How To Tell Which Frets You Have - Or Don't Have - On Your Dulcimer
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
A few weeks ago, I received an email from a customer. She has a 1970s FolkRoots dulcimer (one of ours). This is one that Howard Rugg made when the FolkRoots shop was in Felton, California.
So the email she sent included a photo:
She asked "Which fret is my 6 1/2?" An experienced player could look at this fretboard, and immediately see "there isn't a 6.5 fret on this dulcimer," but this was a newer player. She had books that used the 6.5 fret in the tablature, but the song sounded wrong. I'm guessing she was using the actual fret 7 as fret 6.5, since that was the next fret up from fret 6. An easy mistake to make, and not an easy thing for a new player to figure out!
So I sent her back this photo, which cleared up her question and (mostly) solved her problem:
So how can you tell, just from looking at the fretboard, which frets you do, or don't, have on your instrument? There are a few good ways, I'll mention two methods here:
1) Look for "clusters" of frets. Do you see a group of four frets, a single fret, then another group of four frets? Then the instrument almost certainly has both the 1.5 and 6.5 frets added to a diatonic fretboard layout. (If I've lost you at "diatonic" - click here, read the article, and then finish this email afterwards!)
Here's a photo of my personal baritone dulcimer. I've labeled the 4 frets, 1 fret, and 4 frets clusters:
The cluster of four frets closest to the nut (top of the photo) includes frets 1, 1.5, 2, and 3.
The single fret is fret 4.
The second cluster of four frets includes frets 5, 6, 6.5, and 7. My dulcimer has double dots at fret 7.
The 1.5 fret has become mainstream relatively recently, in the last 10 or 15 years. The 6.5 fret started becoming popular in the 1980s, when people started switching en masse to DAD tuning.
The customer's dulcimer (first photo in this email) without the 6.5 fret? When that instrument was built, the standard tuning was DAA, and the 6.5 fret wasn't at all in common use.
So, the fastest way to identify the frets on a more modern instrument? Look for the clusters of four - that'll let you know right away if both the 1.5 and 6.5 frets are on the fretboard!
Now let's talk, briefly, about the "other" way I would check out a dulcimer's frets.
2) Scale pattern. This involves a tiny bit of music theory - don't panic, it won't take too long!
Each variety of scales has a specific pattern of notes, based on how far apart each note is from the next note in the scale. A "major" scale - the variety we use most often in traditional music - has the pattern of W-W-H-W-W-W-H. The "W" stands for "Whole step," and the "H" is for "Half step." A major scale (like the Do-Re-Mi song from "The Sound Of Music") has this pattern.
If you were playing a "chromatic" dulcimer, you would play every other fret for the W notes in a major scale, and wouldn't skip a fret for the H notes in a major scale.
So now, let's go back to this photo:
In the photo above, do you see the big spaces between some frets, and smaller spaces between other frets? This is "Whole steps" and "Half steps" in action, on a dulcimer fretboard.
So let's play an imaginary scale, starting at fret 3...
Fret 3 to fret 4: a big space (whole step).
Fret 4 to fret 5: a big space (whole step).
Fret 5 to fret 6: a small space (half step).
Fret 6 to fret 7: a big space (whole step)
Fret 7 to fret 8: a big space (whole step).
Fret 8 to fret 9: a big space (whole step).
Fret 9 to fret 10: a small space (half step).
Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Whole-Half!
This scale pattern won't work if we start on the open string - we're fine up until fret five, but we need a 6.5 fret to make the W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern work.
So now, take a look at your dulcimers. Your newest instruments probably have the 1.5 and 6.5 frets already installed. If you DO have those frets, you'll likely have the "4 - 1 - 4" fret cluster pattern.
If you don't see the 4 - 1 - 4 pattern, look for the W-W-H-W-W-W-H pattern. It'll likely start at the nut, or at fret 3!
WOW - that's a lot of numbers, and a lot of explaining. But it's useful information for any dulcimer player.
Have a great weekend, Y'all - go make some music now!
