The cimbalom belongs to the dulcimer family. Dulcimers of every shape and size have been around for hundreds of years, and are called by various names in Poland, Belarus, the Ukraine, Latvia, and Lithuania. These days, a cimbalom is considered a Hungarian dulcimer. There are two types of cimbalom, a small, portable one, and a much larger one that has a pedal similar to those on a piano. The smaller cimbalom has been widely used in Hungary for hundreds of years. The larger cimbalom was invented by Jozesf V. Schunda in Budapest, around 1870.
The large cimbalom is sometimes used in orchestra music. In 1876, Hungarian composer Franz Liszt included the cimbalom in an orchestral version of his Sixth Hungarian Rhapsody for Piano. Other composers who used the cimbalom in their compositions include Bela Bartok, Zoltan Kodály, and Igor Stravinsky. Today, gypsy virtuoso cimbalom players can be heard in the cafés of Hungary, Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia, and Yugoslavia.
Cimbalom makers use wood from the spruce tree to make the main part of the instrument because the wood produces a resonant sound. Woods from maple or beech trees are used, too. The cimbalom has many strings that, when played, produce a range of pitches from very low to very high. One or two bridges (a small wooden piece that holds the strings away from the instrument body) divide the strings of the cimbalom. This allows more possible pitches to be produced.
Instrument makers often add beautiful carvings or drawings to cimbaloms. A cimbalom also has a cover that can be removed so more sound can escape from the instrument. This is similar to the effect of raising the lid of a grand piano for a performance.
Citera
The citera [CHEE-teh-rah] is a kind of zither. Many different kinds of citera can be found in many countries, especially in Eastern Europe. People play the citera by plucking, striking, or even bowing the strings. The citera has been used in the home to accompany lullabies and songs about pet dogs and cats, turtles, rabbits, farm animals, days of the week, and about family, friends, and country. One can also hear citeras being played on street corners or in cafés.
In America, the closest relative to the citera is the Autoharp. This instrument is played in many classrooms across the United States. It has from 15 to more than 50 strings that are usually strummed and plucked. It is played flat on a tabletop or held upright in the player’s lap. This kind of instrument, in so many varieties, seems to have an almost universal appeal: it is portable, practical, and can play simple harmonies to accompany singing.
