The "I have small hands" idea
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Yeah Ken, it stinks when someone implies in an opinionated way that other ways of playing, methods, or instruments other players use are less valid. I agree!
That includes dissing: chord playing, noter playing, diatonic frets, chromatic frets, using tab, DAA tuning, DAd tuning, calling people 'sheep', disparaging teaching or group practices, playing jazz or playing hymns, whether someone's instrument is what we consider a 'dulcimer', and in fact includes the entire concept of either traditional or non-traditional being somehow more valid.
Instead of putting down other people's enjoyment of their preferred way of playing their music, we should all lift up and share our joy in how we can play something, sheesh anything , to begin with! It's such a privilege that we humans can produce sweet notes that are something we call music. We should be trying to help people achieve their goals in simply playing personal music in a way that makes them happy, helping them solve their problems. We should strive to be encouraging rather than boastful or patronizing, while always, always being respectful that there is more than just our own preference or opinion. We can share the joy of our own ways of playing music without putting others' methods down.
I have to say I think this whole concept of "dulcimer police" is very tired and negative. It may have had its use in the past, but it's time to retire it already. IMHO, perpetuating the idea that other people are being 'police' is in reality just another way to continue dissing others and keep alive an "us vs. them" mindset while boosting our own legitimacy. To set a good example and actually make a real difference, let's look closer to home and examine our own selves before we push the same old ideas about other people being villains.
updated by @strumelia: 03/13/20 09:51:42AM