Best Dulcimers: A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Your First Instrument

The best dulcimer for most buyers is a mountain (Appalachian) dulcimer with a solid wood top, a comfortable scale length and a design that stays in tune. If you want an easy-to-learn folk instrument with a gentle sound, a three- or four-string diatonic model is a sensible place to begin. This guide covers body styles, tonewoods, fret layouts and what to inspect before you buy.

Mountain Versus Hammered Dulcimer

The word dulcimer covers two quite different instruments. The mountain dulcimer is a fretted, lap-sized instrument that you strum or fingerpick. The hammered dulcimer is a larger trapezoidal instrument with many strings that you strike with small mallets. When shoppers search for the best dulcimers, they usually mean the mountain type because it is cheaper, portable and quick to start on. Hammered dulcimers cost more, take more room and usually require tuning wrenches and a stand.

If you only want to pick up an instrument this weekend and play a simple melody tomorrow, a mountain dulcimer is the practical choice. Come back to hammered models once you know you enjoy the sound.

Body Shape and Scale Length

Body shape changes tone and playing comfort. Hourglass bodies are the traditional shape and give a balanced sound. Teardrop and boat-shaped bodies are popular because they are easy to hold and project well. Scale length, the distance from nut to bridge, affects string tension and finger stretch. Many standard instruments fall around the mid-twenties in inches, while shorter-scale models suit smaller hands and younger players.

A shorter scale often feels more relaxed and needs lighter tension, but a longer scale can deliver a fuller bass. Try to hold a few if you can, or read the product specifications carefully before ordering.

Wood, Top and Construction

Solid tops (spruce, cedar or mahogany) typically sound richer and age better than laminated plywood, while laminate bodies are tougher and cheaper. Common back and side woods include walnut, cherry, mahogany and basswood. Tone differences are subtle to a beginner, so prioritize clean construction: smooth frets, even string height, and a firmly glued top without gaps.

The 6.5 Fret and Other Fretboard Details

Traditional dulcimers have a diatonic fretboard, which means notes follow a major scale. An added fret between the sixth and seventh, called the 6.5 fret, lets you play more Mixolydian and other tunes without retuning. It is a sensible add-on, especially if you want to play songs outside classic folk repertoire. Chromatic fretboards offer every note but are more complex and usually reserved for experienced players.

Check that the frets are level and that the first few positions are not buzzing. A high string action makes pressing the melody string tiring, and low action can buzz. Most reputable makers set up their instruments reasonably, but you can adjust the nut and bridge slightly if needed.

Accessories You Will Actually Use

A few small items make learning easier and protect your investment. Most people find these worthwhile:

• A clip-on electronic tuner, since tuning to a drone is the main routine before each session.
• A felt pick or a set of finger picks for clearer melody strings.
• A strap or padded stand so the instrument doesn’t slide on your lap.
• A noter, a small wooden dowel used to play the melody string with a cleaner sound.
• A humidity-stable case, as wood can crack in very dry rooms.

An inexpensive clip-on chromatic tuner is enough to keep you in tune with the standard DAD or DAA tunings.

Buying New, Used or a Kit

Dulcimers are well suited to the used market since they have few moving parts, but inspect them for cracks, lifted bridges and warped necks. Kits can be a fun way to learn construction and often produce a better instrument than the price suggests, though they require careful gluing and sanding. If you prefer to compare options, you can look through a range of mountain dulcimers and read the descriptions for scale length, top wood and included extras. For learning, a simple mountain dulcimer songbook with tablature is easier to follow than standard notation.

Set a realistic budget. Cheaper instruments are perfectly fine for starting out, but very low prices sometimes mean thin laminate tops and loose tuners. Reading buyer feedback on tuning stability and customer service is more telling than any list of features.

One more consideration is volume. A dulcimer is naturally soft, which suits quiet practice at home but can get lost in a group jam. If you plan to play with other musicians, look for a model with a resonant solid top, a sound hole pattern that projects well, or a built-in pickup option. Some players add a strap button so they can play standing, which also frees the soundboard to vibrate more fully than when it rests against a table.

Finally, think about how you will learn. Free videos, local folk societies and community jams are all good resources, and many players find that a few sessions with a teacher help them avoid habits such as gripping the noter too tightly. Whatever you buy, a comfortable instrument that you reach for every day will serve you better than a prestige piece that sits in a case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a dulcimer hard to learn?

It is among the more approachable folk instruments. With a drone string and a simple fretboard, many beginners play a recognizable melody within the first sessions.

What tuning should I use?

DAD is the most common starting tuning for a three-string instrument, and DAA is another popular option. Your instrument or songbook will usually recommend one.

How do I keep it from going out of tune?

Use geared tuners, avoid sudden temperature swings and give new strings time to settle by stretching them gently after installation.