Forum Activity for @dusty

My grandfather used to say "about two in a hill," and it is indeed a farming reference.  The hill referred to is not a real hill, but a tiny mound of soil in which a farmer would plant a number of corn seeds (or presumably any other crop as well), hoping at least one of them would sprout.  I think ideally you would plant four or five seeds in a hill, so "two in a hill" would mean that while you were not doing great, you were OK and could probably get buy. 

I have never heard anyone other than my grandfather use that phrase.  He grew up on a farm in western Pennsylvania before running away at 14.

And I don't know how many corn seeds he would put in a hill, but the corn he grew was fantastic.  During the summer, my grandmother would tell me how many people were coming for dinner, and my job was to pick one ear per person.  But I always picked one extra one and ate it raw as I walked back to the house.  It was so sweet and delicious. I could never understand why we would cook the corn and then drench it in butter and salt. It was so much better raw.

John, if you live in a really humid environment, the easiest thing to do would be to get a room dehumidifier.  My father uses a couple in the basement of his house in Boston where he stores all his books.  You could protect your instruments and everything else from humidity and mold.

But if you are looking for something to put in your instrument case, look for something called a "two way" humidification system.  That will humidify when the environment is dry and dehumidify when it is humid.  I'm not sure exactly how (or even if) they work.  Supposedly they keep humidity in the middle of the safe range, which is around 50 percent or so.

I buy strings by the dozen from Folkcraft.

@ken-longfield, sorry to make you work so hard! I was busy working all day yesterday and then spent the evening driving to SF to pick up my daughter at the airport.  I didn't check in here until I got a break from work today.

@lilley-pad, no it's not in my book, although there are a few other Playford tunes there.  Yes, by all means take it to DJ's jam. I'm hoping to join you all in July, in fact.

I have a handful of other Playford tunes arranged.  Feel free to reach out directly if there's one in particular you're interested in.

The facsimile copies of Playford's collection all seem to be hard to read, but this version arranged for the flute by James Hall is clear and modern: https://pdfcoffee.com/playford-tunes-pdf-free.html .  You can download the whole thing from that site. What is not obvious, of course, is the chording, so I try to listen to a few versions to learn whether an individual tune is generally played in a minor or major key. Beyond that, the exact chords are not included in the books, so (just like O'Carolan tunes) we have to use our own judgment and trust our ears.

I created tab for that tune some time ago.  It is transcribed in Playford's collection in the key of Gm, but I tabbed it in the key of Em out of a DAd tuning.  See attached.

Goddesses.pdf - 257KB

Alex, the "reverse" tuning of a strumstick relative to a dulcimer does not impede the playing of exactly the same music note-for-note.  It is merely an issue of ergonomics. In traditional dulcimer playing we fret the melody string and leave the bass and middle strings to drone.  If the instrument is lying on your lap, that melody string has to be the one closest to you so you don't have to reach over the other strings to play it.  Similarly, if you hold the instrument against your belly like a guitar and wrap your fretting hand under the neck, you need that melody string to be on the bottom so your hand can reach it.  That's the only reason for the difference.

Furthermore, in the Amy Grant video, she is only strumming chords.  You could play exactly the same thing in a regular dulcimer tuning or the "reversed" strum stick tuning.

The different tuning is not like the difference between a mandolin and a guitar, but simply the order of the strings.  Elizabeth Cotton was a great fingerpicking guitar player.  She played lefty and merely turned the guitar upside down.  But many right-handed guitarists copied her exact style of playing on a regular guitar.  She reversed, in a sense, the order of the strings, but the strings themselves were still tuned the same.  Many guitarists copy her playing note-for-note but do not need to turn the guitar upside down to do so.

One occasional member of my local dulcimer group has a strumstick and follows the same tablature as the rest of us.  No importa.

That's a laudable effort, Richard.  Thank you.  For many years David Lynch made a student model dulcimer that sold for around that same price point ($125).  It was made out of ply (birch or pine, I think) and had simple circles for soundholes.  I used to send newbies to him, but since he passed there has been no comparable option.  The last newcomer who joined my local group bought a practice dulcimer fretboard from Grant Olson (who calls them "stick dulcimers" and sells them for $80).

I promise that if I do contact you about a box dulcimer, it will be on behalf of a new player.

I hope this effort of yours is wildly successful!  Thank you.

Alex, most strumsticks are tuned like dulcimers but with the bass and melody string reversed, so the bass string is on the top if held as a guitar or closest to you if laid upon your lap.

