What is the range of a hammered dulcimer?
Hammered dulcimer sizes are often described by the number of notes on each bridge. For example, a 16/15 dulcimer has 16 courses of strings on the treble bridge and 15 courses on the bass bridge, which translates to about 3 octaves of overall range.
Is it hard to play a hammered dulcimer?
Absolutely! Hammered dulcimer is one of the most satisfying instruments to learn because it’s easy to make a pleasant sound right from the beginning. You can start at any age, and you can have fun with it even if you don’t know any music theory and have never played an instrument before.
Are dulcimers Irish?
The mountain (or lap) dulcimer originated in the Appalachian mountains by the Scotch-Irish settlers and is considered to be a distinctly American instrument. However, it may also be regarded as having Celtic roots, since it was born from Scotch-Irish immigrants.
How do you pick a hammered dulcimer?
Choosing a hammered dulcimer of your own
- size.
- weight.
- spacing between string courses (I think you can adapt to any spacing, really, though.)
- pitch range, which can vary from 2 1/2 octaves to 5 1/2 octaves.
- loudness.
- stability (how well it will stay in tune)
- whether it has extra chromatic notes.
How do you clean hammered dulcimer strings?
It is likely to accumulate some dust over time regardless and a great way to clean it is to use a soft, long bristle paint brush. Brush in the direction of the strings. Sometimes the strings can accumulate slight corrosion from either climate or excessive touching with your hands.
What does the name dulcimer mean?
/ˈdʌl.sɪ.mər/ us. /ˈdʌl.sə.mɚ/ a musical instrument, consisting of a wooden box with wire strings stretched over it, played by hitting the strings with a pair of light hammers.
How is a hammered dulcimer tuned?
Some hammered dulcimer players tune opposite of how we do it, by starting at the top of the bass bridge and working down, then onto the treble bridge from the top down. Or some will start on the lowest bass course and go up, then the lowest treble and go up. Use whichever method is most comfortable for you!
Who plays the hammered dulcimer?
Clip: Season 5 Episode 3 | 2m 19s |
How do you store a hammer dulcimer?
Storing Your Hammered Dulcimer: The safest place for your hammered dulcimer to be stored is in a protective case in a very low traffic area. Storing the instrument in a case will ensure that it will not be damaged through scratching, exposure to sunlight, or accidentally being knocked off its stand onto the floor.