A diatonic hammered dulcimer made by Masterworks

The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. The instrument is typically set at an angle on a stand in front of the musician, who holds a small mallet, called a hammer in each hand with which to strike the strings (for the plucked Appalachian dulcimer, see Appalachian dulcimer). The word dulcimer comes from the Latin dulcis or "sweet" and the Greek melos, meaning "song". The origin of the instrument is uncertain, but tradition holds that it was invented in Iran roughly 2000 years ago. Photo I took of a Masterworks Hammered Dulcimer This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Photo I took of a Masterworks Hammered Dulcimer This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A trapezoid (in North America) or trapezium (in Britain and elsewhere) is a quadrilateral two of whose sides are parallel to each other. ... A mallet is a type of hammer, and is manufactured in different designs according to their intended use. ... Two Appalachian dulcimers The Appalachian dulcimer is a fretted string instrument with three or four strings, although contemporary versions of the instrument can have as many as twelve strings and six courses. ...

The instrument has seen somewhat of a revival in America in the American folk music traditions, and also by its use by Contemporary Christian musician Rich Mullins. It is also still played in Wales, East Anglia, Northumbria, the Middle East, the People's Republic of China and Thailand. It is also used in traditional folk music in Austria and Bavaria. Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... now. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) Welsh, English Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Free State of Bavaria  (German: Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ...

Strings and tuning

A chromatic hammered dulcimer made by Dusty Strings, a Seattle builder

The hammered dulcimer comes in various sizes, identified by the number of strings that cross each of the bridges. A 15/14, for example, has two bridges (treble and bass) and spans three octaves. The strings of a hammered dulcimer are usually found in pairs, two strings for each note (though some instruments have three or four strings per note). Each set of strings is tuned in unison and is called a course. As with a piano, the purpose of using multiple strings per course is to make the instrument louder, although as the courses are rarely in perfect unison, a chorus effect usually results. A hammered dulcimer, like an autoharp or harp, requires a tuning wrench for tuning. Unlike the strings of a guitar, the dulcimer's strings are wound around simple bolts (called tuning pins) with square heads. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 637 KB) Photo of a hammered dulcimer, taken in Portland OR by Dvortygirl, 7/17/05 and posted with permission of the owner/artist, whose hands are shown in the photo. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 637 KB) Photo of a hammered dulcimer, taken in Portland OR by Dvortygirl, 7/17/05 and posted with permission of the owner/artist, whose hands are shown in the photo. ... A bridge is the part of a guitar, bass or other stringed instrument where the strings join the body of the instrument. ... In music, an octave (sometimes abbreviated 8ve or 8va) is the interval between one musical note and another with half or double the frequency. ... For other uses, see Unison (disambiguation). ... A course is a pair of adjacent strings tuned to unison or an octave and usually plucked together as if a single string, in musical instruments such as the lute, vihuela or mandolin. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... The chorus effect is a condition in the way people perceive nearly the same sound coming from more than one source. ... An Autoharp The Autoharp is a zither-like musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers which, when depressed, mute all the strings other than those that form the desired chord. ... The harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. ... T-shaped tuning wrench A tuning wrench is a specialized socket wrench used to tune string instruments such as the piano, harp, and hammer dulcimer, that have strings wrapped around bolts with square heads. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The strings of the hammered dulcimer are often tuned diatonically, according to a circle of fifths pattern. Typically, the lowest note (often a G or D) is found on the lower right-hand corner of the instrument, just to the left of the right-hand (bass) bridge. As a player strikes the courses above in sequence, they ascend the diatonic scale based on the G or D. With this tuning, the scale is broken into two tetrachords, or groups of four notes. For example, on an instrument with D as the lowest note, the D major scale is played starting in the lower-right corner and ascending the bass bridge: D - E - F# - G. This is the lower tetrachord of the D major scale. At this point the player returns to the bottom of the instrument and shifts to the treble bridge to play the higher tetrachord: A - B - C# - D. In music theory, a diatonic scale (from the Greek diatonikos, to stretch out; also known as the heptatonia prima; set form 7-35) is a seven-note musical scale comprising five whole-tone and two half-tone steps, in which the half tones are maximally separated. ... In music theory, the circle of fifths (or cycle of fifths) is a geometrical space that depicts relationships among the 12 equal-tempered pitch classes comprising the familiar chromatic scale. ... The tetrachord is a concept of music theory borrowed from ancient Greece. ...

This shift to the adjacent bridge is required because the bass bridge's fourth string G is the start of the lower tetrachord of the G scale. If the player ascends the first eight strings of the bass bridge, they will encounter a flatted seventh (C natural in this case), because this note is drawn from the G tetrachord. This D major scale with a flatted seventh is the mixolydian mode in D. The Mixolydian mode is a musical mode or diatonic scale. ...

