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EnglishWhat is Dulcimer Players News (dpnews.com)?
Updated
Dulcimer Players News (dpnews.com) is a quarterly print magazine for mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer enthusiasts. It publishes sheet music, tablature, articles written by musicians, and stories about the traditions that connect the instrument's past to its present. The website is mainly a companion to the print magazine: it's where you subscribe or renew, check order and delivery status, find the archive of past issues, and look up festivals.
Who it's for and what you get
The magazine assumes an interest in the dulcimer specifically, not general folk music. If you play mountain dulcimer or hammered dulcimer—or are learning—the content is aimed at you: arrangements and tablature you can play from, plus first-person articles by other players.
The site itself is not a content library you can browse freely. Most of the practical value sits behind a subscription, with the archive and festival listings as the main open entry points.
What the site offers
| Area | What it is | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribe / Renew | Sign-up and renewal for the print quarterly | Use the "Subscribe & Renew Here!" link or the Subscription Types and FAQ page |
| Back Issues | Single past issues | Not for sale at this time; check the archive or email [email protected] about a specific issue or article |
| The DPN Archives | Digitized past issues, originally digitized by former editor Dan Landrum, now hosted on the Internet Archive (archive.org) | Browse via the "Archives" menu item or dpnews.com/archives |
| Digital DPN | An online digital edition in development, intended to be more than a PDF replica of the print magazine | Not yet live; the print edition continues regardless |
| Find a Festival Near You | Festival listings | Use the site's festival section to locate events |
How delivery and timing work
The site is unusually explicit about scheduling, which matters if you're deciding when to subscribe. From the July 31, 2026 update:
- The August issue was running behind; once at the printer, printing and mailing typically takes about 7–10 days, and postal delivery varies from a few days to a couple of weeks.
- If your copy hasn't arrived by the second week of September, contact Editorial Assistant Vicki at [email protected]—also the address for order status, subscription questions, and address changes.
- Renewing by August 7 meant the August issue would be mailed with the rest.
- New subscriptions start with the latest issue while extra copies last; lapsed subscriptions restart with the latest issue if the lapse happened before the mailing list went to the printer.
- Between issues, orders are processed every 7–14 days, and magazines usually arrive within a week of mailing.
The practical takeaway: subscription timing is tied to the print cycle, so a new subscription won't necessarily start with the issue you had in mind, and delivery dates shift with printer and postal schedules.
Where to start
- Want to read the magazine: subscribe through the site, and use the FAQ page to pick a subscription type.
- Looking for a specific old article: check the DPN Archives first, then email [email protected] if it isn't there—back issues aren't currently sold individually.
- Want to hear the music live: use the festival listings to find an event near you.
- Waiting on a delivery: email [email protected] rather than assuming it's lost, especially given the stated processing windows.
One caveat worth knowing before you rely on the site: the digital edition is still in progress, so the print quarterly remains the actual product for now.