Great suggestions, Ken, in part because I know all those tunes. I already added "You are my Sunshine" and will probably add the two "Valley" tunes as well. Maybe the rest will make next year's list.
Kenneth W. Longfield said:
Dusty, a few we do here in the east are Down In The Valley, Red River Valley and You Are My Sunshine. There is also Clementine, Rocky Top and Tom Dooley.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Geekling, when you speak of the "jam in front of the festival" do you mean the small group that plays right in the entry to the church grounds? That jam is indeed intimidating and is not really a jam; it is more like a group of friends who already play together. But the festival holds another all-instrument jam towards the end of the day in which people sit in a big circle in that big room where they have lunch. People of a variety of levels join in, and Leo Kretzner leads the whole thing in a really inclusive manner. When I first joined I passed when it was my turn to call a tune, but the next time around I called out Southwind or Rosin the Beau or some tune I knew pretty well. I also just listened during a bunch of tunes I didn't know, and played chords for those whose structure I could figure out but whose melody was too fast to learn on the spot. But as I mentioned, I did learn two or three tunes over the course of the jam and for my first one, I was happy with the number of tunes I was able to play along. Now here we are two or three years later, and I've created my own list of 40+ jam tunes and I know them all! It's amazing how many tunes I've picked up over the last few years!
You two would look so cute playing a courting dulcimer! I can certainly see why that would be on your wish list.
Geekling, I think you give us too much credit when you say our Sacramento group is "well thought out." It has taken us over a year-and-a-half to evolve to the structure I describe above. But now I think it works really well.
I'm not surprised that you say you need to have a tune in your head even if you use tab. After all, tablature doesn't give us very much. Especially that sparse tab that just provides fret numbers tells us nothing about how long to play each note, for example, so the tab assumes you already know the song.
Robin makes some good observations about ensuring that beginners are encouraged to join jams even if they don't know most of the songs. There is nothing wrong with muting the strings with your left hand and just strumming for rhythm. There is nothing wrong with just playing the easy parts of songs. I often join only by playing chords and not playing any melody at all (though I understand that as a guitar player for the last 40 years hearing chord changes comes easier to me than most). As Robin suggests, these ways of joining without fully knowing a song accomplish a central goal of getting people comfortable just playing with their instruments. Beginners need to know that it is encouraged to join in these ways.
Here and there online are several guides to jam etiquette, but what is not really found is advice on how to join jams if you don't already know the music.
Two surprises: I forgot "Shady Grove" until Robin reminded me (it is in my mind the quintessential mountain folk song) and no one mentioned "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." I know that's not really a dulcimer tune so much, but it seems to be central to the whole notion of a tradition shared among generations.
I decided to create a page on the River City Dulcimers website for my list and links to tab available online: common dulcimer jam tunes . It's still a work on progress, but I thank you all for your comments so far and welcome any others you have.
Robin, I, too, have been starting to "read" SMN, although I am not very proficient at playing directly from it. But following my daughter's beginning piano lessons over the last few years has been a nice refresher course. When I was a kid I could read SMN but in a very practical manner. I played trumpet one year but was switched to the baritone tuba the next. Baritone music was written in the bass clef rather than the treble clef, but what made the transition easy was that the fingering on the valves was the same between the two instruments -- well, almost the same. I think the baritone plays a fourth or fifth below a trumpet. So the fingering I had learned still played a major scale, but in a different key. I never actually learned what the key was and never really learned the note names on the bass clef (I knew how to figure them out, but could never identify them quickly enough). But I learned the play the baritone from SMN only by noting the distances between notes on the staff and the corresponding distances in the notes I would play. It's possible that way of playing hearkens back to the days when the musical staffs were not standardized and could be centered on any note. But I also think that method is close to the way some professional musicians play.
As you suggest, they do not see a note on the staff, translate it to the corresponding letter, and then look for that note on their instrument. I think they see relationships among notes on the staff and also see those relationships on their instruments. (I would think that visualization is easier on keyboards and fingerboards, but I bet brass and woodwind players see them, too.)
The other comment you make that I think is especially useful for everyone learning to play is that you concentrate on phrases rather than individual notes. We learn language that way, after all, why not music, too? And little by little we start to notice that certain phrases repeat in various songs, just as chord shapes do.
