Complete Balalaika Book

Bibs Ekkel

Aug 2011 · Mel Bay Publications

About this ebook

The balalaika is most often associated with Russian folklore. In this comprehensive method book, concert and recording artist Bibs Ekkel shares his extensive knowledge of the balalaika as taught in Russia today. This 160-page book is divided into four sections: an extensive Foreword, the Tutor, A Brief History of the Balalaika, and a Repertoire Section. The Complete Balalaika Book does not begin with the rudiments of music notation. Rather, the 20-page Foreword offer insights on the tunings of all the instruments in the balalaika family, hand positions, string sources and height adjustment, and chord shapes. The author even describes how to make a bass balalaika pick from shoe leather. The Tutor or instruction segment is written for the 'prima balalaika' which is correctly played with the fingers only rather than with a pick. The Tutor jumps right in with exercises and tunes in quarter, eighth, and sixteenth-note values with occasional dotted notes and syncopation. Perhaps half of the music in this section is shown in both standard notation and tablature.

A glossary of musical signs and Russian musical terns is included. A Brief History of the Balalaika is well written and nicely illustrated. The Repertoire Section offers a valuable resource of Eastern European folk tunes. All but two selections in this section are written in both notation and tab with suggested guitar chords, the exceptions being an arrangement for balalaika and piano, and a balalaika orchestra score. More than simple melody chord lead sheets, these are the author's own arrangements of tunes for solo balalaika and balalaika orchestra. Online audio with selections performed by the author completes this highly effective instructional package.

About the author

Born in London, U.K., of mixed Polish-English background, Bibs Ekkel is one of few outstanding exponents of the balalaika outside Russia. His career as a professional balalaika player has covered con­ certs, cabaret, recordings, films, and innumerable radio and TV appearances throughout Europe and North America. It has earned him recognition too in

the balalaika's Motherland, where he has performed on radio and TV as well as at Moscow's prestigious "Hall of Columns" and "Tchaikovsky Hall." He has lectured on Russian folk music at American Universities, coauthored a BBC radio educational series on the subject and worked as Russian music adviser for several BBC TV productions. He has also had Russian and Polish speaking roles in a variety of movies. In addition to his activities as soloist, Bibs Ekkel runs a highly successful Russian music and dance ensemble, "Tziganka" (which has toured internationally since 1975), an instrumental quartet "Balalaika Potpourri" (started by him in Vancouver in 1989, soon after his move there from London), and the duo "Russian Tornado" (specifically aimed at school concerts). Some of his many recordings have been issued by "Russkiy Disk" Moscow, CBS Israel, and "Decca" in London.