Table of Contents
How to Tune a Hammered Dulcimer For Complete Beginners Step 1: Get Set Up. Step 2: We Start with the Treble Bridge. Step 3: Determine What Note That String Should be Tuned To. Step 4: Adjust the String’s Tuning Pin With Your Tuning Wrench. Step 5: Repeat For the String’s Buddy.
What should A dulcimer be tuned to?
There are two common tunings for mountain dulcimer, DAA and DAD. In DAA, the bass string is tuned to D with the middle and paired melody strings tuned to A. In DAD, the bass string is tuned to D with the middle string tuned to A.Modes and Tunings for the Mountain Dulcimer. Major Modes Minor Modes Ionian Dorian.
What are the notes on A hammered dulcimer?
Most traditional American hammered dulcimers have the major keys of F, C, G and D easily available, which works well for a variety of musical styles like old-time, bluegrass, hymns, Celtic tunes, and even some pop music.
How many strings does A hammer dulcimer have?
A dulcimer with 12 treble courses and 4 strings per course makes a good, all-round instrument. The hammer dulcimer diagram and dimensions are for such an instrument.
Where are the notes found on a dulcimer?
Traditionally, the Appalachian dulcimer was usually tuned to DAA, or notes with this 1-5-5 relationship. The key note is on the bass string and the middle string is an interval of a perfect fifth above it. The melody string is tuned so that the key note is at the third fret.
What type of instrument is dulcimer?
dulcimer, stringed musical instrument, a version of the psaltery in which the strings are beaten with small hammers rather than plucked.
Can you pluck a hammered dulcimer?
The plucked dulcimer relies on the shortening (fretting or stopping) of strings to produce many pitches with one or few strings. The true hammer dulcimer is a close relative to the psaltery, the chief difference being that the psaltery is usually plucked and the dulcimer is usually struck.
How many notes does a hammered dulcimer have?
Most of the music we play on the dulcimer, called western music (coming from Western Europe), is based on an 8-note, or diatonic scale, which you probably know as DO-RE-MI-FA-SO-LA-TI-DO. But there are 5 other notes among those 8, usually referred to as accidentals.
What is the most common dulcimer tuning?
There are many ways you can tune a dulcimer, but currently the most common tunings are DAD, DAA, or DGD. DAD is the most common but it is often easier for the beginning player to tune to DAA or the so-called “Reverse Ionian” tuning, (DGD).
Can you use guitar strings on A dulcimer?
If you need stainless steel or wound strings and you’re not near a “dulcimer string” source, you might be able to use a guitar or octave mandolin string of the same or smaller gauge if it’s long enough. Guitar strings will have a small ball in the loop that will need to be removed first.
How many strings should a dulcimer have?
The dulcimer is essentially a 3-stringed instrument. Its strings are generally tuned to at most 3 different pitches. Some builders and many music stores sell models with 4 strings. Usually the 4th string doubles the melody string, so you still play and tune as if there were only 3 strings.
Is a hammered dulcimer a zither?
The Appalachian dulcimer (or mountain dulcimer) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings. Its origins are in the Appalachian region of the United States. The body extends the length of the fingerboard, and its fretting is generally diatonic.
What is the difference between a dulcimer and a hammered dulcimer?
The hammered dulcimer is a multi-stringed trapezoidal instrument that is struck to produce music. 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.
Is hammered dulcimer hard?
It is not overly difficult to play the hammered dulcimer, though some music pieces are harder than others. Those who know how to play the piano will find the hammered dulcimer to be easier to play than those with no musical experience.
What is the easiest stringed musical instrument to learn to play?
Ukuleles are cheap and fun to play. They are one of the easiest stringed (and fretted) instrument to learn. The size makes them an easy start for both children and adults alike. They only have four strings, and they are closer together than on a guitar.
Where is the hammered dulcimer from?
Surprisingly, the hammered dulcimer, which is an ancient ancestor of the piano, at one time enjoyed widespread popularity throughout this country. The hammered dulcimer probably originated in the Middle East about 900 A.D. and is related to the much older psaltery.
How much is a hammer dulcimer worth?
As a quick overview, our harps range in price from under $1,000 up to around $7,000. 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.
Is the dulcimer a piano?
The piano dulcimer is a very versatile instrument, and is probably best-suited for players who are comfortable exploring on their own. It does not have the long history that the traditional fifth-interval dulcimer has, and is not widely taught.
Is the mountain dulcimer easy to learn?
The Dulcimer Is Easy to Play 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. As you become more advanced, you can learn how to play with chords, which entails fretting more than one string at a time.
