House of Musical Traditions
7010 Westmoreland Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
TEL: 301-270-9090
FAX: 301-270-3010
HOURS: 11 am - 7 pm
Tuesday through Saturday
11 am - 5 pm Sunday & Monday
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| Instruments > Music Articles | updated May 30, 2003 |
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How to Choose a Hammered Dulcimer By Karen Ashbrook
The most important factor in picking the right dulcimer is whether you like the tone. No matter how attractive the price, range, or options are, the bottom line is the sound. HMT has the largest selection of dulcimers in the country! There is no "best" sound - preferences are very individual, and vary with playing styles. If your interest is fast fiddle tunes, a plywood dulcimer with a plunky tone and short sustain is ideal. If you will mostly be playing accompaniment for songs, a sweeter toned dulcimer with longer sustain is more desirable. We carry three basics styles of dulcimer: 12/11 (2-1/2 octaves; G-D)
A general guideline is that experienced musicians (on any instrument) should buy the biggest dulcimer they can afford, at the very least a 15/14. A total music novice should buy a 12/11. Most people fall in the middle, and any dulcimer they like is appropriate. If traditional fiddle tunes are the primary interest, any size dulcimer is good. The range and tuning of a 12/11 is perfectly adapted for fiddle melodies and also Renaissance and medieval music.. Other types of music, like classical, European, Jewish, etc., are more accessible on a chromatic dulcimer. The lack of flats on 12/11's and 15/14's make these styles of music difficult. It is not harder to play a bigger dulcimer than a small dulcimer. It is the same or easier! It is however, easier to tune a smaller dulcimer since there are fewer strings. I do not recommend any instrument smaller than a 12/11. Dulcettas (9/8) and single bridge dulcimers are so limited it is awkward to play the tunes! Despite the name, they do not allow you to play in every key. They are still set up to play in the same keys as a regular 15/14., with the key of Bb added. There are only 2 or 3 missing notes in the outside octaves of a 15/14. Our chromatics have some or all of those missing notes (the lowest and highest D# isn't available on most of the chromatics). The extra, but slightly awkward notes allow for little chromatic runs and odd chords. The missing note that drives many a musician to choose a chromatic dulcimer is the high Bb, one and two flats being popular in most kinds of music. For classical, jazz or popular music, this is by far your best choice, if you can afford it. Dusty Strings makes a compact chromatic that has the bass notes and the chromatics on a third bridge. This makes for a much smaller instrument with no large reaches for notes. It is harder to do lower rolled chords and requires a stronger left hand, but the set up is wonderful for many types of music. On any dulcimer, the notes can be retuned if you find you need certain notes, and are not using others. The more courses (a group of strings tuned to the same note) you have, the more tuning flexibility you have. It is not unusual on bigger instruments to retune bass or chromatic courses. Even on a 12/11 it is possible to add a couple of high chromatics without losing any notes. (Dulcimers have duplicate notes in some places.) What else will I need besides the dulcimer? The two most important things are an electronic tuner which will cost $70-$100, and a case, which depending on the dulcimer, is between $90-$250. A tuner is a must. Dulcimers are wooden instruments, and go out of tune as frequently as guitars, only they have a lot more strings! To get the maximum enjoyment out of your instrument you want to spend the least amount of time tuning, yet have a well tuned instrument. Think of the hours of saved time over the many years you'll be playing. Many people also like to buy a stand. It is not necessary - the top of a table can work just fine. It is however more comfortable and convenient to use a stand. The best stand for most people is one with adjustable height and angle. It allows you to play both sitting and standing, and to experiment with the playing angle that works best for you. What about hammers? Starting out, the one or two pairs that come with the instrument are enough. At some point you will probably wish to own a padded as well as a bare wood pair of hammers, or a set which is padded on one side and bare on the other. It is also good to have a spare set of hammers in case you lose or break one. Different hammers have different tones and balance, facilitating (or not) various styles of playing. If your electronic tuner doesn't work in a crowd, it is because you need a tuning clip! Only $18 and a must if you ever take a group class. Just attach the alligator clip to a middle pin on the dulcimer and plug the