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All violin alternate tunings may be adapted for the mandolin Standard instrument of the mandolin family. Mandolinetto: 8 strings 4 courses. G 3 G 3 •D 4 D 4 •A 4 A 4 •E 5 E 5: USA and Canada A guitar-shaped mandolin, or mandolin neck on ukulele body. Mandolin, Octave: 8 strings 4 courses. Standard/common: G 2 G 2 •D 3 D 3 •A 3 A 3 ...
With regard to your comments on the Modes and Tunings section, Ralph Lee Smith (no relation) writes in "Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions" (The Scarecrow Press, 2002) that dulcimers were not typically played with other instruments, so the absolute pitch of the notes was not critical, only the relationship between them.
Smith is considered to be one of the world's leading players of the hammered dulcimer. In performance, he plays three custom-built prototype dulcimers sequentially - diatonic, chromatic and a microtonal model featuring 'fluid tuning', i.e. such that individual notes may be tuned at (by) precise microtonal intervals.
Dulcimer players, however, are accustomed to naming their strings from lowest to highest (as would a guitarist or violinist). which means that the strings are usually named reverse order from which they appear on the instrument, i.e., right to left. Thus the tunings cited above would more commonly be given as: C3-G3-G3; C3-G3-C4; and C3-F3-C4.
Cross tuning or cross-tuning (aka scordatura) is an alternative tuning used for the open strings of a string instrument.The term refers to the practice of retuning the strings; it also refers to the various tunings commonly used, or in some contexts it may refer to the AEAE fiddle tuning.
The hammered dulcimer (also called the hammer dulcimer) is a percussion-stringed instrument which consists of strings typically stretched over a trapezoidal resonant sound board. The hammered dulcimer is set before the musician, who in more traditional styles may sit cross-legged on the floor, or in a more modern style may stand or sit at a ...
There, the word dulcimer, which was familiar from the King James Version of the Bible, was used to refer to a three or four stringed fretted instrument, generally played on the lap by strumming. Variants include: The original Appalachian dulcimer; Various twentieth century derivatives, including Banjo dulcimer, with banjo-like resonating membrane
Unlike other forms of dulcimer, the épinette gives some separation between the melody strings and the drones. Thus, those areas can be struck separately to establish rhythm. The instrument is tuned by ear rather than to concert pitch, and may be tuned higher or lower depending on the accompanying instrument, the épinette's individual sound ...