McNeela Mountain Dulcimer
The Appalachian dulcimer, also known as the mountain dulcimer, is a traditional US folk instrument with European roots. Part of the zither family, it features three to five metal strings stretched over a narrow, fretted fingerboard positioned centrally along the instrument. Played by laying it flat on the lap, musicians strum or pluck with the right hand and fret with the left, often using a small stick called a 'noter' to assist. Unlike chromatically fretted instruments like the banjo or mandolin, the mountain dulcimer is arranged in a diatonic scale, giving it a unique, melodic sound that complements folk music traditions.