Question

You came across ‘dulcimer’ in the poem ‘Kubla Khan’. Did you note down ‘Psaltery’ as another musical instrument? They are very similar. Look up the illustrations for the two in an illustrated dictionary. Find out in what ways they are different from one another.

Answer 1

Dulcimer and Psaltery are both stringed musical instruments that belong to the Zither family. Both these instruments vary in their shapes and sizes. A Psaltery is generally triangular, rectangular, or wing-shaped with plucked stings across a flat soundboard while a Dulcimer has three or four fretted strings and is generally diatonic.