Dusty Strings Hammered Dulcimer Benutzerhandbuch - Seite 4
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Introduction and History
As a new owner of a Dusty Strings hammered dulcimer, you might want to
take a few minutes to read through this booklet. We have written it assuming
that you have little prior knowledge of the hammered dulcimer and of our instru-
ments.
e intent of this booklet is to help familiarize you with the history, tuning,
care, and basic playing techniques of the hammered dulcimer. We hope it will
answer many of your questions and help you get to know your instrument and its
terminology.
First, a few words about the history of the hammered dulcimer. Some people
are surprised to learn that the hammered dulcimer is not a new instrument. In
fact, it's been around longer than most modern instruments, and is thought to
have originated in the Near East thousands of years ago. Its descendants include
the harpsichord and piano. Nearly every culture throughout the world has some
form of this instrument, ranging from the large Hungarian cimbalom to the fragile
Chinese yang chin.
e hammered dulcimer was probably brought to America by early settlers
from Europe. It was a popular instrument at square dances, and its easy portability
earned it the name "lumberjack's piano" in logging camps. In the late 1800s and
early 1900s factories were producing hammered dulcimers in quantity, and their
popularity had reached a zenith. Use of the instrument declined after the turn of
the century, and the hammered dulcimer became a rarity until the 1970s, when a
revival of interest in folk music focused attention on it once again. Today people are
rediscovering the unique and pleasant sound of this instrument and the relative ease
of learning to play.
e term "dulcimer" comes from the Latin and Greek roots "dulce" and "me-
los", which combine to mean "sweet tune."
unrelated to the "Appalachian" or "mountain" dulcimer, which has three or four
strings and is strummed.
G
e hammered dulcimer is completely
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