Forum Activity for @strumelia

I'd like to say that Ken's two articles have stood the test of time and are regularly inquired about by beginners. Since the demise of EverythingDulcimer .com, along with its go-to collection of articles, I've noticed that folks do continue asking about where to find Ken's articles. Finding these kinds of resources on random Facebook groups is next to impossible.
Thus, it makes sense to have these be more easily located on FOTMD than they were in the past.

Thanks Ken for your efforts in writing them and in helping out dulcimer beginners over the years.

Ask and ye shall receive.

I've replaced the old pdf in that thread with the revised PDF that gives the correct octave in the tuning instructions. 

Here's the link to it in FOTMD's Resources forum, and I pinned it to the top position:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/dulcimer-resourcestabs-books-websites-dvds/17129/i-just-got-a-dulcimer-now-what-article

And I also put one in the Beginner's Group, here:

https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group_discuss/2316/ken-hulmes-i-just-got-a-dulcimer-now-what-article

Additionally, I pinned Ken's "Get Noterized" article thread to the top of the Traditional Playing Style Forum, here:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/traditional-style-playing-drone-and-or-noter-discussions/4616/get-noterized-article

AND I put another thread with the Get Noterized article in the Old Style Noter Drone GROUP, here:

https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group_discuss/2317/ken-hulmes-get-noterized-article

Cool!  E E A, eh?

Well it's wonderful that you are exploring both the balalaika in its native state and the mtn dulcimer!  If you ever can post a video of a simple tune on your balalaika I'm sure we'd all love to watch it!  

Kevin (and others), please be aware that the pdf you attached is an older version of Ken's article which contains a problematic mistake when instructing how to tune.
At the bottom of page 8 it says to tune the Bass string to D4, the D to the right of and higher than Middle C (C4) on a piano.  This is incorrect and you will break all your strings if you start there and go up.
Instead, be sure to tune the Bass string to D3 ...the D LOWER than and to the left of Middle C on a piano.  Thus, tuning to DAd is actually D3, A3, d4  (d4 being the high melody d string)

I believe Ken has since corrected this error in his article.  But there are incorrect versions are still floating around out there in internet land.

Here's some more links to tuning assistance:

https://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-notes-do-i-tune-my-strings-to.html

Well I think one important question would be ...what kind of music do you want to play on your balalaika?  They look to be chromatically fretted, so if you 'don't' aim to play specific Russian kinds of music, you could just tune the 3 strings however you wanted... in intervals like mandolin/fiddle 5ths, like a dulcimer, like 3 strings of a guitar, or like a 3 string Uke.  The only limits are the fact of only 3 strings.  The scale length would tell you what gauge strings to put on once you've decided on the tuning you want.

The other approach is if you want to tune it and play it in traditional balalaika style.  Sometimes there are youtube instructional videos that you can follow for beginners of any instrument- that are in another language but are not all that hard to follow- just listen for and duplicate the tuning being used, and then do along with what the video person is doing.

Wow @susie , those dogs are livin' the life !

That Gracie is a real firecracker !!         What a terrific photo, Sam!

Awwww, Dulcicat you made my day!  

Thanks Dusty!

I'd just like to add as well that once you have the chat pane open and the four buttons visible, the bottom one minimizes the chat pane a gain... but the other buttons widen/narrow the width and the top button pops the chat out into its own new browser window.

And... don't be afraid to hover your mouse over 'mystery' buttons or icons- often you'll get a little 'help explanation' popup telling what the button will do!

Like Dusty said!   :)

Here's a picture in case you need more detail:

A lot of the instruments he made over his lifetime were inventive hybrids of various instruments or instrument parts (like in one case using a cello body) in varying combinations. He was a big experimenter in design.

Many also had very creative fret pattern arrangements.  I think if an instrument has a diatonic (or partially diatonic) fret pattern, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a 'dulcimer'.  

Many of his hybrid instruments were quite showy, clearly intended to impress. Certainly JJNiles was well known for making 'grand flourishes'-  in his concert music performances, in his writings, his luthier output, even in the multitude of composed (and posed) photos taken of him. He was a unique person.

Robin, I'll need to pull that CD out and look it over.. it's been quite a few years now since i wrote that review.  I can do this tomorrow around midday.   :)

Hmm.. I'm thinking if one doesn't want to risk marring the finish by using stickers to indicate certain notes on the psaltery, then you could maybe just tie (or even wind and then tie) a small piece of colored yarn around certain zither pins and cut the ends short.  Once you got familiar and didn't need them anymore, you could just cut the yarn off... or cut certain ones off one at a time as you learn more about where the notes are.

