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How to Read Mountain Dulcimer Tablature
Bruce W. Ford
I get requests from time-to-time on exactly
how to decypher mountain dulcimer tablature. I hope this helps.
These images are designed to nudge you along, but keep in mind
that mountain dulcimer tab is an easy concept. The tab is shown
like the strings look when the dulcimer is on your lap. Below
is a diagram of your fretboard or fingerboard when it's on your
lap and ready to play.
Click on any image
to enlarge it!
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Here's a peice of tab from our collection, Hector
the Hero arranged my Steve Smith. As a beginner, there
is very little information on this tab that your REALLY
need.
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To play the note, strum across all strings.
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There's no more to it. Continue stepping
you way through the song in this manner.
Two important points:
- Select a song you already know the tune
to. Just using tab can lead to errors because pure tab
doesn't tell you how LONG to hold the note. That information
is in the music notation. But, if you know the tune...
- Don't worry about chording the notes
(chording to a MD player means pressing more than just
the melody strings tolay a note). You can play just fine
playing JUST the melody strings.
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