Gusli

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The Gusli (Russian: гусли, Ukrainian: гуслі, husli) is an ancient Slavic musical instrument, most common in Russia. It is a kind of a harp, not to be confused with Balkan gusle.

[edit] History

In the times of Kievan Rus’, the word gusli simply referred to a stringed instrument, and eventually became associated with the trapezoidal fourteenth-century gusli-psaltyry (which may have originated in Byzantium). In the nineteenth century there was a clavichord-gusli, which stood on a stand or table legs. The instrument took different forms in different lands. Examples include the Czech violin housle, the Balkan one-stringed fiddle gusle. In western Ukraine and Belarus, husli can also refer to a fiddle or even a ducted flute. A related instrument is the tsymbaly, a hammered dulcimer. In Ukraine, the gusli influenced the development of the bandura, which largely replaced it in the nineteenth century.

The gusli had from eleven to thirty-six gut or metal strings, tuned diatonically. There were two main forms: helmet-shaped and wing-shaped.

Shlemovidnye gusli (Шлемовидные гусли): the musician held this instrument on his knees, so that strings were horizontal, resonator body under them. He uses his left hand to mute unnecessary strings and thus forming chords, while passing all the strings with his right hand. The instrument was spread in southern and western regions of Kievan Rus’.

Krylovidnye gusli (Крыловидные гусли): this instrument was much smaller, had more resemblance with Scandinavian harps, was held much more like modern guitars (although strings were still muted by the left hand through a special opening in the instrument's body). This modifications was more prelevant in northern parts of Russia, especially Novgorod and Pskov.