Types

• There are two main types of Dulcimers, the Hammered and the Appalachian dulcimer.
  
  

Names

• The Appalachian Dulcimer is also known as the mountain, lap or hog dulcimer.
  
  

Appalachian

• The Appalachian Dulcimer is a member of the Zither family of instruments. It has between three and 12 strings and sound is produced by strumming or plucking a string while fretting it with the other hand.
  
  

Hammered

• The Hammered dulcimer contains a series of strings stretched over a wooden sound board. The strings are "hammered" with two or four wooden mallets.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Hammered dulcimers were originally invented in Iran but have now become a part of American folk musics such as Bluegrass.
  
  

Function

• Both types of dulcimers can be used as solo instruments or as a part of a larger ensemble. They are most often used in American folk music but can also be found in other countries, most commonly in the Middle East.