I’ve just acquired a cheap one. I’ve scoured endless videos on what to do with/ how to tune these instruments. Yours is the best and clearest by far. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for this! I just got myself a balalaika and I'm trying to learn how to play it, so your tutorials for katyusha and korobeiniki make it really full and accessible for my musically-challenged self.
@@gabrielleao1675 I bought mine used from a man who lives in my area and collects uncommon instruments. But, you can buy one from this website: www.thomannmusic.com/ Thomann sells lots of different types of instruments, including balalaikas. I bought a lute from there recently, and my balalaika and bouzouki strings come from them. Cheers!
@@gabrielleao1675 There's no way I can help you man,I got it from my grandfather,and he got it from someone that was in Russia.But there must ne a some sort of a website where you can find these.
I began by electric bass and after banjolélé, folk guitar and now balalaïka. I found an old model (1993) made in Russia to buy for something like $60 and now I'm happy with it.
Great tutorial. Just wanted to know if you could post another video where the tempo matches the original folk song's tempo more. Also if you could include the entire song in the tutorial that would be great. It's hard to find balalaika tutorials in english anywhere so you are doing a great service :)
Hello! I just buy a balalaïka and your tutorials really helps me a lot ! if you have the time (and especially the desire) I would be very happy to see other tutorials on your channel to learn the balalaika! ;) there really aren't many lessons on youtube compared to other instruments like guitar thank you for this video !
I'm glad that you're finding them helpful, and that you are finding joy in music! There is another tutorial on my channel for Balalaika, and I plan to make more, but my instrument is broken right now, so I can't make more videos with it until it's fixed. Soon hopefully, and more tutorials yet to come!
@@solomonisms9000 what's happen with it ? No violence with your sword i hope ^^ Yes i see the other but i'm learning katyusha for the moment, it's my first step ! I hope for you it will be soon playable ;)
@@solomonisms9000 and a question, how do you learn balalaïka ? I'm french and it's very difficult to find totorials about playing techniques etc.. With a professor, with books or just through internet ?
@@ncinas9753 Haha! Nothing to do with the sword, no. The bridge snapped off because its a very old, very cheap instrument. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon! I'm afraid I have no means of learning to share with you. I play by ear. I listen to the song, then I can figure out how to play it myself. That's why you won't find any sheet music from my videos. I can't read it.
@@solomonisms9000 okay! I imagine then that your relationship with music and instruments started some time ago ;) I don't know if you know, but if you want you can buy a balalaika's bridge on the net for 5-10 £ (thomann website) ;) When a recieved my balalaika, the bridge was a little broken and i will probably buy another on this website
Cool! But at the end of the first phrase, I would change to the fourth fret on the E string. This will be correct in harmony in my opinion. But overall, very cool!
Is there a wy to find these chrods somewhere?? I've been watching the movement in sper slow mo, but still struggle to follow along. Using a thumb is a whole new game here. Great tutorial tho, thank you! It does motivate me to practice more often
I'm sure that there are chords somewhere, but I'm sorry to say I can't be of much help in finding them. I play everything by ear, can't read notation, don't know the names of the chords that I play. I found this site www.chords-and-tabs.net/song/name/traditional-russian-katyusha-5 which has chord names, but again, I don't know if they are correct. I would say don't worry too much about following along as I play, take it slow, section by section until you're comfortable playing it, then move on to the next bit. It's a strange instrument and takes some getting used to! Best of luck!
Excellent! I hope it brings you much happiness! Do a check of the bridge first, a lot of balalaikas have the bridge placed in the wrong spot. Usually not hard to readjust it though!
Hello, thank you for your nice tutuorial of Katyusha. I got a balaika from my gitarteacher for a performance in school about Russia. Can you tell me how to tune the balaika? Thank you!
Thank you for your great instruction! Can Balalaika play in any keys like F#m or G#m etc? Just like the other western classical instruments? Is it diatonic or chromatic? Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed, and that's a good question! So good that I'm afraid I can't answer it. I know next to nothing about musical theory, I play everything by ear, but I cannot name any of the notes that I play. I must admit I'm rather unsure what it even means to play in a certain key. Sorry!
