Wheel lyre device. Wheeled lyre: musical instrument (photo)

Varieties of wheeled lyres

In European countries, there are many types of wheeled lyres, including Russian versions of the instrument. The wheeled lyre in Russia has never been used in professional music and existed only in the environment of everyday and amateur music-making. In Russia, there are three varieties of this instrument. Type No. 1: Great Russian wheeled lyre. It features a relatively small body type in the form of a viola, a narrow scale and a peculiar repertoire. View No. 2: Don snout. This instrument is widespread in the territory of the Don Army. It is an old type of instrument with an organistrum body. Type number 3: wheeled lyre of the Ukrainian type. Differs in the originality of design details, playing techniques and repertoire.

Tuning the wheel lyre

There is no single established setting for the wheel lyre. The variety of designs of this instrument, as well as different musical traditions, often require different tuning methods. The tuning of the wheel lyre is carried out using a tuning block and a keyboard mechanism. By rotating the pegs, the required height of the strings is achieved, and by carefully bending the flags on the keys, the scale of the playing string is fine-tuned.

Setting option:

To achieve a beautiful melodic sound, wrap a small amount of ordinary cotton wool or soft wool around the part of the string where it mates with the game wheel. Rub generously with simple violin rosin on the surface of the playing wheel to increase the friction on the strings. After all the preparatory procedures, start spinning the wheel and continue spinning continuously for 3-5 minutes, adjusting the cotton wool on the strings if necessary. Then take a breath. Everything, you can play.

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Features of the care of the wheel lyre

The wheeled lyre is a peculiar instrument that requires active attention. The most subtle point is pairing the strings with the game wheel. Always carry a piece of cotton or wool with you and learn how to wind it correctly. Protect the wheeled lyre from rain and moisture. During operation, dirt appears on the surface of the lyre. If your instrument has begun to lose its presentable appearance, we recommend using special products in the form of polishes and cleaning products for the care of musical instruments. Be sure to use a cover to store the wheel lira.

Wheeled lyre strings

The choice of strings for a wheel lyre is largely individual. Balalaiker recommends using a set of playing nylon strings and metal-braided bourdon strings. This option allows the lyre to sound bright, rich and balanced.

The history of the wheeled lyre

brief historical background

Wheeled lyre - antique musical instrument of European origin. The first mentions of it are found in historical sources of the 9th-10th centuries. At first, the wheeled lyre was used mainly to accompany church services, but already in the Middle Ages it spread in many European countries as an instrument for the widest repertoire.
On the territory of the Moscow kingdom, the wheeled lyre appeared at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries. The instrument penetrated into the Russian lands through the Ukrainian and Belarusian territories along with settlers, merchants, interventionists and other active population. The wheeled lyre was firmly entrenched and remained until recently in the traditions of some regions of Russia - Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk, Rostov and some others. It is interesting that back in the 1920s, wandering lyre players could be found even in the streets and bazaars of Moscow. The famous connoisseur of folk music Mitrofan Pyatnitsky also had its own wheeled lyre.
The Russian wheeled lyre, in contrast to its European relative, was an instrument for the most part folk, little known to the noble and professional musical circles. The Russian lyre was distinguished by its simplicity of production, a relatively small scale, a small number of strings (2-4 pieces) and an original repertoire. The lyre found the widest application among vagrants and professional beggars, for whom it was a professional tool for earning money. They could be found in crowded places performing spiritual verses and psalms. However, in some regions, playing the lyre also acted as an accompaniment to lingering songs. For example, in the traditions of the Don Cossacks, the lyre (the local name is snout) was used to accompany songs and remained until the first third of the 20th century. They played on the wheeled lyre to dance, and to dances, and to ditties, and even to romances. One of the last Russian lyre players, Klimenty Feoktistovich Shmatov, lived until the 50s of the 20th century in the Starodubsky district of the Bryansk region and played in rural bazaars until his last days. The wheeled lyre, bought from him in 1953, is now kept in the Moscow Conservatory.
Nowadays, the wheeled lyre again attracts the attention of the public. She is increasingly appearing on the horizon, participating in the programs of folk musicians, experimenters and performers of sacred music.

