Denny's Dulcimer Den

Hi, I'm Dennis DenHartog, mountain dulcimer player, teacher, and builder. I've been playing the mountain dulcimers since 1994, and building them since '95. I pick up a mountain dulcimer and play just for for fun and relaxation, because I really love the mountain dulcimer and the music that comes from it. Music flows from mountain dulcimers more easily for me when I play for the enjoyment of it, than if I work at practicing. I teach mountain dulcimer, and I also perform at dinner parties, clubs, festivals, for holiday events, and enjoy playing at hospitals and nursing homes. Other instruments I play are autoharp, harmonica, a washtub bass I built, accordian, and native american flute, mostly for my own enjoyment; and I fool around a little bit with the banjo, hammered dulcimer, and tinwhistle. My wife Linda plays mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer for her own enjoyment. Our jack russel terrier, Samantha spins in circles and tosses her toys in the air while we play, while our other jack russel, JackB'Nimble, just lays by our feet and listens, unless Sammi clobbers him with a toy or starts to get on his nerves, in which case he jumps up, growls, and pins her down for about 30 seconds while he yells(sort of a growly bark) in her face. That usually quiets her down for about two minutes. That's life in Denny's dulcimer den.

Folk Notes Banj-Mo

Here are a couple pictures of the instruments I've been building for the last several years. I call it a Banj-Mo because it's a hybrid instrument, part BANJo and part MOuntain dulcimer. You can lay them on your lap and play them just like a montain dulcimer, but they have a sound that is old-time mountain banjo. They have a solid body that's essentially a frame to hold the head and fretboard, and wide enough to lay across your lap and play. Because of the solid body, they have plenty enough weight (4 lbs), about the same as a fullsized hourglass dulcimer, to stay put on a lap real well as you play.

Here is a link to my Banj-Mo page on the Folk Notes web site:
Folk Notes Banj-Mo Page
It has a full description of the Banj-mo, and some banj-mo sound files. Banj-mos are available in solid Walnut(pictured left), and Cherry (below right).
I also have a page with brief tutorials for playing banjo-dulcimer:
Playing Techniques for Banj-Mo

Once you begin to play mountain dulcimer, a strange thing happens. It begins to take over your life. It needs company, so you have to acquire brothers and sisters for it. Your favorite dulcimer begs you to take it along wherever you go. Church, social events, birthday parties, vacations, family gatherings, or just to go along for the ride(so you can stay in the car and play it while the rest of the family shops). Some people call this 'D.A.S', or dulcimer acquisition syndrome. I believe that description is woefully inadequate as the effects are much more far reaching than that title implies, so I call it 'dulczheimers disease'. Although it can be controlled, and many people might think one so afflicted seems almost normal, family members (unless they're afflicted themselves) know better.

Some of The Mountain Dulcimers We Play

Below is part of our instrument family, these are some of our mountain dulcimers
(minus 8 mountain dulcimers: 2 dulcimers I built a few years ago, a Warren May, an early Berg mountain dulcimer, a bass dulcimer, a Simerman, a music box dulcimer, and one of my first banj-mos).

Dulcimers on left; left to right:

Custom built Folkcraft, cherry body and western red cedar sounboard, scalloped maple fretboard with purple heart overlay, & Baggs saddle pick-up.
Folkcraft Custom CF-300, padauk with spruce soundboard, rosewood overlay, and Shadow 2000 pick-up w/tone & volume control.
Butch Sides travel dulcimer, cherry with flamed redwood soundboard.
Folkcraft FST-BW teardrop, walnut with butternut top, purple heart fretboard overlay.
Walnut Folk Notes Banj-Mo.

Instruments on right. L - R:
Ron Ewing Baritone Dulcimette, walnut with
western red cedar sounboard.
Bill Taylor Soprano teardrop, my beary little dulcimer, cherry with redwood soundboard.
Linda's Walnut McSpadden Ginger.
Noteworthy hourglass, walnut with spruce soundboard.
Black Rose, walnut with wormy chestnut soundboard, scalloped fretboard with rosewood overlay, and Galax back.
Pictures of Mountain Dulcimers You Can Buy

MP3 Mountain Dulcimer Music Files

Here are some mountain dulcimer music files. Skip to My Lou/ Mississippi Sawyer was played on a music box dulcimer tuned AAA, played with noter & feather. The next six songs were played on the Folkcraft CF-300 in the first picture of our dulcimers. The last seven songs were played on the Folkcraft Custom built dulcimer shown in the same picture. The rest of the songs are played in DAD tuning, except Oh Death, which is in DGD, capoed at the first fret, and Old Joe Cool, which is in DAAd jazz tuning(double melody strings w/one tuned 'A' and the other 'd'). All are in 'D', except those noted otherwise.   To hear some tunes played on my Folk Notes Banj-Mo: Banj-Mo Music mp3's

   Skip to My Lou/Mississippi Sawyer 335k, key/A

Star Spangled Banner 428k, key/G Old Joe Blues 525k Liza Jane 730k

Goin' to Boston 648k        Shady Grove 238k, key/Dm      Oh Death 625k, key/Am

Flat Foot Floogy 364K    Cherokee Shuffle 213k    My Country Tis of Thee 618k

Under the Boardwlk 567k At the Cross 612k I Will Arise and Go To Jesus 599k, key/Bm

Old Joe Cool 746k, Jazz tuning

I perform on mountain dulcimer and other instruments, for social groups, company christmas parties, private dinner parties, sunday school class parties, for special sales events at stores and nurseries, and at several area old-time festivals and coffeehouses. Dulcimer festivals I have perfomed at include the Ohio Valley Gathering, the Old-time Gospel Music Retreat in Palestine,OH, Old Capital Dulcimer Festival in Corydon,IN, Dulcimer Chataqua at New Harmony,IN, the Midland, MI Dulcimer Festival, and Metamora Music Days, Metamora,IN. If you are interested in having me play at your party or event, you can reach me at:

260-484-9078 Daytimes and evenings.

I have been teaching mountain dulcimer since 1997. I give private lessons, and teach mountain dulcimer at IPFW university. I do workshops occasionally at Folk Notes, and have taught workshops at the following festivals: Ohio Valley Gathering, the Cedar Creek Jubilee, Corydon Dulcimer Festival, the Old-Time Gospel Music Retreat, Metamora Music Days, and the Midland, MI dulcimer festival. If you are interested in private mountain dulcimer lessons or in having me come and do a workshop for you club or festival, you can call me at the number listed above, or email me. I can also be reached at:

Folk Notes
2329 Curdes Ave.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805

My Favorite Links Mountain Dulcimer Chord Page Folk Notes Dulcimers My Scooter Page