The tsymbaly is part of the hammered dulcimer family - similar instruments exist across Europe and Asia, from Hungary (cimbalom) to Iran (santur) to India (santoor). This shows how musical ideas travel and change as they move from place to place across the world. In Belarus, the tsymbaly developed its own distinctive shape and playing style.
The instrument has dozens of metal strings stretched across a trapezoidal (trapezoid-shaped) wooden frame. The strings are arranged in groups, a bit like a piano, and each group produces a slightly different note. The player holds a small wooden mallet in each hand and strikes the strings rhythmically, often playing very fast.
Playing the tsymbaly requires a lot of skill and coordination - both hands need to move at the same time, hitting different strings in the right order to make a melody and chords together. Watching an experienced tsymbaly player at full speed is quite spectacular, their hands flying across the strings in a blur.
At Belarusian folk festivals, the tsymbaly is often played alongside other traditional instruments: fiddles, bagpipes, flutes, and drums. Together they make the lively, energetic music that gets everyone dancing at weddings and celebrations. The Slavianski Bazaar music festival in Vitebsk celebrates these traditions every summer.