The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion - stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board.

We've got the best sounding hammered dulcimers available at any price. Check out our helpful resources or buy a hammered dulcimer today!

Dusty Strings has been lovingly handcrafting hammered dulcimers in Seattle, WA since 1979. We offer a variety of models and price levels to suit everyone from beginner to professional, and we are excited to share our love of this fascinating instrument with you!

To most modern-day musicians, the hammered dulcimer is a new and unfamiliar instrument. It’s a multi percussion-stringed instrument with a range of up to three octaves. Like mountain (or “Appalachian”) dulcimers, hammered dulcimers are known for their soft, sweet sounds.

What is a hammered dulcimer anyway? How do you know where the notes are? What kinds of music can you play? Is it hard to learn? We hear these questions all the time, so we've put together some basic information that a beginner might find useful.

Colorado Springs-based National Hammered Dulcimer Champion Joshua Messick breathes new life into the ancient and enchanting hammered dulcimer. He is a composer, performer, and innovator influenced by World, Folk, and Classical music.

Released in 1966, when the hammered dulcimer's future was uncertain, this album features medleys of mostly old time fiddle tunes played on this psaltery-like instrument. Throughout the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the dulcimer remained a popular instrument in both eastern and western Europe.

Feb 17, 2023 · The hammered dulcimer is a trapezoid-shaped stringed instrument played with wooden mallets called “hammers”. The hammers strike the strings that have varying diameters, tension, and positioning, creating different sounds.

Dec 13, 2013 · Here are the criteria I use and suggest to my students when they ask me what they should look for in purchasing a hammered dulcimer. 1. Beware of DSOs! (Dulcimer-Shaped-Objects) At the beginning of the dulcimer revival in the late 1960s and 1970s many people began building instruments that were shaped like dulcimers but were ultimately unplayable.

Feb 3, 2022 · As it turns out, there are many people playing the “obscure” hammered dulcimer all over the world! Tons of people just like you play the dulcimer, salterio, hackbrett, cimbalom, santur, yangqin, and khim. We are united by our love for hammered dulcimer music!