If you are tuned EEA, then if you fretted 2-5-4 or 5-2-4 that would be an F#m chord that would be the imin chord of F#m or the ii minor chord of E major. But you can use that chord shape as the minor chord up and down the neck with whatever the lower note on one of the E strings as the root note. For an F# major chord you would fret 2-6-4or 6-2-4. You can move that up and down likewise. For an F#5 “chord” (no 3rd), you can fret 2-2-4, this is useful for a modal sound.
I recently got a balalaika, same model as you but without the Moscow Olympics thing. I've ordered some nylon strings to come for it. Any tips for tuning it? My strings snapped when I tried tuning it to A, E was fine it was just A when it snapped.
Make sure the strings are the correct gauge. If they aren't they are liable to snap when brought to tension. I recommend buying strings from Thomann Music to ensure you get the correct gauge. I would also check the grooves in the nut. Sometimes they can have tiny jagged edges that cut the string, as was the case on my lute. To fix this issue, take a metal wound string and run it through the groove like a file, then rub the groove with a pencil's graphite. This should smooth it and prevent any edges from cutting the strings. I also recommend going slowly. Give the strings time to stretch. Bring them up a note then wait a few minutes. If you go too fast, they may snap, as a person would if forced too quickly to do a split!
There are nearly no tutorials in English, except may be a few from Alex Siniavsky like this ua-cam.com/video/KF23VAYYun4/v-deo.html . You can find a lot of lessons at Sergey Vorontsov channel ua-cam.com/users/KukovoTV . They are all in Russian, but mainly everything is clear without knowing Russian.
Katusha tutorial ua-cam.com/video/ZKQaBW15qdU/v-deo.html , Katusha in 10 styles ua-cam.com/video/XatK1oFcf8Q/v-deo.html . BTW never use picks when play balalaika, only fingers.
My wife has taken an interest in learning how to play the balalaika. Is there one you can recommend for beginners? I’ve seen several priced on Amazon and eBay between $150 and $250. I don’t mind spending in that range as I would like to get her one that is a good quality and not some flimsy cheap Chinese made garbage. Is there one you recommend? I’ve currently got my eye on a couple of them and I’ll send you the link if you would like me to.
Hmm... well mine is quite possibly the lowest quality balalaika I could have gotten. It's a used antique souvenir from the 1980s, and it plays just fine for my purposes, but if she wants to start off with a strong first step, you'll want something nicer. If you want a quality instrument, I recommend Thomann's selection. They ship pretty much anywhere, their instruments are excellent quality, and they have a great warranty if anything goes wrong. They're based in Germany, but have UK and US based sites as well. I've bought instruments and strings from them in the past, and they are very reliable. thomannmusic.com
I know, but I don’t know how to play it without one. It doesn’t make the right sound when I try. And unfortunately I cannot find any videos telling me how to do it that are in English.
I just use a normal tuner that I got from my local music store. The tuner just tells me what note is currently being played when I pluck a string, then I adjust accordingly. Here's a link to the one I use. You should be able to find it at lots of places, or one like it. www.long-mcquade.com/73293/Guitars/Tuners/Snark/Super-Tight-Instrument-Tuner.htm
Shrek Start with a song in mind. With every instrument that I play, I always start with a song that I want to play on that instrument. Piano was the opening to Fur Elise. Lute was Greensleeves. Bouzouki was Eiforr. Balalaika was Kalinka. If you have a song in mind, you have a goal to work towards, and every bit of progress you make will keep you encouraged. And I recommend that when learning any song, focus on just the melody first, get the supporting notes later. This makes it easier to play when you only have to focus on one thing when initially learning. And don’t worry too much about your timing initially. It’s more important that you can hit the notes, so slow down if you need to. I hope you enjoy your Balalaika journey!
