Dombra

The dombra (домбыра or dombyra in Kazakh, dambura, dambura, in Uzbekistan, dumbyra in Volga Tatar and Bashkir, tumpyra or tumra in Siberian Tatar, danbura in Hazaragi) is a long-necked lute and a musical string instrument.

The instrument shares some of its characteristics with the komuz and dutar.

Varieties

The instrument differs slightly in different regions. The Kazakh dombra has frets and is played by strumming with the hand or plucking each string individually, with an occasional tap on the main surface of the instrument. While the strings are traditionally made of sinew, modern dombras are usually produced using nylon strings. One of the greatest dombra players was the Kazakh folk musician and composer Kurmangazy, who had a great influence on the development of Kazakh musical culture, including music for the dombra; his musical composition "Adai" is popular in Kazakhstan and abroad.

In 2012 the elektrodomra was created.

The Turkestani and Badakhshani damburas are fretless with a body and neck carved from a single block of wood, usually mulberry or apricot. The dambura is played with much banging and scratching on the instrument to help give a percussive sound. The two strings are made of nylon (in modern times) or gut. They cross a short bridge to a pin at the other end of the body. There is a tiny sound hole in the back of the instrument, while the top is thick wood. It is not finished with any varnish, filing/sanding of any kind, and as with all other Afghan instruments there is some decoration.