Brian Jones’s Dulcimer on ‘Lady Jane’ and the Medieval Folk Inspiration

On Aftermath (1966), Brian Jones played the Appalachian dulcimer on “Lady Jane.” It’s the only Stones song to feature that instrument, and the choice came from Jones’s growing fascination with early music and folk traditions. He had recently picked up the dulcimer, inspired by the British folk revival and artists like Davy Graham, who blended folk with exotic scales.

Jones wanted a sound that felt old—almost Elizabethan—to match the song’s delicate, courtly lyrics about two lovers. The dulcimer’s droning, harp-like tone gave “Lady Jane” its signature medieval atmosphere, standing out from the rest of the album’s blues-rock. It was a rare moment where Jones’s experimental streak perfectly served the song’s mood.