My voyage to the lute guitar (and mountain dulcimer as well)
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
The Dulcimer is a nice instrument. I began my instrument making with this instrument ! In 1976 there was a book by John Pearse how to make a fretboard-dulcimer. Just a fretboard to clamp on the table. The table should give the resonnance. But on the cover of the booklet there was a nice hourglass dulcimer. How to make those curved sides ??? With this a great adventure came to me which ended in my master proof as instrument maker in Markneukirchen in 2005. I am still busy!
The first Dulcimers were built in USA around 1830. The history of the Hummel goes back to the 1500s. The sound of the drones was very impressive for people of the lower classes. It was easy to beginn with one finger on the fretboard witout confusing halftones ! The drones gave the nessecary ground for the melody. The luthe was an instrument for the noble man. As there were many people at the lower classes there were also many instruments like the hummel. In the small town Neukirch in Saxonie it is said that there was a Hummel nearly in each house and they had built the instruments by themselves. That´s what they did in the valleys of Appalachian Mountains with the Dulcimer. Building a simple instrument by themselves. They had the accompaniment with the drones too.
Next instrument should be a Hummel !!!
best regards
Wilfried
btw.: My book "The Story of the Hummel" is still available !