Gudok

Description

A gudok usually had three strings, with two tuned in unison and serving as a drone, while the third was tuned a fifth higher. At the bridge all three strings lay in the same plane, allowing the bow to sound them simultaneously. Some gudoks also included up to eight sympathetic strings beneath the sounding board, which contributed a warm and rich tone. The player held the instrument on the lap, similar to a cello or viola da gamba, but could also play it standing or dancing, a feature that made it popular among skomorokhs.

In the 12th century and probably earlier, the gudok lacked a neck for pressing strings; instead, players stopped the strings from the side with fingernails, like the Byzantine lyra. By the 14th century, some versions had acquired a proper neck. The Russian gudok disappeared as a folk instrument for several centuries, and all current examples are replicas based on parts found in Novgorod excavations. Attempts to revive the gudok include Borodin's opera Prince Igor, which features a 'Gudok Player's Song' as an artistic reconstruction of its possible sound.