Wheeled lyre. Hurdy gurdy (hardy-hardy). Organistrum

Ogranistrum - under this name the wheeled lyre appeared in Europe about a thousand years ago. This folk musical instrument is rightfully considered the predecessor of the nickelharpa (nickelharpa is a Swedish folk musical instrument). Hurdy-gurdy (hardy-gurdy) - they call her in England, vielle a roue - in France, nin? Ra kolovratec - in the Czech Republic. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians began to call it a snout or a lyre.
Until the XIV century, the wheeled lyre was very bulky (up to two meters) and to play it, the musician needed an assistant who rotated the handle.
The instrument was used in monasteries, church music was performed on it. By the 15th century, the wheeled lyre had lost its popularity and became an instrument of beggars and vagabonds, often blind and crippled, who sang songs, poems, fairy tales to an unpretentious accompaniment.

Georges de la Tour. "Who plays the wheeled lyre with a ribbon." 1640 g.

David Vinckboons. "The Blind Hurdy-Gurdy Player".

During the Baroque era, the instrument flourished again. In the 18th century, the wheeled lyre became a fashionable toy for French aristocrats who were fond of rural life.

Pieter Bruegel Jr., " Hurdy-Gurdy Player"1608

With the adoption of the wheeled lyre as accompaniment to dancing, the bulky instrument was replaced by the more portable one. There are modifications of this instrument - an instrument with a regular bow instead of a wheel (Nykelharpа in Sweden and Norway), or with a wheel, but without keys, with ordinary violin fingering (Bauern Lyre).

Nickelharpa - Swedish folk musical instrument.

In Russia, the wheeled lyre became widespread in the 17th century. The instrument was mastered by beggars and blind tramps, "kaliki pedestrians". In order not to "incur the wrath of the king and of God," they sang spiritual verses to the sound of their lyres.

Teodor Aksentovich. "Lirnik and Girl". 1900 g.

Kazimir Pokhvalsky. "Lirnik in front of the hut"... 1887 g.

Vasily Navozov. "Song of the Lyre".

Sound playback process

Above the body (which has a boat-shaped or eight-shaped) stretched three strings of different tuning, placed in a special box. A small keyboard with 8-11 keys is attached to the side of the drawer. That is, the wheeled lyre is the first stringed instrument in which a keyboard is used.
The performer holds the lyre on his knees, presses the keys with his left hand, and turns the handle with his right hand, which sets in motion a special wheel covered with hair, leather and rubbed with rosin. The wheel rubs against the strings through the hole in the deck and makes them sound.
Most of her strings (3-11) sound simultaneously, vibrating as a result of friction against a wheel rotated by her right hand. One to four separate strings play the melody, while the other strings emit a monotonous hum (called bourdon).
The sound of a wheeled lyre is powerful, sad, monotonous, with a slight nasal tinge. To soften the sound, the strings were wrapped in flax or wool fibers at the point of contact with the wheel rim. The sound quality of the instrument also depended on the exact centering of the wheel; in addition, it had to be smooth and well-knit.

Kazimir Pokhvalsky. "Lirnik". 1885 g.

In the nineteenth century in Ukraine there were special lyre schools, which were very popular among the population of that time. The older students of such schools did practice, playing in neighboring villages at weddings and bazaars. The income received - money and products as payment for training and maintenance - was given to the mentor. Upon graduation, the musician was examined for knowledge of the repertoire and mastery of the instrument. Old, experienced lyre players - "grandfathers" took part in the testing ceremony. The teacher who successfully passed the exam gave the newly-made lyricist a “vizvilka” (probably from the word “vizvil” - “liberation”) - the right to play and instrument independently. At the same time, in the process of initiation into the lyre books, the lyre intended as a reward for the student was hung by the teacher around his neck, the student covered it with his scroll. Then the belt of the instrument, into the resonator slot of the body of which a coin was dropped (probably for luck), was thrown over the student's neck.

