Hammered Dulcimer - (American Folk Music and Musicians) by Paul M Gifford (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book offers a discussion of the medieval origins of the dulcimer and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world. Special attention is paid to the North American tradition from the early 18th-century to the 1970s revival.

Book Synopsis

This book offers a discussion of the medieval origins of the dulcimer and its subsequent spread to other parts of the world. Special attention is paid to the North American tradition from the early 18th-century to the 1970s revival.

Review Quotes

Gifford (Univ. of Michigan, Flint) offers a fascinating history of a number of instruments considered "hammered dulcimers,"...Well researched and documented, critical of some conventional wisdom, and not technically overpowering, this book will speak to students from high school and up to scholars and college faculty.

In this important, impeccably researched book, Paul Gifford traces the evolution and musical history of the hammered dulcimer...Gifford's book should become the standard one on the topic of hammered dulcimers. It is a welcome addition to the literature on musical instruments in general as well as to Scarecrow Press's fine series American Folk Music and Musicians.

No one knows as much about the dulcimer as Paul M. Gifford, and he has distilled decades of study of the instrument and its history into a fascinating and readable book of some 400 pages...an important addition to our understanding of the folk music revivals of the late 20th century.

About the Author

Paul M. Gifford is an Associate Archivist at the University of Michigan-Flint Library.