dombra is played by either strumming with the hand, or plucking each string individually, with an occasional tap on the main surface of the instrument. While the strings are traditionally made of metal or sinew, modern dombras are usually produced using nylon strings.

It is a traditional instrument of Central Asia, and is especially popular in such countries as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, as well as by Kazakhs living in China. The Uzbek dombra is usually unfretted, while the Kazakh dombra is constructed with frets.

The Kazakh poet Abay Qunanbayuli is often shown holding a dombra at rest. In fact, the instrument is a very traditional one, and many hold it in high regard as a symbol of nationalism among the post-Soviet nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The dombra is also the signature instrument of Kazakh instrumentalist Asylbek Ensepov and Ulytau band.

There are a number of similar instruments that differ very little from the dombra described here. Turkmenistan has the dutar. Tajikistan has the dombura. Several peoples in Russia have their own versions of it, as Bashkir dumbira.

See also

External links

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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dombra"

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