Jules Richomme. "The Hurdy-Gurdy Girl".

During the years of Soviet power, the lyre was significantly improved. For example, the instrument designed by Ivan Mikhailovich Sklyar has nine strings tuned in minor thirds and a button accordion-type keyboard mechanism. The wooden wheel was replaced with a plastic transmission band, as a result of which the lyre received a smoother sound. The degree of pressure of the tape on the string is changed with the help of a special device, which gives a change in the strength of the sound of the instrument.
Currently, the lyre has practically disappeared from folk music, but some musicians have not consigned the instrument to oblivion. The wheeled lyre is a member of the Belarusian State Orchestra and the orchestral group of the State Folk Choir of Belarus. The musicians of the Pesnyary ensemble also use the wheeled lyre in their performances.

Ensemble "Pesnyary".

In Russia, the wheel lyre is played by the multi-instrumentalist Mitya Kuznetsov (Ethno-Kuznya), musician and composer Andrei Vinogradov, the Raznotravie group, etc.

Group "Forbs"

Mitya Kuznetsov - folk musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist performer.

Wheeled lyre

Today we will talk about an ancient, ancient musical instrument called the wheeled lyre; with an explanation at the end of the article, which, in fact, is generally talking about.

Some of my acquaintances surmise that for 30 years now I have been studying folk culture - albeit not professionally; and during all this time I hardly used musical instruments. I have some prejudice towards them - as one famous folklorist says; "in order to save our folklore, all accordions must be burned." I extend this relationship to other instruments as well. :))) But there is one that has a special attitude. Back in the early 1980s, the Pokrovsky ensemble came to Nsk, where someone played the wheeled lyre and sang spiritual verses to it; I think it was Andrei Kotov, but I could be wrong. The lyre is a special instrument, and quite rare, so for all the years "in folklore" I didn’t really know what it was and where it came from, until I got into it to sort it out.

The history of this instrument goes back centuries. Its prototype appeared in ... X-XII century in Western Europe, and it was called then, or "organist". Two musicians played on it - one turned a knob with a drive on a wheel, which rubbed against the strings and produced sounds; and the other, in fact, output the melody by raising the necessary keys:

Unlike most instruments, the organistrum originally appeared as an instrument for ... worship, and was played in churches and monasteries; this in some way determined his entire future destiny.

In the 13-15th centuries, the instrument was improved, reduced in size, and since then one musician has played on it, and instead of the complex lifting of the keys, the keyboard is almost familiar to us, where the keys are pressed with fingers and return back under their own weight. The instrument was still used in monasteries, but the organ replaced it from divine services (after all, this is about Western Europe); and he went to the people. Even then it ceased to be called "organistrum", and in every country where it was distributed, it has its own name; in world culture, the English name hurdy-gurdy is most widespread.

Features of the instrument - the strings are stretched almost like in a regular stringed instrument, but the sound is produced not with a regular bow, but with a wooden wheel playing the role of an endless bow, so the sound is like a bagpipe, just as boring and disgusting. Two (or more) strings do not change their pitch and hum constantly - this is called "bourdon"; and one (and more) strings, under the influence of the keys, change the length, and, therefore, the pitch is the voice string. In the most ancient version there were 2 bourdons + 1 voice, but then the musicians began to look for ways to increase the volume and the striking power of the instrument, and in modern herdy-gurdy there are more than a dozen strings, as well as all sorts of gadgets such as a "buzzing bridge" by changing the speed of rotation of the wheel.

In the 15-17 centuries (data vary), the instrument came to Russia, through the territory of Ukraine and Belarus, where it was most widespread. In those years in Europe, the instrument had already gone out of fashion, and it was mainly played by beggars and troubadours, performing spiritual verses under it. So in our country, it was mainly used by kaliki pedestrians, performing spiritual verses and (possibly) telling epics to it.