I bought a nylon-string dulcimer from Bob Stephens exactly 2 years ago.  It is all wood, however, not one of his 3-D printed ones (figured cherry body, port orford cedar top).  He is still making dulcimers, both wood and hybrid, both steel-string and nylon-string. Bob is a very innovative luthier, for sure.  As Butch explains in that article, there is a false bottom hidden inside the dulcimer, and the fretboard floats above the soundboard, so both top and bottom vibrate freely.  The 3-D printed dulcimers are very affordable, and Bob doesn't even get paid himself. He asks customers to donate to one of his favorite charities instead of paying him.

According to the DPN article, the Haley family stopped making dulcimers years ago.  That's too bad; I would love to hear one.

I think @Robin-Thompson was correct about everything.  Here is the DPN article by @Butch-Ross about Stephens Lutherie using a 3-D printer to build dulcimers, and it includes a piece about Vince Haley and the HX process: https://dulcinews.com/builders-the-future-is-now/ .

According to that article, the Haley family produced 26 dulcimers and then ceased production.

I think I remember this, too.  The guy was active around the time I had first discovered dulcimers, so it wasn't in the 80s or 90s, nor was it last year in DPN (he had already disappeared by then). It was around 2010. I also remember someone buying one, and, if this is the same dulcimer, in fact, he has posted pictures here at FOTMD:

Here's a demonstration by one of the best living mandolin players:

Jon, I assume (since you mention the mandolin) that you are referring to the flatpicking practice of going back-and-forth across a string really fast.  There are at least two other uses of the term. One is a fingerpicking technique used by classical guitarists in which the thumb and three fingers hit strings in rapid succession.  The other is the use of a whammy bar or tremolo bar on an electric guitar, which basically moves the bridge to tighten and/or loosen the strings.

Mandolins have very little sustain, so the technique is used on mandolins when note duration exceeds the instrument's capabilities.  Only small octave dulcimers would have that same issue.

Having said that, the tremolo effect has a certain romance to it, and there is no reason why we couldn't do it on the dulcimer.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I've heard Stephen Seifert do it when imitating a mandolin on the tune "Mama Don't Allow."

There is no reason to reverse your strings. You can do this technique on the bass, middle, or melody string.  If you have double melody strings, it might be a bit easier and would sound more mandolin-like.

The only adjustment you might have to make is to turn your flatpick so that you are not using the very point but a smoother side.  If you have a round pick, you might practice with that.  And I'm sure there are mandolin instructional videos out there that could help.

Should I expect to hear you playing the Godfather theme soon?  I think that would sound great played in a tremolo style.

Ken, I think the term "European spruce" refers to the same species, Picea abies.  That term is quite common among high-end guitars. A search for that term at the Music Emporium, for example, gave me 62 results, including many Martin Custom Shop models. I doubt any of it comes from that Italian forest, though.

Interesting stuff.  I don't know why Stradivarius violins are worth so much, but I think I can predict that based on the findings summarized in that article, wood from Norway spruce grown in the Val di Fiemme forest will be worth a whole lot more than it was before!  

How can I get some of that wood for a dulcimer soundboard?  I have dulcimers made with Sitka spruce and Adirondack spruce, but none with Norway spruce.  Hmm . . . 

@Susie, I think you made a smart decision.  Six string dulcimers are fun for strumming, but those double strings make it harder to play single notes with any nuance.  You can't bend strings.  You can't do that tremolo thing well.  And I agree with Nate that six string dulcimers often sound cluttered. After all, how often will you really get every string tuned just right? I'm sure you'll enjoy your new baritone.

Thanks, Jon, for sharing that sad news.

I heard about this as well and was hoping to find an obituary before posting anything.

Gary was not just an amazingly innovative dulcimer player, but he and his brother also made wonderful and unique dulcimers.  The Gary Gallier website is still up, and I'd encourage everyone to explore it and learn about Gary's approach to flatpicking on the dulcimer in multiple keys.  There is lot's of tab available as well, although it ain't for beginners.

Rest assured, if I don't know the answer, I'll make something up!

Sid, I assume you are tuned DAd, and that 1-2-4 or 4-2-1 A chord is indeed a stretch.  Keep in mind that you don't have to fret the middle string. You can just l play 1-0-4 or 4-0-1 or even 1-0-1 or 4-4-4 or 4-4-6+ for an A chord.

And no, I'm sorry to tell you that you cannot simply put a capo at the first or second fret because of the diatonic fretboard.  It does not work like a guitar or banjo.  When you put a capo on a dulcimer, you change the order of whole and half steps and won't be able to play the same tunes you are used to.

