Tsimbaly
(or hammer dulcimer) from Belarus and Ukraine is an ancient trapezoidal
music instrument with several courses of strings. It is played by striking
or plucking the strings.
Dulcimers originated in the Middle East, approximately during the first millennium A.D. The instrument was brought to Europe from the Middle East during the Crusades, and similar instruments have spread around the world. Dulcimers have many names in many lands: Cimbalom – Hungary, Tiompan – Ireland, Santur – Iran, Yang q'in – China, Hackbrett – Austria, Sandouri – Greece, Salterio – Italy, Zither – Germany, etc.
Dulcimers originated in the Middle East, approximately during the first millennium A.D. The instrument was brought to Europe from the Middle East during the Crusades, and similar instruments have spread around the world. Dulcimers have many names in many lands: Cimbalom – Hungary, Tiompan – Ireland, Santur – Iran, Yang q'in – China, Hackbrett – Austria, Sandouri – Greece, Salterio – Italy, Zither – Germany, etc.
The
name "dulcimer" is derived from Latin, meaning "sweet sound".
Hammered dulcimers were popular in England during the reign of James I,
when the Bible was translated into English as the King James Bible. The
dulcimer was mentioned in the Book of Daniel 3:5 among other instruments
"..the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer,
and all kinds of musick..." A piano could be described as a mechanized
hammer dulcimer operated by keys derived from a harpsichord. Thus the
pianoforte is more aptly described as the "keyed dulcimer" than
as an "improved harpsichord".
Modern
Tsimbaly is a fully chromatic instrument with the range G–B3 where
C1 is middle C on piano. Strings are steel piano wire with wound courses
in the bass. These are strung to high tensions and at the ideal tensile
stress to give a loud, rich tone.