In the 18th century, the instrument experienced a new heyday, when the European elite suddenly became interested in rural life, and several classics were composed for the lyre. Perhaps at this time the lyre (more precisely, its European counterpart, herdi-girdi) became an exclusively secular instrument, and is still used by European musicians in ethno-music, both solo and in ensembles.

According to the author's assurances, apart from the hardy-girdy of the instruments, nothing was used

In Ukraine, the lyre (where it is called "snout") also flourished in the 18-19 centuries, and it was even believed that it would pick up the bandura, it was so popular. Whole artels of lyre players played at weddings, fairs and other festivities - the instrument is loud, it allows you to play for a long time without getting tired. The tradition of lyricism existed in our country until the 1930s, when, according to some versions, all lyre players were eliminated, and according to others, poverty as a class was abolished, and therefore the wandering musicians were all extinct.

Although lyres were mainly used in Ukraine and among the Don Cossacks (there they were called "Don rylya"), they are also in the Russian version. True, they did not get to our places - already in the Urals no one had heard of them (according to my data), what can we say for our Siberia. So for our places this is not really a traditional instrument (or not at all).

With the revival of folk culture "from above", from the cities, the lyre tradition began to revive - many ensembles introduce lyres into their repertoire throughout the country. This instrument is special, "spiritual", and it can and should be used in the performance of spiritual poems - for example, the well-known ensemble "Oktay" in Siberia does use the lyre. :)

Lire masters also appeared. One of the most famous - from under Myshkin; he has a whole video instruction on working with lyres on his website. :) Also makes lyres, Ulyanovsk-Moscow.

One of the most popular videos with the Russian wheel lyre in tytruba - over a million views.

And, actually, why am I writing all this:

It turns out that in Nske we have a master for the manufacture of wheeled lyres (as well as harps and other medieval instruments) - a 4-string (2 voices and 2 bourdons) chromatic lyre was found and mercilessly acquired from him - not the most ancient version, but also not some hardy-girdle about 10 strings with a bunch of whistles. :))) Moreover, I already managed to break one string, now it's ethnography, there are still half the buttons left to break off. :)))

Due to the peculiarities of the instrument, he does not know how to play quietly - if you turn the wheel too slowly, then the sound is simply not produced, or it wheezes and stutters, so poor neighbors. :) One thing is good - for study, you can turn off all the strings, except for one voice, and select and train at 1/4 volume. :))) For a musician, playing the lyre is probably quite simple; but for me, as one who does not know musical notation in principle, so far everything is given with difficulty; it's only on the video, everything is simple, but try to pick up something worthwhile ... The most difficult, oddly enough, is to set up the instrument; in tuning the lyre is more difficult than a piano, and this is practically no joke - the difficulties here are not in stretching the notes, but in a heap of small subtleties, such as rosinizing the wheel, adjusting the height of the string tension, winding wool, and so on and so forth. Nothing, let's break through. :) Soon, I hope I will find something to show.

Unknown Artist - this is how a talented man from Novosibirsk, 45 years old, calls himself. He himself says about himself that he is in an eternal search for the unknown. He has a plan of life for tomorrow - a permanent one, in which, for example, the following points: “light incense in the morning and watch intently how a wriggling stream of smoke wriggles; do not miss the moment of twilight and watch from the window how the blue shadows thicken on the snow; smash something from the dishes for the happiness of the Motherland, trying not to frighten the cat at the same time ”... and many others that I would gladly“ take ”for myself. He takes amazing photos, united under the title "My Unknown Siberia". He writes pictures, music (soundtracks for non-existent films and cartoons) and performs it. He makes ancient musical instruments that sound in his compositions. Unusual in shape, with amazing sounds and fabulous names.

1.STAND OF RAIN, WHEEL LYRA (Hurdy-Gurdy), KANTELE, KALIMBA

2, 3. WHEEL LYRA (Hurdy-Gurdy)

4. MEDIEVAL HARP

5.GUSLI

6. TYPES OF KEYS FOR SETTING

7. KALIMBA

8. NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN FLUTES

I saw many of them for the first time, so I went to Wikipedia to find out more.

