BANDURA

Since learning to play music as a young lad I've developed an interest in instruments from other cultures. Anything from turn of the Century Marxophones from the USA to traditional Chinese instruments such as the Erhu have sparked my fascination. But it wasn't until recently, as a result of learning the craft of piano tuning, that I was given the pleasure of tuning, researching and playing one of the most beautiful instruments I am likely to ever come across. The magnificent specimen is called a Bandura and it is the national instrument of Ukraine.

Falling somewhere between a lute and harp the Bandura produces a wildly ethereal sound, capable of captivating any unsuspecting individual, drawing them into a trance like state of thought and reflection before their conscious mind has registered what is happening.

The Bandura is often described as the voice of Ukraine, it is unique to the culture of Ukraine and bares close ties to the turbulent history of the Ukrainian people. 

It was during in the courts of Eastern Europe during the middle ages that the Bandura grew to prominence, mostly as an accompaniment to song and dance. While popular among the nobility the instrument also found its way to the Kozaks (derived from the Turkic "kazak" meaning free man, it referred to anyone unable to find their place in society and so moved into steppes, the natural grasslands of southern Ukraine, where they acknowledged no authority). From the Kozaks came the Kobzari, a type of wandering and often blind musician similar to a Troubadour. The Kobzari developed a style of song known as Duma which translates to "thought" or "reflection". The Dumy (plural of duma) depicted heroic tales of Kozaks in their search for peace and were accompanied by the Bandura.

During the 20th century the Soviet Government sought to eradicate all traces of Ukrainian nationalism and during the 1930's, under the the promise of having their music preserved through recording, Kobzari from all corners of Ukraine were gathered in Kharkiv and executed. Among these was Hnat Khotkevych. Hnat Khotkevych was a renaissance man, among other things he was an ethnographer, composer, musicologist and Bandurist. Taught to play the Bandura by the old Kobzari, Khotkevych was a pioneer in the development of what is known as the modern Kharkiv style Bandura, expanding the instruments range and repertoire.

Despite continued persecution it became apparent that to eliminate the Bandura would be impossible. In an attempt to separate the Bandura from past traditions training was given a more academic approach with focus put on classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven. For traditional Bandurists persecution, arrest and exile became a way of life. As a result many Bandurists headed to other parts of the world where their art could be practiced without persecution.

There are 3 types of modern Bandura
- Classical: 20 strings, wooden tuning pins, plays in one key signature
-Kyiv style: The most common modern bandura, 55 to 64 strings including a mechanism for changing keys
-Kharkiv style: 35- to 65 strings often with key change mechanism this instrument is on the verge of becoming extinct. Today Kharkiv style Banduras seen on stage are priceless.

As part of my work I was lucky enough to have the opportunity of tuning a Kyiv-concert style Bandura.
Spanning 61 strings comprised of 12 Bass strings, tuned as a chromatic octave from C# (sharp), and two rows of treble strings, the upper tuned to a D natural major scale and the lower to an E flat major scale. The instrument also included a switch mechanism for changing keys. A beautiful and intricate pattern ran around the perimeter of the body, neck and around the seven small holes comprising the sound hole in the middle of the body. This was genuinely a beautiful instrument and one I would likely have never come across if not for my field of work.

For further information on the Bandura and related topics you can view these links
http://bandura.org/ukrainian-bandura/
http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CB%5CA%5CBandura.htmhttp://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CC%5CO%5CCossacks.htm