The domra is a plucked string instrument with a hemispherical body and a long neck, played with a plectrum. Its chief expressive colour is the tremolo: a rapid repetition of a note that turns a short pluck into a continuous singing line.
In the 20th century the domra became one of the leading melodic sections of Ukrainian folk-instrument orchestras, where it carries the theme alongside banduras, tsymbaly, and sopilkas. Domras come in various sizes — from piccolo to bass — forming a whole “family” akin to the string section of a symphony orchestra. The conservatories of Kyiv, Lviv, and Kharkiv maintain strong schools of domra playing that have produced many international competition laureates.
