Actually, the piano key explanation was pretty enlightening and even I was able to grasp it. Thank you,Kaleea, for that.   Gargoyle, I live in Richmond, Virginia. There's no way I'd be able to afford to rent a motel for a couple of weeks but I might be able to afford a couple of dulcimer lessons. This link (scroll down just a little bit to the first dulcimer - a cherry teardrop shape) shows a dulcimer very close to the one I'll be getting. I want to use it to accompany the ballads (lots of Child ballads - both American and British versions) that I sing.