@@solomonisms9000 I bought a Balalaïka recently and I m ready to learn, from all the videos I've see, your video is the best one to learn a song easily
Kavik v.d.Hexenholtz I know, but for the life of me I cannot play it that way and still get anything resembling a balalaika sound. And as I have not found any tutorials of that sort in English, I will have to continue with the pick.
Nope, this one is Katyusha. They have some similar notes, and are often confused though. Kalinka is recognizable for its repeating sequence of the same notes with increasing speed.
Similar songs to be sure, they share some chords, but this is most definitely Katyusha, not Kalinka. Kalinka is recognizable by it's repeating riff at the start of the song which increases in speed each time it's played.
Thank you so much, by your guide I learned how to play this song in two days (those two days were the first I ever held a balalaika)
I just got a balalaika from a relative so I'm really glad I found this video so it doesn't just sit in my room and do nothing😅
I’m glad it will be helpful! It’s a fun instrument!
me too!
a friend of my mum's gave it to her, and it sat in my room for months :) recently I picked it up and have been trying to play a few things....
@@fabianpatrizio2865
Best of luck and fun playing to you! I hope my videos can be of help on your musical endeavors!
I’ve just acquired a cheap one. I’ve scoured endless videos on what to do with/ how to tune these instruments. Yours is the best and clearest by far. Thanks a lot.
Learned to 2:44 in 3,5 hours. Great tutorial
Keep going :D
Edit: I'm playing for the first time. I never played on balalaika before
Thanks for this! I just got myself a balalaika and I'm trying to learn how to play it, so your tutorials for katyusha and korobeiniki make it really full and accessible for my musically-challenged self.
I have the same model of balalaika.I'll maybe try myself on it some day.
I encourage you to! It’s a fun instrument, and a good song!
Where did you buy it? I really can't find anywhere
@@gabrielleao1675
I bought mine used from a man who lives in my area and collects uncommon instruments.
But, you can buy one from this website: www.thomannmusic.com/
Thomann sells lots of different types of instruments, including balalaikas. I bought a lute from there recently, and my balalaika and bouzouki strings come from them.
Cheers!
@@gabrielleao1675 There's no way I can help you man,I got it from my grandfather,and he got it from someone that was in Russia.But there must ne a some sort of a website where you can find these.
@@solomonisms9000 i have the same one too!
Another song would be great. So few tutorials out there, it would be nice to have more. Thanks so much for this one!
Good walkthrough!
Kirill Kudymov
Glad you liked it! I plan to do more!
Good tutorial, thanks!
Thank you for your tutorial.
It was very good.
Thank you very much。 It's precious。
Thank you! Good lesson 👍
Very good explanation!
Amazing !I am going to buy one one day....I play the guitar and I think that I need something new and this instrument is fascinating👌
Németh Balázs
It’s a very cool instrument! Very different from the other instruments I play.
@@solomonisms9000 oh Okay .You convinced me😃
Thank you man!
I've just found out that ally my instruments practically play this song,and it's my favorite, so much thanks to Russia for some of the technique
I began by electric bass and after banjolélé, folk guitar and now balalaïka. I found an old model (1993) made in Russia to buy for something like $60 and now I'm happy with it.
Right on!
Great tutorial. Just wanted to know if you could post another video where the tempo matches the original folk song's tempo more. Also if you could include the entire song in the tutorial that would be great. It's hard to find balalaika tutorials in english anywhere so you are doing a great service :)
Keep going ♥️♥️
best balalaika demo on youtube
Thank you
Hmm...
Maybe you should try the balalaika order ceg?
Cool video
Hello!
I just buy a balalaïka and your tutorials really helps me a lot !
if you have the time (and especially the desire) I would be very happy to see other tutorials on your channel to learn the balalaika! ;) there really aren't many lessons on youtube compared to other instruments like guitar
thank you for this video !
I'm glad that you're finding them helpful, and that you are finding joy in music!