Thanks so much for your comments.
Geekling, I think I remember that beginners jam. I walked briefly through the room and could see some difficulties there. In my opinion, a jam with experienced players can exist with no leader, with players taking turns calling a tune and starting it off. But beginners are exactly those who need a leader, someone familiar with the songs who can play them correctly and at a steady tempo so that others can follow along. Obviously, the leader in a beginners jam needs to be patient and play really slowly, but a bunch of beginners unsure of their own playing trying to make a go of it on their own just asks for trouble.
But your comments also reveal the different ways we learn. I honestly cannot learn songs from tablature. I need to hear a song played and get it into my head. During the jam at the Harvest Festival I probably learned three or four songs. The first time through I would just listen, getting a sense for the song's structure (AABB, ABC, whatever). The second time through I would try to find some of the important notes or phrases in each section. By the fourth or fifth time through I could get most of the melody. Then after that, I could go off on my own, use tab, and fill in the blanks. But I always fail to learn songs at workshops when everyone is handed a piece of tab and then they go through it slowly one note at a time. I never get the feel for a song that way.
In my opinion, the best scenario is an all-inclusive, beginners-welcome jam in which people go around a circle calling out tunes. The person calling the tune should ideally set the tempo and start playing. So a really advanced player might indeed start playing pretty fast, leaving others to just strum chords, play percussion on the backs of their dulcimers, or pick out a note here or there. But others will start playing at a slower, more approachable pace, allowing beginners to follow along. And there should be a leader to step in, so if someone starts a song but then gets a little lost, the leader can step in and take over. A lot of learning how to play with others is learning how to keep time and skip notes or whole sections of songs. When you play by yourself and you get stuck on the fourth note of a song, you can just stop and take your time to get it. But in a jam, the song keeps moving, and it's important to learn to play such that when you get stuck you skip a few notes or a whole section and pick a point in the future when you can jump in with everyone else. (Supposedly the great hockey player Wayne Gretsky used to say you should not skate to where the puck is, but to where the puck will be.)
At the local dulcimer group here in Sac that I started about 18 months ago, we now divide our time into three sections. The first is a beginners lesson in which the beginners get together in a very small group of two or four with a more experienced player and go over some basics. During the second section we all get together and play through our small but growing repertoire of songs, mostly arrangements by Ron Beardslee, Paul Furnas, or myself, which are pedagogical in nature, meaning we arranged a tune in order to work on some aspect of playing. (For example, I arranged a version of "Shall We Gather at the River" specifically to work on slow, steady, back-and-forth strumming. My arrangement of "Beach Spring" centers on the use of left-handed techniques such as slides, pull-offs and hammer-ons. Ron has arranged several songs that teach chord positions, so each song is based on a single chord shape that moves up and down the fretboard.) We all play those songs together, and usually between 4 and perhaps 10 times each one. The idea is to play them long enough that people can really start to learn them. But we also stop and talk about how to play difficult sections so that there is some clear learning going on. And the third section of our gathering is a true song circle where we take turns playing songs. Some choose songs for everyone to join in, but this section of our gathering is also for more advanced players to "show off" the more complex stuff they're working on. The advanced players get practice performing in front of a small (and adoring
) group and the beginners get exposed to music and playing techniques that they would never see if they only stayed in beginner groups. Interestingly, it was the beginners who requested the song circle, for they wanted to see what Ron and I were playing when we were not teaching them songs, but I have to say I've really gotten a lot out of it, and knowing that I'll have that small audience encourages me to keep working on new stuff and really try to get whole songs down pat.
Maybe this is a long-winded way of saying that I think beginners would get a lot more out of a jam with patient leaders rather than a jam with no leaders and only other beginners.
Wow, you guys are great! The challenge for me has been to resist just listing songs that I know and like to play. And as I said, I've only once been to a dedicated dulcimer jam but have a lot more experience with bluegrass jams, old timey jams, and just plain old campfire sing-a-longs. It is likely that some tunes (Saint Anne's Reel? Whiskey Before Breakfast?) are on the list for their ubiquity more at bluegrass jams than at dulcimer jams. But I like most of your suggestions (there are a couple that I never heard of!), and all of them that I already know will be added to the list.
