Wally Venable

Location:

Location: Morgantown WV
Country: USA

My Latest Followers:

Homer Ross Ken Longfield Strumelia

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images: 3

My wife, Norma plays dulcimers. I make musical instruments as a creative activity, and play ukulele and U-Bass.

Latest Activity

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Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 6 hours ago • comments: 9
Posted a new Comment on History of Women Players:
"Perhaps it has something to do with the "dulci" (sweet) part. A traditional lap dulcimer can be played for personal enjoyment while a baby sleeps or the man..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • yesterday • comments: 0
Posted a response to "What's the exact difference between a dulcimore and dulcimer":
"In addition to differences in spelling, there were differences in pronunciation of the name of our instrument. This almost certainly resulted in differences..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 4 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Can anyone out there help me with a tuner question?":
"You asked "what type of tuner?" I just looked at your photo, and you tuners are interesting in their own right due to the way the wood is held between metal..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 5 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Can anyone out there help me with a tuner question?":
"Richard said " If you ever disassemble one all the way take note of the order of the metal and the fiber washers on the shaft." Perhaps at some time in the..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • one week ago • comments: 7
Posted a new Comment on Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming 2024:
"Their website is a bit confusing. It lists the dates as 4, 5, 6 April and 13, 14, 15 April."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Are two melody strings louder than one?":
"Sound pressure (SP) is measures in force per unit area, i.e. psi. Loudness is typically measured in decibels (DBA). The relationship between them is..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 10
Posted a new Comment on Reading Tab in Chord/Melody playing:
"There  is no standard for dulcimer TABs. There are several common formats. First of all, the "single number" format which Jean Ritchie used way back in the..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Vintage dulcimer information sought ":
"Looking at the picture of the head which shows the pegs, I would say they were installed poorly and the strings are incorrectly installed, both in terms of..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "What Are You Working On?":
"Walmart has " Fas-n-Tite Brass (plated) Linoleum Nails (5/8" x #16) - 0.75 oz., Steel, $1.58 " Those and a toothpick in the old hole might be a good choice."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "What Are You Working On?":
"Why remove the nail head? The nail head makes it easier to hold a string loop on. In addition, if you simply cut the nail head off with pliers you will have..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "John Molineux box dulcimer":
"The fret markings clearly are a major feature of the claims. He states: "In a stringed instrument, the combination, with the sounding board or base, of the..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "John Molineux box dulcimer":
"I just looked at the full 1880 patent filing. It is a good .PDF file with search capability. It is interesting that the word "dulcimer" (or even "dul") does..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Ergonomics and Wrist Strain":
"As to seating position, I'm only about 5' 6" tall, with short legs. My lap is horizontal when I sit in a 1950s vintage wooden folding chair, but on more..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Ergonomics and Wrist Strain":
"Given the wide variety of playing styles used on the dulcimer, I don't think there is any "proper form." Noter-drone playing puts a very different stress on..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on Gardner Winter Music Festival:
"Lap Dulcimer Workshops at the 2024 Gardner Winter Music Festival The Gardner Winter Music Festival will be in Morgantown, WV on February 23rd and 24th..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 1
Is attending an Event:
Wartz-N-All Spring Fling -(WV)
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 21
Posted a new Comment on History of Cigar Box Dulcimers:
"I hadn't thought about using recycled furniture wood. Fifty year old furniture wood will be well seasoned with about 48 years of air exposure on top of the..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 21
Posted a new Comment on History of Cigar Box Dulcimers:
"Historically, most cigar boxes were wooden boxes. A website says "Between 1800 and 1960 around 80% of all cigar boxes were made of wood" and another says..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 21
Posted a new Comment on History of Cigar Box Dulcimers:
"In discussing Cigar Box Musical Instrument History we should differentiate between those who make "cigar box" instruments because they can not afford a..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 31
Posted a new Comment on Peg tuners:
"Slipping pegs are a different issue. Violinists/fiddlers often use a bit of chalk or "peg dope" to fix this. Sandpaper used very lightly is also a common..."
Wally Venable
@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 31
Posted a new Comment on Peg tuners:
"It's probably been posted before in this thread, but .... There is a standard taper to violin pegs. Both reamers for shaping the holes and shavers for the..."

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Latest Photos

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Octave_Dulcimer-Frame.jpg
Octave_Dulcimer-Alone.jpg
Octave_Dulcimer-Alone-B.jpg

Latest Forum Discussions

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Liquid Electrical Tape

Posted: Saturday November 25 2023, 9:30 PM
By: @John C. Knopf

Looking for a Small Dulcimer

Posted: Wednesday October 26 2022, 11:06 AM
By: @Tom McShane

Comments

Strumelia
01/15/22 11:49:34AM @strumelia:

Wally, thank you SO much for your very thoughtful donation to FOTMD!  It is deeply appreciated.    sun       -Strumelia


Wally Venable
11/25/19 02:27:14PM @wally-venable:

The photo shows my first dulcimer project and my third.

The design of the first was based on a cardboard body instrument Norma borrowed for her first dulcimer class.

The third is an octave dulcimer tuned DAA, but an octave above the usual set of notes. It is short enough to fit in an airline carry-on bag.

Both have fingerboards made from 1x2 lumber, with most of the body constructed from 1/8" and 3/32" birch plywood.


Richard Streib
02/19/19 08:26:15PM @richard-streib:

Welcome Wallyvenable to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. Glad you joined. Sounds like a great event you will be attending. Best wishes on your musical journey.


Wally Venable
02/18/19 02:08:20PM @wally-venable:

I'll be at the Gardner Winter Music Fest this Saturday. http://www.gwmf.org

I'm playing with the DAA Strummers and OLLI Orchestra.

The GWMF has a lot of room for mountain dulcimer player or wanna be's. We enjoyed it last year. You can't beat the registration fee - FREE if you bring an instrument.

 


Ben Barr Jr
02/18/19 05:43:39AM @benjamin-w-barr-jr:

Hi Wally, and welcome to the wonderful world of the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer.  It's a good place to come, spend some time, learn about the dulcimer, and to meet some good people.

Ben


Jim Fawcett
02/17/19 08:54:20PM @jim-fawcett:

Hey Wally, welcome aboard. Glad ya found us.


Ken Longfield
02/17/19 07:37:53PM @ken-longfield:

Welcome to FOTMD, Wally Venable. It is good to have you aboard. Look for West Virginia players under Groups and join that group.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."