THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
Remember: YOU ARE IN CHARGE.
- You are manipulating the dulcimer; it’s not manipulating you.
- Seat it firmly on your lap. Spend the legs to provide a “table” for the dulcimer to sit on. This requires having the small
bout (the one closest to the tuners) above your left knee (Lefties, I apologize, you’ll have to reverse everything.). The
lower bout should be pulled towards you so the dulcimer is sitting on a diagonal to your body.
- To help make the dulcimer stay put, anti-slide rug backing, pajama feet bottoms, or rubber jar openers seem to help stop
the annoying slippage.
- IF YOU ARE TO BE IN CHARGE, THE DULCIMER MUST BE STABLE.
TUNING
Here’s two ways to tune: a proper way and a folk way. Some instruments have 4 strings and some have three. On the four
string instruments, the first two strings are close together and are tuned the same. I will refer to both of them as the first
string.
Proper Way To Tune:
The bass string (the big one furthest away from you) should be tuned to the key of D. This note can be found several places –
an electronic tuner (by far the most popular, cost $20-$75), a piano (really expensive tuner!), a pitch pipe (a little whistle that
you blow to create the proper note about $8-$12), or the best is another dulcimer or guitar, or banjo that is already tuned.
DAA Tuning: The other three strings for this tuning are all A notes. That note can be found from the same sources.
However, if you already have the bass string tuned, simply press the 4th fret of the bass string and sound that note. That will
make the note you want to match.
DAD Tuning: Tune the middle string – an A – just like in the DAA tuning. The first strings, or melody strings, are an octave
above the bass string. It is a high D. To get that note match the bass note except higher or press on the 3rd fret of the
middle string and match that note.
Folk Way To Tune:
DAA Tuning: Tune the bass string so it is not too tight and not too loose. Press the bass string at the 4th fret and make
the other three strings match. Be careful that no string is getting extremely tight. If one is too tight, back the bass string
down and start over. You most likely will not be tuned to any particular note, but you will be tuned with yourself. If a group of
players decide to tune this way, someone must be designated as “right” and everyone else should tune to that person.
DAD Tuning: Tune the bass string so it is not too tight and not too loose. Press the bass string at the 4th fret and make
the middle string match. Now press the 3rd fret of the middle string and make the melody string match that note.
Be careful that no string is getting extremely tight. If one is too tight, back the bass string down and start over. You most
likely will not be tuned to any particular note, but you will be tuned with yourself. If a group of players decide to tune this way,
someone must be designated as “right” and everyone else should tune to that person.
STRUMMING
Strum as close to a straight line as you can across the strings. I recommend strumming away from your body; traditionally you
would strum towards your body. A lot of people are in both strumming camps.
Try very hard not to do the BACK AND FORTH strum. This is highly repetitious and will have your family at your throat
rapidly. I suggest an OUT OUT IN (OOI) strum. (This rhythm: out and-uh out and-uh)
With the first out being the actual beat of the melody. The other OUT INs are just fillers to keep the sound rolling.
Sometimes (like eighth notes) there isn’t time to do the OOI.
Just an OUT strum will usually do nicely. The way to know whether an OOI or an O is required is to SING THE SONG. (Maybe
not out loud, but definitely in your head.) The extra strums will come as you wait patiently for the next word to appear in the
song.
