I've just acquired a New Harmony Command performance Dulcimer. I spent about an hour auditioning it.

Now, All my other Dulcimers have 1 1/2 " wide fret boards which work for me because of my pudgy fingers. In the hour during auditioning the new one I didn't really pay attention to this (to busy enjoying the sound of it).

I had a really long session with yesterday and found that more times then not when playing something a first position G chord the finger fretting the middle string will impinge on the melody string giving a bum note to it. The was happening quite often and with similar bass & middle string fretting.

So my question is thus do dulcimer players supposed be able to just pick up any dulcimer fret board width and play it ok?

I am what I suppose you call an advance beginner or starter intermediate. I can play the New Harmony albeit completely changing my fretting technique for this shorter width. Will learning to cope with a 13/8ths wide board help improve my playing? The New Harmony is very unforgiving as it is.

Due i stick with it or change it for a 1 1/2" like all my others?

Many thanks for any advice

Richard

updated by @wibble: 07/21/25 11:09:54AM