Kazakh musical instrument dombra. What is dombra? Dombra - Kazakh national instrument

Dombra(Kazakh dombyra) is a stringed plucked musical instrument that exists in the culture of the Turkic peoples. Dombra is considered a folk instrument of the Kazakhs and some Turkic peoples.

Device and sound

Being a relative of the balalaika, dombra has a pear-shaped body with two strings and a long neck, on the neck of which metal frets are attached. By pinching the strings between the frets, you can get a more melodic sound. It is interesting that the Kazakh name "dombra" is formed by a combination of two words: "dom" means "sound", and "bra" - "tuning the strings". The birth of the Kazakh folk instrument begins with the choice of wood, traditionally craftsmen carve the body from hardwood - maple, oak, pine. The manufacture of every detail of a dombra, and especially a soundboard with a spring that serves as a sound amplifier, requires precision and endurance. An error of even 1 millimeter leads to wheezing and rattling during the game. Previously, natural strings were pulled onto the body of the dombra - from lamb intestines, so the instrument made a deeper, lower and dull sound. Since the low tune is inconvenient for the performance of orchestral classical works, the dombra was Europeanized, replacing its strings with polymer ones.
The sound of the open strings of the dombra forms its fourth system. It can also be a quint. The sequence of tones for dombra, starting from the first string, the highest in tone: Sol, Re (small octave).
Intervals between strings: g(p.4)d (letter notation according to Helmholtz, p.4 - perfect fourth).
The musical range of dombra with 19 frets on the fretboard is two full octaves (part of a small octave, the first and part of the second): from Re of a small octave to Re of the second octave.

History

Archaeological finds indicate that the two-string prototypes of the Kazakh dombra appeared more than 2000 years ago. Thus, during the excavations of the ancient settlement of Koi-Krylgan-Kale, built about 2 thousand years ago, terracotta figurines of musicians with two-strings in their hands were found. In the Almaty region, rock paintings of the Neolithic era were discovered, on which an ancient artist who lived more than 4000 years ago depicted dancing men and an instrument similar to a dombra in shape. Legends are devoted to Dombra, one of them says that one day a certain hero-hero, tired of feats of arms, decided to rest on the way to his yurt. From a walnut tree, the hero carved a homemade product, pulled horsehair strings on it and tried to play the instrument, but he was silent. After unsuccessful attempts, the warrior fell asleep, and soon he was awakened by a melody emitted by a homemade product. The bogatyr discovered that someone had attached a wooden nut at the junction of the headstock with the neck of the neck. The warrior decided that this was the handiwork of a shaitan (evil demon), and since then, the name “shaitan-tiek” has been attached to the upper threshold of the dombra. In the 21st century, in the era of electronic music, dombra still arouses the interest of music lovers. For example, Kazakh ethno-rock bands combine the sound of dombra, violin and screaming rock guitars, getting a completely new sound. The old dombra is gaining more and more new fans.

Dombra in Kazakh culture

One of the greatest dombra players is the Kazakh folk musician and composer Kurmangazy, who had a great influence on the development of Kazakh musical culture, including dombra music: his musical composition "Adai" is popular in Kazakhstan and abroad.

Not only Kazakhs have dombra. This instrument has its analogues in many nations. In Russian culture there is a domra instrument similar in shape, in Tajik culture - Dumrak, in Uzbek culture - Dumbyra, Dumbrak, similar in shape to Dutar, in Kyrgyz culture - Komuz, in Turkmen culture - Dutar, Bash, Dumbyra, in Bashkir culture - Dumbyra , in the Nogai culture of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - Dombyra, in Turkish culture - Saz. These instruments sometimes differ in the number of strings (up to 3 strings), as well as in the material of the strings (nylon, metal).

History of the instrument

Also at one time, during the excavations of ancient Khorezm, terracotta figurines of musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezmian two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, have a typological similarity with the Kazakh dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan.

According to the written monuments of the Eurasian continent, it can be concluded that the dombra and its related instruments of other peoples on the mainland have been well known since ancient times. In the monuments of different periods in the Eurasian space, we learn about the presence of this plucked instrument, in particular from the monuments of Saka, Hunnic origin. This instrument is also found among the Kimans (Kumans). The Kipchaks are the descendants of the Cumans. Musical works (kyui) of those years have come down to us such as: Ertis tolkyndary (ertis tolqyndary - waves of the Irtysh), Mұңdy Қyz (mundy kyz - a sad girl), Tepen kok (tepen kok - lynx), Aқsaқ қaz ​​(aqsaq qaz - lame goose) , Bozіngen (bozingen - a light camel), Zhelmaja (zhelmaja - a one-humped camel), Құlannyң tarpuy (qulannyn tarpu'y - the tramp of a kulan), Kөkeikesti (kokeikesti - a deep experience), etc.

