Things You'll Need:
- Chair
- Large pick, possibly made of leather
- Tuning wrench
- Electronic tuner
-
Step 1
The biggest job, besides transporting it from home to stage, is tuning it. There are several dozens of strings on it, and in fact, if you open up a piano and look inside, it looks very similar. Unless you are trained as a piano tuner, you will really need to invest in an electronic tuner that will blink a green light when you get each string in tune. Electronic tuning is not recommended for pianos, because they will sound flat if tuned strictly electronically. But the gusli, being somewhat smaller than a piano and transported a lot, will need tuning much more often.
-
Step 2
You will be playing this instrument by forming chords with your left hand on the small piano-like keyboard on the left and strumming with your right hand on the open horizontal strings on the right. If you don't already know piano chords, you will need to learn some, and piano chord charts you can print out are linked from the Resources section of this article.
-
Step 3
The gusli is frequently heard in Russian balalaika orchestras, of which there are a dozen or two in the United States and Canada. If there is one in a city near you, join up and show off your wonderful instrument. The gusli adds quite a sparkle to the repertoire and rightfully sits center stage. It should not be hidden away.
