The Appalachian Mountain Dultimer

A Brief History

by Sharon Kimball

The delicate haunting sounds of the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer have been echoing through the hills and hollers of the southern highlands for over two decades. The name itself conveys the simple beauty of the instrument for it comes from the Latin word dulcis meaning sweet and the Greek word melos meaning sound: dulcimer = sweet sound. The simple wooden instrument, traditionally with only three strings, is America's oldest folk instrument and a truly authentic American creation.

Though we know the handcrafted instrument is unique to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the origins are unknown. We do know that it doesn't exist in any other folk culture in the world. The early settlers of the region brought their musical traditions and instruments with them, then often adapted and blended with other traditions. The evolutionary trail of the dulcimer likely began when Pennsylvania Germans migrated into southwestern Virginia and West Virginia in the early 1700s bringing with them the schietholt, a square three-stringed member of the fretted zither family. Another member of the zither instrument family is the dowcemerer which was popular in southern England and came to the New World with the early settlers. It is believed rural mountain craftsmen, using whatever wood and materials were at hand to make a playable instrument, built the first dulcimer in the late 1700s or early 1800s. Easy to construct, the instrument was made by individuals who peddled their dulcimers, often from the back of wagons along with staples such as salt, needles, and the like. One such early instrument maker was J. Edward Thomas of Knott County, Kentucky. Historical records show he made dulcimers between 1871 and 1930 and sold them from the back of a mule cart as he traveled through mountain communities. A few families became known for their dulcimers; among them is the Hicks family from the Beech Mountain area of North Carolina.

Known by a variety of names including delcumer, dulcymore, hog fiddle and harmony box, the mountain dulcimer almost faded away in the wake of mass-produced fiddles, guitars, and banjos. Preservation of the instrument during the early part of the twentieth century is due in large part to scholars such as I.G. Greer who saw it as a symbol of Appalachia. The rediscovery of folk music of the 1950s and '60s helped save the instrument from obscurity. Musicians such as Kentuckian Jean Ritchie brought the mountain instrument to national and international audiences. In 1958 Charles Seeger (father of Pete) published an article on the dulcimer in the Journal of American Folklore that proved to be a turning point in the instrument's history. He first classified the dulcimer as an American folk instrument thereby changing the way the humble instrument was perceived both by scholars and music enthusiasts.

There are three or four basic dulcimer shapes each with a distinctive sound. The most widely-made shape is the hourglass which produces a rich bass sound. Another popular shape is the teardrop with a lighter tone reminiscent of bluegrass music.

The soft "voice" of the dulcimer makes it a very personal instrument. The sound and look is uniquely Appalachian and conveys the peace and beauty of mountain living.