pghmatt

Welcome to FOTMD, Pghmatt. It always good to have another Pennsylvanian on board. Let us know if you have any questions. I enjoy noter playing and although I have many of them, my favorite is the wood handle I cut off an old foam paint sponge. I'm not sure of the diameter (I guess I should measure it sometime), but I'm guessing about a half inch. It is four inches long. I look forward to your participation here.

Ken 

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I like a 7/16 inch dowel about 6 inches long as a noter. It really doesn't matter to me whether the dowel comes from a lumber yard or a craft department.

Hi Matt, and welcome to the wonderful world of the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer.  It's a good place to come, spend some time, learn about the dulcimer, and to meet some good people.

Ben

I found that bamboo or river cane makes a nice noter. Some folks use chopsticks from the Chinese carry out. I find one about 3/8" diameter works for me.Just try different things until you find what works for you. 

thanks Richard. Just cut my thumb attempting to use a popsicle stick as a noter a few minutes ago. I have plenty to learn!

Welcome Pghmatt to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. Glad you joined. Congrats on finding your dulcimer. The song of the dulcimer is really in a class by itself. This is a great community of wonderful dulcimer people. Let us know if you have questions.