Description: The Appalachian dulcimer is a chordophone although it’s named "dulcimer" its classification or nomenclature is that this instrument is a zither. When playing the instrument the musician sits the dulcimer on his lap henceforth the nickname "lap dulcimer". Its believed the roots of the dulcimer in North America was established by the Scotch-Irish, the English, and German settlers in Pennsylvania around "1720" to "1770". This dulcimer is in the same family of instruments as the French Epinette, and other related Germanic zithers such as the Scheitholt which is believed to be the dulcimer's closest relative or cousin. The Norwegian Langleik, the Islandic Langspiel, the Swedish Hummel, and the Hungarian Citera. in which are of the same branch of this family of zithers. there are many forms of amplified either with transducer or magnetic coil pickups now made for Appalachian dulcimers these days.
Tradition and History: The Appalachian-dulcimer is used in what we refer to as the "Old Time music tradition" this predates blue-grass and contemporary or national-folk music. The melodies learnt on the dulcimer are often taught from generation to generation and have remained in the Appalachian communities still to this day. However modern and younger contemporary musicians have been taking the dulcimer. There is something of a new wave revival going on where jazz to experimental musicians who have incorporated the dulcimer in both playing the Appalachian dulcimer and also composing new peaces. Also revival of sorts regards is going for restoring the Old Time tradition is going on also to this day as well.
Playing the Dulcimer: The playing techniques traditionally have been strumming, or picking though sometimes a wooden slide like tool is used to press on the string (similar to the French Epinnet playing), rather then producing chords, although chords, scales, and much fancier techniques are used depending on the stylings of the performers. The most common of dulcimers usually is 3 or 4 stringed dulcimers.
The Tunings: These are the tunings in which the dulcimer is tuned to or to which the dulcimer can be tuned to. As I stated the fretting system is diatonic. However the standard DAD or DAA tunings are used to play the standard myxalodian mode. The tunings them selves correspond to the modes played on the dulcimer be it Myxalodian or Ionian or other modes used to play the particular folk songs. There are three known means of stringed-arrangements the "Ozark method" in which each four strings are a single string apart from each other. The common method is a course of two strings together and the rest of the three strings are individual and separate. Although Myxalodian is the most common of the mode and tuning used on the dulcimer, there are many alternate tunings which range from Aeolian, Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian etc.
Name |
Key |
3-stringed |
4-stringed |
Ionian |
Key of A |
A-A-D |
A-A-a-d |
Aeolian |
Key of C |
C-C-D |
C-C-a-d |
Key of F |
C-F-C |
C-F-c-c |
|
Key of C |
C-G-G |
C-G-g-g |
|
"Jazz Tuning" |
Key of D |
D-A-A |
D-D-a-d |
Key of D |
D-A-C |
D-A-c-c |
|
D- Mixilodian |
Key of D |
D-A-D |
D-D-a-d |
D-Dorian |
Key of D |
D-A-G |
D-A-g-g |
Key of G |
D-G-D |
D-D-a-d |
|
Dorian |
Key of G |
D-G-D |
D-D-g-d |
Ionian |
Key of G |
G-G-D |
G-G-a-d |
E-A-C |
E-A-c-e |
||
E-A-E |
E-E-a-e |
||
Key of A min |
E-A-G |
E-a-g-e |
|
E-E-A |
E-E-a-e |
||
E-E-B |
E-E-b-e |
Construction: The construction of the dulcimer is often run often by small family businesses and shops ran by one individual themselves. When the particular hour-glass profile is achieved, during the old times a hot pipe heated often by a fire or now a propane torch, would be the source of heat when bending the strips of wood to which make up the sides of the instruments. Nowadays a wood bending device which is controlled by a heater-coil is used to bend the wood this is the same device used to assist in the bending of wood for making violins. The fret board is diatonically spaced per fret. Metal frets of brass are often used. The frets are the same thing gauge as the mandolin-frets. This has been standard in making the dulcimer fret board for a long time now. The dulcimer-fret board also has a thin height profile or "action" just underneath the strings. The tuning pegs some of then wooden mostly they are machine-gear tuners they are inserted where the head-stock is as with many stringed instruments. String-sets of guitar and or banjo-strings can be used often most players of Appalachian dulcimer use acoustic or steel-guitar strings. In the case of my specimin the woods are ebony for the fingerboard, and black-walnut for the body its a wood known for its beauty and fine grain although sturdy and strong to work with.
Shapes and profiles of the dulcimer: The most common of the shape you see is the "hour-glass" shape. The other shape is a flat-shape or profile where two sides are flat. Other profiles or body shapes are the "tear-drop", the "back pack" this is a much smaller profile akin to the "back pack guitar" this profile is lightweight and portable. Or the "Youngster" or the "Virginia" and "concert models". There are custom and experimental models of this instrument as well.