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 Hammered dulcimers have two or sometimes three bridges, and are played by striking the strings with small "hammers". The hammers are sometimes covered with leather to create a softer sound. Versions of this instrument have been used throughout the world. In Eastern Europe a larger descendant of the hammered dulcimer called the cimbalom is played and has been used by a number of classical composers, including Zoltán Kodály and Igor Stravinsky, and more recently by Blue Man Group. The kim is a Thai hammered dulcimer. The Chinese yangqin is a type of hammered dulcimer that originated in Persia. The Santur and Santoor are found in the Middle East and India, respectively.
The instrument has seen somewhat of a revival in America in the American Folk music and Bluegrass traditions. It is also still played in Wales, Northumbria, and the Middle East.
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