Ütőgardon

The ütőgardon (Hungarian: [ˈytøːɡɒrdon]) 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.