Dombyra - kui instrument

For the Kazakhs, kuy is more than a work, it is a sounding page in the history of their people, their customs and culture. Therefore, the Kazakhs highly valued the performers of kyui - kyuishi, among which dombyra players made up the vast majority (kui are performed not only on dombyr). The Kazakh people say: a real Kazakh is not a Kazakh himself, a real Kazakh is a dombra. At the same time, one must understand that the Kazakhs cannot imagine their past, present and future without their favorite instrument - the dombra. It is also necessary to clarify that the word Kazakh means a free warrior, an independent individual who, if he exists in a group, then only of his own free will, while joining the community of worthy and serving him, protecting him, giving labor, life, health and skill without a trace, like a fearless man - a warrior earner.

The structure of the dombra

Dombra has retained its basic structure and appearance for centuries. Folk masters are constantly striving to expand its sound capabilities, melodiousness, rather than diversify the form. So, for example, the Central Kazakhstan dombra is distinguished by a flat body and two gut strings on it. A typical, most common dombra with an oval body is shown in the photo. Below are the names of the components of dombyra.

Shanak- the body of the dombra, acts as a sound amplifier.

Kakpak- deck dombra. perceiving the sounds of strings through vibration, it amplifies them and gives a certain color to the sound of the instrument - timbre.

Spring- this is a beam on the deck from the inside, in German it is called “der Bassbalken”. There was no spring in the Kazakh dombra before. The length of the violin spring is assumed to be in the range from 250 to 270 mm - 295 mm. In dombra, now, to improve the sound, a similar spring (from 250-300 mm long) is attached to the upper part of the shell and near the stand. As a rule, it is made from spruce that has been aged for several decades without signs of rot.

shells made from maple. The blanks should have such a thickness that when finishing the shells, depending on the density of the maple, their thickness is 1-1.2 mm.

Stand- a very important functional element of the dombra. By transmitting the vibrations of the strings to the soundboard and creating the first resonant circuit along the path of vibrations from the strings to the body, the bridge is the true key to the sound of the dombra. The strength, evenness and timbre of the sound of the instrument depends on its qualities, shape, weight and tuning.

String- the source of sound vibrations of the dombra. Dombra traditionally used gut strings made from mutton or goat intestines. It was believed that strings from the intestines of a two-year-old sheep had the best qualities. Such strings give a low sound and, accordingly, a low mood, characteristic of folk music. G-c, A-d, B-es, H-e. Of sheep from different regions of Kazakhstan, preference is given to sheep from Atyrau and Mangystau regions. Apparently, the salinity of pastures for livestock in these places favorably affects the quality of the strings. For orchestral works of world classics, the low mood turned out to be inconvenient. Therefore, in the thirties, in connection with the creation of orchestras of folk instruments, the tuning of the d-g strings was chosen. However, the vein strings could not withstand it and quickly burst. Akhmed Zhubanov tried to use catgut, silk, kapron, etc. as a material, but ordinary fishing line turned out to be the most suitable in terms of sound. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of dombra in the standard form with strings made of fishing line, which has lost its unique sounding timbre.

Legends about the origin of dombra

There are legends about dombra and its origin:

• The legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he plays, he forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.

So another day passed, and then a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The older brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger and, with all his strength, hit it against the rock. A magnificent instrument broke, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the stone.

Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music began to sound again in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

• The legend about the acquisition of a modern look by dombra says that earlier dombra was with five strings and without a hole in the middle. Such an instrument was owned by the glorious dzhigit Kezhendyk, well-known throughout the district. He once fell in love with the daughter of a local khan. Khan invited Kezhendyk to his yurt and ordered him to prove his love for his daughter. Dzhigit began to play, for a long time and beautifully. He sang a song about the khan himself, about his greed and greed. Khan got angry and ordered to spoil the instrument by pouring hot lead into the middle of the dombra. Then a hole in the middle burned out and only two strings remained.

