The Appalachian dulcimer (many variant names; see below) is a fretted string instrument of the zither family, typically with three or four strings, originally played in the Appalachian region of the United States.
The body extends the length of the fingerboard, and its fretting is generally diatonic.
Name
The Appalachian dulcimer has many variant names. Most often it is simply called a dulcimer (also rendered as "dulcimore", "dulcymore", "delcimer", "delcimore", etc.).
When it needs to be distinguished from the unrelated hammered dulcimer, various adjectives are added (drawn from location, playing style, position, shape, etc.).
Example: mountain dulcimer, Kentucky dulcimer, plucked dulcimer, fretted dulcimer, lap dulcimer, teardrop dulcimer, box dulcimer, etc.
The instrument has also acquired a number of nicknames (some shared by other instruments): "harmonium", "hog fiddle", "music box", "harmony box", and "mountain zither".
Origins and history
Although the Appalachian dulcimer first appeared in the early 19th century among Scotch-Irish immigrant communities in the Appalachian Mountains, the instrument has no known precedent in Ireland, Scotland or Northern England. Because of this, and a dearth of written records, the history of the Appalachian dulcimer has been, until fairly recently, largely speculative. Since 1980, more extensive research has traced the instrument's development through several distinct periods, and its likely origins in several similar European instruments: the Swedish hummel, the Norwegian langeleik, the German scheitholt, and the French épinette des Vosges. Folk historian Lucy M. Long said of the instrument's history:
External links
- Hearts of the Dulcimer-Podcast – a podcast dedicated to exploring the mountain dulcimer's past, present, and future.
- Hearts of the Dulcimer-Film – a feature-length documentary about the mountain dulcimer.
- In Search of the Wild Dulcimer – free online version of the book on the author's site.
- Dulcimer Players News, a magazine in publication since 1974, for hammered and fretted "dulcimer" enthusiasts.
- – Online community featuring articles, listings and discussion forums.
- The Dulcimerica Video Podcast – A video podcast featuring performances, lessons, interviews and travelogs.
- Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer – a supportive online learning community of mountain dulcimer players.