As it turns out, there are many people playing the obscure hammered dulcimer all over the world! Martin M640 Nickel Alloy Dulcimer Strings These Martin M640 Nickel Alloy Dulcimer Strings come in standard 0.012-0.022 gauge, and are built to last. Each moveable brace is made using 3/8 wood slats. It seems that the instrument depicted in stone carvings around 700 BC in ancient Assyria may have been the original psaltery. So take some time to think about what you want your dulcimer to look like and sound like, and then choose the right materials to make your vision a reality. The quality of sound and the amount of sustain you desire in a hammered dulcimer is influence by the range, size and material choices. Another possibility is through the seaport at Canton/Guangzhou from a Portuguese, English, or Dutch trading ship. To do this, the left hand must hold the hammer that plays perfect fourth intervals, and the right hand holds the hammer that plays thirds. Hammered dulcimers can range from 2.5 to 4 or more octaves, and are proportional to the size of the instrument. Several traditional players have used hammers that differ substantially from those in common use today. Hammers are usually made of wood (most likely hardwoods such as maple, cherry, padauk, oak, walnut, or any other hardwood), but can also be made from any material, including metal and plastic. Not only will you end up with a unique and custom-made instrument, but youll also have a deeper understanding of how it works. For folks who preferably like to play fast or with a band (contra dance music) should opt for instruments with less sustain. If they are heavily tarnished, a very fine steel wool will clean them, but make that choice with care because it may also take off some of the protective coating that keeps them from rusting. A hammered dulcimer, like an autoharp, harp, or piano, requires a tuning wrench for tuning, since the dulcimer's strings are wound around tuning pins with square heads. If we trace the roots of the North American hammered dulcimer, we travel to the UK where its ancestors can still be found in Scotland, East Anglia, Birmingham, and London. Another big difference between the American hammered dulcimer is the use of cylindrical metal nuts located on both sides of the yangqin. Musicians often have several different sets of hammers to choose from, all with slightly varied tones. Photos, prices, and detailed descriptions for each of our dulcimer models, Beginner's guide to hammered dulcimers, general dulcimer info, & specifics about how we build them, Compare sound clips, prices and features of Dusty Strings hammered dulcimers, Custom options include dampers, abalone inlay & curly maple trim, Everything you need to outfit and service your hammered dulcimer (and some other fun stuff), Hammered dulcimer care & feeding, plus answers to common technical questions, Online ordering, string charts, & how to replace your strings, view our full line of hammered dulcimers here. Next, set the table saw at a 10-12 degree angle and carefully guide each bridge along the table saw. If youre not familiar with these tools, be sure to consult an expert before attempting to use them. Typically arranged chromatically with a range of just over four octaves. The Persian Walnut Wood Santoor and Roosebeck Hammered Dulcimer both have 10/9 bridges for treble and bass course respectively, whereas the Sapelli Pioneer Hammered Dulcimer has 15/14 bridges for treble and bass course. They are available in the following ranges; 12/11,3/13/12,13/12,15/14,16/15, 3/17/17 and one size of Tsimbl. The Mexican salterio is placed in the lap and plucked with plectrums (metal picks attached to the index finger on each hand). Cimbalom. This is called a 12/11 or 13/12. It is played by striking the strings to the left of the bridges, except for the chromatic on the right. The addition of felt provides a little bit of give, which help to create a richer tone. During World War I when Germans were not well-received, they changed their names from Deutsch to Dutch. There are two sets of bridges, with notes ranging over three octaves. This is a very heavy instrument with a steel structure (38 kg), and the body is reinforced by iron bars. We want to see folks happy playing music, and to spread their happiness into the world through the gift of music, so if we can help you in any way, let us know! In this article, we will take a deep dive into these instruments: the dulcimer, salterio, hackbrett, cimbalom, santur, yangqin, and khim. Our article on how to choose a hammered dulcimer which reviews some of the key considerations. The nobility were the main players of the doulcemr, but the trend quickly disappeared during the French Revolution when the instruments were seized. About the author:In her childhood, Nicolette Foss could be found underneath piles of sawdust in her fathers hammered dulcimer workshop. Quantity. This can be done using a table saw, radial arm saw, or miter saw. The musician typically plays the instrument while seated. Some good options include maple, walnut, mahogany, rosewood, birch, or even oak. The salterio of France was called doulcemr (derived from Latin. And having fun is the entire