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string until the tuner tells you its pitch is correct. We recommend getting an

electronic tuner as soon as your budget allows. With a little practice you will be

able to quickly put your dulcimer in tune, and can spend your time playing music!

Tuning Sequence. When using an electronic tuner, it really doesn't matter

what note you start with. A common practice is to start on the lowest bass course

and work up the bass bridge to the top, then go to the lowest treble course and

work up to the top of that side of the bridge. The notes on the other side of the

treble bridge will come into tune automatically. With this methodical approach, it's

easy to keep track of where you are.

P R I M A R

P R I M A RY C O N

Y C O N

Difficulty of tuning. The dulcimer is no more difficult to tune than other

stringed instruments. The basic goal of matching the pitch of a string to a certain

note is exactly the same. The difference, of course, is that the dulcimer has more

strings than most. However, there are a number of special procedures and

shortcuts that make the task much easier than it may initially seem. Learning to

tune the instrument is something that comes with practice. Despite initial fears,

anyone can learn to adequately tune this instrument.

How long will it stay in tune? There is great variation in the length of time

an individual instrument will hold its tune. Generally, what makes an instrument go

out of tune is temperature change. Heat expands the metal strings, causing their

pitch to drop or go flat, and cold can cause the opposite problem. Wood compres-

sion, settling of the instrument, and the strings stretching over time can also cause

a hammered dulcimer to go flat. This is why a new instrument, or one that is newly

strung, will go out of tune more quickly than a seasoned instrument.

Your dulcimer should stay in tune fairly well if the environment is relatively

stable. And, fortunately, instruments tend to drop in pitch uniformly across their

range, meaning that they may remain in tune with themselves and playable for a

longer period, as long as you aren't trying to play with someone else!

How to best keep it in tune. Any action that minimizes temperature

variation will help. Don't keep your instrument near a wood stove, heating duct, or

large window. Put it in a well-insulated case when moving from one environment

to another, and give it time to adjust slowly to the new temperature before

removing it from the case. Avoid or minimize playing in the hot sun. Basically, keep

in mind that temperature change, and the rate of change, will have an effect.

Do not, however, feel that you have to keep your dulcimer in its case when not

in use. We believe that the more accessible your dulcimer is, the more you will play.

We suggest you get a playing stand so your dulcimer will be out in your home

where you can enjoy it.

Dealing with a new or very out-of-tune instrument. The large number of

strings on a dulcimer exert a tremendous amount of tension. If an instrument is

new or far out of tune, the additional tension needed to bring it up to pitch will

cause a slight compression of the whole instrument. This may be significant

enough that by the time you tune all the strings, the ones you started with will be

flat again. In this situation you may have to tune the entire instrument two or three

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Y C O NC E R N S

Y C O N

C E R N S

times. To save time, do an approximate job the first time or two, and save fine-

tuning for the last time around. This is seldom necessary with seasoned instru-

ments that have been kept in tune.

When a string is struck it vibrates, creating waves in the air, much like ocean

waves. These waves strike your ear and are translated into what you hear as the

tone. The pitch of that tone depends on the frequency with which the sound

waves reach your ear (i.e., how many waves per second). Each note has a certain

frequency which is measurable and recognized. It is generally accepted that the A

above Middle C has a frequency of 440 waves or cycles per second. All other notes

are based relative to this frequency. "Concert" or "absolute" pitch is based on this

A440 standard. Remember, though, that an instrument will still sound "in tune"

when all of its notes are pitched in the correct relationships to one another, even

though the entire range may be sharp or flat relative to concert pitch.

T U N I N

T U N I N G B

T U N I N

Tuning standards. A tuning standard is whatever you use to match your

pitch. It can be an outside source or simply another string on your instrument.

Perhaps the most basic standard is the tuning fork, a metal device that vibrates at a

certain pitch when struck. Touching your soundboard with the non-forked end of

a vibrating tuning fork will amplify the fork's sound considerably.

Chromatic pitch pipes are inexpensive tuning devices that look like round

harmonicas and have all the notes — including accidentals (sharps and flats) — for

one complete octave. They come in different ranges, the most useful being the

"C-to-C" model. If you can, get one with a note selector, a device that enables you

to blow a single note while holding the pipe with your lips, thus freeing both hands

for tuning.

Tuning to another instrument is another option. In fact, matching pitches on

your hammered dulcimer with another stringed instrument, such as a piano, is

sometimes easier than using a tuning fork or pitch pipe.

Matching pitches. The whole discussion of tuning really comes down to

matching pitches. You hear a note from your standard and tighten or loosen a

string to match it. This can be quite simple, and it can also be frustrating. The

environment has a lot to do with it, both physically and psychologically. Tuning

alone in a quiet room is certainly easier than tuning on stage in a noisy tavern.

Many people fear tuning, and others think themselves incapable of it. Both of

these beliefs are usually unfounded. Nearly everyone can learn to match pitches.

Sometimes it takes a great deal of practice, but it is definitely a skill that can be

learned rather than an inherited gift. One thought to keep in mind: in addition to

tuning in order to practice, practice tuning.

When attempting to match pitches, you should be able to hear the standard

note while changing and sounding your string. Keep blowing the pitch pipe while

tuning — it is much easier than trying to remember the note. Once you hear the

standard note, there are only three possible conditions that exist: 1) your string is

flat (too loose), 2) your string is sharp (too tight), or 3) your string is in tune (just

P I TC C C C C H H H H H

P I T

G B

Y E A R

G BY E A R

G B

Y E A R

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