How the ütőgardon makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the ütőgardon belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
The ütőgardon also called a gardon, gordună, gardony, ütősgardony, tekenyőgardon, is a folk musical instrument played in Hungary and Romania (the regions of Transylvania and, to a lesser extent, Moldavia). Although it is similar in appearance to a cello, it is played percussively: instead of using a bow, the player plucks and beats the strings with a stick. In the Romanian region of Banat it was an actual cello and the playing was similar—plucking and beating the strings.
Other lutes
More instruments from Hungary
Frequently asked questions
What does a ütőgardon sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the ütőgardon?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322).
Where does the ütőgardon come from?
The ütőgardon originates from Hungary.
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q176322 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Ütőgardon – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by Pymouss44 – CC BY-SA 3.0