MAKING A DULCIMER

WHEN I WAS ABOUT 17 I LEARNED FROM A FRIEND OF MINE HOW TO BUILD AND PLAY A DULCIMER. HE HELPED ME ORDER THE MAHOGANY KIT. MY DADA HAD A JIGSAW TO CUT THE WOOD AND I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR GLUING IT AND CUTTING THE FRETS. THEN IT TOLD HOW TO STRING IT. IT HAD FOUR STRINGS. I BOUGHT A COUPLE OF JEAN RITCHIE'S RECORDS IN ORDER TO LEARN SOME SONGS AND HOW TO PLAY IT. IT IS A SIMPLE INSTRUMENT TO MAKE AND USE.

THERE ARE HAMMERED DULCIMERS AND I CAN USE MINE AS A HAMMERED DULCIMER AS WELL. I LEARNED HOW TO PLAY BASIC SONGS AS THE APPALACHIANS USED TO PLAY, WHICH MEANS YOU USE YOUR EAR TO STRUM ALONG THE FRETS. MY SON LIKES TO FIDDLE AROUND WITH IT. I HAVE ALSO BOUGHT A SECOND DULCIMER AT A GARAGE SALE THAT HAS 5 STRINGS. THIS ONE I TUNED A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND LEARNED TO PLAY FROM SCRATCH. IT HAD AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT SOUND AS I TUNED IT TO MINOR KEYS. I ALSO HAVE A ZITHER THAT MY HUSBAND GAVE ME BUT I HAVE NOT LEARNED HOW TO PLAY IT YET. I'LL PROBABLY GO TO THE SONOMA COUNTY FOLK SOCIETY TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT SOMEDAY. I HAVE A RECORD OF A PERSON FROM OREGON WHO PLAYS THE ZITHER. WE HEARD HIM IN A CONCERT AT THE BLACK HILLS WHEN WE WORKED THERE WITH OUR PRIVATE ARCHEOLOGY BUSINESS.