Dulcimer, << DUHL suh muhr, >> is a stringed musical instrument played with wooden hammers. The hammered dulcimer has from 42 to 72 metal strings stretched across a flat, wooden box, which is usually trapezoid-shaped.
The Appalachian, or mountain, dulcimer is a different instrument. It is shaped like an hourglass or a teardrop and is held on the player’s lap. It has three or four strings, which the player plucks or strums with one hand. The musician controls the pitch by pressing the strings down with the other hand.
The hammered dulcimer is found in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and North America. Its history is well documented back to the mid-1400’s. European immigrants brought the instrument to the United States in the 1800’s. The hammered dulcimer gained new popularity during the American folk music movement of the 1960’s.
See also Zither.
