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there is really only one important thing to remember: the dulcimer is a folk

instrument, and the essence of folk music is not technique, but personal enjoy-

ment. We'll give you some specific instructions so you can get started playing right

away, but feel free to develop other styles. In folk music there are no absolutes —

any way you can get music out of the instrument is a good way to play.

P O S I T I O N I N

P O S I T I O N I N G T H E I N S

G T H E I N S

G T H E I N S T R

P O S I T I O N I N

G T H E I N S

Most players put the long side of the instrument toward them when playing. It

doesn't make much difference if you sit or stand while playing, as long as you can

easily reach all the notes. If you set the instrument on the floor or on a table, you

will notice that tone and volume are expanded if the top edge of the dulcimer is

propped up so the back is free to resonate. Also, the dulcimer is more comfortable

to play when it's tilted toward you. Your instrument has a threaded insert built into

its back that allows you to attach a playing leg. A short leg props the dulcimer up

off a table-top at a comfortable slant. A long leg lets you play while sitting in a

chair, with the leg supporting the instrument in front of you and the bottom (long)

edge of the instrument resting on your knees. This is a very portable and inexpen-

sive way of supporting the instrument while you play. Setting it on a stand so the

back vibrates freely gives maximum volume and provides a consistent height no

matter where you play. It also allows you to keep your instrument out on display

where it's more likely to invite you to play. Short and long playing legs are available,

as are folding wooden stands and fully adjustable leg systems. Check with your

dealer or with us for more information.

H A M M E R S

You will probably encounter all sorts of different hammers. The single-sided

hammers provided with most of our instruments are a good, well-balanced design

and construction, suited to all styles of playing. They are made of bare hardwood

and will give the loudest sound. We also make a leather-padded version, which

gives a softer tone that is nice for mood and variety. Double-sided hammers,

included with our chromatic models, have both bare wood and leather covered

playing surfaces on one hammer. You'll find that hammer preferences are a very

individual thing. Variations include double vs. single sided, padded vs. unpadded,

types of padding, length of hammer, type of wood, shape of handle and hammer-

ing surface, weight, and balance. Try out as many as you can to see what suits you

best. We make two styles of single-sided hammers, both in bare wood and leather

covered, and two shapes of double-sided hammers. We also make double padded

hammers, with thin leather on one side and felt on the other.

P L

P L A A A A A Y I N

P L

You may initially have a problem focusing your eyes on the strings as you play.

Practice eases this fairly quickly. Tilting the top of the instrument toward you can

improve your perspective somewhat, the angle being purely a matter of preference.

It is helpful to focus on the black and white bridge caps where the strings cross the

bridge, rather than on the strings themselves. The bridge caps are easier to see and

provide location markers.

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T R

T RU M E N T

T R

U M E N T

T R

U M E N T

Y I N G G G G G

Y I N

Hammers are generally held between the thumb and forefinger, and the strings

are struck about one inch from the bridge. Rock the hammers in your hands a few

times to get their feel, then strike a sharp blow to a note, stopping the action as the

hammer rebounds off the string. The striking motion should come from your

wrist, not your elbow. Keep this up until you can easily get a single, well-pro-

nounced note. If you hold the hammers a bit more loosely, put a little more

pressure down with your thumbs, and don't stop the action after the first rebound,

you will find that they bounce off the strings in a sort of roll. This is a trill, a

common embellishment.

A good way to start playing is to run through the major scales. You can refer

back to Scales, Bridges, and Tuning Schemes (page 9) for information on their

location and layout. Play with authority — use enough force to get the best tone

from the instrument. Timid playing may make your instrument sound brash, thin,

or indistinct. As you gain confidence, your accuracy and tone production will improve.

Although a great deal of instructional material is available for the hammered

dulcimer, probably the most common means of learning a song is by ear. You

don't have to read music; just take a song whose melody is familiar and translate it

into a hammering pattern. The easiest playing method is to alternate notes between

the left and right hands, though you may want to deviate from this once in a while

to keep your hands from getting in each other's way. Start by taking a very familiar

song, such as Oh Susannah and learn your way around the strings by picking out the

melody with one hand. Simple tunes like these usually start on the tonic, or first

note of the scale, of the key in which you are playing (D for D major, G for G

major, etc.). If the first note is not the tonic, then try the third ("mi") note of the

scale. Next, play the tune while alternating hands. Try to develop coordination in

both hands so that you can use either hand as well as the other. Experiment with

putting in a few trills as you play.

With practice your reflexes will adjust to the distances between courses, the

hammers will become comfortable extensions of your hands, and your music will

gain rhythm and continuity. Here are a few more embellishments you'll want to

incorporate in your playing:

Chords — hitting two notes simultaneously. The easiest combinations to find

involve the thirds, fifths, and octaves (DO, MI, SOL, DO).

Arpeggios — hitting in rapid succession the notes DO, MI, SOL, DO of any

scale, producing a nice full chord.

Drones — inserting between melody notes the "tonic" (DO) of the key

you're playing in. This is like the bagpipe, which drones a constant note while

playing the melody. The mountain dulcimer also uses a drone note.

You can listen to live or recorded music for inspiration. There are many

recordings of hammered dulcimer music available. There is also an abundance of

good self-instruction methods, including books, book and CD sets, videos, and

DVDs. See your dealer or contact Dusty Strings for instructional materials. You

can also subscribe to Dulcimer Players News for quarterly information and articles

about players, festivals, tunes, techniques, recordings, and lots of other dulcimer-

related things (P.O. Box 2164, Winchester VA 22604 or www.dpnews.com).

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