How to play the american mountain dulcimer
Though some forms of the dulcimer use a hammer to pluck or pound the strings set out in front of the player almost like a keyboard, the mountain style of dulcimer is played much differently.
Using your left hand to hold a piece of wood like a fingers length of bamboo or a popsicle stick called a noter, you hold this with your finger and thumb so that the length of wood is cradled between your finger on its side, and your thumb on the top.
This is then glided along the figerboard or the upper most part of the neck.
Your right hand holds a pick to pluck the strings in order to get the notes of sound.