What should a dulcimer be tuned to?
There are two common tunings for mountain dulcimer, DAA and DAD. In DAA, the bass string is tuned to D with the middle and paired melody strings tuned to A. In DAD, the bass string is tuned to D with the middle string tuned to A….Modes and Tunings for the Mountain Dulcimer.
| Major Modes | Minor Modes |
|---|---|
| Ionian | Dorian |
What strings are on a dulcimer?
D’Addario Dulcimer strings contain 3 plain steel strings and one nickelplated steel wound on steel string; designed and gauged to common scale. D’Addario, the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instrument strings, is known as The Players Choice with a reputation for unsurpassed quality and consistency.
What is a dulcimer tab?
If you haven’t seen dulcimer TAB before, it is laid out in three lines which represent the three dulcimer strings seen from above. The melody string (nearest to you) is therefore at the bottom, the bass (furthest) string at the top. The numbers on the strings are the fret numbers which you need to press down.
How do you play dulcimer numbers?
Play By Numbers To play, push down gently but firmly at the center of each fret and then strum or pluck the string with the other hand. If the songbook says 2, then press the 2nd fret in the middle and strum until you get a good sound.
What’s the best way to tune a dulcimer?
Tune the 1st or melody string to the same note as the open middle string. Tune the 3rd or bass string to the D below Middle C on the Piano (or to the open 4th string of a guitar). Press the 3rd or bass string just left of the 4th fret and pluck this note (A). Tune your middle or 2nd string until it matches this pitch.
What’s the difference between a 3 and a 5 string dulcimer?
Down below i will explain how to tune a Dulcimer that has 4 strings. A 3 string and 5 string dulcimer are basically tuned to the same tuning as a 4 string dulcimer. The difference is that a 3 string has only 1 melody string, and the 5 string dulcimer has 2 melody strings and 2 bass strings.
Why is the mode D on a dulcimer?
A dulcimer tuned DAC is often said to be tuned D Aeolian for the following reasons: Because the DAC tuning is a 5th tuning, we know our mode will start on the note D. This D note occurs on the first fret of the melody string.
What are the knobs on a dulcimer for?
When the front of the dulcimer faces you, the knob or knobs on the left are usually your middle strings. The lower knob on the right is usually the bass, and the upper knob on the right is usually your melody. If in doubt, adjust the knobs carefully and observe which string is tightened or loosened as you make the adjustment.