One of the most popular and best known of the Central Asian lutes, with a unique triangular body shape.

Developed from unstandardised folk lutes by the nobleman Andreyev in the late 18th century into a whole family of instruments with standard tunings, the balalaika has become one of the most important plucked stringed instruments in Eastern Europe, and the quintessential lute in Russia and the Ukraine.

The most common size is the prima balalaika, tuned EEA, played with the fingers with a wide variety of techniques. It is strung with a metal A and 2 nylon Es, and the concert model has a range of 2 and a half chromatic octaves. One feature is the offset 2nd string, closer to the 3rd string than the 1st, facilitating the use of the left hand thumb, a significant part of the playing technique. The Second balalaika is a bit larger and is tuned AAD; the Alto larger yet and tuned an octave below the prima. Bass balalaikas are tuned EAD and Contrabass EAD an octave lower. These may be played with a leather pick.