Balalaika range

The balalaika’s range in notes and hertz

That is the prima, in E–E–A. A souvenir instrument has 16 frets; an orchestral one has 24. The secunda, alto and bass balalaikas are larger instruments with their own lower ranges.

Written and sounding pitch

Balalaika music is usually read from tab, letters or numbers rather than a staff, so there is no conventional written range to give. The notes above are the pitches you hear.

Instruments with a similar range

The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the balalaika’s:

• Violin · G3–E7 22 notes shared
• Viola · C3–D7 22 notes shared
• Cello · C2–A6 22 notes shared
• Erhu · D4–A7 22 notes shared
• 7-string guitar · B1–C♯6 22 notes shared
• 8-string guitar · F♯1–C♯6 22 notes shared

Tune it, play it

• Balalaika tuner — tune by microphone, with the balalaika’s own target notes.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Wikipedia, Balalaika
• Range computed from the open strings (E4 to A4) and the fret count (16 to 24 frets).