Forum Activity for @dusty

As the question was asked, they showed a picture of a dulcimer, so the banjo answer was less informed than you might have thought.

On Jeopardy today:

Answer: The mountain this is the Kentucky state instrument.

Question: What is a dulcimer?

The first contestant to answer guessed a banjo, but the second one got it.

Patricia, I just listened to the episode and want to congratulate you and Wayne once again for your stellar work. You did a great job of framing the episode but allowing Ashley to really shine.  Her enthusiasm not just for dulcimer music but for the dulcimer community really comes through.  And ending the episode with Joellen's "Dance and Sing" is just a perfect way to reinforce the way music can bring us together in such a joyous way.

And I can attest--since I was there--that Ashley is correct: the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering was indeed the first online dulcimer festival, although by the time it happened, several others were in the works.

Thanks so much for all you do!

What a great idea to profile Ashley!  She does such a great job with DPN and contributes so much to the magazine and the dulcimer community in general.

I'm waiting for the experiments when you determine the best string gauge for different cheeses.  That soft havarti probably prefers a lighter gauge than the well-aged cheddar.

Lisa, I'm just going to repeat what other have said, but phrase it in a different way. 

Forget the strings.  Look at the grooves in the nut and bridge on your Mize.  Do they look the same as those of the Blue Lion?  If so, the instrument can be strung as a traditional 3 course dulcimer with either 3 strings or 4 (with a double melody string).  If not, then you may be correct that it can only be strung as a 4 equidistant instrument.  If that is the case, then you might consider replacing the nut and bridge rather than buying a new instrument.

Having said that, Blue Lions are wonderful instruments, and if you can get an affordable used one, you might want to do so.  I would only caution you that Blue Lions have a floating bridge, meaning it is not glued to instrument.  If it sounds off when you first play it, the bridge probably needs to be adjusted.  If you change the strings, do so one-at-a time so the bridge doesn't move.

Interesting dulcimer.  Is it an optical illusion or is the upper bout wider than the lower bout?

Homer, you seem to be asking a couple of different questions.

One is just how to maintain your repertoire.   Ken has one strategy that works if you have a good memory of the songs and just need a reminder of the beginning to get going.  I keep an active "set list" of no more than a dozen tunes that I play regularly. The set list is constantly changing but represents the tunes I enjoy playing the most at any given time. And I try to keep up on those, allowing others to get rusty.

But maintaining a repertoire is not the same as practicing in order to improve.  Personally, I enjoy playing scales and arpeggios and spend some time with both as often as possible. When you practice a song, you get better at that song.   But when you work on technique, you get better at every song you play.  There are also some songs I play as exercises with no intention of actually performing them.  I used Pig Ankle Rag like that for years, forcing myself to use my pinky as often as possible to strengthen that finger.  I also use a metronome for songs like that and when doing those scales and arpeggios.

But I also spend time just playing the songs I am working on, focusing on the problem areas. I just wrote a song recently that I really like, but there is a two-measure sequence of all eighth notes that moves over several frets and two strings, and I sometimes just play those two measures over and over.

Importantly, I end every practice session playing a song I enjoy and can play well.  So the emotion I leave with is one of contentment with my playing rather than the frustration that accompanies learning new stuff. And I always make a point to take some time to just to play, without any interest in the metronome or the occasional buzz from inaccurate fretting, or whatever.   You have to have fun, after all. As Steve Eulberg says, we call it "playing music," not "working music."

Beautiful.  Two instruments.  Two voices.  Infinitely joyful.

I've had good experiences with Howard Feed N Wax , but if there is tangible grime like adhesive on the instrument you might want to try to get rid of it first.

I think we can all agree that how to name an instrument is not the same as how to classify an instrument in terms of its organology.  An autoharp, a hammered dulcimer, and a mountain dulcimer are all zithers, yet they are played in completely different ways. So that classification is useful for museum curators but not very practical for musicians.

