Cimbalom

[Kenneth Sloane]

        Reply to:   RE>Cimbalom

---------------ORIGINAL POST------------------

 Can anyone give me informations of a Cimbalom instrument, I believe it is
some kind of a hammer dulcimer from Hungary. The owner of the instrument
lives in Florida would like to know the gauge size of the strings,
information about tuning and any books concerning the use and care of this
instrument.

Thanks!
Caleb Tsai, RPT
Peabody Institute of Music

----------------------REPLY----------------------

Caleb-- You are correct. The cimbalom is a hammer dulcimer-type folk
instrument from Hungary. In fact, Kodaly scored for the use of one (with some
playful solo passages included) in his Hary Janos Suite. I believe the man
that is usually called to play the part when the suite is performed is a
former Oberlin percussionist, Larry Kaptain, who owns a Cimbalom and learned
to play it by studying (I believe with a Gypsy master) in Hungary. He came to
Oberlin when the Cleveland Orchestra played the suite here and I tuned the
instrument for him. I had no manual or instruction beforehand, but it was easy
enough to figure out.

If you want to get in touch with Kaptain, he teaches at the University of
Kansas. I don't know what campus, but it's whichever one has the conservatory.

Ken Sloane, Oberlin Conservatory