The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of the fingerboard, and its fretting is generally diatonic.

What kind of instrument is a dulcimer?

dulcimer, stringed musical instrument, a version of the psaltery in which the strings are beaten with small hammers rather than plucked.

Is a dulcimer hard to play?

Easy to Play

The fact that the dulcimer has only three strings makes it much easier to play than a guitar, banjo, mandolin, or fiddle. It is also not as hard to push the strings down as it is on a guitar. ... Simple songs can be played by fretting just the first string and strumming across the instrument.

How much is a dulcimer worth?

Our dulcimers range from about $700 to about $4,500. To view, download or print a price list, click the links below. Prices can also be found on our harp and hammered dulcimer model and accessory pages.

How is a dulcimer played?

The traditional way to play the instrument is to lay it flat on the lap and pluck or strum the strings with the right hand, while fretting with the left. Alternatively, the dulcimer may also be placed on a wooden table, using the table as an extended resonator to boost volume.

What is a Dulcimer?

17 related questions found

How do I buy a dulcimer?

Finding and buying a mountain dulcimer is a matter of looking and listening carefully: ask around, listen to various players. Look for a solid wood instrument; ask about its finish, request geared tuners, check its action, and sight down the top of the fingerboard to make sure its dead flat.

What style of music does the dulcimer play?

This range of sound makes the dulcimer good for a variety of music genres, such as rock and roll, gospel, Cajun, ragtime, blues, jazz, classical, and, of course, folk.

What does a dulcimer look like?

What does an Appalachian dulcimer look like? It's shaped like an hourglass. Some people think it looks like a guitar, but it's a very different instrument. Instead of holding it upright, musicians play it from their laps.

What is the dulcimer used for?

This instrument is a mainstay in the music of the Hungarian gypsies and is used as a concert instrument. The cimbalom is equipped with a damper mechanism and has a range of four chromatic octaves. Most other dulcimers are tuned to a diatonic scale with ranges of two to three octaves.

Can you play a dulcimer like a guitar?

You can play tunes the very first time you pick it up, even if you can't read music. The neck of the dulcimer is fretted like a guitar. The first fret is “1”, the second fret is “2″, and so on. ... All you have to do is push down the string at the fret corresponding to the number and strum the strings with the other hand.

What is the difference between a psaltery and dulcimer?

The difference between the two is how they are played. The strings of the psaltery are plucked with the fingers, while dulcimer strings are struck with small mallets or hammers. Technically, both instruments are from the same family of instruments called board-zithers.

How does a dulcimer make sound?

The dulcimer gets its name from the Latin word dulcis meaning "sweet" and the Greek word melos for "sound." The instrument has three or four strings, but simple melodies are mostly carried on only one (or two) strings. The others act as a drone note - making it sound a bit like a bagpipe.

What kind of strings does a dulcimer use?

D'Addario Dulcimer strings contain 3 plain steel strings and one nickelplated steel wound on steel string; designed and gauged to common scale. D'Addario, the world's largest manufacturer of musical instrument strings, is known as The Players Choice with a reputation for unsurpassed quality and consistency.

How many frets does a dulcimer have?

All charts show the exact locations (to the thousandth of an inch) for the nut, bridge, and thirty-six frets (21 whole-number frets, plus the "half-number" frets). Each dulcimer fret position is identified three ways: 1) inches to previous fret; 2) inches to nut; 3) inches to bridge.

What is the dulcimer made of?

The body of the dulcimer is usually made of harder wood like cherry, black walnut, or mahogany. The tuning pegs are Brazilian rosewood, although old dulcimers have ebony, rosewood, metal, or crude wooden pegs.

What does an autoharp look like?

The autoharp body is made of wood, and has a generally rectangular shape, with one corner cut off. The soundboard generally features a guitar-like sound-hole, and the top may be either solid wood or of laminated construction.

What does a Shawm look like?

The shawm (/ʃɔːm/) is a conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 12th century to the present day. ... The body of the shawm is usually turned from a single piece of wood, and terminates in a flared bell somewhat like that of a trumpet.

What types of dulcimers are there?

The two main types of dulcimers heard today are the hammered dulcimer and the mountain dulcimer. These have evolved into two completely different instruments, but their precursors are the same instruments used for centuries in other cultures.