BOWEDULCI

The bowed dulcimer sounds like a cello or a viola, but with its own characteristic reedy timbre. It is held upright between the knees with the neck resting against the player's shoulder, and bowed like a cello. Of all bowed instruments, the bowed dulcimer is the most comfortable to hold and play.

The dulcimer pictured has a curly maple body and a mahogany soundboard. This dulcimer has three steel strings that can be tuned DAd or CGd. The highest string is farther away from the player, the opposite of the lap dulcimer. This arrangement is the traditional way of stringing a bowed instrument, such as the violin or cello. The pictured dulcimer is chromatically fretted, but diatonic fretting is also available.

Basic price: $649 includes standard tuners

as pictured on the right. Also included are a

violin bow and rosin.

For planetary, 4/1 chrome tuners add $80.

For planetary 4/1 gold-tone tuners, add $110.

Click the player to hear a sound sample of

one of my bowed dulcimers. The tune is

"The Water is Wide."

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The instrument that's becoming all the rage among folk musicians

Standard tuners

Click here to see a small sample of my bowed dulcimers.