Why I play Balalaika (and you should, too!)
My own Balalaika, a 1980 Soviet model, made in occasion for the Olimpic games
But what is a Balalaika?
The Balalaika (Russian: балала́йка) is a traditional instrument from the European Russian-speaking area, mainly Ukraine and Russia. It is an instrument with a typical triangular shape, three strings and a long, rather thin neck. Probably derived from the Domra, it is still widely used today. In this article I will talk in particular about the standard "little" balalaika, which is more commonly used, rather than the larger variants.
Why should I play it?
The balalaika is not an extremely easy instrument, but with a certain amount of perseverance, it allows you to quickly train your hands to a good speed in the use of the instruments, as well as, in a short time, to give satisfying results For example, this is me, after less than 3 months of practice:
(sorry for the sound quality, the microphone of my mobile phone is terrible)
The song is 'Fischia il vento', (The wind whistles) a partisan song based on the Russian folk song 'Katjuša'
These results came in a short time, when with instruments such as guitars or mandolins it takes much longer, given the many strings and the generally more technical and complex instrument. The secret is the tuning of the Balalaika (E-E-A), where the melody is played on the A string, while the first and second strings are used as accompaniment (at most the middle E string is used to reach notes too low for the A string), while the first string is used to give pitch to the piece, usually pressed on the fourth or fifth fret. This tuning, generally taken as limiting (so much so that I've seen people tuning it to E-A-D), is actually a great trick for learning, given the virtual absence of chords (this does not mean the don't exist, simply they are not so much used), which makes it much more appealing even to those who didn't previously play any instrument, but meanwhile holding extreme and very wide potential for experienced musicians.
Moreover, due to its origins and history, the balalaika has never been played by particularly technical musicians, on the contrary; this results in a certain tolerance and making it out of tune is difficult.
Why not ukulele?
Because Stalin sees you, capitalist pig.
An (approximate) size comparison
Joking aside, in my experience the ukulele is much less playable than the balalaika, as it has a short and wide neck, while the latter has a longer and more manageable neck, on which you are better able to do complex fingerings.
Regarding money...
The Balalaika is not an instrument with a particularly complex construction, relegated mainly to a peasant environment, and therefore can be found online at very good prices. The price, at least in Italy, is between 30 and 60 euros, but if you live in America the prices might naturally go up (thanks McCarthyism!).
If you want to, and are decently skilled in woodworking, you can make one yourself, the process is not too difficult.
Or, pushing your skills to extremes, this mad guy has even built an electric one, so after the Kino, you will become the new Soviet rock stars.