this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
120 points (99.2% liked)

Casual Conversation

1708 readers
246 users here now

Share a story, ask a question, or start a conversation about (almost) anything you desire. Maybe you'll make some friends in the process.


RULES

  1. Be respectful: no harassment, hate speech, bigotry, and/or trolling.
  2. Encourage conversation in your OP. This means including heavily implicative subject matter when you can and also engaging in your thread when possible.
  3. Avoid controversial topics (e.g. politics or societal debates).
  4. Stay calm: Donโ€™t post angry or to vent or complain. We are a place where everyone can forget about their everyday or not so everyday worries for a moment. Venting, complaining, or posting from a place of anger or resentment doesn't fit the atmosphere we try to foster at all. Feel free to post those on !goodoffmychest@lemmy.world
  5. Keep it clean and SFW
  6. No solicitation such as ads, promotional content, spam, surveys etc.

Casual conversation communities:

Related discussion-focused communities

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Mine (Zimbabwean ๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ผ) is the mbira.

For a feel of the sound: https://youtu.be/R5RMYh-n3LU

Jah Prayzah the guy singing is a renowned musician.

They seem to be using the mbira in modernized covers, but the metal pestle order seem the same as the more traditional looking ones.

P/S I'm not self promoting the YouTube link. It just shows how the mbira sounds unedited.

top 48 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[โ€“] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

The Kantele

Lot's a of kids learn to play a 5-string version, but it goes up to dozens of strings, and some have a pedal to control sustain.

The origins of the instrument are finnish, but it's also popular in Japan, which is why you'll see a lot of stuff online about it in Japanese. Including the video I linked.

Here's what they can do as members of a orchestra.

[โ€“] idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It seems like the local version of the Zither. You can have wildly different playing style on that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAeYt-swWG0

[โ€“] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Well yes. There's only so many ways to suspend strings for musical purposes.

From the Kanteles Wikipedia:

It belongs to the southeast Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery, along with the Estonian kannel, the Latvian kokles, the Lithuanian kanklฤ—s, and the Russian gusli.

Plenty of versions of the same thing all over the world.

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฎ!! Nice

[โ€“] mech@feddit.org 17 points 1 day ago (4 children)

It's an ancient instrument, first depictions are from 600BC Assyria, arrived via Greek and Roman culture to Europe. Common name is hammered dulcimer and it has countless versions for each region of the world, with more or less distinctive features. E.g. Hungarian cimbalom had a pedal, in some regions the strings are vertical,etc.

[โ€“] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Wow, that's awesome.

Had I only heard it I would've thought some kind of spinet.

Thanks for the link, those young ladies can play!

[โ€“] watson387@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 day ago

That's excellent, and those two in particular look to be extremely talented!

[โ€“] PinkInSlippers@piefed.social 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Nice! Which country is this and what's the name of the instrument the 2 ladies are playing?

[โ€“] mech@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is Switzerland.
And the instrument is actually called Hackbrett (translates to hacking board).

[โ€“] bonenode@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why is it called Salzburg but is from Switzerland? Or is there a Salzburg in Switzerland, I am only aware of the one in Austria.

[โ€“] mech@feddit.org 3 points 1 day ago

Sorry, the type of instrument is from Salzburg.
The recorded concert and the musicians are from Switzerland.

[โ€“] inlandempire@jlai.lu 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The Valiha ; it's basically a tube guitar lol

Madagascar ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฌ!

[โ€“] Dasus@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Jouhikko

If you've listened to Nordic metal at all I'm sure you've heard it in some song

One of my faves so far

[โ€“] lime@feddit.nu 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)
[โ€“] watson387@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[โ€“] lime@feddit.nu 4 points 1 day ago

yeah they really fill the room when harmonising.

[โ€“] Coelacanth@feddit.nu 1 points 1 day ago

Ah, beat me to it! It's a great instrument.

[โ€“] Mylemmypt@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wow.. Portugal

[โ€“] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wow reminds me of The Hobbit

[โ€“] BakerBagel@midwest.social 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

USA alone is too easy, so I'm gonna go with Ohio. Edison invented the phonograph, which made listening to music anytime and anywhere a reality. The Wurlitzer organ was from Cincinnati, but i should be fair and say that while it was developed in Cincinnati, production was done in New York.

[โ€“] metallic_substance@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You could also add the Fender strat and the Gibson Les Paul to that list

Wait how are those ohioan

[โ€“] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The Drumbone was invented in my country.

You asked for one, but I'll try to sneak this in because it actually predates my country by 15 years: the Glass Armonica. Invented in 1761 by Benjamin Franklin himself.

[โ€“] ada@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Australia! ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ

[โ€“] idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It has 120 strings and you play it with sticks and a foot: the cimbalom.

A guy in the 19th century Budapest modernized the ancient hammered dulcimer by adding a dampening pedal and rearranging the strings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJiIasbzKqI

[โ€“] perishthethought@piefed.social 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[โ€“] Beacon@fedia.io 6 points 1 day ago

Also electric guitar, electric bass, and synthesizer are all from the US also

[โ€“] calliope@retrolemmy.com 5 points 1 day ago

I didnโ€™t realize the drum set originated in the U.S. but it makes sense with jazz.

And I believe the electric guitar as well! George Beauchamp, along withย Adolph Rickenbacker developed the first electromagnetic pickups.

Another unrelated U.S. one that comes to mind is the sousaphone

[โ€“] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I now wonder if the Mbira is related to the Marimba? They sound very similar, though it seems the Marimba is more central African?

[โ€“] PinkInSlippers@piefed.social 2 points 11 hours ago

Both mbira and marimba are commonly played in Zimbabwe. They are different. Though I do see the similar sounds. It's sort of like how one can play the same song chords with a piano and a guitar.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_harmonica

I think that one is neat. Apparently the US is also responsible for the Electric Guitar, so there's that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_guitar

[โ€“] GooseGang@beehaw.org 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The cajon in Peru is emblematic of traditional Creole music that is often played in songs during lunch or party meals. Just hearing it makes me hungry!! Btw the mbira has a beautiful sound, do you know if itโ€™s difficult to learn?

Thank you! I think the mbira requires similar dexterity to a piano if I'm not mistaken.

[โ€“] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago

Canada gave us the Ugly Stick and the Sackbut.

[โ€“] myrmidex@belgae.social 3 points 1 day ago

I'm not Korean, but I've lived here for twenty years. Gayageum is probably the most famous Korean instrument, but I'm partial to the haegeum. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OfsFoUell4Y&pp=ygUSaGFlZ2V1bSBpbnN0cnVtZW50

[โ€“] noseatbelt@piefed.ca 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[โ€“] mech@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago

I heckled an Ugly Stick player once, until he hit me with it.

[โ€“] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I don't know if this counts but in my parent's native Cuba there's the bongo which has African roots. It's a fundamental instrument in Cuba's various local genres such as Son Cubano from which Salsa (not the condiment) derives from. Listening to the mbria I can definitely hear the similarities between native African music and Cuban music.