Receiving a Dulcimer

Soon after I passed my sixtieth birthday, my brother gave me a handcrafted mountain dulcimer. He made the dulcimer himself and thought it would make a nice wall hanging for me. He was convinced I had no music in me and assumed I would never learn to play it. Nevertheless, he also gave me The Best Dulcimer Method - Yet by Albert Gamse.

I took my dulcimer and Albert Gamse’s book out in the backyard and sat under a bush where I hoped no one could hear me. Day after day, I practiced the folksong, “Aura Lee.” When I thought it was perfected, I took my dulcimer into the house to play it for my husband. The song came out all garbled. Discouraged but not defeated, I continued to practice my dulcimer.

The book my brother gave me not only had the music score but also the fret numbers. I played mechanically by the fret numbers. One day when friends visited us, I played my dulcimer for them. I told the lady how hard it was for me to learn a new song on my dulcimer. She told me to think about the tune as I played instead of just memorizing the fret numbers. This was a totally new idea to me. I tried it and it did help, but I still could not play a new song from the music. I had to memorize it.

After weeks and weeks of practice, I began playing the dulcimer for my husband’s elderly parents. When they moved to a nursing home, I went there and played. Soon, wheel chair patients were gathering in the hall near my in-laws’ room. So I started playing my dulcimer at mealtime in the dining room. I found nursing home patients to be a very forgiving audience.

My brother didn’t know that all my life I had longed to participate in music. As a teen, I had tried to play a guitar and sing. But I couldn’t carry a tune, so that didn’t work. With the dulcimer, I have a melody to follow. It has opened up a whole new world to me - the wonderful world of music. I share this with you to encourage you. If you long to play an instrument, consider the mountain dulcimer. Check your local music store or go to Everything Dulcimer. If I can do it you can. Check back in a month or so and I’ll share some more of my dulcimer journey.

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