• Another legend about the origin of dombra similar to the previous one. The local khan’s son died hunting from the fangs of a boar, and the servants, fearing the wrath of the khan (he threatened to fill his throat with boiling lead to anyone who would tell him that something unkind had happened to his son) went to the old master Ali for advice. He made a musical instrument, which he called dombra, appeared to the khan and played it. The strings groaned, wept, as if the mournful noise of the forest swept under the silk tent of the khan's tent. The sharp whistle of the wind mingled with the howl of a wild beast. The strings cried out loudly, like a human voice, asking for help, so the dombra told the khan about the death of his son. Beside himself with anger, the khan ordered hot lead to be thrown into the round hole of the dombra.

Literature

This literature can be found in Kazakhstan, Astana, the National Library of the Republic of Kazakhstan…

1. Akishev K. A. Kurgan Issyk. - Moscow, 1978.
2. Alekseeva L.A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the musical structure of the Kazakh dombra.//Kazakh culture: research and search. Collection of scientific articles, Almaty, 2000.
3. Alekseeva L. A. Nazhmedenov Zh. Features of the Kakha dombra.// We and the universe. 2001. No. 1(6), pp52-54.
4. Amanov B. Composition terminology of dombra cues. Alma-Ata, 1982
5. Aravin. P. V. Steppe constellations. - Alma-Ata, 1979.
6. Aravin. P. V. Great kuishi Dauletkerey.-Alma-Ata, 1964.
7. Asafiev B.V. About Kazakh folk music.//Musical culture of Kazakhstan.-Alma-Ata, 1955
8. Barmankulov M. Turkic universe.-Almaty, 1996.
9. Vyzgo T. Musical Instruments of Central Asia. Moscow, 1980.
10. Gizatov B. Socio-aesthetic foundations of Kazakh folk instrumental music.-Alma-Ata, 1989.
11. Zhubanov A.K. Kazakh folk instrument-dombra.//Musicology.-Alma-Ata, 1976. p.8-10.
12. Stakhov V. Creativity of the violin master. - Leningrad, 1988.
13. Nazhmedenov Zhumagali. Acoustic features of the Kazakh dombra. Aktobe, 2003
14. Utegaliyeva S.I. Mangystau dombra tradition. Almaty, 1997

Notes

see also

Links

• Website of the Kazakh State National Library
• Asyl Mura project website

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

At the end of the last century in Kazakhstan, high in the mountains, a Neolithic rock painting depicting four dancing people and a musical instrument was discovered. The drawing of an ancient artist depicted a pear-shaped instrument very similar to a dombra (a two-stringed folk musical instrument of the Kazakhs and Nogais). It turns out that the prototype of the current dombra is more than 4000 years old and is one of the first plucked instruments - the forerunner of modern musical instruments of this kind.

Dombra and related instruments of other peoples on the Eurasian continent have been well known from ancient times according to written monuments.

So, for example, Saka nomadic tribes used two-stringed musical instruments similar to dombra more than 2000 years ago. And during the excavations of Khorezm (an ancient region and state centered on the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, now the territory of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan), terracotta figurines depicting musicians playing plucked instruments were found. Scientists note that the Khorezmian two-strings, which existed at least 2000 years ago, are similar to the dombra and were one of the common instruments among the early nomads who lived on the territory of Kazakhstan.

Also, the mention of dombra is found in the writings of the famous traveler Marco Polo: “this instrument was present among the warriors of the nomadic Turks, who at that time in Rus' were called Tatars. They sang and played it before the fight to get the right mood."

Legends about the origin of dombra

There are several legends about the origin of dombra, here are the most interesting of them:

Jochi Khan was the eldest and beloved son of Genghis Khan and the father of Batu Khan. Hunting in the Kipchak steppes, Jochi Khan was knocked off his horse and torn to pieces by the leader of a herd of kulans. No one dared to inform the formidable Genghis Khan about the tragic death of his beloved son. The Black Herald was awaiting a cruel execution. Genghis Khan promised to pour molten lead into his throat to inform him of the death of his son. Khan's nukers found a way out. They brought a simple dombra player named Ket-Buga to Genghis Khan's headquarters and instructed him to voice the terrible news. Ket-Buga did not utter a word before the eyes of the formidable Khan. He just played his kyui (music genre for dombra) "Aksak kulan" (Lame kulan). The beautiful music of the great zhyrau Ket-Bug conveyed to the khan the harsh truth about barbaric cruelty and inglorious death. The enraged Genghis Khan, remembering his threat, ordered the execution of the dombra. They say that since then a hole has remained on the upper deck of the dombra - a trace of molten lead. The mausoleum of Jochi Khan has been preserved on the banks of the ancient river Kara-Kengir in the Dzhezkazgan region.