The pattern continues to the top of the instrument and to the left-hand side of the treble bridge. Moving from the left side of the bass bridge to the right side of the treble bridge is analogous to moving from the right side of the treble bridge to the left side of the treble bridge.

This diatonically-based tuning results in most, but not all, notes of the chromatic scale being available in each key. To fill in the gaps, many modern dulcimer builders include extra short bridges at the top and bottom of the soundboard, where extra strings are tuned to some or all of the missing pitches. Such instruments are often called "chromatic dulcimers" as opposed to the more traditional "diatonic dulcimers". The chromatic scale is the scale that contains all twelve pitches of the Western tempered scale. ...

Hammered dulcimers of non-European descent may have other tuning patterns, and builders of European-style dulcimers sometimes experiment with alternate tuning patterns.

Hammers

The hammered dulcimer derives its name from the small mallets that players use to strike the strings, called hammers. They are usually made of wood, but can be made from any material, including metal and plastic. In the Western hemisphere, hammers are usually stiff, but in Asia, flexible hammers are often used. The head of the hammer can be left bare for a sharp attack sound, or can be covered with adhesive tape, leather, or fabric for a softer sound. A mallet is a type of hammer, and is manufactured in different designs according to their intended use. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily forms positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds. ... Household items made out of plastic. ... Two rolls of adhesive tape. ... Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ... Sunday textile market on the sidewalks of Karachi, Pakistan. ...

Several traditional players have used hammers that differ substantially from those in common use today. Paul Van Arsdale (b. 1920), a player from upstate New York, uses flexible hammers made from hacksaw blades, with leather-covered wooden blocks attached to the ends (these are modeled after the hammers used by his grandfather, Jesse Martin). The Irish player John Rea (1915-1983) used hammers made of thick steel wire, wound with wool. Billy Bennington (1900-1986), a player from Norfolk county in England, used cane hammers bound with wool. Paul Van Arsdale (born October 19, 1920 in northwestern Pennsylvania) is a hammered dulcimer player from North Tonawanda in upstate New York. ... Official language(s) None Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... John Rea was a hammered dulcimer player from Glenarm in County Antrim, Ireland. ... Billy Bennington was a hammered dulcimer player from England. ... Norfolk (pronounced IPA: ) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ...

The hammered dulcimer (as well as the mountain dulcimer), can also be bowed, though this is not a widespread practice, as a traditional bow would do little good. In order to make bowing the instrument possible, Jimbows were created. Jimbows consist of a wooden handle connected to a curved nylon rod, which when rosined, will produce the desired sound.

Hammered dulcimers around the world

Versions of the hammered dulcimer are used throughout the world. In Eastern Europe a larger descendant of the hammered dulcimer called the cimbalom is played and has been used by a number of classical composers, including Zoltán Kodály and Igor Stravinsky, and more recently by Blue Man Group. The khim is a Thai hammered dulcimer. The Chinese yangqin is a type of hammered dulcimer that originated in Persia. The Santur and Santoor are found in the Middle East and India, respectively. It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbal instrument. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Zoltán Kodály (IPA: ) (December 16, 1882 – March 6, 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher. ... Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (Russian: Игорь Фёдорович Стравинский, Igor Fëdorovič Stravinskij) (June 17, 1882 – April 6, 1971) was a Russian composer best known for three compositions from his earlier, Russian period: LOiseau de feu (The Firebird) (1910), Petrushka (1911), and Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (1913). ... Blue Man Group founders (L to R) Phil Stanton, Chris Wink & Matt Goldman Blue Man Group (BMG) is a creative organization centered on a trio of mute, expressionless performers, called Blue Men, that present themselves in blue paint, latex bald caps, and black clothing. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kim (musical instrument). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: de facto: Esteqlāl, āzādÄ«, jomhÅ«rÄ«-ye eslāmÄ«[]   (Persian for Independence, freedom, (the) Islamic Republic de jure: Allaho Akbar (Arabic for God is Great)[1] Anthem: SorÅ«d-e MellÄ«-e Īrān Capital (and largest city) Tehran Persian Government Islamic Republic  - Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali... Santur Woman playing the santur in a painting from the Hasht-Behesht Palace in Isfahan Iran, 1669 The santur (سَنتور) is a hammered dulcimer of Iran. ... The santoor is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy strings. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Names for the hammered dulcimer in different countries

