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Click Here For More Information on our FIVE NEW DULCIMER DESIGNS
The dulcimer (which literally means "sweet
music") has been called by many names, including the Appalachian
dulcimer, lap dulcimer and mountain dulcimer. The state of Kentucky has
named the dulcimer as the state instrument. It is thought to be a true
American folk instrument, originally made sometime in the mid-1800s. It
was mostly regionalized to the Appalacia and Ozark regions until the mid-50s
and today continues to grow in popularity with both amateur and professional
musicians.
The
Strings
Traditionally dulcimers have three strings; melody (the string closest
to the player), the middle and the bass. The four stringed dulcimer (like
the Jenny Wiley Dulcimer) is commonly arranged so that the
melody string is doubled up and therefore is actually a variation of the
three stringed instrument. The melody is generally played on the first
two strings and the other two are considered "drone" strings.
Playing
Position
Placing the instrument horizontally across a table or the player's lap,
typically the musician's right hand strums the strings with fingers or
pick. The left hand plays a melody line by pressing down on the fretboard
with a noter (usually a rounded stick or twig) or fingers.
It is considered one of the easiest instruments to learn, many musicians
playing simply by ear. If you can hum a song, more than likely you will
soon be able to play it on the dulcimer!
Tuning
The dulcimer is quite different from the guitar or banjo in that it has
no set tuning. Rather it can be tuned a number of different ways. At
first this may seem confusing but actually allows each musician the flexibilty
of finding their own "voice" with their instrument. I set up
the tuning on the Jenny Wiley Dulcimer to the traditional
"D-A-A" tuning.
The
Shape
The shape of a dulcimer can be quite varied with the most traditional
shapes being a tear-drop, hour-glass, rectangle or diamond shape. The
shape of the sound board does not really affect the instrument's sound
but does reflect the region it was built in and the style of the craftsperson
making it. The Jenny Wiley Dulcimer is made in a modified
tear-drop shape which I learned from my mentor, a master dulcimer builder,
who believed that this shape held to the spirit of the traditional dulcimer
made in hills of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia.
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