Although what is commonly called a "stick dulcimer" is not technically a zither and therefore not properly a dulcimer, that term tells us exactly what the instrument is: a diatonic instrument with three courses of strings that stretch over not only the box, but also a neck.  The term is therefore simultaneously technically wrong but also extremely accurate.

In terms of how one would play this instrument, the fact that it has a diatonic fretboard and three courses of strings, the highest of which is doubled, means that the instrument resembles a dulcimer far more than a guitar or lute.  I would avoid guitar or lute in the naming for that reason.

I like the idea of giving it a name reminiscent of geographical features of the Nashville area and then describing it as a "dulcimer-like instrument" shaped like a guitar with a diatonic fretboard and three courses of strings.  If you have different models, perhaps they can be named for different bodies of water, or different neighborhoods, or different railroad lines, or whatever.

A lot of people who use straps tile the dulcimer slightly upward so that the bottom doesn't sit flat on their lap, thus enabling the back to vibrate more freely.  That makes a noticeable difference in volume, and perhaps a slight difference in tone as well.

Strumelia, do those delicious-smelling hoya plants drip nectar? I seem to remember getting rid of some years ago because they were dripping this sticky nectar that required significant cleaning.

Hey @jmhundley, you've discovered a great solution that is, in fact, a pretty common one.  When I went to my first dulcimer festival there was someone there giving out pieces of the shelf liner for exactly that purpose.

My only advice is that when you store the items in your case, make sure they are not in permanent contact with the wood of the dulcimer.  They sometimes leave a mark on the dulcimer's finish if left in contact for too long, especially in a case with little air flow.

Nice to hear of such a satisfying ending to this story.

Looks beautiful.  Congrats on your new baby.

Do you love cats?  Do you love music?

I gather you are not talking about the part of the capo that presses down on the strings, but rather the parts that hold the capo tight on the dulcimer, correct?

It might not look too nice, but you could get those little felt pads that are made to put under furniture so they don't scratch hardwood floors.  They are sticky on one side and have a soft felt on the other.  They come in so many sizes and shapes, I'm sure you could find some that would work.  And they're not expensive.

Welcome to FOTMD, @ginaB.  Peruse the forums and join any groups that interest you (you have to join to see all the discussion posts).  Ask questions whenever you please.  We'll be happy to offer answers -- and some of them might even be correct!

That's great work you're doing with kids, Erin!  You're not only helping kids learn the dulcimer, but you're preserving our folk song traditions.

I'm happy to have Matt's respect and also to be corrected.  Just don't tell my wife I was wrong.

Of course one can play chords on a bass dulcimer, just as one can play chords on a bass guitar. But generally, the purpose of a bass is to, well, play the bass part.  The fiddle weaves the melody, the guitar provides the chords, and the bass plays the bass lines.  I certainly don't want anyone to be locked into those small roles, but it does seem that most of the time, that is what we'll be doing.  It is more important to be comfortable playing chords on a standard dulcimer than a on bass dulcimer, but of course you can do it on both.

And by the way, if you really want to prove me wrong, send me a bass dulcimer.  I promise to play lots of melody and lots of chords on it.  I'll gladly admit to having been mistaken.

Lorilee, I would think a bass dulcimer should have a pretty big box, but that could be achieved with depth, allowing the dulcimer to be on the shorter end of scale length.  I believe the New Harmony baritone/bass model only has a 25" or 25-1/2" scale length.

But remember that with a bass dulcimer you are most likely going to play bass lines, not chords, so even an instrument such as Blue Lion's 27-1/2" bass should be playable even by those of us who are vertically challenged.

Good for you, @Buzz!  The builders here might want to chime in, but I would guess the cigar box material is a softer wood (they were traditionally built of cedar), and you might want a harder material for a bridge.  You might consider using your cigar-box bridge as a template and making another out of a harder wood or bone or a hard plastic resin or something.  You will likely get a crisper sound.

That's a fine looking dulcimer, by the way.  Congrats!

I'm just mentioning @jan-potts so perhaps she'll get the notification and join this conversation directly.  Are your ears ringing, Jan?

