Folk Bandura Book #1
PDF, 27 pages, letter size. Use it as a first practice packet for getting comfortable with the 22-string folk bandura layout.
Folk bandura reference library
Folk bandura videos and resources.
This page collects useful videos and reference material for people researching Starosvitska folk banduras, Ukrainian folk instruments, tuning, strings, construction ideas, and repair questions.
Why this page exists
A focused place for folk bandura learning.
Good information about older folk banduras can be scattered. This page is meant to become a practical reference shelf: videos worth watching, notes about the 22-string Starosvitska layout, and links that help players understand the difference between folk banduras, concert banduras, kobzas, and related Ukrainian instruments.
This page now includes a downloadable exercise book, a tuning and string guide, repair and commission notes, six YouTube videos, and curated links to broader bandura history and scholarship.
Getting started
Download the folk bandura exercise book.
Folk Bandura Book #1 is a simple 27-page starter exercise book for Starosvitska folk bandura study. It collects early scale, interval, bass-pattern, and short etude work into one printable PDF.
Tuning and strings
A practical D major starting setup.
My current folk bandura layout is a 22-string setup: 5 bass strings and 17 treble strings. I use D major as the starting point because it gives the instrument a simple, useful home base for early exercises, drones, and folk-song accompaniment.
String map
Five bass-side strings
D3G3A3D4G4
Treble pattern
The treble side continues through the D major collection, with F-sharp and C-sharp in the upper range. The exact string plan can change if the instrument, tuning goal, or string gauges call for it.
What matters most
Do not think of the gauges as a universal recipe. They are a working baseline for my metal-string builds. Older instruments may need different tension, lighter gauges, or a different target pitch.
Before changing tuning
Send the desired notes, current string count, scale length if you know it, and clear photos of the bridge, nut, pegs, and string path. The safe answer depends on the whole instrument, not just the note names.
Full chart and tuner
The homepage has the full note, frequency, and gauge table plus the browser tuner.
Open tuning chartFolk bandura basics
What I mean by Starosvitska / folk bandura.
The word bandura can point to several related Ukrainian instruments. My work focuses on smaller folk banduras, not modern concert or Poltava-style instruments.
My standard layout
A typical build uses 22 strings: 5 basses and 17 trebles. The format is compact, direct, and suited to folk-song accompaniment and personal study.
Not a concert bandura
Modern concert banduras often have many more strings, chromatic mechanisms, and a different performance tradition. I do not currently build or repair concert or Poltava-style banduras.
Kobza questions
A kobza is related but distinct. I may consider a kobza-inspired commission if the project is clear and the customer wants to reason through the design together.
Repair and commission prep
What to send before asking about work.
A clear first message saves time. These details help me understand whether a repair, part, or custom build makes sense.
For repair questions
- Full front and back photos of the instrument
- Close photos of the bridge, nut, pegs, cracks, loose parts, and string path
- Current tuning, string count, and any known history
- What changed: buzz, slipping peg, broken string, crack, bridge movement, or tuning trouble
For custom builds
- Desired tuning or musical use
- Wood, finish, decoration, or historical inspiration
- Whether you want a standard 22-string layout or something experimental
- Timeline, shipping location, and budget expectations
Starter video library
Videos for folk bandura research.
These videos are included as a starting reference collection. Open them on YouTube to watch. Keeping them as linked video cards avoids embedded-player errors and keeps this reference page fast and clean.
Play
Folk bandura reference video 1
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTube
Play
Folk bandura reference video 2
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTube
Play
Folk bandura reference video 3
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTube
Play
Folk bandura reference video 4
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTube
Play
Folk bandura reference video 5
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTube
Play
Folk bandura reference video 6
A starting reference video for studying folk bandura sound, playing, construction, or context.
Open on YouTubeFurther bandura reading
Other useful bandura references.
These outside references help explain the broader bandura tradition. Many focus on concert, Kharkiv, Kyiv, or historical banduras; my own building work is narrower and focused on smaller Starosvitska / folk banduras.
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus
A major North American ensemble dedicated to Ukrainian bandura and choral tradition.
Visit bandura.orgBandura History
An accessible overview of bandura history from the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus.
Read the history pageEncyclopedia of Ukraine
A concise encyclopedia entry covering bandura construction, stringing, and historical development.
Read the encyclopedia entryUkrainian Bandurist Chorus History
Background on the ensemble tradition and Ukrainian bandura history in North America.
Read UBC historyBandura As A Chordophone
An academic article on bandura morphology, tuning, and instrument development.
Open the articleBandura Art And Ukrainian Identity
A scholarly article on bandura history and its role in Ukrainian national musical identity.
Open the article