Hi John-c  Welcome to our wacky and wonderful world.  I've added links to a couple of articles I wrote years ago, which you may find useful as you start your dulcimer journey. 

I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? is an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms (so we all speak the same lingo), plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new instrument.

Get Noterized is a beginner's guide to playing the dulcimer in a traditional (non-3-finger chord) style.

Uncontrite Modal Folker is a discussion of musical Modes and Modal Tunings and how they apply to the mountain dulcimer.

Uncontrite Modal Folker.pdf  •  92KB

I Just Got A.pdf  •  1MB

Get Noterized.pdf  •  87KB

Hello everyone. I'm John from Lawrenceburg, KY. I had a dulcimer back in the 80s. Not sure who it was made by, but learned how to play with a noter a little. I don't think at the time I really understood or appreciated the instrument so I traded it off, and my interests turned towards the guitar. About 3 years ago I purchased a Psaltery at the Gatlinburg craftsman fair and have enjoyed learning it. Just recently I came across a John Kinniard Dulcimer (pics attached). I sent John an email and did get a response. He was very surprised that I found one of his, but as I understand it he only makes very high end guitars now. I have a renewed interest in the Dulcimer now, and basically lost my mind over them. Purchased a McSpadden off ebay and anxiously waiting it's arrival. BTW if anyone has any info or experience with the John Kinniard Dulcimer please share.

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Hey Craig good to meet you!

Wow - a Capritaurus AND a D-00. What a great pair.

I played guitar for many years before I started the dulcimer. The main draw for me was exactly as you say: diatonic forced me to rethink composing and experimenting with different tuning and string configurations.

As a result, I've now gone back to playing guitar again and started noodling in CGCFCD - what an amazing find courtesy of Martin Simpson! 

Hi, I'm Craig and I'm new around here. I discovered the site the other day while searching for info about my dulcimers.

I first got interested in the mountain dulcimer in the 1980s; I forget why, exactly, but Dave Cousins' use of the instrument on "Witchwood" by the Strawbs may have had something to do with it. I was already a guitar player at that point who could also find his way around a piano. I bought a Rugg & Jackel (the teardrop-shaped one in the photo) along with an LP by Michael Rugg ( Rugg's Celtic Collection for Dulcimer  -- charming album) and a couple of instructional books and started playing. The D-00 is quite small (22" VSL), so it's easy to play, though the tone is a bit boxy. More recently, I bought a vintage 1973 Capritaurus (the hourglass-shaped one), which at 29" VSL is the opposite -- great tone, but kind of hard to reach chords, and easier to play when tuned down to C. I may have to split the difference and buy a 26" model...

I'm not really a great dulcimer player; I'm better at guitar, but I like to play and I find that different instruments make me think differently. On guitar, mandolin, or dulcimer, I come up with different things. The modal nature of the dulcimer, in particular, forces me away from my natural tendency toward chromaticism.

R&C, enjoy that cool mountain dulcimer.  Happy strumming! 

Thanks!  I was very pleased to learn its history and to manage to acquire it.  Marsha gave me some good advice about not changing anything about it.  I like playing noter style.  I love the tradition and history of this instrument. 

My sister-in-law started lessons in Florida this year, although I suspect she's playing chord style.  But we're going to see what we can do together to entertain the family over Christmas. 

Oh my, what a great find, Rocks!  Whatever you do, don't change this perfect and wonderful old dulcimer- that's a collector's instrument and is in mint condition!  I see the frets are only under the melody string..so enjoy playing it in drone style, as it was intended to be played.  (you can always later get a nice second dulcimer for chord style playing, with extra frets too if you want to explore that style)      You're a lucky lady to now be the Amburgey's new player!

Hi, I'm Lizabeth.  I posted to the First Dulcimer thread before I saw this, so I've got an intro on there.  But, briefly, I've wanted a dulcimer since high school, when a friend learned to play during a summer working in the Appalachians.  I looked at them a lot but never pulled the trigger until a couple of weeks ago when I found a mountain dulcimer in a flea market.  I eventually bought it.  It's a Morris Jethro Amburgey (son of Jethro) built in 1978, and it's in perfect condition.  I'm teaching myself noter and drone playing.  I've been playing native American flute for four years.  My family is pretty musical, so I pick things up pretty quickly.  I love being here.  I think forums are an excellent way to connect folks and disseminate information. 

I hope these photos are right-side up!  The first one is of Marsha Harris.  She put a new string on for me, tuned the dulcimer, and gave me some pointers. 

