Hammered dulcimer

The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board, typically struck with hammers. It is considered to be a member of the zither family. The instrument is typically set at an angle on a stand in front of the musician, who holds a hammer in either hand with which to strike the strings.

Versions of this instrument are recorded in Europe and the Middle East throughout recorded history. In Eastern Europe a larger descendant of the hammered dulcimer called the cimbalom is also played which has been used by a number of classical composers, including Zoltan Kodaly and Igor Stravinsky.

The instrument has seen somewhat of a revival in America in the Americal Folk music and Bluegrass traditions. It is also still played in Wales, Northumbria, and the Middle East.

External links

• The Hammered Dulcimer Page (http://www.rtpnet.org/~hdweb/)