A few (June Apple, John Stinson #2, Columbus Stockade) will be added to my "to learn" list and may get promoted if I learn the tune in time.
My plan right now is basically to do what Robin and Ken suggest: to list the tunes with links to the main two or three websites (ED most obviously) that contain tab. There is also a copy machine at the venue, and I think it might be good to have some hard copies of tab for people who don't plan ahead or drop in at the last minute or can't play at all by ear. If I get super-ambitious I might make several copies of tabs for each of the songs, but I can do that at work and pass the cost on to my employer. Since I mostly telecommute I end up using my own cash for ink and paper and stuff like that on a regular basis, so it seems like a fair trade.
Rob, I am sure you are right about regional variations, but the list I've come up with was based on my sense of common tunes that I've seen online either here or on a couple of the jam tunes lists at various other websites from around the country. It's kind of funny, but I think here in Northern California the only regional variation is that every jam has to include a Grateful Dead tune or two. Seriously, last year at this same event I attended a song circle at the end of the day. A few of us were playing many of the songs on the list above, but there was also a group of listeners who just sat quietly with smiles on their faces. Then someone started playing and singing "Ripple" and everyone in the crowd began singing. I mean these are old (and yes, I mean old) deadheads who probably can't remember what they had for breakfast, but they know every word to "Ripple" and have been singing it for 40 or more years! (I commented elsewhere that they used to take acid and now take antacid, but the song remains the same!And for the record, I'm not knocking the Dead; I attended more than my fair share of shows, too,
and especially like their acoustic stuff, not surprisingly.)
Thanks, everyone, for your advice and suggestions!
Thanks for the suggestion, Geekling. Since "Rhody" is one of the songs that people sometimes learn as their first one, it makes sense to add that. To be honest, I don't expect a whole lot of beginners. The jam I am running will be concurrent with one of the workshop sessions, so I would think that most beginners would be more comfortable in an actual beginner workshop rather than an open jam. But later in the day will be a formal song circle, so maybe this list can help guide both sessions.
I initially got the idea for a song list from the Harvest Festival of Dulcimers. Before the one year I went (when I met you and Keith) I worked specifically on some of the songs on their list.But that Festival includes hammered dulcimers and the jam was open to other instruments. The Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering is only for mountain dulcimers and I doubt other instruments will show up. I don't plan on linking each song to a specific tab arrangement, but I will provide links to two or three websites where people can find tab for almost all the songs there, and if I get really ambitious, I'll try to show up with several copies of tab for at least some of the songs. When I was at the Harvest Festival, the person who sat next to me at that jam had gone through their list of songs with a copy of Stephen Seifert's Join the Jam book, and flagged each song on the appropriate page, so when people called out songs she just flipped to the right page in the book and had her own tablature.
Patty, I already added "Turkey in the Straw," as a matter of fact, and "Sourwood Mountain" is a good one, too. I think I learned that from a video that Robin T posted here, so I'll review that video, re-learn the song, and add it to the list.
I'm sure the jam will include some singing, too, so I know we'll be singing Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land," Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene," The Grateful Dead's "Ripple," John Prine's "Paradise," and more. But I wanted to provide a list of some of the more typical dulcimer jam tunes. And I've been really surprised how many of these tunes I already knew even if I don't play them regularly.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Robin. I am trying to stay focused on typical tunes for dulcimer jams rather than just list tunes that I like to play.
I have been asked to host a jam room at the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering on May 17. It was suggested that I provide a list of common dulcimer jam tunes that people might expect to play there. I plan on keeping things open and letting folks "call the tune," but I still thought it would be helpful to create a list.
The problem? I've been to only one true dulcimer jam. Most of the jams I've attended included other instruments and involved people singing from Rise up Singing as much as playing standard old timey fare. So I need help creating the list. Below is what I wrote down off the top of my head. Since I am the host, I probably need to know each song listed, and so far I either know the song or have a close enough idea that I can prepare adequately in the couple of weeks before the event.
My question to you: am I missing any obvious tunes that one would expect to hear at a dulcimer jam? I am not interested at this point in an exhaustive list (I would just copy the contents of Stephen Seifert's Join the Jam if I were) but the most common tunes played.
