What is a Dulcimer Guitar?

[@-jank-willson]

One thing to note: You are technically talking about 2 separate instruments with separate origins here: Walking dulcimers AKA walkabout dulcimers (a walking dulcimer with a guitar-shaped soundbox is a 'dulcitar', merlin being an example) are descended of mountain dulcimers, being either a regular scale (2 octave) mountain dulcimer (i.e. roosebeck wildwood walking dulcimer), or a (1 octave) short-scale 'octave' dulcimer (i.e. Seagull Merlin dulcitar). Mountain dulcimers, in turn, descended from the Dutch Schieholt instrument. Walking dulcimers are generally 4-string, and are played with the paired strings fretted, while the other two not-paired strings are used as drone strings, and are not fretted, only strummed with the pic. This is because the fretboard is wide like a mountain dulcimer. Music sticks/chord sticks descended from a diatonic one string old mountain instrument, usually made with a cigar box, called a 'pickin stick'. Pickin sticks were, in turn, descended from an old irish one-string fretless instrument. McNally Strumstick is a brand name of chord stick. Chord sticks are usually 1.5 octave, or long-scale bass chordsticks are 2 octaves. Chord sticks are ALWAYS 3 string. As the name implies, chord sticks are played with chords, played like a 3-string guitar if you will. This is easy to do because the fretboard is very narrow, much narrower than on a walking dulcimer like the Merlin. I know that there is a lot of confusion between these two instruments, many people think that they are the same thing, and over the years they have kind of bled together into each other, with people making hybrid designs that incorporate design elements of both instruments. But they are technically distinct instruments with different play styles, and have completly different origins EDIT side note: walking dulcimers (which includes dulcitars), and chord sticks can BOTH be referred to as 'stick dulcimers', since they both have diatonic fretting. Diatonic fretting is what makes a mountain dulcimer a mountain dulcimer in the eyes of some people, which is why these other 2 instruments can also be referred to with this name as well. Even though chordsticks and walking dulcimers are separate instruments that just so happen to both have diatonic fretting...

[@tomharrison2423]

I just got my Merlin and I am really enjoying it. And thank you for all of your lessons, I really appreciate what you are doing.

[@HeyInglewood]

Glad you like them! I always appreciate people saying so!

[@-jank-willson]

@HeyInglewood Guitars and tenor guitars can be re-configured into dulcimers, and have been done so historically as well. There was also somebody I saw who converted acoustics and stratocasters into dulcimers, by re-configuring the strings (via nut/bridge mods) and removing the "extra" frets in order to make it diatonic. This may be where the confusion comes from.

[@guitfidle]

Great video!! I've been playing guitar for.... 35 years (how the hell did that happen 😂). I've played both the Strumstick and the Merlin, they're both quite fun to play! I also have an Appalachian dulcimer, so haven't rushed out an bought a stick dulcimer, but it's on my list 💜

[@HeyInglewood]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful! I recently designed my own version you may want to be aware of, too: heyinglewood.com/pages/join-the-preorder-waitlist

[@kennethm.380]

Those new fangled dulcimer “type” instruments pale in comparison to the original mountain dulcimers. Good info! Thx

[@HeyInglewood]

“Original” dulcimers are a very nice instrument. Still don’t have one (oddly) but it’s on the list, as they say 😉

[@qnetx]

Thank you. This was highly informative and insightful.

[@HeyInglewood]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kathymehrzad9491]

Ryan, I appreciate all your videos on the stick dulcimers and the information you provide. I've been looking for the video on what to do if your bridge on the Strumstick gets moved out of place. Would you please direct me to that video? Thank you.

[@HeyInglewood]

I've not seen a specific video for that yet (though I'm sure several exist. This one from The Woodrow company should give you the right idea (kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6iymYJorLh1qrM). Theirs is the first stick dulcimer I purchased and the concept of the floating bridge and how to intonate is the same as a Strumstick. It's not super hard to do, esp if you have ukulele experience (that is, a bit of an ear), it'll just take a bit of practice and a few moments of frustration here and there ;-)

[@arrowwhiskers]

Do you have to buy a new instrument designed for different keys (like a tin whistle), or are the dulcimer strings generally able to withstand being tuned to a wide range of notes?

[@HeyInglewood]

Excellent question… all music strings can only handle a certain amount of up/down change. How much and in which direction is completely based on the strings and instrument. In the case of a Merlin, for example, I believe you could tune up a whole step, maybe 1-and-a-half, without too much concern. But only down by 1/2 step before the strings would be too “floppy.” Most folks who are really into these have at least 2, tuned to the most common DAD and GDG. In theory, if one wanted to be prepared for any key it would be best to think like a harmonica player would. That was a long answer, let me know if it helps!!!

[@arrowwhiskers]

@@HeyInglewood Thanks so much for the detailed response! I appreciate it.

[@-jank-willson]

@@HeyInglewood Merlin makes a 'G' model, with a nut designed to handle thicker strings, and is played in the key of G and tuned to GCGg. The regular merlin is key of D with DADd tuning. Supposedly, Seagull is going to come out with a 'bass' version of the Merlin that will have the thicker G strings, and will have a longer scale length with 2 octaves