Forum Activity for @gail-webber

387 Thank you for this wonderful site!

I enjoyed watching this. Thanks for sharing.

Sounds good. Hope you are enjoying it!

It's a beauty. Please post a video so we can hear you playit! I agree that those sound holes may be sending a message.

I am so glad that you received something to bring a smile to your face! May many more good things come your way.

I am sorry for everything that you have been through, but you have a great attitude. May good things come your way.

I have one of the triangular shaped chairs. It is good for playing outside and carrying, but not comfortable to me for sitting for long periods of time. I got it at REI.

My dulcimer playing stand arrived today from Rae Lynn Woods. I really like it and it folds up nicely for storage. I am rather short and sometimes have trouble getting the dulcimer stable across my legs. It isn't a problem at all with it on the stand! Although I got this to use during upcoming knee replacement surgery, I'll probably use it all the time. Thanks to all of you for your various recommendations.

I got my walker out and even with it adjusted all the way down it is too high for playing while sitting. I have ordered one of the wooden Rae Lyn stands. I'll let you know how I like it once it gets here.

Matt, thanks for the information on your stand. I think I am going to order one of the Rae Lyn stands. I have limited storage space and it looks like it folds up easily and doesn't require much space.

Thanks for all of the ideas. I think I can make one of these work for me. I'm going to try to talk my teacher into loaning me his for a month or two, but I doubt that's going to happen!

Barbara, thanks for offering to cheer me on. I had my right knee replaced back in 2008 and it has done great (although the recuperation and therapywas no fun). I just got surgery scheduled today for December 2nd to do my left one - it was down to bone on bone on the x-ray today. If I need encouragement during this one, I may call on you!

Barbara Gill said:

Gail, I don't have much to say about the stand but I can cheer you on about the knee replacement. I had my right one done last December and the left in March. I love my new knees and being able to walk without pain again! If you have any questions I can answer, feel free to contact me.
Barbara

Mark, the walker is an interesting idea and I already have one from my other knee replacement a few years ago. I want to play in a sitting position - could you do that with the walker? Also, what holds it in place?

Mark Richardson said:

My partner is 2 weeks into her New Hip... she uses a walker, but I've been using one for years... $5.00 at Goodwill

I use a 'walker', in a different discussion, we talk about stands. The walker does dual purpose...you can use it with your new knee in the healing process, and it holds your dulcimer just fine. I've decorated one and use it on stage...I DON"T have to strap it down, and I can play pretty fierce sometimes..

Ivan,

I looked at the ones on Rae Lynn Woods site and like those. Can you use them sitting and are they adjustable? If you don't know, I can contact them and ask. Thanks for the info.

Ivan Bradley said:

Then, if you want to go fancy, there's this one: Rae Lynn Woods

I have one of these and like it pretty well. I added more felt than what they included, but it might just be over-cautiousness on my part.

It looks like I am heading to a knee replacement soon - going to see my orthopaedic surgeon this afternoon. I think I would like to be able to play dulcimer during recovery once I am up to it. I would like a stand to place the dulcimer on (rather than my healing left knee)! Folkroots made a really nice one (my teacher has one) but it's no longer available. Does anyone know of a good dulcimer playing stand? I have seen one on line that is wood and cloth with a place to put your music, but didn't really like the looks of that one. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

I bought 2 new dulcimers yesterday from Scott Rhodes, a member here. I bought the 2003 McSpadden walnut teardrop he had for sale and and really love it. While there I also bought a cedar dulcimer made back in 1990 - we think it was made by Dorsey Williams. They both have their own unique sound. I plan to leave the double melody strings on these and use them for noter playing. Thank you Scott. I am very happy with them! I have attached a picture of them below.

Thanks for your advice, Paul. I think you are right. There are some dulcimer shops within a couple of hours of where I live - in fact that's how I got my McSpadden. They mainly carry McSpadden, but it would be a good idea now to try some of the others that they carry.

Thanks Lisa, Ken and Kevin. Kevin, I'll sure take a look at some of yours. I mainly play chord/melody on my current dulcimers, but may want to play more of the noter and drone style on the other one. I really like both styles of playing. I have messed around a little bit with the noter,but am by no means very good at it yet (posted a video a while backI did with the noter here - Sad Old Aunt Rhodie).

I guess that high silvery sound is really what I am looking for. It sounds like a number of factors affect the sound. John, I have never been to Song of the Wood shop in Black Mountain, but want to go. I got my current regular McSpadden from The Dulcimer Shop in Blowing Rock. It was nice because I just kept playing different ones (as much as I could back in December) and found one pleasing to my ear.

Thanks for all of your input. I guess the best thing to do for now is to just listen to as many different ones as possible - I listen to a lot of the recordings here and on YouTube. When my budget allows, I'll try to visit some dulcimer shops here in North Carolina and play various ones. I live about 2 1/2 hours away from both Blowing Rock and Black Mountain and they both have shops.

Mike, I guess I mean one with a less mellow and brighter sound. I know a lot of the sound has to do with the woods used, but also wanted to try one from an individual builder.

I have been playing for about 7 months. I currently have a McSpadden dulcimer with cherry back and sides and a spruce top, and a McSpadden Ginger dulcimer with walnut back and sides and a spruce top. I really like both of these and both have a really nice sound. Both have more of a mellow sound. I am thinking about adding another dulcimer sometime in the near future and would like one made by an individual builder, perhaps with a more traditional sound. I would appreciate any input anyone can give with ones you may have.

I was lucky enough to meet Dave Brown and Don Whicker through this site. We all live in Greensboro, NC and now get together to play once a week.

Thanks, Helen. Hope to work more on melody playing in this class.

I am looking forward to a continuing autoharp class next week taught by John Hollandsworth. It will be at John C Campbell Folk School in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. I went to a beginning class last August there taught by Ivan Stiles. The Folk School is really a wonderful place - looking forward to it!