There is another tutorial on my channel for Balalaika, and I plan to make more, but my instrument is broken right now, so I can't make more videos with it until it's fixed.
Soon hopefully, and more tutorials yet to come!
@@solomonisms9000 what's happen with it ? No violence with your sword i hope ^^
Yes i see the other but i'm learning katyusha for the moment, it's my first step !
I hope for you it will be soon playable ;)
@@solomonisms9000 and a question, how do you learn balalaïka ? I'm french and it's very difficult to find totorials about playing techniques etc..
With a professor, with books or just through internet ?
@@ncinas9753
Haha! Nothing to do with the sword, no. The bridge snapped off because its a very old, very cheap instrument. Hopefully I can get it fixed soon!
I'm afraid I have no means of learning to share with you. I play by ear. I listen to the song, then I can figure out how to play it myself. That's why you won't find any sheet music from my videos. I can't read it.
@@solomonisms9000 okay! I imagine then that your relationship with music and instruments started some time ago ;)
I don't know if you know, but if you want you can buy a balalaika's bridge on the net for 5-10 £ (thomann website) ;)
When a recieved my balalaika, the bridge was a little broken and i will probably buy another on this website
Please do more, i am considering getting one, i really want to play the song Korobeinki
More are planned. Korobeiniki is next, then probably Kalinka.
I have that balalaika aswell! Thank you for teaching this song :)
белый сахар
No problem! I also have a tutorial on Korobeiniki if you are interested in more!
@@solomonisms9000 I'll make sure to check it out
Thank you comrade
Bravo
Cool! But at the end of the first phrase, I would change to the fourth fret on the E string. This will be correct in harmony in my opinion. But overall, very cool!
Is there a wy to find these chrods somewhere?? I've been watching the movement in sper slow mo, but still struggle to follow along. Using a thumb is a whole new game here. Great tutorial tho, thank you! It does motivate me to practice more often
I'm sure that there are chords somewhere, but I'm sorry to say I can't be of much help in finding them. I play everything by ear, can't read notation, don't know the names of the chords that I play. I found this site www.chords-and-tabs.net/song/name/traditional-russian-katyusha-5 which has chord names, but again, I don't know if they are correct.
I would say don't worry too much about following along as I play, take it slow, section by section until you're comfortable playing it, then move on to the next bit.
It's a strange instrument and takes some getting used to! Best of luck!
just ordered a moskow 80 it looks different but am look forward to learning how to play katyusha on it
Excellent! I hope it brings you much happiness!
Do a check of the bridge first, a lot of balalaikas have the bridge placed in the wrong spot. Usually not hard to readjust it though!
@@solomonisms9000 ok cool thank you for the tip thats actually very useful and for the response!
Hello, thank you for your nice tutuorial of Katyusha. I got a balaika from my gitarteacher for a performance in school about Russia. Can you tell me how to tune the balaika? Thank you!
Hello, I'm glad you enjoyed! The standard tuning for a balalaika is E4 E4 A4, and that's what I use in all my videos. Happy playing!
@@solomonisms9000 Thank you so much!!
Thank you for your great instruction! Can Balalaika play in any keys like F#m or G#m etc? Just like the other western classical instruments? Is it diatonic or chromatic? Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed, and that's a good question! So good that I'm afraid I can't answer it. I know next to nothing about musical theory, I play everything by ear, but I cannot name any of the notes that I play. I must admit I'm rather unsure what it even means to play in a certain key.
Sorry!
@@solomonisms9000 No problem! Thank you so much for your reply! Playing by ears are also great, too :)
If you are tuned EEA, then if you fretted 2-5-4 or 5-2-4 that would be an F#m chord that would be the imin chord of F#m or the ii minor chord of E major. But you can use that chord shape as the minor chord up and down the neck with whatever the lower note on one of the E strings as the root note. For an F# major chord you would fret 2-6-4or 6-2-4. You can move that up and down likewise. For an F#5 “chord” (no 3rd), you can fret 2-2-4, this is useful for a modal sound.
