Forum Activity for @strumelia

Thanks. Are you able to play everything in CGC that you could play in DAD?

Yes. Just tune down to CGC and pretend you are still in DAd. (Just remember you are now playing in the key of C- in case you ever want to play with others this will make a difference.)

Sam says:

I too know more less.

Well Sam, you know what the definition of an expert is:

Someone who knows more and more about less and less until finally they know everything about nothing.

HI Charles,

As per you being the village idiot, may I point out the old Japanese proverb:

We are fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance!

I always liked that one.

you are not the only person to find it difficult to sing in the key of D.

My first recommendation is to simply tune your dulcimer down one whole step on every string, from DAd to CGC. That way you will be in the key of C instead of D. See if this solves those few highest singing notes for you. A lot of people play and tune their dulcimers in the key of C. It will not present any problem at all unless you are trying to play with others who are in the key of D.

If that's still too high for your voice, we can get you into the key of G instead and have you sing in the lower octave. This would be 3 whole steps lower than D. But try simply tuning down to the key of C for now- that might be all you need. It's easy to tune one step DOWN on every string to CGC from DAd!

Today I had lots of fun buying a new bow for my two tagelharpas. Yes, I've decided to call them by their Swedish name, tagelharpa (which means tail-harp) rather than their Finnish name jouhikko, because I found that NOBODY could remember the name jouhikko. So now I'm calling them 'tagelharpas' which my friends seem much better able to pronounce and remember. I also like that it means 'tail harp', after the strings made from twisted horse hair.

Anyway, the two bows that came with my tagelharpas were becoming a little problematic for me- one was too small and lightweight ...skittered around and didn't give me a hearty tone. The other, which looked cool because it was made from a bent stick bark and all...gave a good tone but was a little too heavy- difficult to be agile with it when playing.

I went to my local music store and was able to try out about 7 bows for cellos and for violas- full sized ones and half sized ones, etc. None of them were very high quality or expensive, but that was fine- I was just looking for a good weight bow I could work with better than my current ones. I had also been borrowing an old cheap fiddle bow from Brian, but that was too light and a little too long again. that told me I should maybe look at the viola and cello bows.

After spending 45 minutes rosining and trying the bows back and forth in the music store, trying them on my tagelharpa (much to the amusement of the various teenage electric guitar customers coming and going).... I found the nicest feeling one with the best tone of the bunch was a full sized viola bow. There were two of them for sale- for $80 and $40, and oddly i liked the feel and tone of the $40 one better. It was made in China. I know it's not a very good bow, but it's a step up from what i've been using!

So I went home with a new bow to practice with, it was quite exciting for me!

I had been shamefully neglecting my tagelharpas over the past 2 months, but for the past two weeks I've plunged back into practicing them again. I found that changing my practice time from evening to morning really helped me, as too often in the evening I was simply too tired mentally to want to get practicing. It seems more inspiring and fresh somehow in the morning, so that change is helping me to better stick with it and progress.

I also ordered a book and CD of simple Finnish kantele tunes which are specifically for the 5 string kantele and will likely be perfectly suited to the tagelharpa which is based upon a 5 or 6 note note scale.

I am very slowly making progress. But more importantly, I am still really loving playing this instrument even though it's a great deal of work and a huge challenge for me.

Thanks guys! Yes randy, I shouldn't apologize so much- after all it does sound not so bad for only playing a month. I'll try to stop groveling!

robin, this instrument is really designed to play a drone constantly. I'm not so sure bowed dulcimer is, so it's possible you may well have to work harder than me to get the same drone effect.
Randy Adams said:

....what's Brian think of it? Does he offer a few pointers?....or disappear with the cats?... : ).....

He disappears with the cats.

Ok, here is my very first (rather embarrassing) recording attempt on my Michael King jouhikko. It's quite rough, and the intonation leaves a LOT to be desired...but hey there isn't even a fretboard! lol! It's a start!

This is a tune Michael played for me but he doesn't know what it is, neither do I.

So listen: here I am scratching away on it and scaring off the cats.

Robin, I am enjoying 'trying' to play just very old and very simple folk melodies. I have a few Finnish and Scandinavian type ones. They have to be really simple for me to even attempt them.

