The Appalachian, or mountain, dulcimer, an original American instrument, dates back to the early 1800s. The name, dulcimer, translates to “sweet song,” an apt title to an instrument that sings harmony and melody like the wind.
The mountain dulcimer, a type of zither (stringed instrument with no neck), has 3- 4 strings. Because the dulcimer is somewhat easy to build, it soon became popular in the Appalachian Mountains. The folks that built the mountain dulcimers at that time used wood on hand, such as cherry, walnut, and poplar. Frets were made from staples, iron or brass. Played on the lap, the dulcimer can be finger-picked, but the original dulcimer players made picks from a turkey feather. Often, the melody string was played with a round stick called a noter.
I decided to learn more about making instruments, and because I wanted another mountain dulcimer, I ordered a kit from Cedar Creek Dulcimers. I selected the style (banjo dulcimer), the wood (mahogany sides and back with a maple top), and the design (leaves and Celtic knot sound hole). Because I had a severe lack of tools, it took me about two weeks to complete my dulcimer.
Much to my delight, the completed dulcimer, I call her Mariah, sounds as good as she looks. I have tuned her to the key of D (DAD), and have a capo so I can play her in the key of G as well as a minor key. Mainly I utilize the noter to pick out the melody line, while the other strings act as drones. I have also learned several chords, put prefer the sliding sound the noter produces.