Medieval Instrument Listening Journal: Hammered Dulcimer

The medieval instrument that I decided to listen to and analyze is the hammered dulcimer. This instrument can be classified as a chordophone because it produces sound through a striking of the strings with two small hammers A recording of a hammered dulcimer is provided below:

The dulcimer has a unique sound for string instruments; it has a tinny, almost thin timbre, as each string is extremely taut and physically hit with a mallet instead of plucked like a mandolin or lute. The strings vibrate significantly less long than a modern viol, possibly due to the musician's tendency to hit the same strings frequently (cutting off the sound). Furthermore, the hammered dulcimer is unique from other, more modern versions of the dulcimer which are plucked and have a twangier sound similar to that of a mandolin. 

Along with being classified as a chordophone, the dulcimer is considered to be a Bas instrument, or quite literally, a low instrument (in reference to its soft volume). This made it particularly useful in accompanying singers and chamber groups. Due to their volume and transportable nature, dulcimers were popular among many traveling musicians, including waits, minstrels, and troubadours (Alchin).