Another legend about the origin of dombra says that in ancient times two giant brothers lived in Altai. The younger brother had a dombra, which he loved to play. As soon as he starts playing, the idler forgets about everything in the world. The elder brother was proud and conceited. Once he wanted to become famous, for which he decided to build a bridge across a stormy and cold river. He began to collect stones, began to build a bridge. And the younger brother plays and plays.
So the day passed, and another, and a third. The younger brother is not in a hurry to help the elder, he only knows that he plays his favorite instrument. The elder brother got angry, snatched the dombra from the younger and, with all his strength, hit it against a rock. A magnificent instrument broke, the melody fell silent, but an imprint remained on the stone.
Many years later. People found this imprint, began to make new dombras on it, and music began to sound again in the villages that had been silent for a long time.

Modern history of dombra

The Kazakh people say: “Nagyz kazak - kazak emes, nagyz kazak - dombyra!”, Which means “a real Kazakh is not a Kazakh himself, a real Kazakh is a dombra!”. This emphasizes the importance of the ability to play the dombra for every Kazakh, which emphasizes the special love of the Kazakhs for this instrument, and this is true, because the dombra is the most popular Kazakh musical instrument, but other nations also have instruments similar to the dombra.

So, in Russian culture there is an instrument similar in form - Domra, and the famous Russian balalaika, according to one of the theories, is considered to have descended from the dombra. In Tajik culture there is a similar instrument - Dumrak, in Turkmen culture - Dutar, Bash, Dumbyra, in Uzbek, Bashkir and Nogai culture - Dumbyra, in Azerbaijani and Turkish culture - Saz, in Yakut - Tansyr. These instruments differ in quantity (up to 3 strings), as well as the material of the strings.

Modern dombra has a pear-shaped body and neck with 19 frets. Despite the fact that the instrument has only two strings, its musical range is two full octaves (from D of a small octave to D of the second octave). The instrument is usually in fourths or fifths. Traditionally, the strings used on the dombra were sinewy, made from mutton or goat intestines. But the most suitable sounding was the usual fishing line. As a result, today we have the only, widespread type of standard-shaped dombra with strings made of fishing line.

Dombra is widely used as an accompanying, solo, as well as the main instrument in Kazakh and Nogai music. The instrument has recently undergone significant changes: orchestral varieties of dombra have appeared, the volume has increased, the sound range has expanded - dombras of high and low registers have appeared. The instrument, due to its unusual timbre and bright ethnic expression, is often used in modern popular music.

The unique work of Islam Satyrov

One of the artists actively using dombra and other national instruments in their work, which I would like to talk about today, is (Islam Satyrov). Having received a musical education at the Astrakhan Musical College. M.P. Mussorgsky, he, nevertheless, did not forget the slander of his adolescence, and as a musician living today, he creates absolutely unique material that continues the traditions of the Nogai people, carrying the culture and musical heritage of his homeland to the masses.

Islam recently released his debut album.

In the music of this talented person, who performed from the first to the last all the parts in the album, called "Zaman", which means "time" in Russian, modern trends are closely intertwined with ethnic motifs.

The songs of the record are a reflection of what each of us encounters during our life - love, affection, family ties, national pride. From the first to the last note, the recording was performed by the musician himself, using rare acoustic instruments to give new life to the old melodies and rhythms of his people.

- It is noteworthy that in the republic they decided to designate a whole day of the year as the day of a musical instrument, and this instrument became the dombra. Dombra is a symbol of musical culture from the nomads of antiquity to the present day, - Yuri Petrovich begins his story.

Dombra-like instruments have existed since time immemorial. According to the stones with rock carvings of dancing people, exhibited in the Ykylas Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, our ancestors played them more than 4 thousand years ago. However, the first reliable information about dombra appears only in the XVI-XVII centuries.

The ancestor of the dombra is the ancient Turkic musical instrument sherter. It resembles a dombra in shape, but has an open body, three strings and a short neck without frets. Sherter was made from a single piece of wood, and a leather soundboard was pulled over the body.

Sherter was played both by plucking or striking the strings, and with the help of a bow. Kobyz and dombra originated from the sherter.

Traditionally, craftsmen hollowed out dombra from a single piece of wood. As a material, any tree species that grew in the area was used. Over time, to improve the acoustic properties of the instrument, the method of its manufacture has changed. Dombra began to be made from separate glued parts, and hardwoods - pine, larch, spruce - began to be chosen as raw materials.