Amazing Grace
Angelina Baker
Arkansas Traveler
Ashokan Farewell
Bile Dem Cabbage Down
Black Mountain Rag
Bonaparte's Retreat
Cripple Creek
Elk River Blues
Going to Boston
Golden Slippers
Gray Cat on a Tennessee Farm
Hangman's Reel
Liberty
Liza Jane
Mississippi Sawyer
Old Joe Clark
Redwing
Rosin the Beau
Saint Anne's Reel
Shall We Gather at the River
Si Beag Si Mor
Simple Gifts
Soldier's Joy
Southwind
Westphalia Waltz
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Wildwood Flower
I would put money down that the song is in the key of C. The only chord that doesn't quite fit is C#. Regardless of the key you play the song in, that C# chord is likely to cause some difficulty on a diatonic instrument. If you tune CGc or CGG you will be able to get the other chords with little difficulty. But that C# might be something you have to fake by just playing a note or two rather than a full chord.
Glenda, if you are really a beginner, I would suggest beginningwith easier songs that only have three or four chords. You might want to put this one on the "to learn" list for next month or whenever you get more comfortable playing a variety of chords. But if you already have experience chording on the dulcimer or other instruments, then by all means, forge ahead!
You are right, Jean. The only difference between the two is the way the string connects to the instrument. There is no difference in tone or functionality. In general ball end strings are easier to find because they fit guitars that use end pins. If ball end strings fit over the little brad nails on your dulcimer, or if you have a dulcimer with end pins, then go ahead and use them. If not, loop end strings are the only option.
Richard, I have no experience with competitions personally, so I can't give you the specific advice you seem to be after. I can tell you that there are no age limits, but the dulcimer national champions of the last several years seem to all be pretty young. I think that is probably due to a couple of factors. One might be that some young folks out there are playing pretty darn good dulcimer. Another might be that once you win you lose the drive to do so again, so many of the best dulcimer players simply aren't interested in competing or no longer feel the need for such accolades. Another might be that judges like to pretend the demographic data for dulcimer players does not skew pretty old, so they are consciously or unconsciously biased towards young folks.
If you are serious about the competitions, you should look into the specific rules and prepare yourself to work for a year or so gearing up for one. Some might mandate that you play a traditional song, for example, or there might be specific categories in which you can compete. I personally enjoy your playing a lot, but you have a very unique style of play. I seem to remember what feels like a lot of original material (and a lot of bending on the middle string!) in your playing. That might work for some competitions and not others.
But if your reason for seeking a competition is only to give your playing a little kick in the pants, I might ask why it has to be a competition. Do you ever play open mics? It might be that preparing for a performance is all you need to get back in the proverbial saddle. Additionally, although initially developing material for a competition might involve some creative playing, you will also spend a lot of time just playing over and over the same arrangements. Even if those arrangements are really good, you are likely to feel bored by them after the second or third month of playing them ad infinitum.
Lots of FOTMD members have been national dulcimer champions: Linda Brockinton, Sarah Morgan, Aaron O'Rourke, Erin Rogers, Nina Zanetti, Larry Conger, and some others whom I am forgetting right now. You might consider contacting them directly and asking for advice.
Q: How many dulcimer players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: We'll never know; they keep arguing about modes even in the dark.
- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - -
When tyrants tremble thick with fear
And hear their death knells ringing
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?
-- traditional American hymn
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"And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world.
-- Pete Seeger
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And I have this one on my home page:
New arts shall bloom of loftier mould,
And mightier music thrill the skies,
And every life shall be a song,
When all the earth is paradise.
-- John Addington Symonds from "These Things Shall Be"
If you wipe down your strings before and after playing, you will get a lot of the grime and finger grease off and they'll last longer, as Cindy suggests. I find that as soon as strings start to feel at all hard or brittle I change them. New strings are much softer on the fingers. They also sound better, but since the sound deterioration is so slow, I never notice that my strings don't sound so hot until I change them and I realize how much better the new strings sound.
Since I like the feel, sound, and look of new strings, I think of it as a treat rather than a chore to change strings.
Ellen, if you wait until the cues that your strings need changing, you've probably waited too long. If you've waited a year, I bet you'll find new strings just feel much softer on your fingers and you'll want to start changing them more frequently. Professional musicians change strings at least every 2-3 months, as Guy does. I have a friend who plays gypsy jazz guitar in the SF Bay Area and has several regular gigs. One is the first Thursday of every month, and he changes strings before that gig, so he changes strings religiously once a month. I have more instruments than I play regularly, but on the dulcimers that I play regularly and on my six string guitar, I try to change strings every three months. The others I leave until I'm going to be playing one of them for a spell.