I plan to stick with mostly old European/Scandi folk tunes, and maybe find a friend with a (subtle) drum to get a medieval feel to it eventually once I can actually play the thing. :)

Hey Randy thanks!
You are right on all counts except... right now it's anything BUT relaxing!!!

These things are pretty wild and uncontrollable at the moment- screeching whiney sounds aren't too relaxing. YIKES! lol!

But i am having fun making a mess of it all and trying hard. It'll take me weeks to be able to do a little ditty like michael whips off. Meaning he's busy apologizing for his playing....

Randy Adams said:

I love the sound of it in the video. It has to be such a relaxing instrument to play....ya know....you don't have to be Perlman or Paginini right?....just play some nice little melodies.....fun!

And it looks to be a very well made instrument...horsehair strings!....curly maple!....2 piece back!

In the YouTube video on Michael's website, it looks to be your new jouhikko & case that are showcased!?

OK, I got my other jouhikko today! (Remember I sold a banjo and was able to buy TWO jouhikkos with the money...wooHOOO!)

This one is SO DIFFERENT from my other one- and that's what I wanted- to try two completely different setups, tunings, and modes of playing. They are both very very cool.

Here is an album of pix of my new beauty.

They are both challenging to play in their own ways...but I got a head start of 3 weeks on the other one so now I have to work at this new one. The case is almost as wonderful as the instrument!

This jouhikko (bowed lyre/Talharpa) was made by FOTMD member Michael King of the UK. What a great guy and artistic craftsman! Here is his website: http://www.michaeljking.com/

I'm so excited! I have lots of new stuff to work on all winter now!

I have taken a little time off of doing patent drawings for a type of spray gun today, to work on getting a couple of interesting new tunes to try to play on my new jouhikko (Finnish/Swedish/Estonian folk fiddle-thingy).

I bought a CD of old recordings of Finnish folk songs and have been picking out a couple of tunes to transcribe and play. Wow, talk about non-chord based archaic music!

This will now give me a total of 6 old simple traditional Finnish folk tunes to work on. I can look into Swedish tunes as well (my Swedish grandfather would have loved that, maybe even my Swedish ancestors played the jouhikko/tagelharpa!)

Now if only I could fret the thing in tune...no fingerboard makes it pretty interesting.

The good news is that after about 2 weeks of playing now i do sound a little bit better- less squeaking and scratching with the bow, and a little less horribly out of tune. Just needs few more years of playing now!

Well I've spent about 45 minutes to an hour each day so far for 4 days. I am excited because i actually see a little improvement just from that short time practicing.

I am only working on 2 VERY simple Finnish folk ditties that came with the instrument- one is in minor mode and one in major. That's all I need to work on for now, because I'm using these two simple tunes like exercises. They each only have 8 measures in them, and only six notes. It's weird to get used to rocking over onto the far (unfretted) drone string for the tonic melody note each time you want it, but I'm starting to get used to that idea. The main melody string is tuned to the second note (Re) of the scale! It's tuned AEB - the B being the melody string (the other two strings played open as drones and/or tonic note) in the key of A.

Still sounds like squeaky train brakes, but that's expected. Every once in a while I accidentally hit a couple of nice clear notes and that's enough excitement to keep me motivated! lol!

Mostly trying to hold the bow perpendicular to the strings and move it fast enough to catch the strings well instead of skreeking.

But I'm having tons of fun!!

Thanks Randy. I guess I like the challenge. I really respond to the primitive folk sound and the drones, so even the scratchy out of tune practice is pleasing to me in a strange way.

Sounds to me like you should try fiddling with the fiddle held down low against the ribs instead of in 'classic violin' form. brian plays that way often- he says it's the 'lazy' way to play, but it sure sounds good to me!

Randy Adams said:

I admire you for taking on the challenge Lisa. I was 41 (1992) when I started playing the dulcimer...had been playing guitar & banjo for 20+ years.... and I remember thinking I never wanted to learn another instrument....it's a huge undertaking. But I have enjoyed the journey.

