Mary Faith’s Dulcimer Quills

Description

When I learned to play the Mountain Dulcimer, I learned using real quills….feathers. I figured that was why my cat used to come and hang out with me, rather than the music. She just couldn’t wait till I put the quill down. In the late 60’s when I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a good friend got a very small piece of Delrin for me to try, mentioning that it was used to replace quills in Harpsichords. Well, it worked well for me, and I husbanded that piece for about 30 years until I finally lost what was left of it.

I am delighted to say that we have found a source of supply for small quantities of Delrin and can finally offer it to other dulcimer players!

The beauty of having a piece is that you can cut the size and length of a piece you want! The ones I have always been most comfortable with are between 1/4 and 1/8 inch wide and the length of the piece….which means you can get at least 8 pieces from one of our Dulcimer Quills Packages! If you want to play softly, you hold the Quill more loosely, higher on the piece. If you want to play more loudly, you slip your index finger down the back of the piece closer to the strings and restrict the flexibility! And, it is more flexible than a regular pick!

The other nice thing is that if you have a mind to try out different sized picks for various and sundry instruments, here is a piece which can be cut with a scissor and you can design to your heart’s delight!