Gusli
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The Gusli (Russian: гусли, Ukrainian: гуслі, husli) is an ancient generic Slavic term for a stringed musical instrument. The term and its derivatives is used for either a plucked psaltery or zither-like instrument or for the violin or bowed equivalents. Originally the instrument had gut strings made from pig entrails. In recent times concert versions of the instrument have steel strings.
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[edit] Etymology
In the times of Kievan Rus’, the term gusli is thought to simply refer to any generic stringed instrument. The root of the term comes from the word to make sound in the wind. The term was eventually associated with the trapezoidal gusli-psaltyry (which may have originated in Byzantium).
[edit] History
Vertkov states that the first mentions of the Gusli date back to 591 to a treatise by the Greek historian Feofilakta Simokatti which describes the instrument being used by Slavs from Kievan Rus'.
The gusli are thought to have been the instrument used by the mythical Boyan (asinger of tales) described in the Lay of Igor's campaign.
The instruments were used by the wandering Skomorokh musicians and entertainers. Preserved instruments discovered by archaeologists in various digs have between 5-9 strings with one example having 12 strings.
The first notated piece of music for the gusli was a Ukrainian song "Oi pid Vyshneyu" which was recorded in St. Petersburg in 1803 by the French composer F. Bualde.
[edit] Types of Gusli
Folk Gusli have from eleven to thirty-six gut or metal strings, tuned diatonically. There were two main forms: helmet-shaped and wing-shaped.
[edit] Shlemovidnye gusli
Shlemovidnye gusli (Helmet-shaped gusli; Russian: Шлемовидные гусли) is a variety of gusli held by the musician 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’.
[edit] Krylovidnye gusli
Krylovidnye gusli ("wing-shaped gusli"; Russian: Крыловидные гусли) is much smaller, and had more resemblance to Scandinavian folk psalteries such as the kantele. They were 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 modification was more prevalent in northern parts of Russia, especially Novgorod and Pskov.
[edit] Clavichord Gusli
The Clavichord Gusli are a nineteenth century derivative with an iron frame and metal strings tuned chromatically. It stood on a stand or table legs. The instrument had a keyboard. Pressing the keys of the keyboard would raise the dampers on specific strings and allow the player to play glissandi and arpeggios over the range of the strings. This instrument is used primarily in Russian Folk Instrument orchestras.
[edit] Violin-like husli
The term husli is used by Lemkos, Hutsuls and Boikos sub-ethnic groups of the Ukrainian people living in the vicinity of the Carpathian mountains to refer to the violin or a violin-like instrument.
[edit] Related instruments
A number of Slavic folk music instruments have names which are related to Gusli such as 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. The violin-like variant of the instrument is also related to the Southern Slavic gusle.
The psaltery variant is related to the zither. It is also related to the Latvian kokle, the Lithuanian kanklės and the Finnish kantele. Together these instruments make up the family known as Baltic Psalteries.
A related instrument is the tsymbaly, a hammered dulcimer.
In Ukraine, it is thought that the gusli may have influenced the development of the multi-stringed bandura, which largely replaced it in the nineteenth century.