The only instrument I would have liked to learn in my life is the fiddle. I have tried 3 or 4 or 5 times and never made it more than 2 weeks!... : (....I just can't do it. Hurts my left wrist to be in the position....my face, and ears, are right next to where the bow is squeaking and scratching... : ).....

Anyways...have fun! This is inspiring! Hope you check in ever so often with a progress report and trials & tribulations!... : ).....

Hi Robin,

i figure it will keep me out of trouble...sometimes.

Yes the strings are made of pretty firmly twisted horsehair. My strings have 6o strands for the low drone and 40 strands for the two higher strings.

Yes, you can make your own strings as they wear and get too thin. I bought extra bowhair hanks which can make the strings too. The bow is horsehair too, but straight not twisted, and somewhat loose- you create extra bowhair tension with your fingers as you bow (underhand grip). you are almost always playing two strings at once.

Robin Thompson said:

Lisa, I'll wait-- got nothin' but time.

Glad Randy started the thread because I was wonderin', too. You probably haven't had it long enough to tell much about the horsehair strings. . . Are the hairs twisted? Do they have to be replaced often? Can you buy hanks of horsehair and make your own strings?

Hey thanks Randy for starting a thread.

Heck, I've only had it about two days and we've been doing various other stuff so I haven;t been able to paractice it as much as I'd like yet, but getting some practice in today.

Here's a good example of a simple tunes played on a jouhikko:

It will take me many months before I can play something that well!

So how's it going. You luvin' it? Is it what you thought it was gonna be?

I'ts not easy- very challenging. Mostly because you are frettin the string in mid air, no frets or fingerboard to guide you. Also bowing is an art in itself and takes a LONG time to get decent. I'm sounding very scratchy and very out of tune- as I expected! It is what I thought it would be, perhaps a tad quieter than I thought, but then it's got horsehair strings, not steel fiddle strings. a nice 'chewy' textured sound.

<Are you taking to it like a duck to water?.. : ).....Are you having fun? Is it hard to play? Do you like the sound? >>>

It's GREAT fun, but not something I can just slip into doing- will take much work, but I kind of knew that going in. Yes, i love the sound, and as you know I love drones. The bowing is what will be the greatest challenge.

<How do you pronounce it? Is it a well made instrument? What type of songs are you going to play?>>>

Pronounced YOO-hee-koh. It's a very simple instrument, not refined like a guitar. Sturdy and wll put together, but primitive, like it was designed to be. (The other one that's almost done will be a little more delicate and refined).

Best suited for simple older folk tunes and some medieval tunes. Played in either major or minor. It uses only 6 notes in the scale, so the tunes must be very simple. On this one, the middle string is a low drone below the tonic note, a fifth. So this one is tuned to key of A and the low drone is an E.

My other one coming soon will be strung and tuned differently and will be played in G. It's low drone string will be on the top side rather than the middle.

<Any one else have/play one of these?>>>

Pristine (Richard) has one from this same maker- I think he got it a year and a half ago, but I don't know if he's been playing it much.

FlintHill said:

<Can't wait to hear you play these.>>>

Dusty, what a lot of good insights you posted!

This thread really makes me think about and realize little things i never formally thought out before.

This is a great question for a thread.

When I first started hearing 'fiddle tunes', I thought they all sounded a lot alike and that there wasn't much to them.

As I listened more, I began to hear the variety amongst them and appreciate their spare structure and little quirks. I grew to really enjoy them.

Aside from that though, I think there is not really a clear repertoire of 'dulcimer music' in the same way as there is 'piano music', 'guitar music', 'banjo music', 'accordion music', etc. That means that dulcimer players have to choose music from elsewhere and adapt it to the dulcimer. Since the dulcimer cannot exactly be chorded like a piano or guitar, most people attempt to adapt music to the dulcimer based first on the MELODY, and then to fill that out with either drones or chords. Traditional fiddle music is mostly chord free, and the melody is nicely laid out in a straightforward and simple way. This makes fiddle tunes very good candidates for transcribing into dulcimer tunes. so I think this has a lot to do with it too.

William, I'd love see a vid of you playing bones sometime! I play some minstrel banjo too, and have an interest in mid 1800s music as well.

Good for you Christine!