Hey @fharlm, I would think a Fluke would be a great beginner ukulele.  They are made with a composite body, which keeps the cost down and also makes them almost indestructible.  The wood top ensures good tonality.  And they are made with excellent intonation.  There are lots of cheap ukuleles out there, but a lot of them are unplayable.  The Fluke is reliable.  And hey, you don't need a stand since it can stand up on its own!

Although they cost a little more, I prefer the models with wood fretboards.  The sound is noticeably warmer than those with the polycarbonate fretboard.

Even if you continue playing and eventually want a fancier, solid wood instrument, the Fluke makes a great travel instrument-- something you can be comfortable taking camping, for example--so it will always have a use.

Crosspicking is a specific type of flatpicking.

Flatpicking is merely the technique of playing runs of single notes using a flatpick.  (Technically we also strum with a flatpick, but usually flatpicking is seen as an alternative to strumming.)

Crosspicking involves the use of flatpicking patterns across several strings.  Check out this demonstration of Molly Tuttle crosspicking "Wildwood Flower."   You can see that by imposing her picking pattern across several strings, she adds rhythmic complexity while not only carrying the melody, but also offering harmony (chords) as well, without strumming at all.

If you are just starting out, you will want to master the basic back-and-forth picking of flatpicking before getting into the more complex rhythmic patterns of crosspicking.  If you search these terms on the internet, you'll find lots of stuff for guitarists, a little for mandolin players, and almost nothing for dulcimer players.  Among dulcimer players, the most prolific at both would be Aaron O'Rourke and Gary Gallier.  Stephen Seifert is clearly capable of the technique as well, as is Erin Mae, but they tend to strum a lot more than is usually included in crosspicking.

Edit: In that Molly Tuttle video, she doesn't play the song until 12:52.  She begins teaching it at 7:48.  The first 7+ minutes is her explaining the crosspicking pattern she uses.

Douglas, as I think you know, the dulcimer was originally a diatonic instrument.  Some time around the early seventies or so, the 6-1/2 fret started to become pretty common.  It is now the most common configuration of frets on a dulcimer.  It allows people tuned in what was a mixolydian tuning to also play the ionian mode or major scale.  The second most common "extra" fret is the 1-1/2 fret, which you are referring to as the minor 3rd.  I like that extra fret because in a 1-5-8 tuning you get the lowered third on the melody string and the lowered seventh on the middle string, so it's conducive to playing the blues. 

A while back I posted a piece called " What are Half Frets and Do I Need Any ?" It will likely answer your questions.

Hey Douglas and welcome to FOTMD.  

The go-to book for chords that includes more tunings than you will ever utilize is Neal Hellman's Dulcimer Chord Book , originally published by Mel Bay in 1981.  You can probably find pretty inexpensive used copies, but even new it only goes for about $10.

We have a group here specifically on Dulcimer Making .  Go ahead and join that group, peruse the existing conversations, and start a new one if you have a question that is not already answered somewhere.

Ken accurately enumerates the many variables that affect the sound of an instrument, and you have two very different instruments here in terms of size, design, wood, etc.  You even tune them to different keys and different modes!  In short, they should sound different.

In general, most luthiers have a consistent feel and sound, but within that consistency is room for variation depending on the specific model, the woods chosen, the bracing, etc.  

Black bamboo may be a favorite as a noter, but as a garden plant, it's nothing but headaches !  I'll check the garage to see if I still have some stalks that I had cut down as possible noters.  If so, I'll post here again and let you all know.

We used to have a big grove of black bamboo on our property.  That variety develops a hard black sheen on the outside that is great for use as a noter and can be used as soon as you cut it to size.  It also has a groove on one side that is perfect for resting your finger.

If you Google "true temperament frets" you see lots of guitars with the squiggly frets.  Makes you feel like you poured bourbon on your cereal instead of milk.

I doubt that's what's going on with the Goodwill dulcimer.

