Stick Dulcimer InfoWhat is a Stick Dulcimer / Pickin' Stick?These sweet, charismatic instruments are direct relatives of the American Mountain Dulcimer. Our Stick Dulcimers are fashioned after Ressler's Pickin' Stick.
Having only 3 strings & using natural harmonies, Stick Dulcimers are designed for a fun & easy playing style at every skill level. Beginner players find them extremely "User Friendly." (We get folks playing a basic song in about 2 minutes.) Advanced musicians tell us they love the way our instruments sound & feel! A lil' more info...Beginners enjoy learning the basics of playing stringed instruments, such as fretting, picking and strumming out melodies, with out the fuss of knowing cords, hitting wrong notes and other technicalities. These instruments naturally encourage personal growth and understanding of music, opening doors for those people who never thought they could learn to play an instrument.
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Being light weight and easy to hold, whether one is sitting or standing, these instruments are ideal for folks who might have a harder time with a heavier/bulkier instrument. We've had many seasoned players comment on how our Stick Dulcimers allow them to enjoy more play time :)
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How to Play the Stick Dulcimer / Pickin' Sticks - Basics 101
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Holding your Stick Dulcimer properly & comfortably will allow you to have greater control over the instrument while playing. We find it best to hold the Stick Dulcimer in front of you - imagine a guitar or banjo - with the Neck resting in your left hand and the Body tucked under your right forearm. You'll also want to adjust the strap over your shoulder, finding the right fit/placement for your body.
Basic Open Play:
The Neck of your Stick Dulcimer is held by the left hand. We are not closing off any frets at this point. Your right hand however will be strumming/picking the Melody String (See Picture) with a down stroke. This is called Open, because it's the natural sound/note the string makes without being fretted. Practice playing each string Open individually, be sure you can hear a clean/clear sound each time. Once you are comfortable with this, then Open strum all 3 strings together. Now you are ready to play rhythms at this point and add an up strokes.
Basic Single Note Play:
With your left hand, use the index finger to press down on the Melody String just left of the 1st fret. Then with your right hand strum/pick the Melody String alone a few times until you hear a clear singular note. Then move your index finger down the fret board. Each fret location will produce a signal note. Once you are comfortable with this, practice strumming all 3 strings together; leaving the top two strings Open and fretting just the Melody String.
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Frets are numbered 1 through 12, with 1 at the top of the neck and 12 closest to the soundboard.
Video Coming Soon!
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Beginning Songs
Beginning songs should be familiar songs.
Familiar songs, such as childhood nursery rhymes or simple songs that you can hum, will help you gain confidence and ease you into playing the Pickin’ Stick. Since you may already know the rhythm and “feel” of the following songs from years of repetition, you don’t have to focus on getting the rhythm “right.” Instead focus on the fret locations, finger placement and joy of hearing the songs come to life as you play each note.
Start by humming the song to yourself without playing any notes, just hold the instrument.
Then guide your finger along the Melody String to the fret allocated to the number shown. You can play just the single note by pickin’ the Melody String alone or you can incorporate all three strings by strumming.
Remember to start out slowly. As you pick up on the melody of these songs you can start to play with tempo and pickin’/strumming styles.
Start by humming the song to yourself without playing any notes, just hold the instrument.
Then guide your finger along the Melody String to the fret allocated to the number shown. You can play just the single note by pickin’ the Melody String alone or you can incorporate all three strings by strumming.
Remember to start out slowly. As you pick up on the melody of these songs you can start to play with tempo and pickin’/strumming styles.
* These songs are set up using Open G Tuning GDG.
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Row, Row, Row Your Boat
0 – 0 – 0 – 1 – 2 2 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 8 – 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 Boil Them Cabbage Down
(Traditional Old Time Music & Bluegrass Song) 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 3 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 4 2 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 2 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 0 – 0 |
You are My Sunshine
0 – 0 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 0 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 0 0 – 0 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 0 – 0 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 0 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 1 – 2 – 0 |
Different Tunings
For show purposes we have our Pickin' Sticks tuned to Open G. This gives the instrument natural chords and allows players to freely jump into playing without having to know where to place fingers for creating the correct notes/chords. However Open G is just a starting place. Once you start experimenting with different tunings your understanding of how the notes/chords are related starts to expand and new musical connections are made. All of these tunings were listed on various dulcimer websites.
Mixolydian Mode - key of Fbass string F
middle string C melody string F Open G - key of Gbass string G
middle string D melody string G New Ionian Mode - key of Bbbass string F
middle string Bb melody string F |
Ionian - key of F bass string F
middle string C melody string C Minor Mode - key of Gm bass string F
middle string C - use a capo on the 1st fret (yes you can use capos on stick dulcimers! melody string F Aeolian Minor Mode - Personal "Renaissance Sounding" Favorite!bass string D
middle string A melody string C |
Stick Dulcimer Set Up & Care
To prevent dings and nicks handle with care. Avoid impacts and use a soft sleeve or gig bag when traveling. Avoid storing your instrument in extreme temperatures.
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Floating Saddle
Our Stick Dulcimers have a “floating” Saddle. This is a key element for the instrument’s unique sound. To ensure the Saddle is at the correct tilt use the following measurements:
Melody String Side 22 7/8” Nut to the top edge of the Saddle. Bass String Side 22 3/4” Nut to the top of the edge of the Saddle. Restringing
If you need to replace a string use light gauge mandolin strings. We prefer using Ernie Ball 2026 Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Mandolin Light Strings. You can experiment using different brands. Each has its own "flare" and will alter the playability and tone of your Stick Dulcimer. Restring one string at a time.
Bass String 22 Middle String 13 Melody String 9 To restring, loop the pre-looped end of the mandolin string onto the peg at the bottom of the instrument. Then thread the other end into the eye on the tuning machine. Leave enough slack so you can wind the tuning machine several times. Make sure the Saddle is in alignment. Trim any excess string. |
Cleaning
To clean your Stick Dulcimer/ Pickin' Stick use a very light damp cloth (water only) followed by a dry cloth wipe down.
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