Wheel lyre(organistrum, herdi-girdi) is a stringed musical instrument, shaped like a violin case. In the X-XIII centuries. a wheeled lyre was a bulky instrument (organistrum) played by two people. The instrument was used in monasteries, church music was performed on it. By the 15th century, the wheeled lyre had lost its popularity and became an instrument of beggars and vagabonds, often blind and crippled, who sang songs, poems, fairy tales to an unpretentious accompaniment. During the Baroque era, the instrument flourished again. In the 18th century, the wheeled lyre became a fashionable toy for French aristocrats who were fond of rural life. In Russia, the wheeled lyre became widespread in the 17th century. The instrument was mastered by beggars and blind tramps, "kaliki pedestrians". In order not to "incur the wrath of the king and God," they sang spiritual verses to the sound of their lyres. (Wikipedia)

Rain staff- an ancient exotic instrument, which is also called the "rain flute", hmara (khmara-bel-cloud), rain tube, rain staff. In addition to these common names, it can also be called "waterfall", "rain stick" or "rain noise". This ancient instrument, from time immemorial, has been used by shamans in Africa, Indonesia, North and Latin America to control the elements of rain and thunderclouds. Simulates the sound of falling rain and creates the effect of overflowing water, the feeling of falling droplets and the murmur of a stream. The longer the staff, the longer the sound and the thicker and denser it is.

Cantele(Karelian and Finnish kantele) is a Karelian and Finnish plucked string instrument, akin to the harp. Ancient kanteles had five vein strings, modern ones are supplied with metal strings and their number reaches thirty-four. During the game, the kantele is held on the knees in a horizontal or slightly inclined position and the strings are plucked with the fingers of both hands. The kantele is played solo, accompanied by the runes of the folk epic "Kalevala". (Wikipedia)

Kalimba- the oldest and most widespread instrument in Africa (especially in Central and South, on some of the Antilles). Kalimba is used in traditional rites and by professional musicians. It is called the "African hand piano"; it is quite a virtuoso instrument designed for playing melodic patterns, but quite suitable for playing chords. Mostly used as an accompanying instrument. Large kalimbs give a unique low rumble to the lively bass rhythms of African music, small ones emit a completely ghostly, fragile sound, similar to a music box. (Wikipedia)

Font-family: "calibri \u003d" "\u003e Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;
mso-ansi-language: RU; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA "\u003e Harp- The harp has the shape of a triangle, which consists of: first, a resonant box-case approximately 1 meter long, expanding downward; its former shape was quadrangular, the current one is rounded on one side; it is equipped with a flat deck, most often made of maple, in the middle of which a narrow and thin strip of hard wood is attached along the length of the body, in which holes are punched to pierce the vein strings; secondly, from the upper part (due to the large size of the neck), serpentine curved, attached to the top of the body, forming an acute angle with it; pegs are attached to this part for strengthening the strings and tuning them; third, from a pillar-shaped front beam designed to resist the force generated by the strings stretched between the neck and the resonant body.

On the knees. Most of its strings (6-8) sound simultaneously, vibrating as a result of friction against a wheel rotated by the right hand. One or two separate strings, the sounding part of which is shortened or lengthened using the rods with the left hand, reproduce the melody, while the remaining strings emit a monotonous hum.

The sound of a wheeled lyre is powerful, sad, monotonous, with a slight nasal tinge. To soften the sound, the strings were wrapped in flax or wool fibers at the point of contact with the wheel rim. The sound quality of the instrument also depended on the exact centering of the wheel; besides, it had to be smooth and well-knit.

In England, this instrument is called hurdy-gurdy (hardy-gurdy, also found in Russian), in Germany - drehleier, in France - vielle a roue, in Italy - ghironda or lira tedesca, in Hungary - tekero. In Russian it is called a wheeled lyre, in Belarusian - lyra, in Ukrainian - kolisna lyra or rela, and in Polish - lira korbowa.

