How Do You Tune An Appalachian Dulcimer?
The Applachian dulcimer is a stringed instrument that also is commonly referred to as a “mountain dulcimer.” The term “Appalachian” in the instrument’s name comes from the Appalachian area of the eastern United States, to which European settlers immigrated, bringing with them an early form of the instrument. Most Appalachian dulcimers have three or four strings, which can be tuned to multiple arrangements of pitches. The most common tuning is in the key of D. Pluck the first string. This is the largest string, which is the lowest in pitch. The pitch should be D. Check an electronic tuner to see if the instrument is in tune. Tighten the tuning peg if the string is lower than the D pitch. Loose the tuning key if the string is higher than the pitch of D. Continue to make minor adjustments, tightening or loosening the tuning key in small increments, until the string is in tune. Repeat this process for the other strings. The other two or three strings are all tuned to the pitch of A.
