The Care and Feeding of Dulcimers
Like all musical instruments, dulcimers are meant to be handled and played, but not to be mistreated. Whether the dulcimers are made of cardboard, plywood, or special wood some simple rules should be followed:
Don’t leave them where someone will sit or step of them.
Don’t let them get wet. Also, don’t set them to close to heat sources or leave them in the cold. This is especially true for the wooden dulcimers.
Don’t let little brothers and sisters play with them!
Do practice often! And don’t forget to sing – dulcimers love you to sing with them!
Do experiment with the dulcimer. See if you can pick out songs you know.
If you have to tune them, follow the directions in the booklet. Remember not to turn the tuning pegs so much that you break a string. You may not have to tune it at all!!!
Feel free to have other family members give it a try!
Dulcimers can be picked and returned either by students (be careful on the bus!) or by parents. Parents should make arrangements with Mr. Cook to pick them up. They can be dropped off in the Central Office during the school day or at Mr. Cook’s house (9 Creek Road in the Village) after school hours.
If your family is interested in buying a dulcimer, please contact Mr. Cook. He doesn’t sell them, but he has had some good (and not so good) experiences in purchasing them and may be able to give some helpful hints! There is also a pretty good guide to buying dulcimers on the website listed above and at eBay.
If you have questions, please contact Mr. Cook at 468-2541 ext 2044 (school) or 468-5991 (home)
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