One of the best ways to learn the dulcimer (or any instrument) is to play with other folks. There are a bunch of dulcimer clubs scattered about the US and UK. If you put Dulcimer Player News or Gila Mountain Dulcimer into your web browser's search engine you will come up with sites that have pretty good listings of dulcimer clubs and events. And if you're in the northern NJ/PA area, the Pocono Dulcimer Club would be glad to welcome you!