Elementary Method for the Balalaika

The bag fits perfect, the calendar is great and my book, easy to understand. My experience is great

When I got my balalaika I ordered this book and I've really been amazed at how effective it is. I've tried similar books for other instruments before with limited success and I expected about the same results with this one. All I can say is that this one has been way, way better. Dorozhkin gives a well-structure yet very engaging approach to learning the balalaika, even explaining which strings to use and how to divide your practice time. Each lesson includes tablature but he also teaches you to read the music notation a little bit at a time. If you really follow his directions (which include practicing for 1.5 to 2.5 hours a day) you will be playing surprisingly beautiful music in no time. I am very pleased with this book, probably the best ten bucks I've ever spent.

This book feels dated for obvious reasons, and it can be a little awkward to follow, so I’d normally give it 4/5, but it gets a bonus star for essentially being the only method book of its kind out there. Is certainly not bad, but it could use a facelift.

This is the best beginner's book for the balalaika you can get. Not only does it teaches you the basics of the balalaika, it also gives you some general music information too, like reading sheet music, which is a must since by mid-book it stops giving you tabs to follow and instead full measures of sheet music for all the exercises. My biggest complaint is the brevity of the book. All of the lessons are pretty much, "Here's a paragraph of your next lesson, here's two songs of exercises for this lesson, and now let's move onto the next." This is why I recommend you buy this book in companion with "Mel Bay's Complete Balalaika Book" by Bibs Ekkel. Not only does Ekkel greatly expand on these little tidbits, but where the Mel Bay's book is a little too technical for the musically illiterate, this book makes up for it.

Clear and concise instructions.

Basic teaching with practice songs

Used to be impossible to obtain this basic primer anywhere, but since de-Sovietization it's been a little easier. So if you're thinking about learning or teaching someone else, hurry and get this. Things are so unsettled in Russia, who knows when they'll stop allowing US musicians to learn it? Only one that's better is Bibs Ekkel's, and it is for accomplished musicians +quite pricey when you can get it.

I can't review the book's context, it is was for someone else. However, the front cover arrived with folds and deep scratches. The packaging was fine. I can only assume it was sent out like that 👎🏼

Muy bueno. Está todo de acuerdo con las expectativas que esperaba. Una recibido lo he leído y volveré a leerlo muchas veces.

Dommage pour la rédaction en anglais

A good book which is easy to follow.

Came very fast, within a week of purchase. Easy to understand and simple concepts for a beginner to understand. Love it!

I am new to this instrument but play other stringed instruments. The guidelines and advice are very clear. This book encourages more finger picking, compared with another book which mainly encourages chord strumming. Good value.