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Hammered dulcimers come in many different sizes but their shape is usually trapezoidal. The number of strings and courses of strings will vary and even the number of bridges will vary. Even the diameter of the wire used on a dulcimer will vary from thinner for the higher tones to thicker for the lower tones. Most dulcimers have two bridges but adding additional bridges will extend the instrument's range and make it possible to include notes that would not be available on the more traditional configurations, thus making it possible to play some classical music that would not otherwise be playable. Traditionally hammered dulcimers have all had a pretty similar layout, but in recent years, new schemes have begun to emerge. If you're interested in learning more about that, I'd suggest you use the link at the right to visit the James Jones website to read more about his "Linear Chromatic" configuration. |
For more information about the history of the dulcimer and how to play it, visit the
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