Device

Wheeled lyre - a three-stringed instrument with a deep wooden body of an eight-shape. Both decks are flat, the sides are bent, wide. In the upper part there is a head with wooden pegs for tuning the strings. A short peg box, chiselled or assembled from separate boards, is attached to the body, often ending in a curl.

Inside the body, in its lower part, there is a wooden wheel (it is mounted on an axis passed through the shell and rotated by the handle), which acts as an “endless bow”. The wheel rim protrudes outward through a slot in the deck. To protect it from damage, an arcuate bast fuse is installed above it.

In the upper deck, resonator holes are cut in the form of brackets or "f-holes"; on it, the key-nut mechanism is located longitudinally, consisting of a box with 12-13 keys, which are narrow wooden strips with projections. When you press the keys, the protrusions, like clavichord tangents, touch the string, dividing it into two parts: sounding (wheel - lug) and un sounding (lug - nut). The tabs are reinforced so that they can be turned to the left and right by turning and thus equalize the scale when tuning it within a semitone.

The lyre has 3 strand strings: melodic, called spivanitsa (or melody), and 2 drone - bass and pidbassok (or tenor and bayorok). The melodic string goes through the box, the bourdon string goes outside it. All strings are in close contact with the rim of the wheel, which is rubbed with resin (rosin) and, when rotated, brings them to sound. In order for the sound to be smooth, the wheel must have a smooth surface and an accurate centering. The melody is performed using the keys inserted into the side cutouts of the box. The keys have projections (tangents), which, pressing against the string, change its length, and hence the pitch. The number of keys for different lyres ranges from 9 to 12.

Scale diatonic. The bourdon strings are tuned as follows: the kickbass is an octave below the melodic one, the bass is a fifth below the pidbass. At the request of the performer, one or both drone strings can be turned off from the game. To do this, they are pulled away from the wheel and fixed on pins.

Lyre playing

Before the game the performer throws a belt attached to the body over his shoulders, puts the instrument on his knees, with the peg box to the left and tilted away from himself, so that the free keys fall off the string under their own weight. With his right hand, he evenly, but not quickly, rotates the wheel by the handle, and with the fingers of his left hand he presses the keys. The character of the lyre performance is similar to playing the bagpipes and horns, all three have continuous sounding bourdons. The sound quality is highly dependent on the friction wheel: it must have an accurate centering, a flat smooth surface and good resin lubrication, otherwise the sounds will "float" and "howl".

During the game the instrument is placed on the knees with the head to the left and with a tilt, due to which the keys fall off the strings under the action of their own gravity. To make it easier to hold the instrument, the musician puts a strap around his neck, attached to the body of the lyre. Rotating the wheel with his right hand, he presses the keys with the fingers of his left hand. Lyra sounds strong, but somewhat nasal and buzzing.

When playing while sitting the instrument is held on the lap when playing standing - are suspended on a belt over the shoulder, neck to the left and with an inclination, so that the keys, under the influence of their own gravity, protrude from the melodic string. Rotating the wheel with the right hand and pressing the keys with the left fingers, play a melody; bourdon strings sound continuously (unless muted). The sound of the lyre is buzzing, nasal. Its quality depends to a large extent on the wheel: it must have an exact centering, a completely smooth and well rubbed with resin (rosin) rim. The lyre scale is diatonic, its volume is about two octaves.

History

In the X-XIII centuries. the wheeled lyre was a bulky instrument ( organistrum), which was played by two people. The instrument was used in monasteries, church music was performed on it. By the 15th century, the wheeled lyre had lost its popularity and became an instrument of beggars and vagabonds, often blind and crippled, who sang songs, poems, and fairy tales to an unpretentious accompaniment. During the Baroque era, the instrument flourished again. In the 18th century, the wheeled lyre became a fashionable toy for French aristocrats who were fond of rural life.

Written information about the existence of a wheeled lyre in Russia dates back to the 17th century. (Legends of contemporaries about Dm. Pretender). Perhaps she was brought here from Ukraine. Soon the lyre became widespread in the folk environment, as well as in the court and boyar musical life. The lyra was mainly used by wandering musicians-singers (most often kaliks, pedestrians), who sang folk songs, spiritual poetry and danced to its accompaniment. Nowadays, the lyre is rare.