If you get the right tools, changing strings is easier. Make sure you have a string winder, a tuner, and a wire cutter handy.
Dean, I change strings regularly, too, but not quite as often as Ken. I probably do it about every three months on the instruments I play regularly. Not only do dirt and oil from your hands accumulate on the strings, but the metal begins to oxidize too, and they become more rigid over time. I think if you change strings you will notice that they sound, look, and feel much better.
I even changed the strings on my autoharp once. Once!
Larry, you've received good advice so far. As you can see, one way of playing in G is to tune DGD.
I don't do that, but I don't have as much experience with different tunings as Robin and Rob do. I mostly tune to DAd for 90 percent of what I play. But that does allow me--with the aid of a capo--to play in most common keys.
I play semi-regularly in a multi-instrument jam. At most bluegrass, folk, and old-timey jams, the most common keys are C, D, G, and A.
To get the key of C, I just tune to CGc.
To get D, I tune DAd. And then in that tuning I use a capo at the 3rd fret for the key of G and a capo at the 4th fret for the key of A.
You can play in G and A out of a DAd tuning, but it takes a better understanding of the fretboard than I have. But using a capo enables me to play everything I know and forget about what key we're in.
I know of four different methods to playing that barre chord. Two involve an individual finger and two involve three fingers.
Stephen Seifert uses his ring finger to lay across all strings. Aaron O'Rourke uses his pinky in the same way. Either of those methods require some practice as you have to build up muscles and callouses in your finger. They have the advantage of leaving your other fingers free to fret strings above the barre. People who play like that a lot sometimes get dulcimers with a radiused fretboard, meaning a fretboard that is slightly curved, making it easier to use a single finger to depress all strings.
The other methods involve either your index, middle and ring fingers on the bass, middle and melody strings, or your middle, ring, and pinky. I learned the first from Linda Brockinton and the second from Mark Gilston. Both have their advantages depending on the other chords and notes that follow and precede the barre. Most of the time I try to use my middle, ring, and pinky fingers on the bass, middle, and melody strings, as that leaves both the index finger and the thumb to play strings above the barre.
Any of these methods require some practice (the first two a lot more), so don't get discouraged if they feel awkward at first and if you can't get a clear sound right away. Keep practicing and you'll get it.
There are two versions of tab for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" in DAd at the Everything Dulcimer Tab Archive .
But you can also do it in DAA. I just found it plucking around. Start 0-1-3-3 for "will the circle" and 5-4-3-5 for "be unbroken." The entire melody is found between the open A string and the 7th fret.
Marg and others, forgive me for adding a little music theory, but there are different types of notes:
I would suggest forgetting about sixteenth notes for a while. You will be playing awfully fast to get those in dulcimer music, and most of us aren't ready for them yet.
There are two ways of indicating eighth notes. If you just have one by itself, it has a little flag as in the picture I posted. If you have two together, they are joined by a bar across the top as in the examples from the pictures Carrie posted and Marg quoted.
We all completed elementary school and learned our fractions, so this shouldn't be too hard. A whole note gets four beats, a half note gets two beats, a quarter note gets one beat, and an eighth note gets 1/2 a beat. Another way of saying that last part is that you play two eighth notes in the space of one quarter note.
That is why it helps to learn to strum in both directions. If you are strumming out once a beat, as Julie is in her rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle," then strumming in as well will let you play eighth notes. Maybe a short demo is in order.
Remember that this stuff takes time. Be patient. First goal: develop a steady strum in one direction. Second goal: develop a steady strum in both directions. Third goal: start to "swing." Fourth goal: have fun skipping strums and creating cool rhythms.
Julie, you're doing great! Stop beating yourself up. Your rhythm is steady, even when there are rests or half notes. Just keep doing what you're doing.
It seems like you are only strumming in one direction, and for now that's great. Twinkle Twinkle should only be strummed in one direction. When you feel more comfortable, try to strum in the other direction as well. So if you are going out now, you will want to add in strums.
