Learning to play the hammered dulcimer is one of the activities on my “Things to do When I’m Retired” list. I love how they sound – rather like someone banging around on the inside of a piano – and I’ve attended several dulcimer festivals over the years, which piqued my interest.

Dulcimers come in various shapes and sizes. Hammered dulcimers differ from the guitar-like mountain dulcimers in that they are larger and are often played on a wooden stand. Instead of plucking the strings, musicians hit them with lightweight mallets that look a bit like wooden spoons. The instrument has ancient roots in Asia and the Middle East, where they’ve been made and played for as long as 5,000 years. Like I alluded to above, hammered dulcimers are considered an ancestor of the piano.

I know a woman in town who teaches the dulcimer. One of the first things I did after my recent retirement was to arrange for a lesson from her. We met at her house where she showed me the secrets to playing this ancient instrument. She had two dulcimers set up side by side in her living room; one for her and one for me. Unlike other instruments that I’ve learned, the notes on the dulcimer don’t follow a linear progression. It’s more like a box, or several boxes.

The instructor taught me how to play scales and gave me a chart that shows where the notes are located on the instrument. As we practiced, two deer wandered by the picture window in front of us at dusk. Were they drawn by the music?

She also taught me how to tune the dulcimer. By the end of the lesson, I had played my first song! It was only “Frere Jacques,” but I was pretty pleased. I rented the instrument from her that I had been playing. It came with a handy carrying case and stand, and was easy to transport to my car.

As I drove home, I felt like my cargo was some grand prize that I’d won at the fair—like a huge teddy bear. I couldn’t believe I had my “own” dulcimer for a month! I set it up in my office and even though it’s been a few days, I still feel a tickle of disbelief and excitement every time I see it.

I’ve been practicing. I don’t have any sheet music, so I’ve been playing songs by ear. I’m not sure I could remember how to read music anymore, anyway. I have “Frere Jacques” mastered and am now working on a favorite song, “Walking in the Air.” I’m just working on the melody for now. That’s all I can handle. It’s coming along.

Although I didn’t have any trouble at the instructor’s house seeing which strings to hit, I’ve had difficulty seeing them at home. My aging eyes aren’t the greatest. But I think finding the proper lighting or changing out some bulbs will help. I’d hate to let that stop me from playing.

Learning a new skill has been fun. Playing the hammered dulcimer is a good alternative to writing. I like that it’s played standing up. That gets me off my butt and onto my feet, which is a good thing. Here’s to not sitting down in retirement!