The
Appalachian or "Lap Top" Dulcimer has its roots in the old world. There
are similarities to the German Scheitholt, French Epinette and the Swedish Hummel.
Notwithstanding that the player has a duck in his ear, the accompanying woodcut
implies a very similar looking instrument from the middle ages. Take away
the bow, lay it on your lap and you have what is essentially an Appalachian
Dulcimer.
On this continent, the name Appalachian Dulcimer seems to be the most common name this instrument is known by today. By any name, it is still broadly classified as a Zither. One of its prominent features is the uneven spacing of the frets or stops on the finger board. Positioned to play the notes of a natural western scale, it makes the Dulcimer a fairly simple instrument to play at a basic level.
The earliest surviving instrument actually called an "Dulcimer" here in America, according to Ralph Lee Smith, an Appalachian historian and musician, is dated 1832. By the 1850's they are more common. Few , if any of the 19th Century dulcimers were professionally crafted. True folk instruments, most of the surviving early Dulcimers are home made with varying degrees of quality. Some of the early dulcimer bodies were hollowed out from a single piece of wood. A spruce or maple top would then be glued on and a peg head added for the tuners. Several had keyed tuning pegs similar to the old European Zithers. Since every ethnic immigrant group to America had a heritage of one kind of Zither or another, we see a number of influences at work in the evolution of the present day Dulcimer.
Even with today' makers, there are substantial variations in the appearance of the instrument. The one constant is the modest sweet tone. A dulcimer has a subtleness that lends itself to simple voice accompaniment.