Playing Melodies

The first step is to find a dulcimer tab for a song you want to play. Just go to google and type “dulcimer tab”. The results will show you several places to find a song you want and download it. You will probably want to print it. The results will probably also point to YouTube videos of people giving basic lessons and showing you how to use tabs. If you need more explanation than I have here you should watch a few of them. We all learn in different ways. Getting an explanation from multiple people will probably help you understand better.

I printed part of this tab I found:

When you find songs with dulcimer tabs they have been created by different people so they will be done in different ways. I only like to work with tabs that show me the notes, chords, and lyrics. I find it easier to learn songs if I can sing along, even if I am singing silently.

This example does not show the bass string line. It shows the middle string (A) and the melody string (D). Use these lines if you are tuned DAD. Note that two of your notes will be found on the middle string. The last line (A) is for the melody string with DAA tuning. With this tuning, all of the notes you play are on the melody line. This song has quarter and half notes. Remember to count the extra beat for the half notes.

Some tabs will show lines with numbers for all three of the strings. If they are using numbers on all of the lines they are giving you an arrangement that plays the melody along with notes from the chord. When you are a little more advanced that is good to have. For a beginner just learn the melody line. You can hit the other two strings on each strum or learn to hit them sometimes when it sounds good to you. Hitting them adds the root and fifth of a D chord, which will sound pretty good throughout the song.

If you have tuned DAD there is a simple way to play the song in the key of G. Tune your middle string from A down to G. Play the numbers on the last line. You can play them on either the bass line or the melody line. You will not be playing the notes shown for the song, but you will be playing the correct notes for the key of G.

This example works for both turnings. It does not show the middle string because all of the notes are found on the melody string, even for DAD tuning.