Forum Activity for @strumelia

Hey thanks Travis!

I'll post more updates on this when I return from a mini vacation on monday. I'm currently on very limited computer time.

Here is my cool frame drum... I am in awe of it . I have to say it's a bit intimidating due to its size, beauty, and resonance. It looks like a planet or moon.

Did my first practice session yesterday... could be worse i suppose, but there is a LOT to learn and coordinate!

Putting in the practice time is the key to improvement of course. Happily, it's more fun than frustration to practice on it, and Brian says he doesn't mind the sound drifting down the stairs at all. I'm pretty lucky in that respect!

Oh my gosh...the 'Tar' frame drum arrived this afternoon!

---It's really beautiful. The Remo head is synthetic so will not sag in humidity (like my cheezy tambourines do), but they use a technique of somehow imprinting the head with a real photo image of goat skin- looks SO real, and has a nice texture like real dried hide. Even the sides are aged looking. Awesome! I'll take a picture tomorrow to post here.

---It's pretty big...18" across. It sits vertically, on one knee while you play with one hand holding the top and the other hand doing most of the strokes. Has a very resonant nice tone, since it's tight. My arms are sore after just an hour's practice for the first time...to be expected I guess.

---After watching some Youtube lessons for the past few days, I knew some of the beginner moves to try out, and although I've never actually drummed before in my entire life and naturally don't sound good yet, I found it was still tons of fun to try the different tone effects in combination. There is a lot of variety in sounds one can get using your hands on a frame drum like this. Even Brian was surprised at the different sounds coming from upstairs after just an hour.

I'll be needing to do LOTS of practice, since I've never done any real drumming before- I pretty much still stink at it. But wow, so much fun, I didn't expect it to be so fun! That'll make practice very enjoyable.

Good advice, thanks Skip and JohnHenry!

I imagine it'll be a while, if at all, that I manage to get a bit of control and sound like anything. I was amazed at how many great free youtube lessons there are out there for frame drums, and I can just play slowly along to whatever tunes I punch up on my computer- the advantages of living in the hi tech age! I'll be using my hand rather than a tipper/beater stick, so that may make the volume more controllable. I ordered a "Tar" rather than a bodhran. It will be shallower depth than most bodhrans I think. But it 18" diameter, so fairly large..best to be held vertically on the lap while sitting I think- thats what most people do with that size frame drum.

I've had a couple of cheap tambourines sitting around for a couple of years, but still can't play them very well. But maybe if I practice on this Tar enough, it'll eventually help my tambourine playing as well...might make sense. I'd love to be able to play a decent tambourine when in minstrel banjo gatherings. Always good to have musical options in various playing situations!

Ok, so I recently ordered myself a "Tar" -a frame drum based on those from North African and Middle Eastern cultures. It should arrive in a couple of days. Thank goodness for Youtube beginner videos, that's all I can say...lol. Not sure what I'm in for, or whether I will have any sort of success. It might be that all I do is annoy Brian and the cats, and become shunned in my own house. But I'm game to find out!

Frame drums are single-headed hoop frame drums. The smaller ones are often hand-held while the larger ones can be held vertically on the lap. Their head diameter is wider than the hoop is deep. In most cultures they are played with the hand, though Irish bodhrans are typically played with a tipper or beater.

Anyone else here who plays frame drums?- please share! As a total drum beginner, I'd love to hear about what you do with your frame drum.

P.S. I was partly inspired to 'go for it' by member Helen of Australia, who recently bravely agreed to share with us her beginning adventures with a didgeridoo !

Yay, so happy that you are enjoying this place already, Susan!

Hi Tumble,

Whatever you do in private is your decision, and is not the responsibility or concern of this site. Just please do not discuss or arrange such exchanges publicly here, as our site does not encourage or condone copyright infringements.

Thanks for asking!

Hi James,

I just stumbled upon an older blog post by John Henry that discusses mean tone fretting, it might help explain!:

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mean-tone-fretting

Helen, I love to hear of all these musical adventures of yours! Wewant a little beginner sample vid of you playing a few simple tones on your didge.... soon! No need for perfection...we just want to see you starting out on it!

Pamela:

http://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2010/09/few-of-my-posts-ab...

