Just to clarify, there should easily be over 1200 tuning combinations where each string has a higher pitch tone than the next lowest string. If we assume a standard 4 string tuning like ADad, and that each note could be down tuned by three steps, or uptuned by two, that still leaves 6 individual notes that each string could be tuned to. For an A string, this could be F#, G, G#, A, A#, or B. For a D string this could be B, C, C#, D, D#, or E. 
So since 6 individual notes are available per string, 6x6x6x6=1296 tuning schemes. Of course, there are way more than 6 half steps available for string, making the number much higher than 1200, not lower. In fact, Eb, D, F#, A is not in the 1200 that I mentioned, just based off the starting point of ADAd and only 6 steps of freedom.

updated by @nate: 08/18/25 05:45:03AM

Thanks again, Nate.  The tunes I've posted actually use pretty standard tunings, DAc and DAD with a first fret capo.  I'll be sending some others with more unusual tunings.  Everything is streamable on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and other platforms.

Have a great day.

Very true Alex!

I find that many combinations of root notes tend to just make things more confusing, which is a fun opportunity to find something new. 

Most of the time, I will alter the tuning in order to achieve specific chords and fit them together into a track, but many of these alternate tunings are fairly difficult for me to play a full song in. Again, it's just an opportunity to try a little harder.

Since I build all my dulcimers, $20 is about my average cost with some being closer to 5 and the most being about 30.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, and I have no doubt you will provide more creative music with creative tunings. 

I hope you have a great day as well, 

Nate

updated by @nate: 06/17/25 04:53:14PM

Thanks again, Nate.  I have three dulcimers, one of which cost me $20, is on loan, and I may never see again.  I keep three strings on one, four on the other.

I can adapt to a new tuning pretty quickly.  I'm not sure why, because ukulele essentially being a transposition of guitar (long my main instrument) drives me up a wall.  I have to pretend it's a guitar and not think of the pitches I'm actually playing.  If I was reading tab, of course this wouldn't be a problem.

At least on four strings, I haven't found many tunings that I didn't think work at all.  For me, it's a question of working with a tuning until I find something interesting.  If I were more concerned with playing familiar chords, I'd probably reject more tunings.

Have a great day.

Personally, i have a massive pile of strings and quite a few dulcimers(8 at the moment), so I often experiment with different string gauge combinations, each combination having a different range of possible tunings. Alternate tunings are a fun way to keep myself engaged when I'm getting a little bored and don't know what to do about it.

I would assume that you can probably do a lot more with them than I could, given your background. 

Thanks, Nate.  With only one exception, all the tunings I've used go low to high, which would eliminate some of those possibilities.  The only exception was Eb D F# A.  One of my former students wrote me a piece with many Eb4's.  When I originally played it, I bent the D up to Eb (with three strings), which obviously wasn't ideal, so I went to four equidistant strings, with an Eb on bottom, below the D, and only used it to play those low Eb's.  Never used that tuning again.

I haven't worked much with tuning the D string lower.  I almost always keep it on D.  I'm sure I'll get around to it.

Best,

If each string can be tuned down 3 steps or up 2 steps, that is 6 possible notes per string, which I think amounts to 1200 possible combinations on a 4 string dulcimer. Then it's just a matter of finding the ones that are actually useful lol. I personally am a big fan of ADAd and DAdf#, but as you said, there are so many options.

I had to look up Galax tuning.  I use all-unison tuning sometimes on both 3 and 4 strings and it's indeed powerful.

I spend a lot of time exploring different tunings.  I've come up with about 75 and I think they're more interesting on a 7+1 fret dulcimer than a chromatic dulcimer, although I've never played the latter (and have yet to get interested in buying one).  My interest may stem from a background in classical music and jazz.  I admire and enjoy more traditional repertoires, but I don't play them.  I'm sure the folk who do are better at it than I'd ever be.

If you're interested, I've got channels on most of the major streaming services and three albums (on dulcimer), with another dropping soon.

Have a great week!

Hi Alex.I suspect that going from Galax tuning to D a dd might be inspirational just as doing the reverse was for me.They both have their capabilities and special tunings to explore.Re the thumb,I use it all the time on high melody notes.I liked Dusty Turtle's comment about shifting the angle of the dulcimer...I've learned that if a tune requires a high thumb I have to shift the dulcimer a bit to the left(I'm a righty except with a hockey stick,laugh) and angle it a bit to get the high notes comfortably.