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Any members who would like to tell us a little something about themselves?  We love to welcome new FOTMD family members, especially during the holiday season!    

*WELCOME SHERRI!*

I'm new as well, have just bought my first MD after thinking about it for ages, having tinkered with a Strumstick type device. At the moment still at the "Go and tell Aunt Nancy" (what you folks across the water call "Go tell Aunt Rhody" ... we have an extra half-beat on you there ....)

It's a small world, I'm from Norfolk, England as well. I'm semi retired now ; I used to teach children with Special Needs (of varying types .....) and I now write Computer Software occasionally, contract work. 

I'm currently working on a (free definitely open source probably) visual TAB player for Dulcimers to help me learn, basically you feed TAB and/or Chords into it plus some timing data and it plays it back at you showing the TAB,  you can change the speed etc. If you've ever used Yousician, a bit like that, except there's no audio detection of what you're playing. 

We also have a dedicated Group here on FOTMD where UK members can stay updated on local events and make new friend and local jamming connections! :   http://fotmd.com/john-henry/group/41/uk-and-european-mountain-dulcimers          

Alison -- being on that side of The Pond, you'll want to get to know Robin Clark, who is a member here. He lives up in Snowdonia, Wales, and has a company called Bird Rock Dulcimers.  Robin is extremely knowledgeable about dulcimers as well as guitars.   He is importing dulcimers made here, some built specifically to his design.  His website is

http://www.dulcimers.co.uk  or you can call him on   +44 (0)1654 712671

HI y'all!  I am sandi, and I was very active on dulcimer sites while learning after I first got my dulcimer in 2003.  The help and companionship of dulcimer friends online has always been AMAZING.  I have a Walnut Creek from Craggy Mountain Music that I bought sight unseen after learning about the mountain dulcimer, all because of the very kind Beverly who was so wonderful on the phone when I called.  :)  My goal was to have hymn sings with visitors to my home, as I so loved our Pastor's wife getting us around the piano whenever we visited her.  :)

I am a homeschooling mama with six children, so I had some years in there where my dulcimer was tucked away.  I have always wanted to play more but didn't know how to fit it in.  Now maybe I'm needing it?  LOL!  My current plan is to purchase a custom (Wren?) from Feather Dulcimers, and I am very excited.  I always wanted BIGGER and LOUDER to play in groups, but the practicality of a small instrument to store and pull out and travel with is now very, very appealing.  

That's it, I think!  I'm so happy to be back among you!

ETA that I'm dying to master this instrument.  It's simplicity has always appealed to me, but there is also much to master and grow with for the rest of your life should you want to.

Welcome to our corner of musical Paradise.  You may be interested in the article I wrote several years ago and recently updated, called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?  It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms plus answers to many of the beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new friend.  Here's the revised edition.

I Just Got A Dulcimer 2016.pdf  •  1.1MB

I too have a Cedar Creek Dulcimer kit. I love it. It was so much fun building it. I wish I could build them all the time.

Hey, Boo!  (Sorry....I couldn't resist).  It's great having you join us and I hope you'll find us a fun, helpful bunch.  I have a Ginger that I really like. It was especially helpful when I was first learning chords.  I've never been to Mountain View, but I hope I can go some day.

 Well, Linda, I used to live in Salisbury, and if I still did I'd volunteer to re-string it for you.  Pegs aren't as bad as some folks make 'em out to be.  I wouldn't change a thing on the Tignor.  In his later period he used store-bought violin pegs, but he still carved pegs for some of them.  I've never used peg dope on a dulcimer.  I either spit on 'em or use chalk  ROFL.  Moistening them lightly will make them swell a little and stop most slipping; chalk is a great lubricant if they are sticky.  

There are  number of Youtube vids on how to use wooden tuners that you can follow.  IIRC DanC has posted one or more.  There are products called Peg Drops which will help with slipping tuners.  Old time remedies included a few strokes with a piece of chalk or a bar of soap on the shaft.

My article I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?  has a section on stringing/re-stringing.  You want to remove/replace one string at a time.

Yeah, Linda, get than Tignor down and re-string her.  As the proud owner of 2 Tignor's I think they are really underrated by a lot of folks.  They are great players, at least mine are, for whatever style you like to play.  

Hi Linda, welcome!

Hey you might want to re-evaluate that Tignor- some folks collect them and if it's in decent shape it could be a good player!

I hear you about the too-many-hobbies/interests thing.  

Say howdy here to us all, and tell us a little about yourself!