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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | So a guy brings in a balalaika for me to restring. The thing needs some work before the strings go on it, and I was wondering what a balalaika would sound like. I went to Youtube and this happened to be the first guy I clicked on.
WOW!!!! HOW does he get all of that music out of three strings? Not only is he an amazing player, but he's an amazing showman, and you can see how much fun he's having.
This is over 9 minutes long, but I encourage you to listen to the whole thing so you can see all of the changes he goes through. Even at 9 minutes, the thing cuts off at the end. But I listened to a lot of the others by him and they are all just plain stunning!
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=F6pPP2kfHzU |
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Location: Suisun City, Ca | Wow!
Victor Borgia! |
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Location: Chicago | Staggering. Thanks, Alison. The name of the tune implies a busker, an "organ grinder" hence the initial pantomime (cranking, asking for money from passersby). I was blown away by the sound of the bells he conjured as he looked up the snow during "Jingle Bells". Holy Shat! |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | That is Awesome!
And I listened to some of his other stuff too. |
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Posts: 4226
Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Three strings!
I can't get that much music out of 12 strings!
He is seriously impressive! |
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April 2010
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Location: sitting at my computer | uh oh, thinkin' alike again Patch... well almost... I was gonna say with 6 strings.  CS, ya gotta show that video to the guy who brought the balalaika in. Maybe he plays like that too??!! 
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Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | The guy doesn't play at all. As a matter of fact, his balalaika is probably unplayable. The fool GLUED the bridge to the top. He used Gorilla glue! I explained to him about moving the bridge into the right place to get the correct intonation, but he said he doesn't care if it sounds out of tune.
WHY(!!!!!) do people attempt to "fix" things they know NOTHING about???!!!! And then bring it to ME asking me to fix THEIR mistakes????
On the other hand, I did some research on balalaikas, just in case I have to have one. A good one is expensive. I saw one on a website for $3,000. And that was for a small one. They make bass and contra bass balalaikas too. They look very strange. Google it and you'll see what I mean. |
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Location: sitting at my computer | interesting to see what an internet search will dig up... I googled balaliaka sale (which google then auto-spell-corrected, d'oh!) and from the resulting list I saw this rant about how balalaikas were banned from the US for 70 years... http://americanews.ru/en/h49/16940.html .... ooooooookee-dow-key next clicked on Roosebeck Balalaika Prima, sale priced at $249.95, from Handcrafted World Instruments in Orlando, FL http://www.handcraftedworldinstruments.com/Roosebeck_Balalaika_Prima_p/bllp.htm soooo, I'm guessin' that "ban" got lifted!!?? LOL also saw this one that (was) for sale (sorry CS) that looked interesting/authentic (?)... page has some tutorial videos too! http://www.barynya.com/balalaika/for_sale.htm if I ever end up with one, I'm gonna blame you CS!! |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | The video is awesome Allison...I've got a cool one from 1973 downstairs...I haven't played mine either...but it makes a great conversation starter...bought it in 1995 at a music store in Minsk, Belarus...no case...it's a miracle it survived the flight home...
Edited by MusicMishka 2013-05-09 2:56 PM
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | CanterburyStrings - 2013-05-09 9:26 AM WHY(!!!!!) do people attempt to "fix" things they know NOTHING about???!!!! And then bring it to ME asking me to fix THEIR mistakes???? ...and here's us trying to convince Meredith to do her own maintenance... |
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April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | muzza - ...and here's us trying to convince Meredith to do her own maintenance... yeah, but nobody's told her to Gorilla glue anything... at least not yet! |
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Location: Flahdaw | What I found amazing was I didn't hear anyone in the audience cough even once. If that was in the US you would hear 378 coughs, 23 sneezes, 2 or 3 farts, and a gunshot. |
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Location: Steeler Nation, Hudson Valley Contingent | Not to mention cell phones.... |
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Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | RE: WHY(!!!!!) do people attempt to "fix" things they know NOTHING about???!!!! And then bring it to ME asking me to fix THEIR mistakes????
I have been both the initiator and the responder on this... its good to work in steps or surround yourself with knowledgable people (and be prepared to write a check).
Gorilla Glue is a one-way ticket... |
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March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | you can find 3 and 6 string balalaikas. 6-string version was quite common in Ukraine, Poland and other eastern european countries, so you can find some decent instruments here for few bucks (literally).
if anyone is interested -> biggest polish auction portal (since ebay is not very popular here) http://allegro.pl |
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April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | and as mentioned, they come in various sizes... Balalaika Orchestra playing "Yesterday" (The Beatles) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjdDq0IqBDc hmm, the big guy has the littlest one, and a little guy has the biggest one |
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December 2010
Posts: 15
Location: London,UK | Hi - sorry I've come to this discussion late in the day, but here's a band playing Russian music in England with a prima balalaika (the standard one) and a bass balalaika (not the biggest as that is the contrabass) and that's me playing my 1982 Ovation 1624-4! www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGC--QLDyxY |
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OT: Balalaika
