My friend invited me to a rehearsal of her Dulcimer group today. I went even though I am neither talented nor knowledgeable concerning the instrument. The group was composed of 25 or so musicians. Three of us were just there to listen. I thought the others who did not play might be wives or drivers for some of the players. I tried not to get in the way. Most of the instruments looked similar to the picture, but some were of different kinds of wood and some were different sizes.
The music was melodious and soft--no rock or hip-hop here. I could imagine a guitar or violin in the mix. The players were seated in a circle with a music stand in front of them and the instrument resting on their knees. Old country favorites such as "Red River Valley" and "Buffalo Gals" spoke to my memories of Sunday afternoon in a shady yard. Nobody in my family played a dulcimer, but I remember visiting Ms. Gal Walker sitting on the porch or around the table in the kitchen. After a while Ms. Gal would go to the piano and start to play softly. The men on the porch might come in to hear better and the kids playing dominos would give up their game. She'd play a few choruses, then somebody would join in and sing. No, I'd never been to a dulcimer concert before, but this seemed to be something I remembered from an earlier time. This belonged to a southern house with a wide front porch and 8 or 10 pecan trees. Men in a huddle under one tree and the women in a clutch by the door with kids scattered around. The story-tellers had run out of breath and it was time to say so long with a little music. Sunday afternoon was winding down and the dulcimer music blessed me with good memories for the night.
I don't know the official name, but this is a dulcimer, too.
Today was Wednesday. Funny how memories don't care what day it really is.
If you want to know more, try this http://gaylehaynesgettingoldergettingbetter.blogspot.com/2015/01/more-about-dulcimers.html
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