Hello Ukulele friends!

Thanks for taking a moment away from strumming your ukulele to explore a new family of instruments!

Did you know there are 2 distinct instruments called the “dulcimer”?

Both trace their roots to the zither, but physically they now have more in common with other instruments than each other. They DO share a common repertoire of traditional American music, and frequently meet a dulcimer festivals around the country.

First, there’s the hammered dulcimer, often rectangular or trapezoidal in shape, featuring many courses of strings, and played with… you guessed it… tiny “hammers” (also knowns as “paddles”)! These dulcimers are considered percussion instruments, and have more in common with the piano. Varieties around the world are known as the Cimbalom, Hackbrett, santur, and yangqin.

Then there’s the Appalachian dulcimer, also known as the fretted, plucked, lap, and mountain dulcimer. These instruments usually have 3 or 4 strings, but sometimes as many as 6. They are strummed or fingerpicked, and are more closely related to the guitar and ukulele. Relatives around the world are known as the Scheitholt, langeleik, hummel, and Epinette des Vosges, though the mountain dulcimer is considered to be an American instrument.

Typically, both hammered and mountain dulcimers are tuned diatonically, which makes them fairly approachable instruments. It is hard to play notes that sound “bad,” so they are particularly appealing to beginners.

As with all instruments, however, the path to true virtuosity requires time, practice, and a subscription to Dulcimer Players News.