This cimbalom tutor, published in 1988, gives learners a basic knowledge of the instrument and a grasp of the fundamentals of music, and with straightforward melodies and exercises guides them to simple performance pieces. The volume also includes studies and various technical exercises. Emphasis is put on twentieth-century Hungarian composers, following the tradition of pedagogical music publications in Hungary, and beginner cimbalmists will encounter many pieces by György Kurtág. The volume was compiled by Ferenc Gerencsér (1923-1989) and his wife Ilona Szeverényi (*1946), both cimbalmists and cimbalom teachers