Over the past 10 or 15 years, I have put a lot of time and effort into harmonizing major scales and modes on the dulcimer. This has been time well-spent for me: I can’t begin to tell you how many good ideas I’ve gotten for new tunes, or how fluent my improvisation has become by consistent practice with this.

Now, you might ask: “Why descending scales and not ascending scales?” To answer this, consider the notion that ascending musical scales, or chords, tend to build tension and suspense. When you are starting out on lower pitches and gradually ascending to higher and higher pitches, it makes sense that you are going to feel more anticipation and a build of drama. With descending scales, the opposite is mostly true: You start with a high note or chord, and then gradually descend, releasing tension with each chord change. That’s why I find the descending harmonized scales so soothing and relaxing.

Here is the D Major Scale starting on fret 7 and descending down the fingerboard on the bass string. It is harmonized (on the middle and melody strings) with mostly just the primary triads of I, IV, and V (D, G, and A), but I have added an E minor towards the end for a bit of color. The arpeggios below are just a suggestion, and there are many different ways of ordering the notes in a particular chord shape. If you add some eighth notes to the action, there will be a lot more movement, and if you let some notes ring out for two full beats or more, this can add to the variety. Also, try 4/4 and holding each chord for two measures.