One of the main differences between modern dombra and the instruments that were played Kurmangazy and Dauletkerey, are strings. Now they are made from fishing line, but until the beginning of the 20th century, gut strings were used on dombra, made by a complex process of dressing mutton or goat intestines.

- The fishing line sounds very bright and powerful, but the gut strings give a special flavor, a very deep and soft sound. Frets - in Kazakh they are called "perne" - were also made from veins. Due to this, the sound of traditional dombra is rich in overtones and overtones.

Rich and deep sound

According to Yuri Petrovich Aravin, despite the simple design, dombra, like other Kazakh musical instruments, has a powerful and rich sound.

- It is possible to understand well how Kazakh musical instruments sound, using the example of kobyz. When a kobyz player plays the kyl-kobyz, he does not press the strings to the fretboard, but only lightly touches them. This creates a lot of overtones. Kobyz strings are made from horsehair. When this instrument is played, it actually sounds like a chorus of 46 individual hairs. The same can be said about the richness of the sound of dombra.

Experienced musicians, performing kui, can reflect in their music the grandeur of the vast expanses of the steppe, the clatter of hundreds of hooves or the rumble of an advancing army. Speaking about the power of dombra sound, Yuri Petrovich remembered a quote from the famous researcher of Kazakh folk music Alexander Zataevich:

- Zataevich, who perfectly penetrated into the peculiarities of Kazakh music, said that the dombra gives the impression not of a small one close up, but of something big and even grandiose, but as if from afar, like the striking of a good dining room clock. A very apt comparison, because table clocks can sound like huge bells. Dombra gives the same striking effect. You sit nearby, listen, and there sounds something huge, from afar. To feel this, it is enough to listen to the kui “Aksak Kulan”.

According to the musicologist, the phenomenon of dombra lies in its depth and diversity. It can sound like an entire orchestra, conveying a wide palette of sound. Such music resonates in the soul of the listeners and resonates with the human psyche. With a long neck, round shape, soft materials and gut strings, this simple design creates perfect acoustics.

What is dombra

When imagining dombra, most people keep in mind an instrument of a strictly defined shape. A round teardrop-shaped body, a long neck, two strings - this is how dombra is depicted everywhere, from the cover of school textbooks to historical documentaries. In fact, there are many varieties of this instrument, which were made in various regions of Kazakhstan. Arka, Semipalatinsk, Zhetysu dombra are known. Traditionally, researchers distinguish two main types of dombra and schools of playing it - West Kazakhstan and East Kazakhstan.

East Kazakhstani dombra has a flat back deck, scoop-shaped body, short thickened neck (neck) with 8 frets.

— Dombra in the central and eastern regions belonged to the Arka school. It was used as an accompanying instrument to accompany singing. These regions had very rich vocal traditions. It was more convenient for the singers to press the flat dombra to the body. It doesn't sound as loud and doesn't overwhelm the voice.

Western Kazakhstani dombra in modern times has become the most widespread. This is a classic teardrop-shaped dombra with a long thin neck and 15-16 frets on it. Such a dombra gives a greater acoustic range.

— Powerful dynamic kyui played on the West Kazakhstan dombra. Thanks to its sound qualities, it has gained popularity among professional musicians.

The collection of the Ykylas Museum presents unique dombras that belonged to famous akyns, kuishi, composers and poets. Among them, you can also find many interesting types of this musical instrument. For example, on the front deck of a 160-year-old dombra Makhambet Utemisova cut out three small holes instead of one. Also noteworthy is a copy of the famous dombra abaya. In form, this is a typical East Kazakhstan dombra, but it has three strings.

- The three-string dombra of Abai should not confuse you. The fact is that the Kazakhs in this region came into close cultural contact with the Russian population. Abaevskaya dombra adopted three strings from the balalaika. Abai respected Russian culture and ordered just such an instrument for himself.

In the mid-30s, dombra, along with other Kazakh folk instruments, acquired an orchestral sound. Akhmet Zhubanov On the basis of the Music and Drama College, he created the first orchestra of folk instruments in the republic. An experimental workshop was opened in the technical school in order to improve and unify dombra and kobyz for the orchestral range. To create new variants of dombra, Zhubanov attracted talented craftsmen - brothers Boris and Emmanuel Romanenko, Kambara Kasymova, Makhambet Bukeikhanov. This is how dombra-prima, dombra-alto, dombra-tenor, dombra-bass and other instruments appeared, which became an integral part of national orchestras.