Aside from the mountain dulcimer, I play banjo in clawhammer and minstrel stroke style... I play a LOT of banjo, actually more banjo than dulcimer (running for cover now).

I also love to 'play' limberjacks, and I dabble in playing the bones (minstrel style), and also bowed jouhikko or tagelharpa. I'm trying to learn to play a little tambourine too, at least to play it halfway decently- it's not that easy for me, and I feel like a total klutz sometimes! But fun is the keyword here.

Don't forget to also check our FOTMD forum called "Adventures in 'Other' Instruments' located HERE , to see what other members are playing besides the mountain dulcimer!

Great advice from everyone!

Yes I agree with CD and Robin that it would be a great idea for you to buy an inexpensive student or cardboard dulcimer and get a little bit familiar with playing before you make decisions on how to build your first dulcimer.

Decent cardboard dulcimers can be less than $100 and good student wooden ones can be less than $200. Other members here can recommend excellent sources that are made with care and not just junk.

There will always be many little but important things you just don't think of at first if you've never played a particular instrument before.

I agree with Paul in that for the type of music Dennis wants to play, then 6 1/2 and a 1 1/2 frets would be extremely helpful. (and don't forget to include their counterparts in the next higher octave up, the 8 1/2 and 13 1/2 frets!).

Hi Dennis, excellent question!

It must be confusing to see so much info of all kinds here and not knowing where/how to start.

Given the type of music you like to play (which likely includes jazz-based, stringband, & tinpanalley stuff), and your uke experience, it sounds to me like you'd do well getting started in playing the dulcimer in chord style, with some melody lines incorporated into that. This happens to also be the most common method of playing dulcimer these days, and thus there is a LOT of tab and chording materials out there available for you to explore.

Most people these days also seem to get started in the tuning of DAd... the first lower D being the heavy bass string. Sometimes it is written DAdd if you have double melody strings. The melody string(s) are tuned to the d an octave above the bass string, and the A on the middle string is tuned between the two d's.

When you are tuned DAd you will begin by playing in the key of D. You will thus need to learn the 3 basic chords for that key and how to finger them on your dulcimer. The chords are D (easy enough, all open strings strummed), G, and A. D, G, and A are your I, IV, V chords for the key of D.

Perhaps others have more or different suggestions, and maybe someone can point you to some online chord charts or simple chord style tabs to look over?

Yay! Welcome back John Henry!!!!

Robin Clark said:

Did you manage to smuggle an MD in tohim? - you could alway say it was abed pan !!!!!!!

Robin

Thanks Rod for starting this thread.

John Henry's granddaughter Kate left this message on the chat wall here today as well:

Hi all, leaving a msg on behalf of my Grandad - John Henry. He's still in hospital, having an 'mot' on his heart....I know he's missing this site and all his friends on here lots!! Im sure he will be back online with you all as soon as poss!! Best wishes Kate (John Henry's grandaughter) xx

I know we all miss John Henry very much here and we wish him a rapid recovery! Can't wait to hear from him in person again here.

Get well quick John H !!!!

Paul Certo said:

Ain't that just like a cat? Mrs. Wanda makes her own greeting cards, and does a lot of scrapbooking. Oni Oni likes to "help", too. That's Oni in the picture with me.

Paul

Too funny! Poor Turnup!

lol!

Mandy, if you look through books with photos of pre-1940 dulcimers, you'll see all kinds of shaped sound holes- circles, half moons, S shaped, F clefs, diamonds, tiny holes drilled in various patterns, hearts, and various other interesting designs. The Kentucky hourglass dulcimers do seem to have more hearts than old dulcimers of other body shapes from other regions, but overall in pre-revival dulcimers there are more round sound holes by far than any other shape.

Mandy said:

Great thread here! Can someone tell my why traditional dulcimers seem to all have the heart sound holes? Mine does and most I've seen do as well. Someone enlighten me please. Thanks in advance.

yeah but my case is easily identifiable...
mine's the one with the big Mountain Dew patch on it...

I have that same case Strumelia... it's the main case I use when transporting my dulcimers. From talking to my friends at Cedar Creek these case are no longer made...

PS-Strumelia, your percussive slaps inspired my fat felt pick pounding.