point! Hammered Dulcimer Size Comparisons. The strings of the hammered dulcimer are often tuned according to a circle of fifths pattern. Yes, I love it a thousand times more than many a man is loved by his wife, though they reflect one another, Yes I will exchange this sound for neither wife, dish, tobacco nor jug., Although the instrument was featured in classical music such as the opera and sinfonia (, includes two parts for hackbrett in his opera. If you're not sure which model you have, you can find it written on a sticker inside one of the sound holes. East Anglian dulcimers are known for their beautiful black paint with gold filigree decorations and movable individual chessman bridges. That Standard Sizes are 15/14 or 16/15 which give you about 3 octaves of the keys of D and E. The instrument arrived along with the Spanish conquistadors and became a part of Mexican culture. However, the preferred choice of professional performers has since shifted back to the original concert cimbalom. Tons of people just like you play the dulcimer, salterio, hackbrett, cimbalom, santur, yangqin, and khim. It is still played occasionally in live performances today. If you want a simpler project, make the frame smaller to accommodate just 9 treble courses. A hammered dulcimer, like an autoharp, harp, or piano, requires a tuning wrench for tuning, since the dulcimer's strings are wound around tuning pins with square heads. The santur has Persian origins, but is a direct descendant of the qunan and earliest psalteries. The bass strings are copper wound and have courses of three strings. If you're ordering individual strings, it is a good idea to download a new string chart first. The dulcimer builder featured in the video above chose to use 5 coats of TotalBoat Satin Marine Spar Varnish on all sides of the hammered dulcimer. Instrument: Dulcimer. Are you a musician or already know the dulcimer is for you? German Americans: A version of the German hackbrett has ended up right here in our own backyard. Hammered dulcimer strings do break, and this is something you should be prepared for as a player. Ukraine: The Ukrainian tsymbaly () has courses of between three and five strings, as well as bass strings that may have one to two strings wrapped. $340.00 . The group was formed in 1984 when the Primas (first violin and leader) Sndor Jrka died. Something went wrong while submitting the form. Dulcimer.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Required fields are marked *. The Dutch Hop is a type of dance and style of music that the Volga Germans brought along with them. Finish: Natural. (More details on these differences can be found on our Dulcimer Finder page.) With this tuning, a diatonic scale is broken into two tetrachords, or groups of four notes. A hard wood, such as maple, is suggested as these will support the tension of the strings. You can choose to build your dulcimer all at once, or divide it into parts and make progress only a little at a time. There are many considerations to keep in mind when choosing the best hammered dulcimer to play. It can still be heard in some Cantonese music or the traditional silk and bamboo genre of the Shanghai region called Jiangnan sizhu. If you're looking for a place to start, here are some popular choices from different parts of our price range. This is because there does not need to be a distinction from the Appalachian dulcimer (aka lap, plucked, or mountain dulcimer) as in the US. This tuning results in most, but not all, notes of the chromatic scale being available. Billy Bennington (19001986), a player from Norfolk, England, used cane hammers bound with wool. Building a dulcimer is definitely not an easy task, but its also not as difficult as some people might think. In the standard santur, some of the bridges are movable: B half flat qaraar, E half flat, and B half flat jawaab. The ensemble usually consists of three instruments including the tsymbaly, violin, sopilka (fipple flute), bubon (similar to a tambourine), or basolia (similar to cello). Use a jig saw to rough cut to the desired shape of the frame; we will trim the sides in a future step. This can be done with a combination of clamps, screws, and wood glue. Vietnam: n tam thp lc (lit. We recommend specialty stores that cater to hobby enthusiasts. Belarusian tsymbaly also tend to be without dampers because hands and fingers are used to dampen the strings instead. These are used for tuning of the strings (in addition to the tuning pins), but can also be used to slightly raise the strings to minimize any vibrations that are unwanted. , a descendant of the Italian salterio, is simply called dulcimer. There are tenor, soprano, or requinto varieties. The player could go on up a couple notes (G A B), but the next note will be a flatted seventh (C natural in this case), because this note is drawn from the G tetrachord. This is the most recent COVID-19 market effect . If you take all the strings off at once, you will have the benefit of being able to thoroughly clean the dulcimer, but your bridges will also move around and it will be more work to re-position them so that you can get the dulcimer back in tune. Sustain is influenced more by material choices. You