@shopdad, the 1+ fret makes it harder in this case because there is less room to fret the 2nd fret, making the stretch a bit more challenging.  Without that 1+ fret, people cheat a bit with the 1-2-4 A chord and fret that 2nd fret towards the middle rather than right next to the fret wire.

@skip, if you look at the picture posted, you'll see there isn't really much room to capo at 7.  The instrument only goes up to the 10th fret.

Anne, the time zone is an issue for me as well, though not so seriously as it is for you.  The NGFDA folks are 3 hours ahead of me, so I'll be doing the first workshop at 7:30 AM.  That OK for farmers, but musicians are not usually morning people.

Yeah, I miss working with Aaron on a regular basis as well.  And that's a great picture of you, Anne!  Love it!

The mystery continues . . .

Thanks for sharing this, Ken.  The last time I saw a video on Troublesome Creek Instruments it was immediately after the flood.  When companies embrace their workers as whole human beings instead of beasts of burden, remarkable things happen.

@david-bennett, I tabbed out Corky Wolf's version.  Send me a personal message with your email or contact me at www.rivercitydulcimers.com and I'll share it with you.

David, there was a banjo player from Arkansas named Carlos "Bookmiller" Shannon.  Alan Lomax recorded some of his tunes in the late 1950s.

My guess is that someone learned a tune from Bookmiller but couldn't remember the name and just started calling it "Bookmiller's Tune" or something like that.

I just looked on Spotify and the only tune by Bookmiller Shannon is "Eighth of January."  But those Lomax recordings must be around somewhere. Maybe there's some other stuff, too.

P.S.  I could probably tab it out based on the recordings, but I won't be able to get to it for a couple of days.

Hi @maddie-myers.  I hope you're doing well.  I'm sure "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" would sound great in fingerstyle arrangement.

To get a more complete answer about microphones and cameras, you might want to join the Technology/Software/Amplifying group and pose your question there.

Yes, I think the first USB mic I ever bought was a Samson Go mic. Back then they cost about $40.  Now they are almost twice that.  They are really small and portable and have much better sound than any mic built into your computer or webcam.  Nowadays I use a Blue Yeti USB mic, which cost about $100 and is much bigger than the Samson Go. But I think the sound quality is better as well. It seems simple, but what I like most about it is that it has a big volume knob right on the front, and if you push it, it mutes you, with a noticeable red circle indicating that it's muted.  Pretty idiot-proof.

Those are only the microphones I've used, but there are lots out there.

I use several Logitech webcams, including a C920S Pro, a C925e, and a StreamCam Plus.  They are all several years old, so there might be newer models around with faster speeds.  They all produce very clear images and all have built-in microphones.  The microphones are very good for a work meeting, but not so hot for recording music.  My only advice about webcams is to make sure you get a lens cover.  Being able to glance up and know for certain that no one can see you is invaluable!

Noodling around this morning, I found the entire melody for Cat Stevens's "Moonshadow."  The only non-diatonic melody note is a G#, which we get on the middle string at the 6+ fret.  It took a while to arrange this one, partly because the rhythm is a lot more complicated than it seems.   There is just a lot of syncopation.

For example, here is the beginning of the part of the song that goes "If I ever lose my hands."  Note that after the first note come 6 straight notes that all begin on the offbeat (meaning the "and" if we count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and").

I could have written them all as quarter notes (or a dotted quarter for the last one), but to make the off-beat rhythm clearer, I used tied eighth notes.

This was a nice project for a Saturday. And I still got the front lawn mowed!

Hi Catherine.  First, I moved your question from the Site Questions Forum, which is intended for questions about this site (how to upload pictures, how to start a forum discussion, etc.) to the General Music Discussion Forum.  There is also a Group called "Help Me Learn This Song" which would be a good place to ask this question.

Secondly, I don't know the specific video you mention, but you can find the melody for Freight Train in either DAd or DAA.  If you play in DAA, the melody would start on the 7th fret and begin 7 - 5 - 4 - 3.  If you play in DAd, it would start 4 - 2 - 1 - 0 and then move to the second to the second fret of the middle string.

If you are playing with chords, the key to that song would be using a  2 - 2 - 2 F# chord for the "please don't tell them" part.

If someone doesn't beat me to it, I'll try to post a video or some tab later on.  (I'm still at work right now.)

Yeah, it was a good turnout today.  And it was the first time my mom had seen me lead a workshop.  I keep a dulcimer in my parents house for when I visit. If she wants to join again I should make her play along!

