Editing Seven-string guitar (section)

===Russian ===
{{Main|Russian guitar}}
[[Image:Tropinin gitarist.jpg|thumb|200px|"The Guitar Player" by V.A. Tropinin (1823)]]
The '''Russian guitar''' or '''gypsy guitar''' is a seven-string acoustic guitar tuned to the [[open G tuning]] (DGBDGBD),<ref>{{harvtxt|Casey|2003}}</ref> which arrived or was developed early in the 19th century in [[Russia]], possibly as a development of the [[cittern]], the [[kobza]] and the [[torban]]. It is known in Russia as the semistrunnaya gitara ({{lang|ru|семиструнная гитара}}) or affectionately as the semistrunka ({{lang|ru|семиструнка}}).

Its invention was popularized by [[Andrei Sychra]], who also wrote a method for the guitar, as well as over one thousand compositions, seventy-five of which were republished in the 1840s by [[Stellovsky]], and then again in the 1880s by [[Gutheil]]. Some of these were published again in the [[Soviet Union]] in 1926. Andrei Sychra in his notation, marks with a number between 1 and 4 where to fret the 7th string with the thumb. Another way that Andrei Sychra took advantage of this guitar's innovation was through natural harmonics. Because of the three strings tuned to D, harmonics could be played in synchronization.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/rmcg/sychra.htm |title=Andrei Sychra: Variations on the Russian folk song: "Of all the Flowers, I loved the Rose the Best" for the Russian seven-string guitar |date=22 February 2008 |website=Guitar and Lute Issues.com |access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref>

Early instruments used gut, and later silk strings; rarely wire. In the 20th century these instruments commonly used nylon strings, like western classical guitars, though by the last third of the century both nylon-strung "classical" and metal-strung "gypsy" versions of the instrument were both plentiful. Whatever material was used for stringing, the Russian guitar is traditionally played without a pick, using fingers for either strumming or picking. The origins of the 7 string most likely came from the English "guittar" popular in the late 18th century. The added string created an extra dimension for bass notes as well as opening up chord possibilities. The seventh string is also likely to have been influenced by the [[harp]] as it is meant to played [[Arpeggio|arpeggiated]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lutheriefg-reparations.blogspot.com//2016/02/scriptie-7-string-russian-guitar-or.htm |title=Lutherie guitare François Gregoire - Réparations |website=lutheriefg-reparations.blogspot.com}} {{Dead link|date=April 2018}}</ref> It also happens that the open D tuning was a perfect fourth lower than the six string tuning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justclassicalguitar.com/pen&nail/7strings.php |title=The Seven-String Guitar in 19th-Century Russian Culture |first1=O. |last1=Timofeyev |first2=M. |last2=Bazzotti |website=Just Classical Guitar |access-date=20 April 2018}}</ref> The open D string tuning of this guitar was convenient for many Russian folk songs and dances that were typically within the major key. Along with the added interval possibilities came new techniques not previously seen with 6th string guitars.

The Russian version of the seven-string guitar has been used by professionals, because of its great flexibility and its sound, but has also been popular with amateurs for accompaniment (especially [[Bard (Soviet Union)|Russian bards]]) due to the relative simplicity of some basic chords and the ease of playing [[alternating bass]] lines. While greatly popular in Russia and Ukraine, this type of guitar has only recently been generating some interest outside of its traditional homeland.

<gallery>
Image:RussianSevenStringTuning.jpg|Tuning of the Russian guitar
Image:FSmajorRussianGuitar.jpg|An F{{music|#}} major chord
Image:BminorchordRussianGuitar.jpg|A B minor chord
</gallery>

The earliest music published for a seven-string guitar was in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 15 December 1798. The school was owned by [[Ignác František Held]] (1766, [[Třebechovice pod Orebem]], [[Bohemia]] – 1816, [[Brest-Litovsk]], [[Russia]]).

Standard tuning for the Russian guitar is: D2 G2 B2 D3 G3 B3 D4
with a very common "classical" variant being C2 G2 B2 D3 G3 B3 D4

Other tunings include:
* G-C-E-G-C-E-G ("Big guitar") ([[Open C]])
* F-B{{music|b}}-D-F-B{{music|b}}-D-F (1/3rd guitar) ([[Open Bb]])
* E-A-B-D-G-B-D
* E-G-B-D-G-B-D
* D-G-C-D-G-B{{music|b}}-D
* B-F{{music|#}}-B-E-A-D-F{{music|#}}
* A-E-A-D-G-B-E
* A-D-G-C-F-A-D