Giving Thanks
OFF TOPIC discussions
Thank you, Lisa.
May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
And happy Thanksgiving to all.
Forum Activity for @terry-wilson
OFF TOPIC discussions
Thank you, Lisa.
May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
And happy Thanksgiving to all.
Beginners dulcimer book
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Sal- monella
In answer to your question about a good dulcimer learning book.
Beyond the Basics, by Linda W Collins, of Cabin Hill Music.
www.cabinhillmusic.com
A great great learning tool by video, are Strumelia’s old videos. She has posted many learning videos that are very valuable to beginners. Were to me, 8 years ago, anyway.
Good luck in your hopefully amazing journey.
Terry
updated by @terry-wilson: 11/25/19 09:06:50AM
Your Three Favorite Songs
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Lamp lighting in the Valley
Wildwood Flower
River (take me along); By Bill Staines
“My selections were easy. The words and the message of each song are phenomenal.”
Call 'em Ukes, Ukuleles, but never Ukeleles!
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
You folks are ha ha 😄 funny.
updated by @terry-wilson: 11/14/19 08:36:03AM
Call 'em Ukes, Ukuleles, but never Ukeleles!
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
😀👍☀️.
Lisa, I say this often. “If God is watching us, the least we can do, is be entertaining.”
Call 'em Ukes, Ukuleles, but never Ukeleles!
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Hi Lisa,
Thank you.
Good time to be us, huh? This is the first time in my life I’ve been 73. A little pain was expected, but so much fun was totally unexpected.
Call 'em Ukes, Ukuleles, but never Ukeleles!
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
The uke is alive and fun. While I mostly play a baritone uke, for Halloween I pulled out my $25 plastic little bitty blue soprano uke. Donned my Elvis mask, sang Blue S Shoes, and shook my body. Four times I did this routine and the crowds went wild. Well, as wild as 80 - 98 yr olds can be.
I tell you this to restate what I wrote over a year ago. The ukulele is a sing along, very very fun instrument. Instant smiles all around.
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Welcome Patty, from Beavercreek, Oregon. Sounds like a great place to live.
Good luck with your new challenge, learning to play the mountain dulcimer.
Hey, don’ t forget about the simple bar stool. Something about a bar stool that draws people together.
Healthy Living- healthy eating, exercise, weight loss, veggie gardening, etc.
OFF TOPIC discussions
Lisa, a question begs to he answered. 'Tick bites a side, can a person have way, way, too much fun?"
Me thinks you qualify. Life is good for you, and that's a wonderful & healthy life to live. "It's a wonderful life."
Kantele
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Hi Cynthia
I love your kantele....sounds wonderful. Good to know you are still challenging yourself learning new instruments.
When I think of you, I always think of , "The old church yard."
Still one of my favorite songs. I quit playing music with the song. Now I "talk/sing" the beautiful song.
Thanks a million times over.
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Welcome back. You are not alone with hand problems. I wish you the best in your return journey with the dulcimer.
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Lisa, welcome to fotmd.com. You will meet many new friends here, who will help you in your journey with this wonderful instrument, called a dulcimer.
Often, I use a NAF in my assisted living home ministry. There are others too.
Good luck to ya.
What if you could only have one dulcimer?
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Currently, I own five dulcimers, and another one on the way. Only two have got my attention in the past couple of years.
If I could choose only one, it would be my 4 string McSpadden hourglass, that I purchased five years ago. I've bought and sold at least a dozen dulcimers in the last 6 years, but this McSpadden was never for sale
The built in pickup failed me after 2 years. McSpadden repaired it free of charge. I can tune it from aea to Dad and the string tension remains perfecr. Never tried going higher than dad.
McSpadden got it right with this dulcimer.
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi Jamie. Welcome to the wonderful world of FOTMD. If you stick around a while, you will make many new friends here.
updated by @terry-wilson: 12/13/18 12:47:40PM
The Dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Here are three interesting bits of information I learned this week:
(1) Baby Jesus was, in all likelihood, born in a cave, not a manger in a stable.
(2) Jesus did not look like a hippie and was short, as most men were at the time, unlike today's man. As was the Jewish custom, Jesus had very little facial hair, and short cropped hair. He would probably have been around 5'1".
(3) The KJV of the Bible is inaccurate, as in its use of the word "dulcimer."
It's been a tough week.
The Dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Yes, perhaps you guys are right. But we don't know for sure. It doesn't read, hammered dulcimer. It doesn't read, bagpipe. It reads, dulcimer. I'm going with 1 or 2 stringed dulcimer.
Interesting, to say the least.
The Dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
The dulcimer. One of the world's oldest instruments.
I have read or heard several times that the dulcimer is written about in the Bible. But never could find it, as the NKJ only uses the word harp. However, I got my hands on my wife's deceased brother's very old KJV.
Sure enough,in Daniel, chapter 3, tis written 3 times the word dulcimer. It doesn't say mountain or lap dulcimer, just dulcimer.
It tickled me to discover this today. Now, with authority, I can state, "I play one of the world's oldest music instruments known to humankind."
