Thursday, June 26, 2014

Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer by Laurie Alice Eakes

by Laurie Alice Eakes

I’m a push-over for musical men. My husband wooed me with his guitar. The mountain dulcimer is an instrument played by a one of the characters in my books, Choices of the Heart.




Mountain Dulcimer by Roger Patterson (click on the link to see a short 1 minute video.)

Mountain Dulcimer podcast #82 (short 10 minute mini)

The videos show the mountain dulcimer is not the same as the other wonderful instrument often seen at Celtic festivals, the hammer dulcimer.

The mountain dulcimer originated in Appalachia. Few instruments existed due to the difficulty of transporting them over the mountains. Dulcimers were easily handmade with straighter lines than say a fiddle or guitar, a narrow fret board and wider sound box. Local walnut formed the body and artisans used spruce on top. Dulcimers have three to twelve strings, though three to five is the average. Tuning tends toward fourths and fifths (d-g-d, d-a-d.)


A gentleman I met at the Frontier Culture History Museum in Staunton, Virginia, said the dulcimer evolved from instruments such as the German scheitholt, or the Swedish hummel, the Norwegian langeleik or French epinettes.

Many scholars long believed that the dulcimer was merely strummed or plucked with no finesse and only simple of tunes. Many students of the instrument’s history believe the power of the instrument is underestimated as are those who created it and the music they played upon it. The settlers of Appalachia were Scotch, Irish, and German. If they could create a new instrument, they wouldn’t go for the mundane. As the videos demonstrate, the musicians used all fingers, pluck and strum. The music is lively, somewhere between Blue Grass and folk, or are gentle, definitely folk.



25 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing. The clip was very entertaining. I always wanted to learn to play the piano, but no one in my family knew how and we could never afford lessons. Have a great week. God bless.

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  2. I always wished I could play the piano. But when I've tried , don't think I could learn the left hands work. Just couldn't do two different. In my HS band I played a Mellowphone, similar to the French Horn. But would have liked to play a Saxophone. Love their sound.
    Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com

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  3. I love the sound of this instrument. What ingenuity the settlers had, in every aspect of life, even their music. Thanks for sharing.

    Kathy

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  4. I've always wanted to play the piano, like my father and brother, but I wanted to play naturally like they do, not have to work at it! ;) Unfortunately, I don't have a natural talent for the piano like they do, so, alas, I am still depending on others to play for me!

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  5. Living near the Smoky Mountains here in East Tennessee, I had admired the dulcimer for awhile. One day we stopped at one of the shops and they had a student-type dulcimer. I've had so much fun playing around with that. If you have the opportunity to try one, you should give it a go. There are "cheat" stickers and such that you can get to help you learn to play. I love the sound of the droning undertone - kinda reminds me of the bagpipes.

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  6. My apologies for the offensive comments here. We will get them removed immediately.

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  7. The dulcimer is a lovelyinstrument to play. I don't have a natural talent, and I have done some playing on a very basic level. After three years of piano lessons I was still at a pretty basic level, so decided that I shouldn't waste any more of my mom's hard-earned money.

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  8. By the way, I didn't plan for one of the protagonists in Choices of the Heart to play the dulcimer, and I realized I couldn't write about Appalachia without someone playing this lovely instrument.

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  9. Mandolin! I love the sound ~ would love to learn how to play one. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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  10. My husband plays the mountain dulcimer, along w/ other instruments, and I love the sound. So peaceful and lovely. Part of my family is from KY, so maybe that's why I like the dulcimer. ;)

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  11. I love the dulcimer sound. Makes my toes start tapping right away. I took piano lessons for three years as a pre-teen, but now I can't play with both hands. Wish I could. Our boys all three played musical instruments. Oldest chose the drums and percussion, the middle son played the French Horn and the youngest chose the trombone. Thanks for the information, Laurie Alice.

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  12. I have a dulcimer. I've played around on it but never learned much. It's one of those things I still hope to do one day.

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  13. There is something about the violin for me...I think it looks so pretty when you play it and has such a unique sound.. so that is what I wish I would play.
    Thanks truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. I played the piano, accordian, & organ - as a child, love the dulcimer & would love to know how to play it - also the harp.

    bonnieroof60@yahoo.com

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  15. I love the music of the mountain dulcimer, Laurie Alice. Thank you for sharing some neat history and info on this interesting instrument.

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  16. I play piano, organ, guitar and trombone. I would love to learn to play the pan flute. I think the dulcimer would be very interesting to learn as well.

    bettimace(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Actually, I'd be happy to play just about any instrument. :-)

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  18. I enjoyed the post and the pod cast. I love the mountain dulcimer. I didn't know much or anything about it until I moved to East Tennessee. I would be happy to play it, but I don't really think I have the patience at my age. I played the organ and piano very poorly, when I was young. I'd love to play the harmonica. I have my dad's, but haven't made the effort to learn. I think a person has to be dedicated and motivated to play an instrument.

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  19. My mother-in-law from Chattanooga plays the dulcimer and sings. She entertains at rest homes. I would have loved to have learned to play the violen and the piano, but was never given the opportunity. However, I do sing! God is good. Nice to talk with you Laurie Alice.

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  20. I wish I had the talent to learn the violin, fiddle style. Since I don't I have considered playing araund with the Bodhran for my own amusement. I love traditional Irish music but I also like what came out of the Smoky Mountains as well.

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  21. I always wanted to learn to play the piano but it never happened. We have never owned one and did not know of anyone kind enough to give free lessons as we would never be able to afford paid lessons.

    deamundy(at)gmail(dot)com

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  22. I always think of the mountains when I hear a dulcimer. It is a beautiful instrument. I love music...it is good for the soul! I enjoy sitting down to my piano at times ..very soothing!

    mauback55 at gmail dot com

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  23. Laurie - I was introduced to the dulcimer in 1973 when I was 14 through Earl Hamner's THE WALTON'S on CBS. The episode was titled THE LOVE STORY and introduced a young Sian-Barbara Allen. Richard Thomas' character of John-Boy Walton played the instrument for the young woman and she gave him a much more expensive instrument before leaving the mountain. One of the most tender stories portrayed on film/television and with those of that era one of the most memorable. Prior to that I had an Auto-Harp that I semi played that was probably the automatic version of a dulcimer as part of the outgrowth of the folk era of the 1960s. It too was an instrument used on Hamner's series (produced by Lorimar) on the old MGM lot after it had gone into bankruptcy. So the shows were accented by 'mountain instruments,' including folk guitars and harmonica's. By doing so in both his books and teleplays it was a genuine enhancement of each story and set a tone into those manuscripts that allowed the reader (eventually audience viewer/listener) to catch the flavor of the period. I"ll bet your exceptional work accomplishes much the same in your novel. Very smart accent to a character and story and for readers now perhaps the remnant sounds from the Walton's and/or introducing whole new generation to a distinctively unique instrument and sound.

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  24. I found it interesting that most of the comments are from April, 2013! Anyway, I enjoyed the article on the dulcimer and it's useful in Appalachia. Thanks for the post. sharon wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  25. Laurie, thank you for a delightful post. We love mountain dulcimer music. It's one of the first groups we seek out at Durango's annual Blue Grass Festival. They make playing one so easy and so did the links you provided. Great article.

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