CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1: Definitions

1.1.3: How I defined the limits of my treatment of the instrument

This may be dealt with briefly: at the outset I was very much aware that nothing of any great substance had been written about the dulcimer in English, and, with something of the spirit and emotional involvement of the pioneer, I simply collected the references and followed up the leads that led from anything at all which I recognised as being to do with dulcimers - and in the early days I included many instruments which i now recognise as being of relevance only for comparison, such as kantele cusli autoharp all the zithers, bowed psaltery, and so on.

Of course, in the event, I have not been able to deal adequately with all the material collected, and there is clearly scope for detailed studies of particular areas, now that the general picture has been outlined.

Two types of instrument I did not cover, however, are mechanical dulcimers, mentioned by van der Meer (54), and those with keyboards, mentioned by Marcuse (55), for they do not fall within the concept outlined above.