DUMBYRA

DUMBYRA, a stringed Bashk. folk mus. instrument. Wooden body of D. has a pearshaped, hemispherical or oval flat shape and bould be either hollowed out or glued. Length – approx. 800 mm, neck with 19 inset modes. Has 3 strings (nylon or metal) and a quinte quartz construction. The sound is extracted by the fingers or the mediator on all strings, with the upper string leading the melody and the lower strings emitting a bourdon sound. Between the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries D. was no longer popular. In the early 80s, V.Sh.Shugayupov reconstructed D. Later he and other masters created orchestral varieties of this instrument (soprano, viola and bass). Used as an accompaniment to legends performance (ref. Epic), aityshes and kubairs. Solo, ensemble and orchestral instruments are used in professional music. Similar instruments are spread among many Turkic peoples.