I recently got a balalaika, same model as you but without the Moscow Olympics thing. I've ordered some nylon strings to come for it. Any tips for tuning it? My strings snapped when I tried tuning it to A, E was fine it was just A when it snapped.
Make sure the strings are the correct gauge. If they aren't they are liable to snap when brought to tension. I recommend buying strings from Thomann Music to ensure you get the correct gauge.
I would also check the grooves in the nut. Sometimes they can have tiny jagged edges that cut the string, as was the case on my lute. To fix this issue, take a metal wound string and run it through the groove like a file, then rub the groove with a pencil's graphite. This should smooth it and prevent any edges from cutting the strings.
I also recommend going slowly. Give the strings time to stretch. Bring them up a note then wait a few minutes. If you go too fast, they may snap, as a person would if forced too quickly to do a split!
Happy Playing!
@@solomonisms9000 Thank you, I'll check them out.
Yess finally that someone speaks English 😅
Do more tutorial vids like this for the balalaika! There aren’t many people doing tutorials for the balalaika in English
Mr Bones I plan on it! Next one is probably Korobeiniki. For now I have midterms to focus on though, so it will likely be a few weeks.
Solomonisms korobeiniki is honestly a banger,can’t wait for you to make that vid!
@@mrbones736
As the television might say: Stay Tuned!
Solomonisms I literally just commented asking for that song, instant subscribe haha
There are nearly no tutorials in English, except may be a few from Alex Siniavsky like this ua-cam.com/video/KF23VAYYun4/v-deo.html . You can find a lot of lessons at Sergey Vorontsov channel ua-cam.com/users/KukovoTV . They are all in Russian, but mainly everything is clear without knowing Russian.
Katusha tutorial ua-cam.com/video/ZKQaBW15qdU/v-deo.html , Katusha in 10 styles ua-cam.com/video/XatK1oFcf8Q/v-deo.html . BTW never use picks when play balalaika, only fingers.
My wife has taken an interest in learning how to play the balalaika. Is there one you can recommend for beginners? I’ve seen several priced on Amazon and eBay between $150 and $250. I don’t mind spending in that range as I would like to get her one that is a good quality and not some flimsy cheap Chinese made garbage. Is there one you recommend? I’ve currently got my eye on a couple of them and I’ll send you the link if you would like me to.
Hmm... well mine is quite possibly the lowest quality balalaika I could have gotten. It's a used antique souvenir from the 1980s, and it plays just fine for my purposes, but if she wants to start off with a strong first step, you'll want something nicer.
If you want a quality instrument, I recommend Thomann's selection. They ship pretty much anywhere, their instruments are excellent quality, and they have a great warranty if anything goes wrong. They're based in Germany, but have UK and US based sites as well.
I've bought instruments and strings from them in the past, and they are very reliable.
thomannmusic.com
@@solomonisms9000 Okay, thanks for the help! I’ll check them out. 🙂
i have a balalaika that looks exactly the same except the writing under the bridge
Yeah, mine was a special edition for the Moscow 1980 Olympics. I got it used. Fourth hand or something like that.
typically you're not supposed to play the balalaika with a pick
I know, but I don’t know how to play it without one. It doesn’t make the right sound when I try. And unfortunately I cannot find any videos telling me how to do it that are in English.
@@solomonisms9000 here, hopefully bibs ekkel can help you with that ua-cam.com/video/QQtYLF5Rjns/v-deo.html
@@solomonisms9000 he has multiple tutorial videos on the balalaika
How do you tune one with a guitar tuner, or will it not work
I just use a normal tuner that I got from my local music store. The tuner just tells me what note is currently being played when I pluck a string, then I adjust accordingly.
Here's a link to the one I use. You should be able to find it at lots of places, or one like it.
www.long-mcquade.com/73293/Guitars/Tuners/Snark/Super-Tight-Instrument-Tuner.htm
@@solomonisms9000 sweet, thanks a ton
I have a different model. And the same middle earth poster!