other end into the "IN" on your tuner. The clip acts as a transducer, bypassing the tuner's microphone. There are scores of books and tapes available for hammered dulcimer players. Here are my recommendations: Instructional "Notes on the Hammered Dulcimer" by Ed Hale is an excellent all round tutor if you want to teach yourself. It has a tape of the exercises and tunes, which you should definitely get if you don't read music, but you don't need if you do read music. There is a follow-up volume of just tunes written out with hammering notation, "More Notes on the Hammered Dulcimer". "Notes" book, 134 pages, $20.00. Tape $10.00. "More Notes" book, 76 pages, $15.00 "You Can Teach Yourself Hammered Dulcimer" by Madeline MacNeil is the latest and best learn-by-yourself tutor, easy-to-read graphics, highly recommended, 87 pages, book $9.95, companion tape $9.98 "Hammered Dulcimer's Companion" by Phil Mason is a good, inexpensive overview of the dulcimer. If you want to pick up a book for general information and some playing information, this is a good choice. 83 pages, 34 tunes, $8.95 "The Hammered Dulcimer A-Chording to Lucille Reilly" is a fairly comprehensive guide to chords and accompaniment. 170 pages, $27.95 John McCutcheon has popular Homespun book and 6 tape set on learning to play dulcimer, $59.95 Both John McCutcheon and Robin Petrie have instructional videos on learning to play dulcimer, $39.95 each "Hammered Dulcimer Notebook" book and tapes by Linda Thompson, is a must for any advanced-beginner to intermediate player who likes to explore the dulcimer. Set up like an encyclopedia, she has an index of topics, for example triangle chords, chromatic runs, exercises, etc. She talks about each topic, then gives musical examples. Book, 155 pages, 123 tunes, $36.00. Set of 2 cassette tapes, $20.00 Repertoire Books "Tunes For Hammered Dulcimer" by Linda Lowe Thompson is an excellent repertoire book for inexperienced musicians. The tunes are common and presented in simple arrangements. There is a tape available with all the tunes. If you don't read music, the tape is a must. Linda also has an excellent introduction with guidance on learning tunes and playing. Book $12.00, companion tape $8.00 "Hammer Dulcimer Solos" by Carrie Crompton for lower beginner/intermediate players is a delightful selection of well-arranged but easy to play tunes. Since she also gives chords, it is easy to expand or vary her embellishments. A pleasant listening tape of all the tunes is available. Book, 47 pages, 21 tunes $5.95, tape $9.98 "Hammer Dulcimer Solos, Volume 2" by Carrie Crompton, book and tape. Her second book of solos, containing more wonderful easy to play arrangements. 70 pages, 35 tunes, book $8.95, tape $9.98 Mel Bay has published several books of transcriptions of some very popular dulcimer recordings by Maggie Sansone: "Sounds of the Season," "Ancient Noels," "Mist and Stone," $7.95 each. The CD's are also available, at $14.99 each. Also published by Mel Bay: "Hammered Dulcimer Classics" by Carol Koenig, 53 pages, $8.95 "Dulcimer Players Newsletter," published quarterly by Maddie MacNeil, is a wonderful source of information and playing tips for hammered and lap dulcimers. $5.00 "Kitchen Musician," by Sarah Johnson, now up to Volume 11. At $4 each these are a great value for a quick-fix influx of tunes. All of the above are available from the House of Musical Traditions. We rent Hammered Dulcimers to MD-DC-VA customers! There may be shops in your area that are willing to rent. This is the perfect solution for the aspiring player who doesn't want to spend several hundred dollars in vain. Our rental is for two months (non-extendable). This is long enough (with lessons) to discover how involved learning and playing the instrument will be. You'd be surprised how much can be learned in such a short period of time. At the end of the 2 months, full credit is applied towards any shop-owned dulcimer if you wish to purchase one (check with your local shop for their terms).We usually have a waiting list of 1 to 3 months, but you can call (301) 270-9090 if you wish to put your name on the list. The fastest way to learn to play is to take lessons! Even music teachers can benefit from one or two lessons. The dulcimer is a simple, but not obvious, instrument. Learning to play involves initially learning to pick out tunes and developing good hammering technique and patterns. Beyond that, the challenge is arranging and accompaniment. Karen Ashbrook, our hammered dulcimer teacher, is adept in a variety of styles. Maggie Sansone conducts group lessons twice a year at the Maryland Hall for Creative Arts in Annapolis, MD. Keith Young also offers group classes twice a year in Falls Church. If you have more questions about dulcimers, or if you are planning to be in the DC area and would like to stop by to look at our stock of dulcimers, feel free to request an appointment with Karen. |