Musical instrument komus
There are many amazing places in Altai. The peculiar culture, history, traditions attract tourists here from different parts of the country. And one of the interesting and iconic things is the komus musical instrument. If you wish, you can master the game on it and enjoy it.
Description
The musical instrument komus is called Altai's jew's harp in another way. The first acquaintance with this unusual object usually occurs when it is in the hands of a master. To play the komus fun, you first need to learn the simplest techniques.
The instrument itself fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. It is a rod, on both sides of which there are structures that are somewhat reminiscent of question marks. There is a tongue at the end of the rod. The tool is made of brass and steel, which are resistant to corrosion. The peculiarity of the instrument is that the sounds extracted from it directly depend on the breath and voice of the player. He uses his tongue, vocal cords, and lungs during the game. In addition, you need to breathe correctly when playing.
Craftsmen recommend storing the instrument in a case so that it is safe and sound and not exposed to external influences. And the person playing the jew's harp perceives it as a part of himself, his soul.
What are they?
Throughout the history of its existence, the instrument has slightly changed. The first users of jew's harps were shamans. It was believed that the tool helped them enter a trance in order to make or other predictions. At the beginning of the 20th century, the jew's harp in Altai could be rarely found; only a select few knew the secret of its manufacture. But these days, this instrument is available to anyone who wants to learn how to play it. There are craftsmen who have been making this instrument for many years.
- Vladimir Potkin. This Altai master has been making komus for fifteen years. It is believed that it was he who developed the modern form of the instrument, which is used now, and not only in Russia, but also in other countries.
- His brother Pavel also makes Altai jew's harps, but they have some differences. The sound of his instruments is lower. There are those who are closer to such nuances. After all, every musician chooses his own instrument.
- Alexander Minakov and Andrey Kazantsev make the jew's harp longer, and the hexagonal base helps to conveniently fix the instrument when playing.
How to play the komus?
It is not difficult to master the technique of the game itself; it will take several minutes. But you can endlessly improve your skills.
- First, press the base against the teeth, but so that there is a small space between the lower and upper rows. This will be the place for the tongue of the jew's harp.
- In the next step, the tongue should be pulled slightly towards the lips and released.
- It is convenient for someone to place the base of the instrument not near the teeth themselves, but between the lips. But the jaws should not be closed, because the tongue of the instrument should vibrate.
- When you manage to master the main stage, you can change the position of the tongue, pull in your cheeks, add breath and voice. All this will add personality to the game.
At first, painful sensations in the area of the teeth and tongue are possible. But there are also real virtuosos who do not even use their hands when playing: they push the tongue of the instrument with their own tongue. But this method can be practiced when the experience of playing with the hands has already been gained.
Legends and human influence
It is not known for certain how the komus appeared, but its effect on a person is known, in particular on his health: physical and spiritual. It is believed that when a person plays this instrument, he uses the entire body, learns to breathe correctly, he clears his thoughts, can be mentally transferred to any place. This is a kind of meditation. If you concentrate on something specific while playing the Altai jew's harp, you can materialize your desires. But thoughts in this case, of course, must be pure.
Its sound is so mesmerizing that ancient legends say that with the help of these sounds they spoke of their love, calmed children, pacified animals, cured diseases, and caused rain. It is believed that this instrument should have one owner. It is no coincidence that people believe that in difficult times you can turn to him for help. Playing such an instrument, you can come to some kind of solution.
As for the history of the origin of the komus, there is one legend that tells how a hunter walked through the forest and suddenly heard extraordinary sounds. He went in that direction and saw a bear sitting in a tree. Tugging at the wood chips, he made strange sounds. Then the hunter decided to make himself an instrument with an amazing sound. One way or another, but this mysterious tool has become available to the people. And nowadays, many seek to experience its magical power.
See below for an example of the sound of cumus.
