Zithers and Dulcimers | Virtual Museum Curator Tour

In this #VirtualVisit, join MIM curator Rich Walter as he shares the history and diversity of the zither. Essentially a resonating body with strings stretched across it, the zither's construction has inspired a wide range of creative possibilities for instrument makers. In this video, learn more about several classic zither designs and enjoy a few musical examples.
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[@Retro6502]

One correction - when Rich was talking about the dulcimer made by Bonnie Carol, he mentioned the arches under the fret board allowed a capo to be attached. The arches under the fret board on a dulcimer are to allow the top (soundboard) to vibrate more freely. Capos for dulcimers go across the fret board over the strings and press against both sides of the fret board to stay in place. They don't go under the fret board as on a guitar. Just wanted to mention it as dulcimer capos work fine without arches under the fret board and would work on any of the dulcimers shown there.

[@sugarpacketchad]

Make Zithers Great Again!

[@mandoist]

FYI: The video of Jean Ritchie was from Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Quest Hour" from mid-1960's in NYC. A museum might want to acknowledge such facts?

[@debbyharris9871]

Thanks for sharing this info about the Zithers and Dulcimers. Having taught music in Arizona, I had the opportunity to take some of my music students to visit MIMS. It's a great music museum located in Phoenix area. Lots of hands on activities for students to play instruments and also to just walk around and observe.

[@alombardi2185]

So neat! I learned to play the Appalachian dulcimer when I was younger and never knew there were so many similar instruments from around the world

[@mandoist]

How can an entity such as MIM tout their "world class" collection and not have a legendary innovative Gibson F5 "Lloyd Loar" Mandolin???? I offered them an opportunity to purchase my 1923 Gibson 'Loar' mandolin and they "politely passed". So... ha-ha-ha... as of March 2023, it's in Czechia now with an amazing young acoustic instrument scientific researcher, restorer, builder, and player who will be its caretaker for at least the next few decades.

[@mandoist]

Funny! John Sebastian lip-synching in the 1960's!!

[@outrageousacres]

Any chance you could give me more information specifically on the greenish one near the middle? I inherited one that looks just like that.and I am curious to learn more about it. Thank you

[@Bobby007D]

The autoharp @ 1:16secs sounds like a grandfather clock on Ecstasy !

[@thrillscience]

Zithers! Dulcimers! Autoharps! Thanks, MIMphx!

[@beautifuldreamer3991]

Not only that...they sound so beautiful too....this instrument needs to become mainstream again

[@michaelsmusicinstruments9980]

great selection, i like it. I have already built one time the Marxophone, Guitarophone, Dolceola, Deweylin Harp and a Akkordolia as 3D models, this video has inspired me to build a few more dulcimers soon. A list of this collection would be cool

[@glenmartin2437]

😀 Thank you for the brief tour video.

[@Helliconia54]

here i am . A welsh man living in Australia who has and plays a mountain dulcimer. Thanks in part to Ritchie.

[@TheDow1976]

You like that?

[@danbarclay9431]

Being based in the uk I am unlikely to ever get to visit mim but I'm loving the series of videos you're producing during lock down. I do find the pronunciation of the instrument very amusing here in the uk it would be zye-ther like rye rather than a short I for zither but the important thing is the music it makes

[@Lyndanet]

TyTy Ty I had one when I was a small child once my favorite instrument

[@Engelhafen]

Great job and wonderful display

[@richardrenzetti4775]

All of this is so cool!

[@mudaloishusdevendanderaber7271]

Davie504 and Rob Scallon brought me to MIM youtube. MIM hosts seemed full of cool information and had a nice personality.

[@mudaloishusdevendanderaber7271]

I'm surprised dulcimers are counted as zithers because the defining feature of zithers is strings across the whole resonating body.