Hammered Dulcimer

The hammered dulcimer or hammer dulcimer is an ancient trapezoidal music instrument with several courses of strings running more or less parallel to the soundboard. At least one bridge is positioned so that strings are playable on both sides of the bridge to give different notes. It is played by striking the strings with stick-like hammers.

The appeal of this instrument is its flexibility and ease of play. Unlike the violin or the piano, the hammered dulcimer does not take years of practice to acquire good playing skills. Many of the best players do not read music; rather they learn all the “tunes” by ear. Music is often passed from one musician to another in this fashion.

The most confusing aspect of the hammered dulcimer is its namesake, the Appalachian, or Mountain dulcimer. The shared name seems to point to a shared heritage at some time. Actually, the two have virtually nothing in common except for the name.

Shop our selection of Dusty Strings hammered dulcimers at our store or online.