Richard Ash - luthier-who's-spent-too-much-time-thinking-about-frets-and-scale-patterns
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: SALLY ZWISLER
Sally (3rd from Left) playing with her Dulcimer Connection group, at an art fair in Greenfield, Indiana - June 2025.
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Sally: Since Dec 2004 - so 21 years.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Sally: I don't have one yet, but I have been looking at your custom builds on the website. I have been playing Ionian mode 1-5-55 four string with chords & single-string melodies (finger & noter method) on a TK O'Brien walnut back & sides, Red Gum (Sweet Gum) top, with 28" VSL. Since moving to Indiana, I have been playing with a dulcimer group that uses Mixolydian Mode 1-5-1, and I find the 3-string melodies & harmonies they play to be a big reach on my 28" VSL, and too muddy-sounding with the double melody string. I did take off one of the melody strings & that helped, but I am in the market for a new dulcimer, and have been experimenting with the custom build option on your website. I will be giving you a call soon.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Sally: I enjoy playing at home, for family & friends, at festivals, camping, performances at various venues - from nursing homes, funerals to mainstage festivals.
Folkcraft: What do you like to do besides playing your dulcimer?
Sally: I also play piano, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and dobro. I make...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF SALLY'S STORY AND ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE SALLY & YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM MORE OF YOU!
We are delighted to add Sally Zwisler to our online dulcimer community today, and by extension, her Dulcimer Connection group. Welcome to the family, y'all!
Who's Going To Write In Next? Keep The Family Growing?
It really is super-easy to join our online dulcimer community. Just three easy steps:
1) Send an email to: newsletter@folkcraft.com
2) With the answers to the four questions below
3) Attach a photo of yourself with your Folkcraft dulcimer(s)
We look forward to receiving your submission & featuring you in our newsletter real soon!
1. How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
2. When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
3. Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
4. What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
WE'RE OFFERING A $25 FOLKCRAFT GIFT CARD TO ANYONE WHO ANSWERS THE FOUR EASY QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE, AND SENDS IN A PHOTO (OF YOU WITH YOUR FOLKCRAFT DULCIMER). IT'S REALLY SO EASY TO DO!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
In this video, Mandy teaches you how to add a back strum to "Boil Them Cabbage Down." TAB is below. (You can also click on the TAB image below and that will take you to the Instructional Videos page on our website. From there, scroll down to this week's video, and you can click & download a full-sized PDF of the TAB.) Just click on the image below to listen & learn.
We have a slew (that's a fancy luthier word for "bunch") of videos for you to watch on our YouTube channel. Click here to see the full list. Be sure to comment on a video, and subscribe to the channel - either action helps us a LOT with YouTube's suggestion algorithms.
BAKER'S DOZEN #10 - RAGTIME & HONKY TONK
by Shelley Stevens
This fun, quirky book of sheet music features 13 classic American ragtime tunes arranged by Shelley Stevens. You'll be playing favorites by Scott Joplin and Hughie Cannon on your mountain dulcimer, and impressing your friends with your ragtime and honky tonk skills!
All arrangements are in DAD tuning and include both standard notation and dulcimer tablature. (22 pages)
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONG LISTING:
Alabama Jubilee - Composed by: George Cobb And Jack Yellen
Alexander’s Ragtime Band - Composed by: Irving Berlin
Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home? - Composed by: Hughie Cannon
Darktown Strutters’ Ball - Composed by: Shelton Brooks
Dill Pickle Rag - Composed by: Chas. E. Johnson
Down Home Rag - Composed by: Wilbur C. Sweatman
Down Yonder - Composed by: L. Wolfe Gilbert
Dulcimer Rag - Composed by: Shelley Stevens
Hello Ma Baby - Composed by: Joseph E. Howard and Ida Emerson
Hot Time In The Old Town - Composed by: Joe Hayden and Theo A. Metz
Peacherine Rag - DAD Tuning - Composed by: Scott Joplin
Ragtime Cowboy Joe - Composed by: Grant Clarke, Lewis F. Muir, and Maurice Abrahams
Waitin’ For The Robert E. Lee - Composed by: Lewis F. Muir and L. Wolfe Gilbert