(DAC is aeolian, DAG is dorian...in the key of D.)

and here:

Pam, I suggest you start with DAA tuning because you have a book coming for that tuning, and it's a very easy tuning to play in with a noter. Then after you get comfy with various tunes in DAA, get a few simple tabs for DAd in noter style (fretting the melody strings only- the other strings showing only as "0"zero), and learn a few tunes in DAd tuning. Then you might enjoy learning a few 'lonesome sounding' tunes in the DAG and DAC tunings. At that point you'll know a whole lot more than you do now...but just start with a few tunes in DAA in your coming book. Keep in mind that in all the tunings I mention you will probably be still in the key of D...just in various modes in the key of D. Don't worry about any of that now though!- start with some easy things and simple concepts.

Later still you might like to try other playing styles too, like chording style and fingerpicking style. But noter style is as fine a place to begin as any, and you don't want to try doing everything all at once.

Those are great suggestions, John Henry.

You can experiment with a couple of different ways of playing Pam, just remember you don't have to stick with any one particular way to play. So feel free to try various things! Also keep in mind that anything new will feel a bit awkward at first- that's natural. Time spent practicing and experimenting makes everything smoother little by little.

The rubber shelf liner material only damages the finish if you store it against the dulcimer....like folded under the dulcimer in its case, or leaning the dulcimer against the shelf liner on its stand. Using it for regular playing times does no harm. Just keep them away from each other while not in use.

John- good point about the thighs being level.

Dustin, read my blog post on fingertip fretting:

http://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2012/07/lazy-fingers.html

Many people these days are fretting angled as though they are typing on their keyboard- it won't give you as clear a sound.

Yes, good call out RanMan. Robin makes it sound so smooooth and easy, but it takes a huge amount of work to get to that skill level. Beautiful playing Robin.

Here was our Sheba just this afternoon ...she came into the living room and draped herself over the chair a few feet away, to listen to us playing music with a friend.

Very prettily played Gordon.

Here is a thread where we can all show off our animal buddies!

Let's see your favorite furry friends.... :)

Tell us one positive thing in your day today!

Julian, sorry to hear about this terrible accident. I'm sure it will take a while for you to recover.

My husband Brian had his left thumb completely detached by a table saw many years ago. He was lucky in that they were able to put it back and it's there, but it doesnt function at all- neither does his index finger next to it. They are just sort of there for looks. After two years of recuperation, he took up the huge challenge of playing oldtime fiddle, as a sort of physical therapy. Now 20 years later, he's a wonderful fiddler despite the fact that he cannot use his left thumb or index finger at all- he frets notes with his other 3 fingers and probably has the world's strongest left pinky at this point. That's one finger more than famous guitarist Django Reinhardt used to fret with- only 2 fingers- you might want to read about Django and his fingering challenge.

I don't know the details of your injuries, but I'm still hoping you will 'never say never'. The mountain dulcimer, because it can be strummed broadly across with a simple sweeping motion of the right hand, and played with a noter stick or a single finger with the left hand, might well be the ideal stringed instrument to play if missing several fingers. Please do consider the possibility that one day you will be able to play it again.

Meanwhile, my sincere wishes to you for a good recovery.

And keep in mind that one doesn't have to be a player or builder to part of the family here on FOTMD!

Yay Folkfan! Be sure to contact both John Keane and Bobby Ratliff so you can arrange to receive your prizes !

folkfan said:

Yippee, I just found out. I've been away from a computer since last week. Thanks so. FOTMD is a prize we all can share.

Bobby Bingham, I'll also remind everyone that they can always buy themselves a consolation prize anyway, and thus help thank the prize donors by buying one of their quality dulcimer offerings! See the top of this thread for the contact info and links of our four generous prize donators!

Bobby (Maxspop) Bingham said:

Happy Birthday to FOTMD and a hearty Congratulations to the five contest winners! That means the rest of us came in 6th, which isn't bad, especially since we have the prize of all the interaction with members! Ain't this a wonderful site?!!!

Now the winners must contact their prize donators and give them their prize info and mailing address so their prizes can be mailed to them:

All five winners must contact Bobby Ratliff to order their leather customized key fob . Please either contact him here on his fotmd profile page: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profile/BobbyRatliff or at http://highnoonhunterleatherworks.webs.com/

Gordon Hardy - to get your prizes you must contact Bobby , ...PLUS John Keane : http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profile/JohnKeane

...Plus Mark Gilston: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profile/MarkGilston

Mark Runge - to claim your prizes, please contact Bobby , and also Nina at http://www.ninazanetti.com/

Geekling and Folkfan - please contact both Bobby and John Keane to claim your prizes. (see links above)

and Gale A Barr - please contact Bobby (see above) to have him customize and send your leather dulcimer key fob!

