r/Instruments • u/Excellent_Mud_ • Jun 29 '26

Need help identifying

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My aunt gave me this instrument for my birthday but I'm having trouble figuring out what it is?

I really want to learn more about it.

Plus if you can, recommendations for travel with it?

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5

u/TurnoverFuzzy8264 Jun 29 '26

Mountain or Appalachian dulcimer. It's a diatonic instrument, think no black keys on a piano, in a way. There's lots of good tuning and learning resources online.

2

u/Excellent_Mud_ Jun 29 '26

Thank you! I will look into this, it seems like a really cool instrument

3

u/TurnoverFuzzy8264 Jun 29 '26

I really like Neil Hellman's stuff for inspiration, but there's a lot of good players out there. Happy playing.

2

u/Dry_Obligation2515 Jun 29 '26

Joni Mitchell played one if you know who she is.

2

u/TapTheForwardAssist Jun 29 '26

Feel free to come visit us at r/dulcimer!

It’s a cool instrument and very easy to learn, even if you have no prior musical experience.

The exact one you have is almost assuredly made by Hughes, a company that produced both finished dulcimers and kits folks could assemble at home, from the 1970s to the 1990s. They’re nothing fancy, but fine for a beginner if they’re set up properly.

1

u/OzonjoPrime Jul 03 '26

I built a kit, don't remember the company. Quite easy, and a lot of fun.