Greek baglamas played in Kazakh dombra (dombira) style - D g tuning

Baglamas, smallest instrument of the Greek bouzouki family, played similarly to Kazakh dombra (dombira, dombyra).

Two single strings tuned to fourths is the most commonly used interval; the D g used here is the concert tuning and was easy to access from my standard tuning D(d) A(A) d(d). The second most used tuning in fifths is mostly used by tuning the D down to C, rather than the G up to A. I am obviously using my regular baglamas strings here, which are metal. But dombrists will string their instruments with nylon or gut strings... Or fishing line. I have seen both tied nylon or gut, but also fixed frets.

Even though a folk instrument used to tell epic tales with, the dombra has found it’s way into orchestras. The name domb(i)ra is a corruption of the Greek tambourás. Similarly to the words tambourine and tabor, it means “drum” or “cylinder” in Persian and Arabic. The original Greek name for fretted, long neck lutes was pandoura, itself a word with an unclear pre-Greek origin. Don’t confuse it with the three single string domra played in Russia and Ukraine, which is the direct ancestor of the balalaika.

#tambouras