Forum Activity for @mark-gilston

to get chromatic or not

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

It's important to remember that any dulcimer sounds very different from a guitar, so the comparison of a chromatic dulcimer with a 3 string guitar is completely spurious.  In my opinion, a dulcimer is far more versatile than a guitar in terms of varying tonal qualities.  I've played both instruments for well over 60 years, and I can do far more with a chromatic dulcimer than with a guitar.  On the other hand, the dulcimer is easier for a beginner to pick up than a guitar is. 

Another important point is that many of the dulcimer like instruments from Europe are also chromatic and date from at least as early as the 15th century, so the precedent for a chromatic dulcimer is far older than any diatonic American instrument. 

Tab Nonesuch on dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Tab Nonesuch on dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

English Country Dance Tunes for Dulcimer, volume 1  

https://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-gilston/english-country-dance-tunes-for-dulcimer-vol-1/paperback/product-2311230.html?page=1&pageSize=4

updated by @mark-gilston: 04/06/24 05:18:12PM

to get chromatic or not

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

The answer to this is an emphatic "NOT REALLY"  It is true you can play all the notes that you would otherwise play on a diatonic instrument, but regardless of the visual complications brought on by a chromatic fretboard, the REAL problem is that those extra frets mean that you must have WAY more precision and MUCH bigger stretches to play a chromatic, ESPECIALLY if you are playing chords and not just melody.  I find that many of the rules I teach for fingering on a diatonic, simply won't work on a chromatic instrument just because most people can not stretch 2 inches between ring and pinky fingers (I can, but I prefer not to).  Also playing the same tune on a chromatic and a diatonic dulcimer just doesn't sound the same at all.  If you play with any kind of style, whatsoever, then slides become a big part of the music, and they change dramatically when you go chromatic.  (Sometimes it can be to great advantage, but it is simply naive to ignore the change in sound.)

2016 National Mountain Dulcimer Contest results

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I am very pleased to report that I won the 2016 National Dulcimer Competition at Winfield.  Second place went to Cassandra Damper and third went to Wendy Songe.

Mark Gilston
http://markgilston.com/

updated by @mark-gilston: 07/31/23 09:44:51PM

Congratulations, Mark Gilston!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks all,

Here are videos of the four tunes I played in the competition.

Grigsby’s Hornpipe:

Mark Gilston
http://markgilston.com/

updated by @mark-gilston: 09/19/16 01:17:38PM

Looking for TAB for "To Drive the Cold Winter Away"

Dulcimer Resources:TABS/Books/websites/DVDs

Drive the Cold Winter Away is in my book of English Country Dance Tunes for Dulcimer, Vol 1 

http://www.lulu.com/shop/mark-gilston/english-country-dance-tunes-for-dulcimer-vol-1/paperback/product-2311230.html

Here I am playing it so you can hear the arrangement: