The Dombra Explained

The dombra is a long-necked plucked lute from Kazakhstan. It serves as the principal national instrument of the country.

A standard dombra has 2 strings, usually nylon.

The dombra used for song accompaniment has fewer frets.

Frets were originally tied gut or sinew wrapped around the neck. Today they are fixed metal or nylon line.

Players use 2 main techniques. Tökpe means pouring and uses rapid alternating strokes on both strings together.

Al-Farabi described a similar lute around c. 950 in his Great Book of Music. Similar instruments appear in medieval archaeological evidence.

A küy is a short solo piece lasting 2 to 4 minutes. This art form joined the UNESCO heritage list in 2014.

An electrified version called the electrodombra was developed in the early 2010s. It is played by the band Ulytau.