Gudok
Encyclopedia
The gudok or hudok is an ancient Eastern Slavic string musical instrument
, played with a bow
.
A gudok usually had three strings, two of them tuned in unison
and played as a drone, the third tuned a fifth
higher. All three strings were in the same plane at the bridge, so that a bow could make them all sound simultaneously. Sometimes the gudok also had several sympathetic strings (up to eight) under the sounding board
. These made the gudok's sound warm and rich.
The player held the gudok on his lap, like a cello
or viola da gamba. It was also possible to play the gudok while standing and even while dancing, which made it popular among skomorokh
s. Initially in the 12th century (and probably before), the gudok did not have a neck
for pressing strings. This suggests that it was played by stopping the strings from the side with fingernails (similarly to the Byzantine lyra
), rather than pressing strings onto the instrument's neck. Later in the 14th century some modifications of the gudok had a real neck
for pressing strings.
Russian gudok ceased to exist as a folk instrument for several centuries. All present instruments are replicas, based on several parts of gudoks found in the Novgorod excavations.
There have been several attempts to revive the gudok in music. Borodin
's opera Prince Igor
contains a "Gudok Player's Song", which is an artistic reconstruction of how the gudok may have sounded.
The Ukrainian
hudok contained a drone tuned to a fifth similar to that of the Ukrainian lira
. In Western Ukraine, particularly in the Carpathian mountains
the term hudok is also used for folk violins and smaller oboes.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, played with a bow
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
.
A gudok usually had three strings, two of them tuned in unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
and played as a drone, the third tuned a fifth
Perfect fifth
In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
higher. All three strings were in the same plane at the bridge, so that a bow could make them all sound simultaneously. Sometimes the gudok also had several sympathetic strings (up to eight) under the sounding board
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
. These made the gudok's sound warm and rich.
The player held the gudok on his lap, like a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
or viola da gamba. It was also possible to play the gudok while standing and even while dancing, which made it popular among skomorokh
Skomorokh
The skomorokhs were medieval East Slavic harlequins, i.e. actors, who could also sing, dance, play musical instruments and compose most of the scores for their oral/musical and dramatic performances. The etymology of the word is not completely clear...
s. Initially in the 12th century (and probably before), the gudok did not have a neck
Fingerboard
The fingerboard is a part of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument and above which the strings run...
for pressing strings. This suggests that it was played by stopping the strings from the side with fingernails (similarly to the Byzantine lyra
Byzantine lyra
The Byzantine lyra or lira , was a medieval bowed string musical instrument in the Byzantine Empire and is an ancestor of most European bowed instruments, including the violin. In its popular form the lyra was a pear-shaped instrument with three to five strings, held upright and played by stopping...
), rather than pressing strings onto the instrument's neck. Later in the 14th century some modifications of the gudok had a real neck
Fingerboard
The fingerboard is a part of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument and above which the strings run...
for pressing strings.
Russian gudok ceased to exist as a folk instrument for several centuries. All present instruments are replicas, based on several parts of gudoks found in the Novgorod excavations.
There have been several attempts to revive the gudok in music. Borodin
Borodin
Borodin , or Borodina is a Russian last name and may refer to:*Alexander Borodin , Russian composer and chemist*Alexander Parfeniyevich Borodin, Russian scientist in the field of rail transport...
's opera Prince Igor
Prince Igor
Prince Igor is an opera in four acts with a prologue. It was composed by Alexander Borodin. The composer adapted the libretto from the East Slavic epic The Lay of Igor's Host, which recounts the campaign of Russian prince Igor Svyatoslavich against the invading Polovtsian tribes in 1185...
contains a "Gudok Player's Song", which is an artistic reconstruction of how the gudok may have sounded.
Music of Ukraine
Ukraine is a multi-ethnic Eastern European state situated north of the Black Sea, previously part of the Soviet Union. Many of its ethnic groups living within Ukraine have their own unique musical traditions and some have developed specific musical traditions in association with the land in which...
hudok contained a drone tuned to a fifth similar to that of the Ukrainian lira
Lira (instrument)
The lira, or relia, is a variant of the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument which can trace its history back to the 10th century. Regarding the origins of the lira in the region there are two schools of thought:...
. In Western Ukraine, particularly in the Carpathian mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
the term hudok is also used for folk violins and smaller oboes.