![]() The instrument has been called by several other names as well, such as those with added adjectives used for describing where it’s from or how it’s played, like mountain dulcimer, Kentucky dulcimer, lap dulcimer, or box dulcimer. If you’ve ever heard one being played, then you know that’s a perfect name for this instrument. The name “dulcimer” actually comes from words that mean “sweet sound”. In addition, you can actually find directions online for making a rugged beginners’ instrument that has a good sound and an even lower price point than previously stated, so be sure to check out all the options if you’re interested in learning to play the dulcimer. Good quality, all-wood constructed instruments generally run between a hundred dollars. As far as musical instruments go, the dulcimer is one of the least expensive. However, with all of this being said, generally, the recommended age is eight years and up.Īnother thing that should be pointed out if you are considering the purchase of a dulcimer is cost. With patient instruction, four to seven-year-old children can be taught to play simple tunes while older children will be pleasantly surprised to find out they can play a tune right away. Most dulcimers are made tough enough that even young children can’t hurt them and, as long as the child is being watched, there’s really nothing on the instrument that can hurt the child, either.īy the time a child has reached three or four years of age, he should be able to strum, with either his fingers or a pick, or play by using chopsticks to bounce on the strings. If you’re wondering if there’s a specific age that’s best for picking up the dulcimer, there isn’t one that’s necessarily better than another. Many music students have stated they had never made music so fast on an instrument before trying this particular stringed instrument. Lying flat in front of the player, whether in a lap, on the table, or in the floor, a dulcimer is easy to play because the player can see both his fingers and the keys and, therefore, is able to see what he is doing. A simple strum can produce the desired sound as a dulcimer doesn’t play sharps or flats, but instead all “white keys”, or the diatonic scale, making it is easy for picking out playing familiar folk tunes almost effortlessly. Furthermore, simple melodies can easily be picked out, while fingering only one string for the melody and using the other strings in order to provide a drone harmony.Īnother reason they are easy to play is that they have frets like banjos and guitars so exact finger placement is not necessary. In addition, these strings are usually tuned to an open chord, making it possible to get a beautifully pleasant sound just by strumming all the strings. What makes dulcimers so easy to play is that they generally only have three or four strings to keep in tune, instead of six, eight, or even twelve. In fact, a lot of people liken their soft sounds to being in a relaxing atmosphere, making them well-suited for either the personal relaxation of the player, for the creation of a relaxing environment for those listening, or both. ![]() ![]() In addition, they are also relatively quite, so they can be played just about anywhere anytime. Dulcimer Definition, Information, and History of Dulcimer Musical Instrument What is a Dulcimer?Ī dulcimer is a stringed folk instrument which basically comes in two different varieties: the hammered dulcimer – which has strings stretched over a sounding board with a trapezoidal shape, generally setting on a stand, angled in front of the player who strikes the strings with two small hammers called mallets and the Appalachian dulcimer – often referred to as a mountain dulcimer, is a narrower version of the zither family instrument, having three to five strings with a fingerboard that’s fretted which is held in the lap of the player who strums it with a small stick, sometimes referred to as a quill or plectrum, with the right hand while controlling the chords or melody with the left hand.ĭulcimers are considered to be one of the easiest instruments to learn how to play, making them ideal for beginners and children who want to play an instrument.
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