Happy International Appalachian Dulcimer Day, everyone!  The online workshop I run monthly met today.  @Lisa_C was kind enough to capture a screenshot. We had over 30 join, including my mom!  You can see my dulcimer and shiny balding head in the upper left-hand corner

Lots of folks know the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association from the Fall Festival in November, but they also organize a couple of smaller annual events, and this year they have invited me to offer three online workshops on May 2.  You can find out more, including how to register at https://www.ngfda.com/dusty-thorburn-day .

Although the three workshops are organized in increasing order of the complexity of the arrangements being taught, there will be something for every player in each of them.  For example, while beginners might concentrate on accurate fingering to convey the basic melody, more advanced players can work on embellishments, adding "filler" strums or arpeggiation, and so forth.  Many of the arrangements will also come with a more complex version, a harmony version, or a version in another key, with the goal of providing something of interest to everyone regardless of playing level.

This is going to be a lot of fun, and I hope some FOTMD members might join the festivities! Perhaps I'll see you on my computer screen then!

Send a personal message with any questions.

Neal Hellman's dulcimer chord book published by Mel Bay used to be the standard.  I don't change tunings that much, so I never had a use for it, but you can still find new and used copies all over the place.  Here it is directly from Mel Bay: https://www.melbay.com/Products/94662/dulcimer-chord-book.aspx .  It was printed in a long, narrow format to fit in a dulcimer case.

@johnnyb, I am pretty sure that C5 is a typo.  It is supposed to be D above middle C, not C above middle C.  If you look at the arrangements for that tuning (Welladay, O Mistress Mine, All in a Garden Green, Now Robin Lend Me Thy Bow) the tab clearly says ADD for the open strings.

Additionally, she details exactly what string gauges she uses, and the lightest is .009.  You could probably still use a .010 if you wished.

(I didn't even remember that I had this book squirreled away in a file cabinet, but there it was!)

Is that for the C5?

I have to admit that I was getting dizzy trying to make sense of all those tunings.    I don't think we can fully answer your question without knowing the VSL of your dulcimer.  You might consult the Strothers String Gauge Calculator to determine the ideal string gauges.  

A string should be able to tune one whole note up or down, so I would suggest establishing the ideal string gauge for G#3 for the bass, D4 for the middle, and C#4 for the melody.  With gauges established for each of those, you should be able to tune to the other tunings.  With one exception.  That c5 may indeed need a different string.  I don't believe a string can be adjusted for a whole octave.

And it's always a good idea to have extra strings on hand and to wear protective goggles when you retune .

That fret wire does indeed look like what is referred to as "jumbo frets," an upgrade that usually costs more (probably $200-$300 these days).  They are likely stainless steel and last longer than regular fret wire.  But also, because they are bigger, they require less finger strength and allow you to play much faster and with ease.  That's another reason I do not think this is a kit.  It looks like a very nice instrument.

Yes, DPN is still alive and well. The latest issue came out last month.  In fact, Fiona, the editor, is a member here at FOTMD .

That is an elegant looking dulcimer, Marg.  I cannot identify the builder, but it appears to have an ebony overlay on the fretboard, which I would not expect if it were made from a kit, though certainly I could be wrong.  Have you tried looking inside the sound holes, perhaps with a flashlight?  There might be some indication of the builder there.

@razyn, I have my copy of February's DPN open to your article right now. I'll be reading it as soon as I get a break from work.  Congrats!

So sorry to hear of Bobbi's passing.  She was a dedicated champion of the dulcimer and of using music to help others.  I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a couple of the SCDH fall festivals years back and one or two online in more recent years.

Ryan, I don't really create playlists on Spotify, mainly because I still believe in the concept of the album and tend to listen to whole albums at once.  I may add some names later when I remember them, but for now I can say that I have at least one album by each of the following in my Spotify "library":

Aubrey Atwater, Paul Clayton, Steve Eulberg, Mimi and Richard Fariña, Bing Futch, Neal Hellman, Joellen Lapidus, Karen Mueller, Heidi Muller, Mark Kailana Nelson, Aaron O'Rourke, Jean Ritchie, Butch Ross, Kevin Roth, David Schnaufer, Stephen Seifert, Randy Wilkinson, Nina Zanetti.

I'm sure there's more, but that's what I came up with at a glance.  Note that a lot of dulcimer players' music is not available on streaming platforms.  For example, I have some CDs by Linda Brockinton, but have not found her stuff on Spotify.