To start out, try playing the Alphabet Song, which is basically the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle. But when you get to "L-M-N-O" you have to play eighth notes. Keep your hand moving just as steady as it is now, but on the M and O you will want to strum in rather than out (your hand has to move that way anyway!). There is no rush here, so if you don't feel ready for it, just put it off for a while. But that will be the next hurdle for you to cross. And given how you are playing now, I think you are about ready for it. And the main point is that your hand does not have to move any faster than you are playing now. But instead of only strumming in one direction you will, when the music calls for it, strum in the other direction, too.
Julie Semones said:
Alrighty all, I've been trying everything you all have posted, I think I'm finally catching on....here I am (YIKES, can't believe I'm sharing this!!LOL)
There are a couple of different issues being addressed here. Julie commented that she has trouble strumming while playing a song. Most of us have given advice on how to develop a better strumming technique. One specific piece of advice was to practice with a metronome.
Ken's advice is how to arrange a song. And indeed playing a song by replicating on the dulcimer exactly how you would sing it is one way to arrange a song. It probably is the most obvious for people who are used to singing, and for those folks it might be a good way to start. But there are others. You might develop a rhythm that you think characterizes that song, strum that rhythm, and fit the melody notes into that rhythm. Another is to play a harmony part on the dulcimer. Or a counter-melody on the dulcimer. Those latter two take a bit of practice, but not perhaps as much as you think. Strumelia has a wonderful video on how to play a harmony part to Go Tell Aunt Rhody.
But none of those ways of arranging a tune are incompatible with the use of a metronome. When you practice with a metronome you do not strum every time the metronome sounds. Rather, the metronome keeps time for you, and you fit what you are playing into that steady rhythm. A metronome is usually set to a quarter note or half note, meaning it sounds two or four times a measure. But you might play one note per measure, eight notes per measure, or whatever, depending on the tune. Practicing with a metronome helps you develop a steady strumming pattern that sounds smooth rather than choppy and is consistent throughout. If you want to start with Ken's suggestion of strumming the melody the way it would be sung, that's fine, and using a metronome will help you do that steadily and consistently.
In my post above I did not mention using a metronome, but I think it a good idea. And in the video lesson to which I linked I don't address how to arrange a tune; that comes in the subsequent videos. The first thing is to develop a steady strum that feels comfortable, stays on beat, and moves smoothly across the strings.
Most beginning players concentrate on the left hand. They think that finding the right notes to play is the key to being a good musician. But most of our playing is done with the right hand. How smoothly we play, how loudly we play, how fast we play, whether we play one string or all three, all those decisions and more are determined by the right hand. The fact that you are aware of the need to work on your right hand is a good sign. Just being aware of it and working on it will make you a better player, better able to express whatever it is you want to express through music.
Julie, I would suggest putting your left hand entirely over the strings of the dulcimer so they are muted. Don't think about playing notes at all. With your right hand, hold the pick so that most of the pick is securely between your thumb and index finger, but hold it loosely, not tightly. Think of strumming as brushing across the top of the strings rather than actually plucking them. As you strum out, angle the top of the pick away from you and just barely touch the top of the strings. Do that as you count 1-2-3-4. Just take it slow. Once you have a nice, slow, even stroke going out on the beats, count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & and strum out on the numbers and in on the &s. As you strum in, you want to angle the top of the pick toward you.
Reminders: 1) keep lots of the pick in contact with your fingers; you don't want to just hold the end while most of the pick sticks out; 2) hold the pick loosely, not tight; 3) brush across the tops of the strings softly; 4) keep a steady beat even if you have to go very slowly to do so.
Carrie has already pointed you toward John Keane's excellent video on strumming . I also put together a three-part instructional video on using a flatpick . The first video covers strumming. You might find it helpful.
You might also keep a pick with you at all times. I sometimes practice rhythmic strumming on my leg, my stomach, the steering wheel, the arm rest of my chair, etc.
Just take it slow and don't get impatient. Good technique takes time.
But Robin, you could bet, and you'd come out even since you'd be right half the time!
Robin Thompson said:
If I were a betting person, I'd bet against my ability to do so.
All these questions about VSL, wood type, instrument design, kind of noter, etc., get to the central point: given the vast number of variables that affect the sound a dulcimer makes, it is impossible in practice to identify the shape of the box as the sole reason for differences in tone.
