Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn the mountain dulcimer
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The mountain, or Appalachian, dulcimer is a fretted, plucked string instrument, and its drone strings give old ballads and dance tunes their haunting sound. Folk schools in the US and a dulcimer club in the UK run classes that start with how to hold it.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650MonthsIndoorsAlone or with othersUK and US
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What you learn
Beginners' classes start at the very beginning. Augusta Heritage Center's mountain dulcimer class for absolute beginners started with how to hold the instrument, then moved on to tunes and basic accompaniment chords. Common Ground on the Hill's class starts in the Ionian mode tuning, strumming across all the strings to explore the drone, and has students singing folk songs and ballads with the dulcimer.
At John C. Campbell Folk School, classes cover noter and drone styles, call and response between teacher and group, and ensemble playing, with Appalachian ballads, dance tunes and hymns as the repertoire.
The mountain dulcimer is not the hammered dulcimer. The Smithsonian says the two differ considerably in form, sound and manner of playing. The mountain dulcimer is fretted, so you stop the strings to change pitch; the hammered dulcimer has a string or course of strings for each note and is struck with hammers.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Halsway Manor, Somerset, with Nonsuch Dulcimer Club | Workshop week, 24 to 28 May 2027; Mountain Dulcimer Introductory course for beginners and improvers; loan instruments subject to demand | £240 non-resident to £470 single en-suite (residential rates include tuition and meals) |
| Common Ground on the Hill (US) | A 10.30am class during Traditions Week 2, 4 to 9 July 2027; beginners; loaner instruments from the office | Fee not shown on the page |
| Augusta Heritage Center (US) | Mountain Dulcimer (from scratch and beyond), for absolute beginners to early intermediate; evening mini-class, four evenings, 6pm to 7.15pm (July 2024 run) | $75 |
| John C. Campbell Folk School, North Carolina | Music classes from absolute beginner to advanced | See the school's class listings |
Nonsuch Dulcimer Club, a UK educational charity for hammered and mountain dulcimers, also runs online and in-person workshops through the year and a residential weekend each autumn.
How to start
- Book a beginners' class at a folk school or a dulcimer week, and ask for a loaner instrument when you book if you do not have one.
- Learn a few tunes in the first tuning your class uses, strumming across all the strings to hear the drone.
- Join a dulcimer club for get-togethers and workshops between courses.
Where to go
- Halsway Manor: Dulcimers week with Nonsuch Dulcimer Club (Somerset) UK
- Making Music: Nonsuch Dulcimer Club UK
- Common Ground on the Hill: Beginning Mountain Dulcimer US
- John C. Campbell Folk School: Learning Appalachian music (North Carolina) US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a mountain dulcimer and a hammered dulcimer?
The mountain dulcimer is fretted and played by stopping the strings. The hammered dulcimer has a string or course of strings for each note and is struck with hammers. The Smithsonian says they differ considerably in form, sound and playing.
Is the mountain dulcimer easy to learn?
John C. Campbell Folk School says many of its students choose the dulcimer as their first string instrument because of its beginner-friendly design.
Where can I learn the Appalachian dulcimer in the UK?
Nonsuch Dulcimer Club runs workshops online and in person, and a mountain dulcimer week at Halsway Manor in Somerset with an introductory course for beginners.
Do I need my own dulcimer for a class?
Not always. Common Ground on the Hill lends instruments if you reserve one, and Halsway Manor offers loan instruments for its introductory courses, subject to demand.
Where this comes from: Halsway Manor, Dulcimers 2027; Making Music, Nonsuch Dulcimer Club; Common Ground on the Hill, Beginning Mountain Dulcimer with Susan Boyer Haley; John C. Campbell Folk School, Learning Appalachian Music at the Folk School: Fiddle, Banjo, and Mountain Dulcimer; Augusta Heritage Center, Mountain Dulcimer (from scratch & beyond) with Luanna Moore; Smithsonian Music, The Hammered Dulcimer; HeraldNet, Arlington resident takes over longest running US dulcimer festival. Opened 11 November 2026.
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