Just thought I would share this very special information.
updated by @terry-wilson: 12/08/18 08:03:14PM
Giving Thanks
OFF TOPIC discussions
Thanks to Dusty for writing his heartfelt feelings 8 years ago, and Lisa for bumping it up to present day. I began my dulcimer journey 04/2012. Not sure, but I think I discovered FOTMD around 06/2012. It's been a wonderful journey. Changed my whole life. I have often pondered what singular word best describes this journey. "Peace". Always comes to mind. There is something about playing a dulcimer ever so gently, very softly, that just transfers you to another zone. Life is indeed good, with a dulcimer in my life
updated by @terry-wilson: 11/22/18 05:12:35PM
What do we call it?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
A stable of dulcimers. "I think I'll ride this one this morning."
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Welcome Pondoro. You will find many new friends here. While this is a dulcimer forum, there are many who play ukulele and harmonica. Bodhran? Now you lost me. I'll have to Google it.
5 min later: Now I know. A one sided shallow drum. Interesting.
updated by @terry-wilson: 10/29/18 07:31:31PM
Wind Instruments????
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Don Grundy:
I am an incompetent diatonic Harmonica player. And a mediocre chromatic harmonica player. Neither offer the soft music of my dulcimers.
Don, I had to laugh when I read what you wrote. Ha. You just described me. At least that's the way I feel sometimes. I am an incompetent diatonic Harmonica player. And a mediocre chromatic harmonica player. Neither offer the soft music of my dulcimers.
Hey, I don't play blues, only melody. On forums, this means I am less human. Kills me.
Don't be so tough on yourself, I don't need company.
Tremolos rock.
Ron Gibson Dulcimers
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Early this year, I purchased a Ron Gibson Baritone dulcimer. Didn't care for the baritone, so I removed the heavy strings and installed 12/12/24 strings. I love it. Wonderful sounds, especially the bass string. I would never consider selling this special instrument.
However. Concerning an internal pickup. I much prefer the pickup on a McSpadden to the Pizzo..that Ron installs. I may be misspelling Pizzo..but that's close. The Pizzo is way to sensitive, you have to be very careful not to bump the area where it's installed.
With that in mind, I use it every week, playing out, with the pickup. Which means it's still manageable. Matter of being aware.
Good luck.
motivation
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
J.P., hang in there. Unless this is medically related, "This too shall pass."
I believe it's pretty common to have a total burnout. Doesn't mean we are giving up, just taking a break with life. Sometimes we just need to take a deep free your mind and relax.
Sounds easy, huh? Not so. But you can do it. Why? Because you want too. That's why you brought it up on this forum.
Tinwhistle / penny whistles
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
"A fond kiss." (by Eddi Reader) Smitten by the whistle, the very first time I heard this song. I don't know if it's a penny whistle or tin
updated by @terry-wilson: 08/27/18 03:27:13PM
Tinwhistle / penny whistles
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Lisa, I just know y'all had some big time fun. Music and silly go so well together.
Tinwhistle / penny whistles
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Lisa, I always smile when you write about your whistles, if I may. Especially today. You will appreciate this: Our senior group at our church hosted a noon dinner for all church members and guests. Afterwards, I directed bingo games with prizes. Speed bingo. Through in 45 minutes. Guess what? Okay, here it is. I used my Tabor Drum as part of the entertainment. When someone won, they had to agree to talk like a pirate, as in "Arrrrr r." And then walk around wearing and beating the tabor drum, all the while saying "Arrrrrr", for 10 seconds. Fyn. Ayeee, the ole tabor drum. I still have my tabor whistle. The one with two holess on top and one under. Made of wood. Me thinks you have one.
updated by @terry-wilson: 08/26/18 04:00:49PM
what was your first song on the dulcimer?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I believe it went like this:
Twinkle twinkle little Star;
Then: Aunt Rhodie;
Then: Boil them Cabbage down.
I can vividly remember yelling for my wife to cone on the porch and listen.
Boil Them Cabbage is still my most requested song at the Assisted Living Homes, where I play every week. Some of the super seniors just can't get enough of it. Some know all the words to all the verses.
Great great song.
Jesus Loves Me, was probably my 4th song.
Most life changing song was learning, Wildwood Flower.
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I like what Strumelia said about using both, "TAB and by ear."
Example : This morning I decided to learn the song, "Old Folks at Home."
I picked it out by ear, using the one finger method.
Then I referenced Linda Collins book, "Beyond the Basics." I did this to quickly get the two and three finger chords. Beautiful chords.
Hey Richard my friend. This song sounds pretty dog gone good using the smaller bamboo noter. Me thinks me and the little noter are entering into an affair.
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
It's really nice to be able to play by ear, not a "slave" to tab. But the main question is: Who's having fun? Hopefully, everyone. I've only been to two dulcimer jams, and that was in my 1st year of playing. I'll tell you what's what. I've never seen such a large group of people having so much fun. And 90% were looking at tab while playing. Do it your way.
updated by @terry-wilson: 08/09/18 04:20:59PM
Healthy Living- healthy eating, exercise, weight loss, veggie gardening, etc.