I spent some time this morning trying out your suggestions.  They offer some new possibilities.  I've been playing 4 equidistant strings for over a year.  I wonder how much difference that makes regarding fingers and thumb.

Alex,  I'll just address your first question here and also encourage you to join the Modern Chord Style Players Group here.

When he performs, Steven Seifert rarely uses his thumb.  Aaron O'Rourke uses his more often, but still not a lot compared to the rest of us.  But importantly, both of them teach chording using the thumb.  And most of use all our fingers.

The reason Seifert and O'Rourke don't use their thumbs that much is that they use their ring finger (Seifert) or their pinky (O'Rourke) to barre across all the strings, allowing the other fingers to fret strings above the barre.  So in DAd, whereas I play the 335 G chord with my middle, ring, and thumb, Aaron just forms a barre with his pinky at 3 and then uses his index finger on the 5.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you don't use your thumb, the dulcimer can sit straight across your lap, kind of perpendicular to your legs. But if you use your thumb, you will want to angle the head of the dulcimer out over your knee more.  This is easy to demonstrate and harder to describe, but the basic idea is that you want a relaxed angle for you fretting hand.  I often change how far out the dulcimer is angled depending on how much I use my thumb in a given song.

Personally, I think the best approach is to be flexible, making sure you are able to use all five fingers, and then choosing the fretting hand attack that best fits a given arrangement.

For the record, I played the guitar for decades before discovering the mountain dulcimer.  I think of the right hand as playing the guitar and the left hand as playing the piano.  Maybe that helps. Maybe not.

--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator

As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
updated by @dusty: 06/14/25 10:08:43PM

Thanks for your answers.  My answers to yours:

1) I knew about Stephen Seifert.  I wonder if he started on guitar, like me.

2) There's a whole literature about string instruments that says, contrary to what may seem like conventional wisdom, that the right hand does the harder work.  I'm very left handed, but was never given the option of playing lefty.  It's been limiting in some ways, but I can do some things with my left hand that righties would find challenging.  Check my stuff out on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Music (or other streams) and see if you agree.

3) I'm passionate about alternate tunings, on 3 or 4 strings.  I think I've found about 70 and they open up worlds of possibilities.  But I have no interest in a chromatic dulcimer.  (I have a guitar for that.)

4) Staff notation is probably not very useful for learning other people's repertoire, unless it's for vocal melodies.  But I compose a lot and I've been reading staff notation forever, so I use it.

Thanks so much.  Such a great community.

Welcome Alex, glad to have you here. I enjoyed the song you posted.
 To answer your questions 
1:  There are some players I've seen that don't seem to use their thumb very much at all, unless it's to make a stretch while holding a chord shape. Stephen Siefert and Aaron O'rourke come to mind. It does look  more comfortable on the wrist.

2: I am right handed, and I've often felt like the left hand is doing harder work than the right on a dulcimer. It might be an advantage to play right handed if you're left handed.

3: I do. It can be a good source of inspiration. I usually stick to 1-5-8 tunings in various keys, but I've recently been playing more 4 string, which opens up a lot more opportunities. 

4: I learned dulcimer with tab, since there is such a huge number of tabs available. Staff notation is a bit intimidating for me, especially when I change keys or modes. I only use it when I have to, like if I'm playing with others and they are using it.

Hi, Alex!  Welcome to our happy little group of dulcimer fans.  Detroit weather now is overcast and pleasantly cool.  With occasional sprinkles. 

So, to answer your Question #2, I have been a leftie all my life (physically, not politically), and have always played dulcimer "right-handed", or the usual way folks play it.  I built a left-handed J. E. Thomas replica dulcimore for a guy, and found it to be an interesting experience.  He seemed happy with it-- I've heard no complaints as of yet. 

 As to Questions #1, #3 and #4, No, no and no.  Hope you have fun with our dulcimer gang!

Hi All,

I hope you're having a great weekend with better weather than here in MN.

I'm relatively new here.  I'm completely self-taught on dulcimer.  I've played for about ten years, after about fifty years of guitar and I'm a classically trained composer and music professor.  Dulcimer has become my main instrument.  My questions:

1) Because of my background in guitar, I mostly use all four left hand fingers and only occasionally my thumb.  Anyone else out there use this technique?

2) Anyone else left handed, but play right handed?  If so, do you think this affects your playing and if so how?  (I play fingerstyle, but I think my technique is unorthodox.)

3) Does anyone else spend a lot of time exploring alternate tunings?

4) Does anyone else use/like staff notation?

Thanks so much,