About the Dulcimer

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.

How to Tune a Dulcimer

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 and 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 and 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.