Vintage Lapidus dulcimers can sell for 3 to $4,000, but that's a whole different universe. 

I think this dulcimer on MandoCafe would more realistically sell for half its asking price.

I thought I'd bump up this 8 year old FOTMD thread that @dusty-turtle posted while pondering Thanksgiving and being thankful.  

The Summer of 2019 will mark FOTMD's tenth year since its humble beginnings.  I'm serious when i say that every single day I continue to feel thankful for being able to 'know' all the wonderful members on this site (and also ones I initially knew prior to that, on the now-gone Everythingdulcimer site). 
Knowing FOTMD members who have been here from the beginning, those dear members who have passed away, those who may come and go, and those who arrive new and full of enthusiasm each week...  it's an honor to know you all and count you as Friends.

@d-chitwood , try reading this thread in our "Stie Questions...How do I..." forum:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i/32804/how-to-add-an-audio-mp3-or-soundcloud-clip-to-fotmd

A TAB-ee, eh?   

David, your Sally reminds me a bit of our Ellie... who lived a long very happy and healthy life... and passed away peacefully at age 20, nine years ago.

Here's a picture of Ellie when she had just turned 20. In this photo she was clearly elderly... but when she was young she looked a lot like Sally!  

Lois, you joined here in Sept 2012.

That's funny what you said about "so fotmd".  Well I guess when you have thousands of members there could never be one way of doing... anything!

Hmmm, that's a real hard one.  I have two wonderful mountain dulcimers and two wonderful little epinettes (which i kinda think of as small scale dulcimers)

I've often thought of getting another dulcimer, and have been sorely tempted a few times but somehow I resisted. So... because i don't actually know what it'd be like to have other dulcimers, I'm going to choose one of those four I already have and am familiar with playing.

Of the four instruments above, if I could only keep ONE (oh what a terrible choice!)... I'd probably choose my sweet mahogany epinette that @john-henry Crocker made and sent to me as an amazing surprise gift the Christmas of 2011.  It's got a beautiful voice and it's so precious to my heart... two of the best reasons to choose it!  

A 'gaggle' of dulcimers (as in a gaggle of geese, with a nod to Aunt Rhody's old grey goose) ?

A 'murder' of dulcimers (as in "a murder of crows"/The Blackest Crow/murder ballads) ?

An 'exaltation' of dulcimers (as in an exaltation of larks/joyful singing) ?

@lisa-summey , are you still having problems with this?  Do you think you got the dulcimer tuned correctly with your electronic tuner?  Is it holding now?

Jane, I'm so glad you are enjoying your dulcimer and enjoying the site here!  

Yeah to what Ken said.  

That's cool, Stephen.  

Yay! Glad it's a little clearer now. It's not the most intuitive function to follow.

To do that, when you are writing your post you click on the little icon that looks like a film strip ("embed local media")- that icon is to the left of the Smiley button in the text editor window.

Once in that window, select the SIZE you want the image to be in the left side dropdown menu.  XL or XXL works well. Then you click the " Select an image to upload and insert" button to the right.  (To insert an image this way, the image must be on your computer somewhere, not just on the internet someplace). When you click that 'Select' button, it'll take you to where you can browse to the image on your computer that you want to embed in the post. Here's a bit more description for this method:
https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i/20103/attaching-adding-a-picture-into-my-posts

However- When you see the thumbnail and text link for an image, it's when folks have used the "Attach file" button easily seen at bottom of text editor window. Try clicking right on the thumbnail pic itself to open it right there to see it full size.  Clicking on the text link will simply download it to your computer.

Janene, if you click on the TEXT link, it downloads the picture to your computer.  If you click on the thumbnail of the image itself, it should open it right there in a window for you to see full size. Does it not behave the same way for you?  You should not have to download the image if you click directly on the little picture.

Here's the cozy and  messy area on my desk next to my computer where I try out new music projects and tunes.  ;D

Frank I just love that you made those stairs for Lacey. 