The first is hourglass, the second teardrop. Or the other way around. I'm sure of it.
Those who took part in this forum discussion might be interested in a live radio tribute to Pete Seeger to benefit the Woodstock Day School and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The event is hosted by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.
Hear the broadcast online at WAMC.ORG .
Such a sage comment from a sage woman.
Robin Thompson said:
Life can be just plain hard sometimes and making music or sharing music can help along the way.
Here's another story from the New York Times thatcompiles excerpts from interviews with other musicians (Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Rait, Steve Earle, etc.) talking about Pete Seeger. Perhaps the most moving to me is the story of Pete watching television footage of the cleanup after 9-11, and the soundtrack they used was Bruce Springsteen singing Pete'ssong "We Shall Overcome." Pete commented that if all he had done was provide that song for that moment to help people heal, he would have lived a full life.
I heard a funny story in an interview Pete did onFresh Air with Terry Gross that was re-broadcast today. He was describing when he first met Woody Guthrie, who taught him how to hop trains and play in taverns. Woody basically told him which songs would get him a nickel or two when he played. And Woody explained how to wait on the outskirts of town where the trains would just start to pick up speed and then jump on. But he never explained at first how to get off. So the first time Petetried to get off, he fell, rolled down a hill, skinned both knees and both elbows and, more importantly, broke his banjo. He was traveling with a camera at the time, which he hocked to get enough money to buy a cheap guitar. He only knew a few chords at first, but played well enough to earn some nickels in the taverns until he could afford another banjo.
You can hear Pete tell the story yourself here .
We know most of those riding the rails were not doing it for fun, but it must have been quite an experience, just jumping railroad cars and traveling to wherever the trains went. What else would you expect from a guy who dropped out of Harvard to ride a bicycle across the country?
Here is the NPR Obituary . It includes links to stories on Pete and some of his music.
Here is the album I refer to in the introductory comments above.
I had forgotten, but it was a 10" LP. Does anyone remember those?
A personal musical tribute:
If you listen carefully, you can hear my voice breaking up.
Pete on music and participation:
"I've never sung anywhere without giving the people listening a change to join in . . . I guess it's kind of a religion with me. Participation. That's what's going to save the human race."
Once upon a time, wasnt singing a part of everyday life as much as talking, physical exercise, and religion? Our distant ancestors, wherever they were in this world, sang while pounding grain, paddling canoes, or walking long journeys. Can we begin to make our lives once more all of a piece? Finding the right songs and singing them over and over is a way to start. And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world.
Pete Seeger just died. He was 94. Maybe when my emotions are easier to put aside I'll post some comments about his place in American folk music history, but how can you sum up the importance of someone who sang with the Weavers, led protest marches, and sang children's songs? He lived the assertion that music was a joyful tool intended tobring people together. (And it was on his TV show that Jean Ritchie and her dulcimer were introduced to the television audience.)
You can read the New York Times obituary here .
There is no way to choose a representative song to post here, but perhaps this one will do. He is playing with others and singingfor peace.
Thefirst record albumsI remember, from when I was just a few years' old, were Woody Guthrie's Songs for a Mother and Child to GrowOn andPete Seeger's Birds, Beasts, Bugs, and Little Fishes . I am sure I know every one of those songs by heart, and I have since I was able to talk. When I get depressed, I put on a Beatles album. But if that doesn't work, I go right to Pete Seeger. His voice is as comforting to me as my own mother's, and is indistinguishable in some ways since my earliest memories in life are sitting on my mother's lap listening to that album.
I used to wonder why I am drawn to acoustic music. I grew up in suburbia in the northeast, after all. And I spent many years listening to rock, blues, and jazz. But I've always felt at home with someone singing a simple song while plucking some strings, and I'm sure that is because of the early influence of Pete Seegerin my life.
I only met Pete Seeger once--at an anti-nuke rally in New York about 30 years ago--so I never really knew him. But I feel as though I've lost an uncle, a best friend, a mentor, and a security blanket all rolled into one. I honestly can't imagine who I would be today had Pete Seeger's music not been a part of my life.
Thank you, Mr. Seeger, for sharing the joys of music and modeling a life devoted to the improvement of one's community. Rest in peace.
