Design
A triangular-shaped resonating wood body is the balalaika's most distinctive feature followed by its use of only three strings along a fretted neck. Also known as the "Russian three-string guitar," the balalaika can be plain or highly decorative with darker wood inlays and hand paintings. A commonly accepted theory that explains the balalaika's unique triangular-shape is that it was initially made from a quartered pumpkin.
Developed in its modern form during the 19th century by Vasily Vasilyevich Andreyev, the contemporary balalaika family comes in six sizes: piccolo, prima, secunda, alto, bass, and contrabass which are all tuned differently to an E-A-D variation. The prima balalaika is the most common size, tuned to E-E-A (perfect fourth), and played with the fingers through a wide variety of techniques. Strung with a metal A and two nylon E's, the concert model of the prima balalaika has a range of two and a half chromatic octaves and features an offset second string that is closer to the third string than the first, which allows for a playing technique that facilitates using the left-hand thumb.
Developed in its modern form during the 19th century by Vasily Vasilyevich Andreyev, the contemporary balalaika family comes in six sizes: piccolo, prima, secunda, alto, bass, and contrabass which are all tuned differently to an E-A-D variation. The prima balalaika is the most common size, tuned to E-E-A (perfect fourth), and played with the fingers through a wide variety of techniques. Strung with a metal A and two nylon E's, the concert model of the prima balalaika has a range of two and a half chromatic octaves and features an offset second string that is closer to the third string than the first, which allows for a playing technique that facilitates using the left-hand thumb.