It has
an aptly descriptive name origin: 'dulcis' - sweet; 'melos' - song.
Widely thought to have North American roots in the early 1800's Appalachian
Mountains, the traditional mountain (also called lap or fretted) dulcimer
is one of the most popular folk instruments in the U.S. today.
One reason
for the its popularity is that it's a very easy instrument to learn
to play. You don't have to read music. Most of the available songbooks
written for this instrument use number tab (playing by numbers rather
than by notes), so if you can count to ten then you can play. And although
easy to learn on a basic level, it can be as challenging to play as
you want.For a selection of songbooks and instructional material please
visit the book page. Accessories
include extra string sets (always a good idea to keep on hand), a wide
variety of carrying cases and an inexpensive yet accurate and easy to
use electronic tuner.