The lyre was predominantly distributed among wandering professional musicians who sang spiritual poems, everyday and especially humorous songs, and sometimes thoughts to its accompaniment. Among the lyre players there were many blind men who went with their guides from village to village, from city to city, to market squares and wedding feasts. The lyre was considered a more suitable instrument for playing at weddings than due to its loud sound and cheerful repertoire.

In Ukraine, there were special lyre schools with a fairly large number of students. So, for example, in the 60s. XIX century. in with. Kossy (in Podil) taught by lyre player M. Kolesnichenko up to thirty people at the same time. The eldest of them practiced playing in neighboring villages at bazaars and weddings, and they gave the money and food they earned to the mentor as tuition and maintenance fees, since they were fully dependent on him. After completing his studies, the young musician took an examination in knowledge of the repertoire and mastery of playing the lyre. The exam took place with the participation of "grandfathers" - old experienced lyre players. The teacher who passed the test gave the instrument and the so-called “vizvilka” (obviously, from the word “vizvil” - “liberation”) - the right to play independently. Initiation into the lyre was accompanied by a special rite: the teacher hung on himself the lyre intended as a reward for the student, the student covered it with his scroll, after which the instrument strap was thrown from the teacher's neck to the student's neck, and the teacher lowered a coin into the resonator slot of the case - for good luck.

Lirniks united into groups (corporations), and each of them, headed by a tsekhmister (tsekhmeister), or nomad, had its own strictly defined territory of activity; playing elsewhere was prohibited. Violators of the order were subjected to severe punishment (up to the deprivation of the right to play), and their instrument was taken away from them.

Until the end of the last - the beginning of this century, the lyre was so popular in Ukraine that N.V. Lysenko even suggested that it would eventually replace it. However, this did not come true: it withstood the "competition" and received further development, and the lyre came to almost complete oblivion. The reason for this was the limitedness of her musical-expressive and technical means and timbre specificity - nasalness. But the most important reason is undoubtedly the fact that the social environment in which the instrument was used disappeared during the Soviet era.

During the Soviet years, the lyre was subjected to various improvements. A very original instrument was designed by I. M. Sklyar. It has 9 strings, tuned in minor thirds, and an accordion-type keyboard mechanism, thanks to which it can easily and quickly learn to play the accordion player. The wooden wheel has been replaced by a plastic transmission band for a smoother sound. With the help of a special device, the degree of pressure of the tape on the string can be changed, thereby changing the strength of the sound of the instrument. Lyres of improved samples are occasionally used in ensembles and orchestras of folk instruments.

Time for an extraordinary take-off the instrument survived about two hundred years ago in France, when professional musicians became interested in it. Many works have been written specifically for the organistrum.

Wheeled lyre in our time

Now the instrument has practically disappeared from folk music, but not all musicians have consigned it to oblivion.

In Belarus, the wheeled lyre is a member of the State Orchestra and the orchestral group of the State Folk Choir of Belarus, it is used by the musicians of the Pesnyary ensemble. In Russia it is played by: musician and composer Andrei Vinogradov, multi-instrumentalist Mitya Kuznetsov (Ethno-Kuznya), a group from Rybinsk “Raznotravie”, etc.

Abroad, hardy-gardy can be heard, for example, at R. Blackmore's concerts in the Blackmore's Night project.

Wheeled lyre (hardy-gardy) used former members the Led Zeppelin bands Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in the joint project “No Quarter. Unledded ". The instrument was played by the performer Nigel Eaton (Nigel Eaton). At the moment, the wheel lyre can be found among the arsenal of musical instruments of the group In Extremo (in particular, in their song "Captus Est" from the single "Nur Ihr Allein").

Video: Wheel lyre on video + sound

Thanks to these videos, you can get acquainted with the instrument, watch a real game on it, listen to its sound, feel the specifics of the technique: