We are hammering?
Ok, before you get concerned about how and what and why we are hammering … let me explain. 🙂 A dulcimer is a musical instrument that is basically a wooden board (oh so much more complicated than that but basically a wooden board). There are various sizes and shapes of dulcimers in the world. This one, in these two videos, is a relatively large dulcimer. This one has 121 strings … each of which has to be tuned … and each of which is played by striking it with a hammer.
But no, not with a huge metal hammer. No, no. The hammers used to play a dulcimer are delicate, small wooden hammers. The dulcimer instrument itself originated in Egypt, and migrated to … well, to everywhere. It’s extremely common in Scotland and Ireland, but it can be found all over our lovely planet.
I love music. And so I was recently wandering around online listening to music videos when I found this one (below). The tune is called “Gentle Lady”.
This woman’s website is deedeetibbets.com, and her YouTube channel with loads of videos is https://www.youtube.com/@deedeetibbits/videos. She plays many more instruments in addition to the dulcimer.
Here’s another tune she played that I liked. It’s called “Carol of the Bells”. It was originally a Ukranian folk tune called “Bell Carol” with words that told of the coming of spring. But here in the USA, it’s a Christmas tune.
Christmas is coming. 🙂
And so is my next camping trip … stay tuned!
My great aunt in Ireland played the dulcimer, I love this! Hers was smaller but just as beautiful. Oh my heart. Thank you.
I wish I could have heard your great aunt play her dulcimer, Babe. How beautiful it must have been. Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing this.
Absolutely spectacular to watch, listen, hear & enjoy. I too love music and one of my best friends is from Odessa, Ukraine so I will share!
Bless you Ann🙏
Please say hello to Vita for me. I love her music.
And bless you too! 🙂
Beautiful! So peaceful.
I thought so too. 🙂 Thanks Greg.
Beautiful music, and she’s so interested and respectful of all cultures and music. I wish there was an interview with her online.
I wished there was an interview with her online too, Mary. I searched for one but didn’t find one. If any readers here know of one, please share it.
Amazing! I’ve never seen a dulcimer played. It’s like playing a piano except your arms and wrists and hands and fingers are the physical pieces of the piano … after you touch a key on a piano, the connecting “arms” and joints and all that stuff move and then the hammer does finally strike the string. So when playing a dulcimer, your whole upper body has to absorb all of that energy from hammering, rather than just playing the keys. I bet there are lots of ways a professional musician could compare playing a dulcimer with playing a piano, but it just struck me that the hammering probably affects your body much more when playing a dulcimer. No? Sure is beautiful music.
Wow, I didn’t think about the physical shock and stress on hands and wrists and arms from playing an instrument like a dulcimer. Certainly, there is some from playing a piano too, but like you, I think probably playing a piano is less “shocking”? And, yes, sure is beautiful music. 🙂
She makes it look so simple and I bet it isn’t. 🙂 I like the small wooden “hammers”, she’s so gentle with them and yet loud when needed.
Ah, yes, she sure does make it look simple, and I think you’re right, Tina, I bet it isn’t simple or a quick couple of lessons to learn how to play this dulcimer.
Such beautiful music, both pieces. I didn’t know Carol of the Bells was from a Ukrainian folk song. That makes this song/tune even more wonderful. When I hear this Christmas song, I will now think of Ukraine and our wonderful neighbors there.
Me too, Marge, me too. Thank you.
Here’s a link to a Ukraine chorus singing the original song.
The dulcimer tunes by DeeDee Tibbits are exquisite.
David, thank you!! That chorus is wonderful. Thank you so much for finding that and sharing. How sweet they are, how wonderful.
Lovely! Thank you!
You are welcome. 🙂
Delightful! I will share as well.
Please do share! Thank you Henry.
Such pretty music! Thank you so much or sharing it with us.
You’re welcome, Dawn, always. 🙂
We have neighbors in town who are Ukrainian. Just showed them this blog after they were here for dinner this evening. They LOVED it. And they loved the “balalika”? in the background. I don’t know how to spell that, they told me but I don’t remember. Do you know which one they are seeing? They really loved this, the whole family. Wife and I did too, such sweet music.
I’m so glad you shared this with your Ukrainian neighbor/friends, Tim. That means a lot to me, and them, and the two of you too. 🙂
The instrument in the background is a Balalaika. It’s a triangular guitar looking thing. It shows up in the background of the video a few times but only for a second or three. It’s mostly Russian but also played by people in other countries. Here’s a video of a Balalaika ensemble playing one of my favorite fun tunes. Notice the different sizes of Balalaikas.