— The Romanenko brothers had experience with Russian musical instruments. The famous Russian Orchestra of V. V. Andreev was taken as a model for the orchestra of folk instruments. Just as at one time the balalaika was remade to orchestral sound, the dombra was transformed. For example, a huge double bass dombra sounds completely different compared to a standard dombra. Instruments made by Romanenko, Kasymov and their followers are still valued among musicologists.

Kuishi Mastery

Kazakh folk music, which was composed and performed on the dombra, is a complex, bright and abstract art. Poetry is inextricably linked with music. The works of famous zhyrau, sals and akyns comprehend eternal philosophical questions through music and oral art.

— The work of kuishi and akyns touches on deep themes. It cannot be taken literally. If during the sounding of the kui it seems that you hear the clatter of horse hooves, then you need to understand that the author did not want to convey the horse's run, but the impression of this run in his soul. Kazakh art is very meaningful and philosophical, it carries many meanings.

The professional school of oral and musical creativity reached its peak in the Kazakh steppe in the 19th century. Talented akyns and kuishi could devote all their time to composing and performing music without worrying about other things. Often they made their own tool. In auls, performers were given shelter and food, clothes and horses. Aitys winners could count on a good prize and expensive gifts.

— A good performer of kyuis and songs on dombra was welcome in any house and yurt. The tradition of patronage was very developed. As a fee, the winner of the aitys could be awarded an ingot of gold or silver. There is a description of how Abay's mother gave a golden hoof Birzhan-salu admiring his performing arts.

In our time, there are still disputes about who was the most skillful composer of kyuis for dombra. In Soviet times, the cult of Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly was established, but Yuri Petrovich believes that the great kuishi had many no less talented contemporaries and followers.

— Kyui Kurmangazy is very bright, memorable and eccentric, but there are stronger works in the pantry of Kazakh music. After the revolution, he was singled out among others because of his poor origin, relegating composers such as Dauletkerey to the background. Just listen to the kui "Zhiger"! It contains such depth and tragic power... It is impossible to say who was the most talented Kazakh composer. There are many musical works for dombra, and everyone can find their favorite.

Dombra in everyday life of Kazakhs

Dombra played an important role in the life of not only professional performers and akyns, but also ordinary nomadic herders. Dombra was an indispensable attribute in every yurt and hung in a place of honor on the kereg. Children learned music by playing a miniature dombra - shinkildek. Adults knew the motives of famous songs and kyuis and could play the simplest of them.

— Kazakhs are by nature very musical and aesthetic people. Long wanderings across the steppe contributed to the development of contemplation and music making. We must also not forget that music was a means of communication. No one has ever played the dombra just like that, out of the blue. At first, you told who you were, who you came from, where you were going, and what you saw. Music certainly accompanied the word, it helped the perception of words. For example, in order to inform relatives about the death of a relative, they often invited kuishi, who played estirta - a notice of death.

The great importance of dombra in the life of Kazakh society is also evidenced by many legends and myths, where this musical instrument appears. The most famous of them is associated with the times of the Mongol invasion:

— U Genghis Khan had a son Zhoshi, who ruled the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Zhoshi also had an older son who was very fond of hunting kulans. Once, during a hunt, the leader of a herd of kulans knocked the prince out of the saddle, and the herd trampled him. No one dared to tell Zhoshi the bad news, because, according to custom, the messenger could be executed for this. Then they invited kuishi, who played the estirta khan on the dombra, sad news. Through the sounds of dombra, he conveyed the clatter of horses, the fear of kulans, the courage of their leader and the voice of the soul of the deceased young man. When he finished playing, Zhoshi understood everything and said: “You brought me bad news and you are worthy of death.” “I didn’t bring it to you, but my dombra,” answered kuishi. Then the khan ordered to pour hot lead into the dombra. This legend says a lot about the sound-visual properties of dombra and the power of its impact on people.

Many Asian peoples have stringed plucked instruments similar to dombra and similar in appearance, sound and playing style. The Uzbeks and Turkmens have a two-stringed teardrop-shaped instrument - the dutar. The Kyrgyz have a three-stringed instrument komuz. The Mongols, Buryats and Khakasses also have musical instruments similar to the dombra.

- It cannot be argued that dombra is a unique and inimitable invention of the Kazakhs. Many peoples have analogues, but dombra can be called one of the amazing options for musical perfection. This seemingly simple instrument is capable of expressing the deepest experiences of the human soul. In the past, he was closely connected with the Kazakh people, and I hope that this will be the case in the future.

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