Take a Musical Trip -- Russian folk music

   Russian folk music has a very unique sound that portrays their culture in a way that's hard to describe. When I hear Russian folk music it puts a picture of a winter scene with a babushka walking down a road holding wood or children practicing their native dance. What really makes their music unique is the instruments they play. Russian folk music mostly has instruments like Russian Spoons, Treshchotka, Zhaleika, Balalaika, and Dorma. Each instrument brings a different element to the music. The Balalaika brings a warm, rounded sound; the Zhaleika has a piercing, nasal, sad, and compassionate sound. While the Treshochotka has a crackling, thundering, racket sound, the Dorma has toner vocal sounds, and the Russian Spoons bring the clacking, slapper, and rattles element. 

   Russian folk music typically uses Octatonic scales, with whistling or harmonization in the background of the main lead. The instruments also blend together insanely well, which doesn't make sense. The melodies used in this kind of music mostly contain modal scales, often featuring unique melodic patterns, melisma, and sometimes yodeling. The timbre found in Russian folk music is like a controlled shouting, which is characterized by a bright, open-throat singing style which is commonly referred to as "white noise". This is obtained by utilizing the chest register, creating a distinctive and powerful vocal quality. Russian folk music also has a type of opera timbre to it, which can be obtained by using your diaphragm and lower lungs to project the notes. 

   The rhythm of these songs is often lively and energetic with a strong emphasis on simple beats. The dynamics of the songs are the tonal center of a melody that can shift frequently between keys, creating a sense of fluidity and sometimes even ambiguity in the overall key of the piece. This is called mutability and is often described as a fluctuation between major and minor keys within a song. 

   Russian folk music deeply impacts the Russian community by serving as a vital connection to their cultural heritage, national identity, and collective memory, often reflecting the joys, sorrow, and experiences of everyday life through its lyrics and melodies, thus providing a strong sense of belonging and unity across generations. Their folk songs are often found played at weddings, special occasions, and during the holidays. I find it very fascinating that every country has its own unique sound and type of music. I honestly love how Russian folk music sounds it is very different from what we commonly hear in the US. I love the sounds of the instruments and how each one stands out but at the same time, they blend together to make amazing music. I also love how each song has a perfect rhythm to dance to.

Here are some examples of the different types of Russian folk songs that I am referring to: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xycE4TPRSrY&list=PL9aXe 3mGFy0BcSmx_YZ3dkYmN0YddSur&index=3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg0N3xhOzc8&list=PL9aXe-3mGFy0BcSmx_YZ3dkYmN0YddSur&index=7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kbFQ3_b6ss&list=PL9aXe-3mGFy0BcSmx_YZ3dkYmN0YddSur&index=26

Resources:

Yurco, C. (2019) Exploring Russian folk music, Making Music Magazine. Available at: https://makingmusicmag.com/trio-veronezh/ (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

 Piters-Hofmann, L. (2019) How has Russian folk music shaped national identity and heritage, scispace - formally typeset  Papers. Available at: https://typeset.io/questions/how-has-russian-folk-music-shaped-national-identity-and-52y6rc8q8x (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

Prokhorov, V. (no date) Russian folk songs: Musical genres and history, Rowman & Littlefield. Available at: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780810841277/Russian-Folk-Songs-Musical-Genres-and-History#:~:text=Vadim%20Prokhorov.%20%22Russian%20folk%20songs%20are%20a,part%20in%20Russian%20life%2C%20culture%2C%20and%20music. (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

Balalaika (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balalaika#:~:text=The%20balalaika%20(Russian:%20%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%B9%D0%BA%D0%B0%2C,has%20been%20arranged%20for%20balalaikas. (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

Spoon (musical instrument) (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_(musical_instrument)#:~:text=When%20the%20pair%20is%20struck,spoons%20in%20the%20left%20hand. (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

Nessun Dorma (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nessun_dorma#:~:text=%22Nessun%20dorma%22%20(Italian:,tenor%20arias%20in%20all%20opera. (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

L., C., Robin, LaPasha (2006) Folk Percussion Instruments, Russian percussion. Available at: https://people.duke.edu/~ruslan/percuss.html (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

L., C., R., LaPasha (2006) Russwind, The RussWind Home Page. Available at: https://people.duke.edu/~ruslan/russwind.html#:~:text=Types%20of%20Zhaleika,side%2Dby%2Dside). (Accessed: 24 October 2024).

Zhaleika (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhaleika#:~:text=parts%20of%20Russia.-,Tuning,variations%20of%20modern%20zhaleika%20too. (Accessed: 24 October 2024).