Hello Everyone,
I haven’t posted in years, but I have resurfaced to ask for hammered dulcimer advice. I was recently gifted a brand new Rick Thum dulcimer and don’t have a clue as to what my first step should be. I have a very good musical background behind me, but have never played anything close to this. Is there a better method of learning other then to just sound (and look) ridiculous for a while? Any good CDs or Primers I should buy?
Thanks,
Seth
You could consider buying John McCutcheon’s intorductory dulcimer DVD. There’s a sample of it you can look at. I don’t have it or any other DVD or instruction books. I think it might suit your needs though. That’s the only think I know to reccomend but you could join Everything Dulcimer and ask there in the hammered dulcimer section.
http://www.homespuntapes.com/prodpg/prodpg.asp?prodID=507&prodType=
(If that address doesn’t take you there look up Homespun Tapes.)
ED
lessons are probably available in your area.
just seconding the suggestion of everythingdulcimer.com . Great site, and you’ll see quite a few familiar names there! 
There is also the magazine Dulcimer Players News. Just do a google search for the website.
While I have a hammered dulcimer (and you’ve got a great one there - I love Rick’s instruments - and Rick himself is a super guy), I’m primarily a mountain dulcimer player. But find some festivals or clubs if you can, take some workshops and maybe you’ll be able to find a teacher to help. If not, look into the teaching tapes, or some of instructors are now offering DVDs “lessons of the month” packages.
Good luck and happy hammering!
Seth - You have received several great suggestions. Another possibility for you might be the book “You Can Teach Yourself Hammered Dulcimer” by Madeline MacNeil and published by Mel Bay. The book is about $12 or $20 with a CD. Next suggestion would be to do a Google search for dulcimer club in you area. If there is one, they probably meet each month, often at a church or similar building/facility. I may be able to make a few other suggestions but would need to know more about your musical interests - e.g. traditional American, Celtic, standards, etc. You’ll find lots to look at and listen to via the Google search.
What size is your dulcimer? That is, you have a left or treble bridge (with playable notes on both the left and right side of the bridge) and you have a right or bass bridge (with playable notes only on the left side of it). Count the number of notes on either side of the left bridge and the number of notes on the right bridge. You get something like a 12/11 or 16/16 or 16/15, etc. Smaller dulcimers such as the 12/11 can be limited in which arrangements can be played. I play a 16/16 which is 3 octaves and is a chromatic dulcimer. Common major keys to play in are G,D,A,C and the relative minors.
If your background includes piano, accordian (Minnesoto thought), etc. you may have a great start for playing an arpeggio-style (lots of chords possible to support a melody line. Try learning a tune like Southwind in D or G (if you learn it in one key, you can play it in the other by simply moving up or down one mark (4 strings) and playing the same patterns.
Make sure you tune with a 440 setting on your tuner. It’s a great instrument. My wife loves the dulcimer and I practice 3-4 hours a day! Now, I also play the Irish whislte, but had to set mine up for “quiet” practice. You gotta love the whistle to listen to it for 3+ hours a day! Have fun and good luck.
Ron
Hello Seth,
I know you have a great instrument there, cause I too play a Rick Thum.
Wishing you many years of wonderful music making on it.
Aye, [u]Everything Dulcimer[/u] is certainly the place to go to have all your Dulcimer questions answered, by experts.
Cheers
Dick