6 String Explained

Ron Gibson Mountain Dulcimers

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The Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer is in many ways unique and non-standardized. There is no right or wrong way to play, tune or string a mountain dulcimer. A mountain dulcimer can be set up with any gauge of strings and tuned in any way the player desires. If you like the way your dulcimer sounds and plays, beware of anyone who tells you that you are playing it wrong, tuning it wrong or using the wrong strings. If it feels right and sounds right - it is right.

3-String Mountain Dulcimers

It seems likely that the first mountain dulcimers were 3-stringed instruments. The first string was normally the only fretted string with the other two strings being used as drones (played open without being fretted). The frets on these dulcimers were usually made from nails and extended only under the melody string. The typical playing style on this type of dulcimer was to play the melody on the first string while letting the two remaining strings ring open. Often a wooden dowel known as a noter was used in place of the finger for fretting the melody string.

4-String Mountain Dulcimers

In an effort to make the song's melody stand out among the loud ringing tone of the drone strings, some builders began to add an additional melody string. This additional string was spaced close enough to the first string so that the two melody strings could be fretted simultaneously. This doubled melody string setup eventually became the most common configuration for the mountain dulcimer. Even after newer playing styles began to develop where all strings could be fretted to form chords and play melodies, the 4-string setup remained the standard for mountain dulcimers.

5-String Mountain Dulcimers

A 5-string dulcimer - at least the way I build 'em - is a 4-string dulcimer with the addition of an extra bass string that is spaced equally apart from the other strings (not doubled like the melody string). This gives the dulcimer a fuller sound with more bass frequency response. However, there is no reason that a string other than the bass string could not be added- it is all at the discretion of the player. For beginners who learn to play using books or other instructional materials, it would be wise to choose something other than a 5-string. There are few learning materials written for a 5-string dulcimer and it could be very discouraging trying to use books written for a 4-string dulcimer.

6-String Mountain Dulcimers

A 6-string mountain dulcimer is in some ways a throwback to the original 3-string dulcimers. The 6-string takes the concept of a doubled melody string and also applies it to the drone strings. In other words, there are 3 sets of two strings grouped together so they can be fretted as individual strings. The bass string is paired with a treble string tuned an octave higher. This configuration gives the dulcimer a full, lush sound with richness and overtones reminiscent of a 12-string guitar or hammered dulcimer. Another advantage of this setup is that all playing styles, chords, songs or techniques that are used on a 3 or 4-string dulcimer transfer directly to a 6-string. Also, any instructional material written for a 4-string is directly applicable to a 6-string.