Just bought a balalaika of the same kind, slightly different, for 30 euros
So what type of balalaika is this, I see that there are a lot of different types
I believe it's a prima balalaika. This exact one is a souvenir balalaika from the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Yoooo we got the same smoke detector
What are your tips for someone that never did any instrument and want to start with the balalaïka ?
Shrek
Start with a song in mind. With every instrument that I play, I always start with a song that I want to play on that instrument. Piano was the opening to Fur Elise. Lute was Greensleeves. Bouzouki was Eiforr. Balalaika was Kalinka.
If you have a song in mind, you have a goal to work towards, and every bit of progress you make will keep you encouraged.
And I recommend that when learning any song, focus on just the melody first, get the supporting notes later. This makes it easier to play when you only have to focus on one thing when initially learning.
And don’t worry too much about your timing initially. It’s more important that you can hit the notes, so slow down if you need to.
I hope you enjoy your Balalaika journey!
@@solomonisms9000 Thanks for the tips, my dad play the balalaïka and I'll ask him if he can learn to me. Have a great day
@@solomonisms9000 I bought a Balalaïka recently and I m ready to learn, from all the videos I've see, your video is the best one to learn a song easily
@@solomonisms9000 my first day learning and I can only do the first little part, is it normal or am I really dumb?
Shrek
Very normal. It’s a new skill, it will take time! Keep working at it and it will take shape!
How to play balalaika:
1. Wear an Ushanka
2. Drink some vodka
3. Yell CYKA BLYAT if you played wrong
Is this a secunda balalaika or prima?
Honestly I had to look up the difference. I think it's a prima, given that I tune it E E A.
No pick used with balalaika; just your fingers.
Kavik v.d.Hexenholtz I know, but for the life of me I cannot play it that way and still get anything resembling a balalaika sound. And as I have not found any tutorials of that sort in English, I will have to continue with the pick.
@@solomonisms9000
Try thumb and pointer finger(though sometimes, index finger) thumb on the down stroke, finger on the up stroke.
Kavik v.d.Hexenholtz I’ll give it a shot. May take some practice.
Теперь ты один из нас
Теперь и всегда
Katyusha? Isn't that kalinka?
Nope, this one is Katyusha. They have some similar notes, and are often confused though. Kalinka is recognizable for its repeating sequence of the same notes with increasing speed.
у меня такая же фабричка ленинградская мебельная
Yo, I bought the same model yesterday hahahah
Slap balalaika??
I don’t know how to play slap on anything. It’s not really my favourite style of playing so I don’t see myself learning anytime soon.
Why are you using a pick?
Because at the time I was new to the instrument and hadn't figured out how to make it sound nice without one yet. Nowadays I play without a pick.
1:49
2:05
Greetings from Russia
Greetings from Canada
This is kalinka!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will probably be doing a Kalinka tutorial in the future!
Bro> play a finger> not mediator)
Isn’t this Kalinka?
No, Kalinka is one of the songs used for Tetris. I plan on making a Kalinka video soon, so stay tuned!
Solomonisms oof sorry my fault, I was hearing sounds
Great tutorial, but real balaika players don't use guitar picks!
I've since taught myself to play without, but at the time I was pretty new to the instrument
This is Kalinka not Katyusha
Gabriel Nascimento
This is in fact Katyusha. I will likely make a Kalinka video soon though!
играть медиатором это грех ! ;)
Bro, this song is called Kalinka Malinka, not Katyusha. 🤣
Similar songs to be sure, they share some chords, but this is most definitely Katyusha, not Kalinka. Kalinka is recognizable by it's repeating riff at the start of the song which increases in speed each time it's played.
@@solomonisms9000 Bro, that's definitely not a Katyusha.
@@CANIBALSHOP
ua-cam.com/video/7J__ZdvsZaE/v-deo.htmlsi=sPGQeqTC21wviZd1
Katyusha. Maybe easier to recognize it with Lyrics
Blah blah blah don't say it just play it , we'll watch you