A dulcimer is a fretted, plucked musical instrument. The instrument first appeared in the early 1800s from the Scots-Irish in the southern Appalachian Mountains, and thus is also called a mountain dulcimer or an Appalachian dulcimer. There is a wide variation in Appalachian dulcimers and some may have up to 12 strings, but they are most commonly found with 3, 4, or 5 strings.

    Like a said earlier, there are a lot of types of Dulcimers, so I am only going to explain how to tune the most common dulcimers, the 3, 4, or 5 stringed dulcimers.
There are many ways you can tune a dulcimer, but currently the most common tunings are DAD, DAA, or DGD. DAD is the most common but it is often easier for the beginning player to tune to DAA or the so-called "Reverse Ionian" tuning, (DGD).

Difference between 3, 4, and 5 stringed Dulcimers

Down below i will explain how to tune a Dulcimer that has 4 strings. A 3 string and 5 string dulcimer are basically tuned to the same tuning as a 4 string dulcimer. The difference is that a 3 string has only 1 melody string, and the 5 string dulcimer has 2 melody strings and 2 bass strings. Those pairs of strings are tuned exactly the same note, to cause a harmonizing effect.

Tuning a Dulcimer using a Keyboard or Piano

Tuning a Dulcimer to itself

D Ionian (DAA) Tuning
1st String (bass) D - 2nd String (middle) A - 3rd String & 4th String (melody strings) A

1. Tune the 3rd or bass string to the D below Middle C on the Piano (or to the open 4th string of a guitar).
2. Press the 3rd or bass string just left of the 4th fret and pluck this note (A). Tune your middle or 2nd string until it matches this pitch.
3. Tune the 1st or melody string to the same note as the open middle string.

D Mixolydian (DAD) Tuning
1st String (bass) D - 2nd String (middle) A - 3rd String & 4th String (melody strings) D

1. Tune the 3rd or bass string to the D below Middle C on the Piano (or to the open 4th string of a guitar).
2. Press the 3rd or bass string just left of the 4th fret and pluck this note (A). Tune your middle or 2nd string until it matches this pitch.
3. Press the 2nd or middle string just left of the 3rd fret and pluck this note (high D, one octave above the open bass string). Tune the 1st or melody string to this note.

That's it! If you have any questions or comments, post them below.

Comments on this page

Kooku4coacopuffs [09-03-2010 18:33]   DULCIMERS ARE LIKE, THE COOLEST INSTRUMENTS EVER, AND THEY SOUND AMAZING! 910th grade [16-02-2010 16:27]   i love this web site it helped tune like every instrument i have my ukulele now i get like a's in music Guest [24-01-2010 19:53]   not sure if this is wht you're looking for (I play by ear ) ,try tuninf the heaviest string to a C ,the next one over to a G ,then the next two strings both to a D;enjoy! Guest [24-01-2010 14:50]   Anybody ever heard of the Aeolian tuning? Back (waaaay back) when I was in college a friend of mine spoke of the dulcimer's several 'modal' tunings, and this was the one I liked best. Can someone enlighten me? I have a 4-string. Appalachian boy. [19-01-2010 05:14]   Hey, c'mon you guys. If you can get a tune out of any instrument and enjoy playing it either for yourself or for others, then what the hell. Tolerance people !!! I play banjo, guitar, mandolin, bouzouki and dulcimer and love 'em all. Guest [16-01-2010 23:10]   Excuse me to the people who said that dulcimers suck and that it is the lamest instrumet ever - YOU BOTH SUCK. How about that. Because my boyfriend got me a dulcimer for christmas and I love it. and the music is amazing. So maybe if you weren't so narrowheaded and stupid you would appreciate it more. Idiots nigger boy [14-01-2010 21:40]   seriously, this is the lamest instrument ever. JEW BOY [14-01-2010 21:35]   dulcimers suck. ROY MacALPINE [10-01-2010 21:16]   tuning for 4 string dulcimer ddad ? Guest [04-01-2010 14:07]   thank you this heped very much Eddessa [25-12-2009 12:08]   Thanks for the great instructions!! :) Greatly appreciated! Guest [07-10-2009 16:56]   That is one of the most beautiful dulcimers I've seen. Who made it ???? t [26-09-2009 12:05]   hi

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