The mountain dulcimer can be tuned into any of these modes. However, due to string gauges and the action of the strings against the fret board, you are likely limited to only four or five keys.

Gary Gallier at a recent concert

Many players never explore beyond mixolydian and ionian, perhaps with good reason. 1987 National Mountain Dulcimer Champ, Gary Gallier plays almost exclusively in DAD, a mixolydian mode. He contends that while understanding other tunings can help a player advance their skills, he recommends to his students "to stick with one tuning in order to gain a complete mastery of it".

Likewise, Lee Rowe says, "I use DAD most of the time. It allows me to play in all of the modes using a capo and it gives me a full octave across the strings for cross-picking or fingerpicking". Lee is the 1999 National Mountain Dulcimer Champ.

Lee makes a great point about capos. By using them, you can experiment with different modes and keys without retuning.

Whether you are a beginner or approaching master level, we're hopeful that this look at modes and tunings has sparked your imagination to experiment even further.

Note: Gary Gallier will visit Music Folk with his brother, Les, for a concert on Saturday, March 13, 2004. Gary will teach a workshop on Sunday, March 14. Lee Rowe will be presenting a workshop at Music Folk on Sunday, July 11. See our events page for more information on these engagements.