OFF TOPIC discussions
Dusty, I'm gonna do it. Looks and appears delicious.
Thank you.
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
John, you presented a whole new perspective, to me, anyway and I agree wholeheartedly.
Thanks for taking the time to write your "novel."
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Lois Sprengnether Keel:
Terry, ages ago I gave away my harmonica and the book I bought as I just couldn't get it. Wish I could as it's a small very portable instrument.
I had a baseball coach in HS who's favorite saying was: "Boys, ya gotta want it!" He screamed
that a thousand times or more.
I loved baseball, and I wanted it, as far as my small frame would take me.
Same for any instrument, you gotta love it and want it. We have two pianos in our home. My wife is a superb puano player. I don't have any love for it, and I don't want it. I do love to hear her play.
She has no real appreciation for the dulcimer or harmonica or ukulele. Society's fringe instruments. A source of consternation between us. But life goes on.
Lois, ypu didn't love the harmonica.
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
My 2 cents: And I've stated this before, as it worked for me. If you want to play the dulcimer by ear then do the following : Buy yourself a D or C ten hole harmonica, practice for 30 min a day for three months, and bingo, you begin a new life The Harmonica is a "by ear" musical instrument. Put in honest practice time for three months, and then without fanfare, a still small voice speaks to you; "Wow, I'm playing this dang thing by ear." I don't need harmonica tab, just know the tune in your head. Don't even attempt to play the lower or higher octave. Just concentrate on the middle octave, beginning at hole four. Same scale as dulcimer. Do it!!! Spend $25.00 and change your musical life.
updated by @terry-wilson: 08/01/18 02:36:26PM
Healthy Living- healthy eating, exercise, weight loss, veggie gardening, etc.
OFF TOPIC discussions
Beautiful tomatoes. Our tomatoes didn't do so well this year. On the small side. Lisa, did you grow the cucumbers too? Some friends gave us 2 quart bags of the largest blueberries I think I have ever seen. Sweet. Oh my yes. Good for you, Lisa. Your goodies are much better for you than my meal of deep fried Bluegills last night. Then leftovers today. You gained 6 months of life, while I lost a year. Oh well.
updated by @terry-wilson: 07/31/18 05:03:53PM
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Goals. I believe a key factor is:
"What do you want to do with your music." I believe if one can accompany their singing with an instrument, like a dulcimer, and it's acceptible, then you are a musician.
I believe if you can entertain yourself, your family, and/or friends, then you are a musician.
I could go on and on with other examples, bit I'll stop there.
The point is: "YOU WILL KNOW when you are a musician."
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Strumelia:
This is a good and useful discussion!
In reading the Berkeley guidelines, I have to say that some of those criteria for being Intermediate seem more suited for Advanced however. I'd never meet those standards, especially the parts about " to play in and modulate to different keys with and without a capo or retuning; to flat-pick and fingerpick a tune"..... sigh... I guess I'll be an eternal beginner. 
Also, is it not possible to be considered an advanced player without ever reading either Tablature or sheet music?- an intriguing question.
NSThoreau, I think you are right about the fact that there is often less info geared towards the huge segment of people who have just gone beyond the beginner stage. There must be good explanations for this but I can't think of any right now.
One would think that by the time one is an 'advanced' player they'd be at the point where they could be teaching most of the workshops at festivals. Maybe there should only be one advanced workshop- called Teaching Advanced Playing Workshops... but then would they just be teaching each other how to teach the workshop? hahaha
Sorry I don't mean to make light of this, but the problems and ironies of this classification system have always struck me. I've always found workshop festivals to be a mixed bag, partly because it's hard for me to know where I even fit in, and often by the time I figure that out, it's over.
Lisa, I know you are serious, but you still brought a huge humongous smile to my face.
I certainly can't judge what "level" your career stands. But one thing I do know is this:
"If it wasn't for your videos, I may have given up early on. Far as I am concerned you be a "100." Seriously.
Intermediates
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I don't know what I am. But I think, from 0-100, I am perhaps a 57. Yeah, I like 57. In 6 years, never been to a work shop. Jammed with other dulcimer players two times. Have never ever much thought about hammerons....and the other nifty skills mentioned. I still use tab some, but also play by ear. Use two octaves regularly. Love to strum. Play a lot with one and two strings. Have introduced dulcimer to adults and children. Even when I was a 30 rank. So why a lowly 57? You might ask. Well, most every time there is a new video posted, I am faced with the truth. I KNOW SO LITTLE AND HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. If the many members , for example, like Mark and Dusty and Christine, weren't so doggone good, then maybe I could be a 63.
updated by @terry-wilson: 07/28/18 07:31:24PM
Choose just ONE song for all eternity...
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Another must song to learn: "Going home "
Glenda, your choice is a most beautiful song. The listener can just imagine being the soldier, on his way home, after fighting a bloody war. Wow. A tear jerker .
Lisa, thank you for posting this topic. I love the spirit of it all.