Lisa, can you tell us the length, in inches, between the nut and the bridge?  If it's 28" or longer, it might be a bit of a strain for those cheaper older tuners to hold the strings up to DAA or DAd.  I have an old 1970s kit dulcimer that had tuners like yours, and the screw threads just didn't hold very well anymore.  Perhaps if you get slightly lighter gauge strings, and/or tune down a step to CGG or CGC (instead of DAA or DAd) ...the tuners might be better at holding.

I wound up replacing the tuners on mine with some new (but using same sized holes) inexpensive tuners... that helped, but actually it didn't totally cure the issue for my kit dulcimer, alas. Mine remains a little frustrating to tune.  Your mileage may vary.

Welcome Lisa!

For determining whether your instrument is playable or needs work, I'd suggest you create a new discussion in the following Forum:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/instruments-discuss-specific-features-luthiers-instrument-problems-questions

-use the Plus (+) button to create a new discussion.

I also suggest you look over our site Groups and join any that interest you- that makes it even more FUN to be on the site!   :)

https://fotmd.com/group

Be sure to explore the various links along the TOP navigation bar to get familiar with the site layout.

And here's a forum for asking questions when you can't figure out the site settings or how to post something: 

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i

For anyone looking for general info on whether a song is copyrighted or public domain, also for online lists of public domain songs and tunes, please see our Group on the subject:

https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group/40/public-domain-or-not

Remember, to post in a Group you must click the "JOIN" button there to join the group first. You can click the button again at any time to UNjoin the group, btw.

For anyone looking for how to upload an AUDIO file to FOTMD's Audio section, please see the simple instructions here in this other discussion:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i/32804/how-to-add-an-audio-mp3-or-soundcloud-clip-to-fotmd

MP3 is always good.  I think what most members seem to do is to add their audio file to the site's audio section, and then they just post a link to the audio clip as it appears on FOTMD.

To add an audio to your site content on FOTMD, follow these simple steps:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i/32804/how-to-add-an-audio-mp3-or-soundcloud-clip-to-fotmd

Any audio or video files you add to your profile page sections/tabs will appear and be searchable in FOTMD's Audio or Video collections, as seen in the top navigation bar for the site.

1- go to your Profile Page (by clicking right on your NAME itself at top right of any page on FOTMD).

2- select the appropriate TAB in your profile page (Video or Audio, etc) (see my screenshot below)

3- then click the PLUS+ button at upper right to add a new audio item, and choose whether to upload a file from your computer, or to select one of your existing SoundCloud files. Enter the info required for your new Audio file or Video.  Be sure you are complying with site rules on copyright etc.

Remember- you can go directly to your profile page from anywhere on FOTMD by simply clicking right on your name at top right link.

Ken, can you please try that again? I've changed an audio setting on the site.

Dave... sounds wonderful!  If he were alive, Keith Young would be super pleased at how you've brought his dulcimer back to how it was when it was first completed... perfect, gleaming, and brand spanking new. 

Irene, I had a little trouble with the soundbite too.  But it worked when i did this:  click on the text instead of the picture icon, which actually downloads the file to your computer.  Then RENAME the file so that it ends in  .mp3  (nnot just mp3 without the . )  After renaming, my usual music programs will open and play the file on my computer.

You did a great job making a new fine tuner!!

I too personally suggest you not use any glue on the nut or bridge when putting them back in.  As long as you don't remove all strings at once, you'll never have to worry about them moving around or getting lost.  String pressure hold them in beautifully. It's handy to be able to easily remove them if needed, without the risk of them cracking due to stubborn old glue.

Richard- good eyes there!  

My advice is to get one extra button to keep in your case.  Might as well if someone is already making them... and I found that if my string breaks at the bridge or tail piece area, the fine tuning button can come off the string and literally fly off across the room. This actually happened to me twice over the years. Now I keep a fine thread threaded through all the buttons' holes and tied in a little loop..it's not very obtrusive and prevents those buttons from 'making a break for freedom'.  Otherwise, if you're sitting in the grass somewhere or are someplace playing at night... you may just have to kiss that little wooden button goodbye.       lolol   Never hurts to have a spare!

Dave D, if you or someone you know is good at woodworking, I'd recommend have them create two or three additional little fine tuner beads, to match the single remaining one on your dulcimer's middle string near the tail.

My dulcimer has all 4 beads, and I can tell you that if you have wooden tuning pegs (as you do), these 'fine tuner' beads really do work well to get you to that last little bit of higher or lower tuning on each string.  The way Keith made them is so smooth working, and they fit perfectly with this particular style of his dulcimers.