Hammered dulcimer

\n hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. 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 (for the plucked Appalachian dulcimer, see Appalachian dulcimer). The hammered dulcimer comes in various sizes, identified by the number of strings that cross each of the bridges. A 15/14, for example, has two bridges and spans 3 octaves. 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 Zoltán Kodály and Igor Stravinsky, and more recently by Blue Man Group. The Kim is a Thai hammered dulcimer. The instrument has seen somewhat of a revival in America in the American Folk music and Bluegrass traditions. It is also still played in Wales, Northumbria, and the Middle East.

External links

\n*The Hammered Dulcimer Page \nCategory:String instruments