Dulcimer

By Jessica Gates
The Appalachian, or Mountain, dulcimer is a musical instrument
developed in the United States in the 1800s from dulcimers brought to America by European immigrants. Like a guitar, it is made of wood and has a
sound hole for the strings to pass over. The dulcimer can have three or four strings and is played by placing it on your lap and strumming the strings.

What You’ll Need:

scissors
shoebox
tape
paper
decorations
four rubber bands
pencils

How to Make It:

Cut a four-inch-wide rectangular-shaped hole in the lid of a shoebox.
Replace the lid on the shoebox and tape it in place. Cover the box with paper, leaving the hole in the lid open. Decorate the box.
To make the strings, stretch four rubber bands around the length of the shoebox. Each rubber band should go over the hole in the lid.
Put a pencil under the strings at each end of the box. This will make the strings tighter. The tighter you make the strings, the higher their tones will be.
To play, place the dulcimer on your lap and strum the strings with your fingers or a pick. To get different tones on each string, use a pencil to place pressure on different parts of the string while you strum.