CONGRATULATIONS to our FIVE lucky winners!!!!!!

FIRST PRIZE winner:

Gordon Hardy ! (his guess was 161) -will receive CDs "Moonburn" and "Grandad's Favorite Oldtime Music" and a custom leather dulcimer key fob!

SECOND PRIZE winner:

Mark Runge ! (his guess was 168) -will receive CD "Beside Still Waters" and a custom leather dulcimer key fob!

THIRD and FOURTH winners:

FolkFan & Geekling ! (who both guessed 169) -will, because of guessing the same number, each receive a CD "Moonburn" and a custom leather dulcimer key fob!

FIFTH PRIZE winner:

Gale A Barr ! (who guessed 175) -will receive a CUSTOM leather dulcimer key fob made for her by Bobby!

162 !

And the winning number was.......

Well we have a TIE for Third Place, so I need to figure out how to handle that....will return shortly.

OK, the contest is now CLOSED!

No more guesses please.

Give me a little time to tabulate the entries...

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU MEMBERS OF FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER who have made it what it is.

LAST CALL to enter the pickled dulcimer contest!

Contest CLOSES to entries today, the 29th!

Guess the secret number and enter

FOTMD's 5th Anniversary

Pickled Dulcimer CONTEST!!

FOTMD is 5 years old!

================================================================

The contest is now CLOSED ...

In honor of the fast approaching day of FOTMD's 5th birthday , July 29 2014...

All members are invited to participate in

FOTMD's 5th birthday Pickled Dulcimer Contest !

Please READ the rules and conditions below carefully before entering....

Make your GUESS for the number of pickled dulcimers in the giant pickle jar !!!

Please note that the picture above is merely symbolic - so it's no use at all trying to count the dulcimers in the picture.

I will give you a hint though- the answer is a random number I will pick that is more than 10 and less than 500. And it's perfectly ok if some people guess the same number. Before the contest begins, I will tell FOTMD member Bobby Ratliff the secret winning number , for safe keeping. ...and don't try bribing him for the answer! lol!

___________________________________________________________________

The following prizes will awarded to the closest guesses:

FIRST PRIZE:

John & Karen Keane's new dulcimer CD "Moonburn":

PLUS! : Mark Gilston's dulcimer CD

"Grandad's Favorite Oldtime Music on Mtn Dulcimer"

PLUS! : A leather dulcimer key fob/keyring customized with your own initials, made for you by Bobby Ratliff:

_____________________________________________________________

SECOND PRIZE:

Nina Zanetti's dulcimer CD "Beside Still Waters":

PLUS! : A leather dulcimer key fob/keyring customized with your own initials, made for you by Bobby Ratliff:

_____________________________________________________________

THIRD PRIZE:

John & Karen Keane's new dulcimer CD "Moonburn":

PLUS! : A leather dulcimer key fob/keyring customized with your own initials, made for you by Bobby Ratliff:

_____________________________________________________________

Fourth and Fifth PRIZES:

A beautiful handcrafted leather dulcimer key fob/keyring customized with your own initials,

made just for you by Bobby Ratliff ! :

_____________________________________________________________

Thanks and much appreciation for our prize sponsors and donors!

Hey even if you don't win a prize, consider visiting the links below and treating yourself by buying yourself a prize anyway from our wonderful and talented contest supporters:

John & Karen Keane

Mark Gilston

Nina Zanetti

Bobby Ratliff

Peter it's so generous of you to offer all this for free.

Folkfan, maybe if we make skirts out of shelf liner... lol!

The shelf liner stuff only damages the finish of instruments if you leave it attached or stuck on the instrument or store it in your case with the instrument or lean the instrument on the shelf liner on a stand. It's never a problem if you only lay it on your lap while playing. Always store the shelf liner separately from the instrument.

Wow Robin that sounds just wonderful!

I love this!:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27205752

Sheryl we share your excitement- post us pix when she arrives!

Hi Sheryl, welcome to our little corner of the world!

If you join our Beginner Players Group on this site, you will find several discussions with good suggestions about buying a first dulcimer that is good quality but not too costly for a beginner. Check out our Groups section for special interests you may wish to learn more about, too.

The good news is that there are several various beginner dulcimers that would be reputable and excellent choices for you to get started with! Check out those discussions in the Beginner's Group.

-I know you are just learning your way around the site, and it may be a bit confusing at first... I deleted about eight other identical discussions to this one that you probably didn't mean to post in duplicate. -But rest assured, no harm done at all!