Vargans&Komus

Altai Komus(vargan)

Altai komuses are small, with higher basic tones, large sustain and shrill overtones. They are easy to learn and play. The most famous altai komus craftsmen are Potkin brothers from Gorno-Altaysk.


Russian vargan

Russian vargan (jaw harp) is a small elegant musical instrument. VARGAN - is an ancient Russian instrument. It looks like a small metal horseshoe with a steel tongue and a hook on it in the centre of the horseshoe. It is a jew's harp in which on end of the lamella is fixed to the middle of a metal frame and the other is bent at a right angle.
Also, in Europe vargans are very popular - especially in Germany and Austria.
This instrument was widespread in many countries and in 19th century in Germany a special composition for "vargan" and symphonic orchestra was written.
In Russia vargan along with the gusli (ancient Russian string instrument) was found at archeological dig sites of Velikiy (Great) Novgorod city and is dated by 14 century.


Bashkir metal vargan

The kubyz as all other kinds of the vargan is a reed-and-plucked instrument, which combines certain distinctive features of reed, plucked and wind musical instruments. Earlier, it was classified as a self-sound-producing plucked instrument (according to E. Hombostel and K. Sachs), however, investigation of the vargan acoustic and design features and the ways of sound-production shows that the kubyz is outside the above classification. The kubyz (vargan) does not produce any sound unless the performer makes it do so. The whole range of its tones is prodused not only by the vibrating reed but also by the force of the performer's respiratory and articulatory organs.