Kurai is not only an extremely useful medicinal plant, it can also produce amazingly beautiful music. This plant has a hollow stem, when it is gnawed by worms, the holes begin to sound under the influence of the wind. Legend has it that one young man, having heard these wonderful sounds, went to meet them and saw the plants emitting them. He put one to his lips and began to play, since then kurai has been used as a musical instrument.
Instructions
Step 1
When making kurai, do not use young plants, wait until the end of summer - early autumn, as the stems should get stronger thoroughly. Cut the plants as follows: grasp the stem with your hands, measure 8-10 times the width of your palm, and then cut. Then dry the workpieces well in a place protected from sunlight and make five holes. Cut the holes from the bottom, one at a distance of two fingers, three more at a distance of two fingers, and the last one on the back. Make the length of the kurai from 570 mm to 810 mm. Also keep in mind the following point: the walls of the plant should not be too thick, otherwise you will not be able to achieve high-quality sound while playing. In ancient times, the masters managed to deceive nature, they cut the kurai right during its flowering, and then filled its stem with fine sand, as a result, the stem turned out to be hard and thin enough.
Step 2
In museums, there are kurai made of various metals. It is worth noting that true connoisseurs do not approve of samples made of iron, aluminum, copper, they even claim that such instruments can be harmful to human health. Although in ancient times, kurai were often made from precious metals, this was considered prestigious. Modern Bashkir musicians use wood kurai in their arsenal, but true connoisseurs still consider a vegetable instrument beyond any competition.
Step 3
It should be borne in mind that the art of playing the kurai requires the ability to play with the so-called chest voice. A light whistle is only for a beginner, while a professional must perform the melody very gently and penetratingly, but at the same time sonorously, the music must have a powerful effect on the listener. If you listen to the sounds of kurai in nature, among the mountains, then you will definitely feel how harmoniously this instrument merges with the surrounding nature, as if it becomes its integral part.
