The Appalachian dulcimer is a traditional folk instrument developed in the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1800s, possibly earlier. It has three metal strings stretched across a long, narrow wooden body and is usually played across the musician’s lap. The dulcimer was once common throughout the region but declined in popularity as the fiddle, banjo, and guitar became more popular. It was revived in the mid-1900s by folklorists and folk musicians and eventually gained popularity beyond Appalachia. Today, it remains one of the instruments most closely associated with Appalachian music. Today, the instrument is often called the “Appalachian dulcimer” to distinguish it from the hammered dulcimer, a separate instrument with many strings that is played using small handheld mallets.