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Q: Is the Hammered Dulcimer a Right-Handed or a Left-Handed Instrument?
A: YES!

Playing the hammered dulcimer is a physical adventure. It entails training our bodies or parts of our bodies to make exquisitely subtle movements that we can repeat or vary according to our will. It requires that we develop the skill to accurately strike particular strings that are difficult to see with sticks (hammers) of various sizes, shapes and weights, and that we have the adroitness to control how hard we strike the strings in order to achieve different levels of dynamics and accents in our music.

So, you have an exciting and exacting task ahead if you are going to develop any sense of fluency on this most glorious of instruments. And, in order to develop that fluency, you need at least two things when it comes to hammering: 1) to decide whether you're going to play with a right-hand lead or a left-hand lead; and 2) to adopt a philosophy of hammering that you consistently use when playing a single-line melody. (A single-line melody occurs when you play only one note at a time with no harmonic embellishment or chords.) Your philosophy of hammering ultimately determines how you play, and it is based on the way in which you approach playing a single-line melody. The primary reason for this is that when you play with a right-hand or left-hand lead, you consistently play the strong beats, the down beats, with the same hand whenever possible, the advantages of which will be made clear below.

In this article we'll focus primarily on the lead hand question, since it can be a sticky issue for some. On a basic level, you're playing with a particular lead hand if, while playing a relative simple melody with no embellishments, harmony, or counterpoint, you always end up playing the first beat of each measure with the same hand. In addition, you play particular rhythms with the same hammering patterns, which are designed to insure that downbeats are played with your lead hand. If you're unsure of what it means to have a lead hand in practical terms, please consult a teacher or an experienced player. Dulcimer players are notoriously helpful and are very willing to share their experience and knowledge.

Playing a single-line melody with a particular lead hand automatically gives you many advantages, all of which lead to greater fluency, musicality, confidence, and ease of learning and memorizing new music. It also guides you as to how to approach the hammered dulcimer, thus enabling you to spend more time playing music and less time trying to figure out how to play music. It answers a host of questions and, in the long run, makes life delightfully easier and more satisfying.

When you play with a lead hand, you can more easily figure out how best to play particular rhythms, and you end up playing all the strong beats within a rhythmic figure with the same hand. In this way, you automatically know how to play any rhythmic passage you may encounter (without much thought after a while). Why are these considered advantages? Because: 1) your playing will have greater consistency; 2) your accents will be clearer and easier to accomplish and feel more natural since they will all be played with the same hand; 3) you'll be able to play faster with greater accuracy; and 4) your sight-reading will improve by leaps and bounds. I know this from my own experience of playing for two decades, and also from teaching for almost that long.

But which hand should you lead with? you rightfully (leftfully?) ask. Here's where it gets real sticky--there are arguments for either right- or left-hand lead, so it ends up being a decision that either you make, or is made for you by a (hopefully) wise and caring teacher. The great thing is that whichever you choose, either way you'll find true happiness--you're playing the hammered dulcimer!

"The hammered dulcimer is really a left-handed instrument." I've heard many people say this over the years (and I've probably been known to utter it myself.) The strings on the instrument get progressively higher in pitch as you move to the left side of the instrument, the melody is usually on the leftmost side of the instrument, and there's great sense in approaching the hammered dulcimer with a left-hand lead.

That being said (and now written), I have always (except for a grueling 2-week experiment) played the dulcimer with a right-hand lead when playing a single-line melody. I'm a very strong right-handed individual. My poor left hand hasn't had the schooling that my greatly advantaged right hand has had, and therefore it's a bit clumsier and weaker in comparison. Therefore, a right-hand lead is very natural for me, since my right hand already leads and usually has my left hand just following it around and helping out here and there when necessary. And it works--for me. After all, John Milton said, "...And in thy right hand lead...," but I don't think he was referring to a hammered dulcimer.

Should everyone play with a right-hand lead? No, not at all. I encourage beginning students to try both leads, to be open to both, to consider both. I watch my students play to try to help them decide which way they naturally lean. I encourage a left-handed approach when it makes sense for an individual. The most important thing, I think, is that you make a decision for yourself--and stick with it. And, no matter what anyone says, either way you win. "Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor." -- Hebrew Bible, Proverbs 3:13-18. There are lots of happy players out there of both persuasions, and you'll have lots of company no matter on which side of the dulcimer your hammers ultimately fall.

Once you determine whether you're joining the rightists or the leftists, life becomes easier. Just as with rules of fingering on the piano, having a philosophy of hammering enables you to approach pieces of music with great consistency regarding how you play. When you play with a particular handedness you play all the strong beats and major accents with the same hand. This is possible, of course, only when the music you're playing isn't too complex or surprising.

One final thought before closing: Please keep in mind that rules are ultimately designed to be broken, twisted, tempered and changed, and that we use them to get us started and to give us a basis from which we can grow. You've got to start somewhere. Remember that even the piece of a thousand notes starts with a single hammer stroke--knowing if it is a right or left handed stroke just makes the journey easier.

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Author Bio

Steve Schneider has played hammered dulcimer for movies, television, documentaries, books-on-tape, jingles, and on Broadway. He uses the dulcimer in his work as a music therapist, both in hospital settings and in private practice. He is a regular columnist in Dulcimer Players News, has several popular independently released recordings, and has been recorded on dozens of other albums. Steve has also published a book of dulcimer music. A popular teacher, he has taught and performed at festivals from coast to coast. Steve is the director of The Northern Lights Hammered Dulcimer Retreat, a week-long intensive workshop for serious players in Ontario, Canada. He teaches privately, practices music therapy, composes, and conducts Long-Distance-Learning lessons by mail in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he lives with his wife and son. For more information, contact www.steveschneider.com