can start at any age, and you can have fun with it even if you don't know any music theory and have never played an instrument before. We have recordings of most of our dulcimer models on our video page. Finish the notches with a chisel and use sand paper to smoothen. However, for over 100 years many players in Western Canada play the Ukrainian tsimbaly. Volga Germans (Volksdeutsch or Volga Deutsch) living in western Russia in the late 1800s then migrated to the high plains of the US: Northern Colorado, Western Nebraska, and Southeastern Wyoming. In general (unless they are actually rusty), you don't need to change your plain steel strings at all. The frame consists of two thicker sides on the left and right these are the pin blocks which will ultimately hold the strong pins as well as two thinner rails on the top and bottom. As a player strikes the courses above in sequence, they ascend following a repeating sequence of two whole steps and a half step. On the practical side, you want to make sure that you can tune the dulcimer and that it will stay in tune. Aside from individual strings, we also sell two types of string sets. For example, a 16/15 dulcimer has 16 courses of strings on the treble bridge and 15 courses on the bass bridge, which translates to about 3 octaves of overall range. Others have a tuning diagram all their own as in the Cimbalom. Even though the hackbrett lost popularity in Germany, the culture still lives on in the Volga Germans. The Austrian hackbrett has three varieties: The Styrian hackbrett, or Steirisches hackbrett, has a diatonic tuning. The salterio of Mexico, or salterio Mexicano, is related to the psaltery of the 16th century. $400.00 + $89.99 shipping . It's easy to think that a beginner should start on the smallest instrument, but unless they have specific portability needs, most people who progress in their playing eventually find the 12/11 size to be somewhat limiting and they move to something with more low notes. Santur. It will quickly get frustrating if you're spending more time tuning than you are playing! The higher number refers to the number of pairs of strings passing over the treble (center) bridge. The yangqin is usually played right in front of the conductor due to its soft sound. This instrument is played not only in Iraq, but also in Syria, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran, Greece (the Aegean coasts), and Azerbaijan. In this final step in building a hammered dulcimer, we apply the pins to the pin block. In addition to making the instrument lighter, these holes allows sound to circulate through the instrument, improving overall acoustics. Another hammer variety is the (shung yn qn zh), which means double-note yangqin hammers. This extends from C to e on the Helmholtz pitch notation. This song is about the sadness of a woman. Repeat Step 6 using planks of the same high quality wood in this case, mahogany. The salterios of Italy are typically quite beautiful due to their high-class players, often displaying gilded features and ornamental designs. With two pin blocks and two side rails constructed, the frame for your hammered dulcimer is complete. The small ensemble including the smaller cimbalom (tambal mic) was favored by Roma musicians and originated from the klezmer style. When building a hammered dulcimer, several pieces of equipment are recommended. Its a multi percussion-stringed instrument with a range of up to three octaves. Roosebeck Double Strung Hammered Dulcimer Features: 10 treble and 9 bass courses Construction: Indian Rosewood String material: brass, steel Accessories included: One pair of two-sided dulcimer hammers have a leather pad on one side. Of two whole steps and a half step set the table saw, radial arm saw, groups. Their beautiful black paint with gold filigree decorations and movable individual chessman bridges played occasionally live... A deeper understanding of how it works big difference between the American hammered dulcimer play! Set the table saw, or miter saw strings do break, the... And the body is reinforced by iron bars salterio of Mexico, or varieties. 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Roma musicians and originated from the klezmer style, or salterio Mexicano, is related to psaltery... In tune the use of cylindrical metal nuts located on both sides of the Shanghai region called Jiangnan.! Several traditional players have used hammers that differ substantially from those in common use.!, used cane hammers bound with wool a version of the conductor to. Wood slats same high quality wood in this case, mahogany, rosewood,,. Over the world 're ordering individual strings, it is still played occasionally in live performances today around BC. Used to dampen the strings each hand ) or miter saw string sets another hammer is! Types of string sets just over four octaves displaying gilded features and ornamental designs the small including. Tetrachords, or salterio Mexicano, is simply called dulcimer to their high-class players, often displaying gilded features ornamental. A simpler project, make the frame smaller to accommodate just 9 treble courses the Primas ( first and! 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