The hammered dulcimer is a string instrument played with wooden hammers. Sometimes the sounds are also produced by plucking the strings with the fingers. Many are fascinated by its typical beautiful, soft sound. Hammered dulcimers can be found all over the world. These instruments can vary in size, tuning, number of strings, and playing methods. The names also differ by country: dulcimer, doulcimer (United States and Great Britain); dulcimer, tympanon (French-speaking regions); santoor, santur (Turkey and Asian countries); hackbrett (Central Europe); hakkebord (Dutch-speaking regions), cymbalom (Eastern Europe); yangqin (China). The hammered dulcimer is used in various music genres: blues, classical music, improvisations, modern compositions, and jazz. Classical composers such as Koldály, Bartok, Liszt, and Stravinski wrote music for the hammered dulcimer (cymbalom). Nowadays, this instrument is mainly used in folk and traditional music. It is played as a solo instrument or accompanied by accordion, hurdy-gurdy, diatonic accordion, flute, guitar, mandolin, or violin.

The trapezoidal instrument that is most common in Belgium, Great Britain, and the United States is tuned in fifths: the two bridges over which the strings are stretched divide the instrument into three playing zones that differ from each other by a fifth (five tones). Each tone is formed by a group or «choir» of two, sometimes three or four strings. Our instrument has 16 groups of two strings on the treble bridge and 15 groups of two strings on the bass bridge. As a result, the instrument can be played in a limited number of keys: G, D, C, A, F, Am, and Em, spread over 1, 2, or 3 octaves. The sound is produced by tapping the strings with two wooden hammers. The player can play both pure melodies and melodies enriched with harmonic tones and rhythmic chord accompaniment.

In Flanders, the hammered dulcimer is relatively rare. The current number of players is growing slowly. After almost completely disappearing in the mid-19th century, there was a revival in the 1980s under the impetus of the nonprofit organization Muziekmozaïek Folk and Jazz.

Learning to play the hammered dulcimer is not typically offered in conservatories or music academies. Players usually learn the instrument through workshops, private lessons, and/or self-study. The annual traditional music workshop in Gooik (organized by Muziekmozaïek) offers the opportunity to learn the hammered dulcimer. This has contributed to the growing number of players each year. There are sessions for beginners, intermediate, and more experienced players. To get started, there are many methods and handbooks available, mostly in English. There are also online courses. For instance, Karen Ashbrook (USA) has a good method in Dutch with accompanying video material. She is often one of the instructors at the music workshop in Gooik. In Flanders, short courses, private lessons, and group playing sessions are organized by Pieter Blondelle.