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Hammered Dulcimer FAQ
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What is a hammered dulcimer?
This stringed musical instrument belongs to the percussion family. It has a trapezoid shape on which strings are stretched across the soundboard. The strings are arranged in diatonic (do re mi) scales in groups of four courses. Courses are marked on the bridges to show where they start (and stop). This marking is usually a piece of contrasting material such as white or black delrin. There are usually 2 strings per course, sometimes one will see 3 strings per course on very large instruments. The treble courses run from the hitch pins on the left, over the treble bridge and under the bass bridge to the tuning pins on the right side, while the bass courses run from the hitch pins, under the treble bridge, over the bass bridge to the tuning pins on the right side. One plays on both sides of the treble bridge but only on the left side of the bass bridge. Each diatonic scale involves a pair of positions: the bass and right treble or the right and left treble. The dulcimer is tuned so that for each pair of positions a note at the left position is exactly a fifth higher than the note across from it at the right position.
The numbers indicating the hammered dulcimer such as 15/14 and 12/11 refer to the number of courses. The higher of the numbers refer to the treble bridge while the lower number refers to the bass bridge. A third number if you ever see it refers to what builders of professional size do to incorporate extra notes. They add a small bridge somewhere on the instrument to extend the range.
How do you play it?
The instrument needs to be set on an angle to be played. This can be accomplished by placing the dulcimer on a special stand or by the insertion of a peg in the back of the dulcimer to set it on a table. As the name implies, the hammer dulcimer is played using light wooden hammers or mallets. A hammer is held in each hand and each is used to lightly tap the strings in an alternating fashion. A pair of hammers generally weigh less than one ounce. Hammers vary in style and many players experiment with different hammers before settling on their favorite.
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Where can I hear it?
We have sound clips on our instrument page.
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How can I learn to play it?
You can learn the hammered dulcimer in a number of ways. The instruction book we package with
our instruments shows you how to play using a number system, a letter system and standard musical notation.
Regardless of which method you use, to become proficient at playing, it is best to
pick one or two easy songs and practice them over and over until you master them. This not only helps you
build confidence, but also helps you learn where the notes are located. As an aid to learning where the
notes are, we include a note name/number tablature strip to place on the instrument.
Instruction books and videos can get you started. But if you prefer direct instruction there are increasing numbers of people teaching this easy to learn instrument. They can be found at numerous workshops and festivals that are held throughout the year. The Dulcimer Players News lists these events in their publication.
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What kind of music can be played on the hammered dulcimer?
This instrument is very versatile and is used to play nearly all genres of music. It can be the featured instrument or used to provide back-up.
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What is the history of this instrument?
Although they share a name, the hammered dulcimer and the mountain dulcimer are quite unlike in most other ways. They evolved differently, do not sound alike, and vary considerably in how they are built and how they are played. Whereas the mountain dulcimer is a relative newcomer, the hammered dulcimer, a trapezoidal shaped instrument, has ancient origins. A biblical reference can be found in Daniel III:10 which states, “...everyman that shall hear the sound of cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship...”. The dulcimer listed in that passage is thought to refer to the hammered dulcimer instead of the mountain dulcimer. Our awareness of the hammered dulcimer in a form similar to what exists today most likely originated in the Near East many years ago, perhaps 5000 years. It made its way both east and west. A cathedral ceiling in Spain from 1184 A.D. depicts such an instrument. Europeans played them from the 16th century on. In Greece this type of instrument is known as the santouri; in India the santur. Hungary developed an elaborate dulcimer known as the cimbalom around the end of the 19th century. The cimbalom has a range of 4 chromatic octaves and is equipped with a damper mechanism. Most dulcimers today have a 2 to 3 octave range. In the U.S., the hammered dulcimer made its way here from England with the colonists. Settlers found the relative simplicity and portability of the hammered dulcimer more practical than the piano which has its own development origins from the hammered dulcimer. Lumberjack camps in Maine are most likely responsible for the name one occasionally hears as the “lumberjack’s piano”.
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