Melanie, you deserve credit for trying to learn as much as you can about the dulcimer.  Kudos to you.  But you should also know that you don't have to know anything about modes or about hammer-ons or about chords to play music on the dulcimer. 

Don't even worry about tunings.  If you want to eventually play chord/melody and your dulcimer has a 6+ fret, then tune DAd.  Don't even think about other tunings until you are comfortable playing a half dozen songs or more.  If you want to play in a drone style, then tune DAA and don't think about other tunings for a while.

I just have two questions for you.  Can you tune your dulcimer?  Do you know how to read tablature.  If the answer to both of those questions is "yes," then send me a personal message and I'll give you tab that will teach you a few simple tunes in an easy, step-by-step manner.  It starts with one note per beat, only strumming out, and only fretting the melody string.  Then each version adds just one extra step until eventually you are playing a song with varied rhythm and chords.

If you don't know how to read tablature, let me know that, too. I can share something that will explain it.

I strongly recommend that you think less and play more.  I know it's not that simple, but my guess is that if you just start playing some of the information you've tried to learn now will eventually make sense.

"Do you hear what I hear" is "My dog has fleas" for the dulcimer!  Thanks for sharing that, @john-w-mckinstry.

@RoyB, when I first picked up the dulcimer, I found discussions about modal tunings to be confusing and maddening.  I had a reasonable (though certainly not expert) understanding of music theory but it made no sense to me.  And today, I usually leave discussions about modes to others. I only joined here because your initial question was about an open chord tuning and not really about modes per se.

Why do I find the concept of modal tuning so confusing?  A given tuning is only limited to a single mode if you 1) have no extra frets; and 2) only play the melody on the melody string.  And even then, many folks songs are based on pentatonic (5-note scales) rather than modes, so they still don't correspond to the mode that gives a tuning its name.

Similarly, I found the concept of "reverse" tunings to be wholly unnecessary and confusing.  But the logic is not complicated.  

In the traditional style of drone play, the drones must be the first and fifth notes of the scale. That is why when we tune to the key of D, our bass and middle strings are always D and A respectively, and when we retune, we only change the melody string.  Similarly, in the key of C, the drones must be C and G.

But what if you wanted to play in the key of G?  Your drones would be G and D.  On a standard dulcimer, it would be really hard to tune your bass string to G.  It would either be too floppy to make any noise or you'd break it tuning up.  But what if you switched the order of the drones?  You could easily keep your bass string tuned to D and tune your middle string down from A to G.  Then you tune your melody string to d (an octave above the bass) and instead of a normal GDD tuning, you have a "reversed" DGd tuning.

That's all it is.  A "reverse" tuning just means the drones are reversed.  It's that simple.

I think those tunings listed in the back of the book would be considered "reverse" ionian tunings, correct? CFCC, for example, is an Ionian tuning in the key of F.  What is reversed are the drones, with the 5th on the bass sting and the root on the middle string.

By the way, I just found that comment in the book and am still not sure what they mean by it.  Perhaps the idea is that the open strum in an ionian tuning does not include a "do" on the melody string. As someone who usually tunes to a 1-5-8 or mixolydian tuning, I can attest to how how nice it is to be able finish most songs by lifting up your fretting hand entirely and just resolving to an open strum.  The open strum in an ionian tuning sounds just fine as a chord but doesn't resolve the melody to the root or do the way our modern ears prefer.

I'm not sure what Force and d'Ossché intend with that comment, but both CGG (ionian) or CGc (mixolydian) tunings give us "partial" chords with the open strings.  Both have the root (do) and the fifth (sol) but not the third (mi).

In short, strumming your open CGG strings should sound just fine.

There was a really nice piece by Lindsay Zoladz in the NY Times on Joni's appearance at Newport, celebrating the bravery of an aging woman who recently suffered an aneurism and had to re-learn how to walk re-interpreting her music with a voice a couple of octaves below the voice that made her famous.

I don't think so, Robin.  I remember "A Case of You" and "Both Sides Now" and some instrumental Joni played on an electric guitar.  I don't think there was a dulcimer in any of that.