mountain dulcimer

by Steve Eulberg

WHAT IS IT?

This bit of dulcimer history always amazes people when I tell them about it.

When I built my first mountain dulcimer (from a FolkRoots kit in 1980), the instructions told me that once it was strung up I was to "whoo" into the soundhole to find out to which pitch I should tune the lowest string.

I was aware of this kind of "tuning" method with reference to native american flutes, which each have their own unique voice, but it was new to me, a guitar and mandolin player.  …