Who am I?
I'm Sharon DoWell. I came up with a new tuning that allows us to play modern/contemporary music, or any kind of music, easily and comfortably on the dulcimer. See the Home Page on this website for more information.
What instrument am I playing?
I'm playing a cardboard chromatic dulcimer that I assembled from a kit that I bought from Backyard Music Instruments (See contact information below.) Then I painted it white and decorated it with stickers that I bought from Amazon.
This instrument doesn't have the sound of an expensive wooden dulcimer made out of prime woods; however, it sounds surprisingly good. I paid only $95.00 in March 2025, a fraction of the cost of one of the wooden ones. This enables you to get started at an affordable price for a fully chromatic dulcimer.
If you want one, call or email them and tell them that you want the cardboard chromatic dulcimer. They are extremely helpful; and they offer different options depending on whether you want the kit or want them to assemble it for you fully, or somewhere in between.
Contact: backyardmusic.com backyard.music.instruments@gmail.com 860/771-0820
**Chromatic dulcimer needed for this method**
You can also buy a quality cardboard from Folkcraft. I don't have this one, so I recommend that you do some research on YouTube, etc. As of April 2025, their website shows a chromatic kit for $205.00.
Contact: folkcraft.com sales@folkcraft.com 317/539-1855
**Chromatic dulcimer needed for this method**
If you want a quality handmade wooden dulcimer at a very reasonable price, I previously bought a beautiful cherry dulcimer with a wonderful sound from Mountain Made Music. If you don't see a chromatic dulcimer on their website, call or email them. They are very helpful.
Contact: mountainmademusic.com sales@mountainmademusic.com 812/372-8576
**Chromatic dulcimer needed for this method**