A large percussion instrument with many strings stretched over a wooden frame, struck with mallets to produce melodic and harmonic sounds.
From Greek 'kymbala' (cymbals), through Medieval Latin and Hungarian 'cimbalom'. The instrument evolved from ancient percussion instruments and became especially important in Hungarian, Romanian, and Central European folk music.
The cymbalom is essentially a piano's distant cousin—both use hammers to strike strings—but it creates an entirely different sonic character that was fundamental to Gypsy and Eastern European music for centuries.
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