• Austria - Hackbrett
• Belarus - Цымбалы (Tsymbaly)
• Brazil - saltério
• Cambodia - khim
• China - yangqin
• Czech Republic - cimbál
• Denmark - hakkebræt
• Germany - Hackbrett
• Greece - santouri
• Hungary - cimbalom
• India - santoor
• Iran - santur
• Italy - salterio
• Korea - yanggeum
• Laos - khim
• Lithuania - cimbalai
• Mexico - salterio
• Mongolia joochin
• Netherlands - hakkebord
• Romania - ţambal
• Russia - Цимбалы (Tsymbaly), Дульцимер (Dultsimer)
• Spain - salterio
• Sweden - hackbräda, hammarharpa
• Switzerland - Hackbrett, Hachbrattli
• Thailand - khim
• Turkey - santur
• Ukraine - Цимбали (Tsymbaly)
• United Kingdom - hammered dulcimer
• United States - hammered dulcimer
• Vietnam - Đàn tam thập lục (lit. "36 strings")
• Yiddish - tsimbl

// Concept, etymology: Salterio / saltério is used in Italian and Spanish where both psaltery and dulcimer are used in English, psaltérion and tympanon in French, psalterium in Latin. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kim (musical instrument). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Hammered dulcimers have two or sometimes three bridges, and are played by striking the strings with small hammers. The hammers are sometimes covered with leather to create a softer sound. ... It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbal instrument. ... It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbal instrument. ... The santoor is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy strings. ... Santur Woman playing the santur in a painting from the Hasht-Behesht Palace in Isfahan Iran, 1669 The santur (سَنتور) is a hammered dulcimer of Iran. ... // Concept, etymology: Salterio / saltério is used in Italian and Spanish where both psaltery and dulcimer are used in English, psaltérion and tympanon in French, psalterium in Latin. ... The yanggeum is a traditional Korean string instrument. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kim (musical instrument). ... // Concept, etymology: Salterio / saltério is used in Italian and Spanish where both psaltery and dulcimer are used in English, psaltérion and tympanon in French, psalterium in Latin. ... Cymbalum // Overview The cymbalum, cymbalom, cimbalom (most common spelling), ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl or santouri is a musical instrument found mainly in the music of Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Greece and Ukraine. ... // Concept, etymology: Salterio / saltério is used in Italian and Spanish where both psaltery and dulcimer are used in English, psaltérion and tympanon in French, psalterium in Latin. ... Hammered dulcimers have two or sometimes three bridges, and are played by striking the strings with small hammers. The hammers are sometimes covered with leather to create a softer sound. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kim (musical instrument). ... Santur Woman playing the santur in a painting from the Hasht-Behesht Palace in Isfahan Iran, 1669 The santur (سَنتور) is a hammered dulcimer of Iran. ... The đàn tam thập lục (also called simply tam thập lục) is a Vietnamese hammered dulcimer with 36 metal strings. ... Cymbalum // Overview The cymbalum, cymbalom, cimbalom (most common spelling), ţambal, tsymbaly, tsimbl or santouri is a musical instrument found mainly in the Roma music of Hungary, Romania, and Ukraine. ...

See also

• List of hammered dulcimer players
• List of hammered dulcimer builders
• Four Hammer Dulcimer

Noted musicians who play the hammered dulcimer include: Matthew Abelson Karen Ashbrook Pheyland Barthen Billy Bennington Doug Berch Tina Bergmann Christie Burns Evan Carawan Guy Carawan Bonnie Carol Wes Chappell Randy Clepper Mitzie Collins Vince Conaway Russell Cook Jimmy Cooper Jim Couza Carolyn Cruso Malcolm Dalglish Tony Elman Russell Fluharty... Noted builders and manufacturers who specialize in hammered dulcimers include: Gillian Alcock Michael Allen – Cloud Nine Bob Bedard Nick Blanton Russell Cook - Master Works Ardie Davis Dusty Strings Folkcraft Instruments Rick Fogel - Whamdiddle Dulcimers Chris Foss - Songbird Dulcimers Roger Frood - Dove Dulcimers H&R Dulcimers Jim & Kathie Hudson - J&K... The four hammer dulcimer, although a fresh innovation premiering in the early 1990s, is by no means a new instrument. ...

Further reading

• Gifford, Paul M. (2001), The Hammered Dulcimer: A History, The Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 0-8108-3943-1. A comprehensive history of the hammered dulcimer and its variants.
• Kettlewell, David (1976), The Dulcimer, PhD thesis. History and playing traditions around the world; web-version at http://www.new-renaissance.net/dulcimer.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hammered dulcimers

• Nay-Nava the encyclopedia of persian music instruments
• The Hammered Dulcimer Page
• Hammered Dulcimer Information
• Hammered Dulcimer Sample Library & MP3 Demos
• Klezmer Tsimbl (Related to the Hammered Dulcimer)
• Smithsonian Institution booklet on hammered dulcimer history and playing
• Smithsonian Institution booklet on making a hammered dulcimer (by Sam Rizzetta)