Forum Activity for @marg

 Beautiful dulcimers and exciting to have new instruments to make such fantastic sounds with.

Thank you guys, John, Rob, Ken & Guy.

    Your answers was why I placed the question since I feel a good instrument shouldn't be messed with. I am looking at a '81 W. May, you are right on that ken one of Warren's older ones. I was thinking, I wouldn't think twice on a knock around dulcimer to add a fret but one that is well made by good luthier who knows how to make good dulcimers shouldn't be touched. Not for resale but for the value of his art and the dulcimer he made.

   I like the term 'grasshopper' since I may end of becoming one, if I want to play some tunes needing a 6.5. I guess my next question would be, how many traditional tunings are there and what are they?

Thanks again guys,

marg.

With older dulcimers, many do not come with the 6.5 fret.  There is the choice of adding one or leaving as is.

Questions:

Are there any other tunings besides DAA that don't need the 6.5 fret? 

How hard is it to find another note, like middle 9 in place of the 6.5 when playing in DAd? Where else would I find the note to replace the 6.5 in other tunings? 

Can a guitar builder or repair person put a fret in or just better to have a dulcimer maker do it?

Is it better to keep the older dulcimer in it's traditional state and just have another newer dulcimer for playing tunings like DAD needing a 6.5 fret?

George, 

 (I just picked up a couple Warren Mays, and find that they overall have a very mellow voice.)

I am trying to get a W. May dulcimer, I will be in Louisville Jan. 15th and just don't have the time to run over to visit his shop. Wish I could have been in your pocket as you picked out your dulcimers. 

marg.

(belong to a group in Berea, KY)

Yes, Warren May is there, wish he was closer to Louisville since I will be visiting there next week.

    Jan. 8 - ...? there is a winter fest in Louisville, may have some dulcimer builders there. Google Louisville, winter Fest or Jan 8th and see if you find something.

Good luck,

marg.

Thanks Ken, I am on the hunt for a W. May but was just checking info. on Leo since never hear of him. I wish I had time to go to W. May's shop, would love to check them all out. What a treat that would be.

Does anyone know anything about Leo rodder, he is a KY dulcimer builder? I am going to Louisville middle of Jan. and wanted to find a used Warren May dulcimer and came across this one. Still on the hunt for one of W. May's if anyone knows where in the Louisville area I should check.

Thanks,

marg.   

Interesting

    I think we all have our own way of playing, I was saying what mine was - not due to age or medical conditions. I am a visual person, I have done art all my life, now I am playing the dulcimer. It is a wonderful journey and alone the way I'm making sweet sounds.

I think we are all concern when we forget. One of the best things i read, true or not - not sure but if or when we forget things - it is not necessary a form of dementia.   it's when we don't know we forgot something or don't know what, say a dulcimer even is would be a larger concern. Yes we forget as we get older or when we just have too many things going on but i'm hoping it is not an early sign of bigger problems.

    Now me, sorry but I can not play without a tab, no matter how many times I have played the tune. I am a visual person, to say it should come naturally does not work for me. Maybe, if I had been involved with music all my life it would but I am happy to be able to strum a tune with a tab and - the dulcimer and I are happy. 

(Any string tuned up from its recommended tension will sound brighter )

 Good to know, i do like a mellow sound. 

Good luck with all the experiment you will be doing and getting back to building - can't wait to hear how it all goes..

Ok, I worked on the dulcimer some. 

I changed the middle string to the same size as the melody and took off one of the bottom strings.

Put a bit of paper in the grove of the bridge for the middle string and fixed one of the tuner knobs on a peg for the bass so it would hold the tinning.

Little changes but it made a big difference. I'll have to decide if I will just leave the paper or drop a bit of glue in the grove or file the 6,7,& 8th fret but for now the paper works fine.

Thanks everyone

(Have fun and don't be afraid to try something new!)

    I love this and no I'm not afraid, I learn so much about the dulcimer by each of the member's post with all the many suggestions. The dulcimer has a nice response but my problem could be, I just like warmer more mellow tones. 

Thanks for all the feed back, I will continue to try & fine this dulcimer's voice or accept it has what I would think is an old timey sound. Some cords or notes are quite nice and some not so much.

length is a tad under 27". I have checked the string gage. Just wondering if in DAA i should have melody and middle both the same string size? How much does that makes a difference? Or is it not something that can make much of a diference? All good just not the best voice yet.

ken

    it's the red stain dulcimer, I am still playing around with. It has an old time sound to it, which I like but something just isn't right yet with the overall sound. I have put 2 strings back on for a class i am starting today but think it really sounds better with just one on the melody. Since I will be DAA mostlyI was wondering if the middle string should be the same as the melody, that's why I was asking how much of a difference the strings sizes could make. If you can remember from many many years ago, do you recall what size strings you had on yours to make it sing how you wanted?

dan

(many variables that determine the tone of every dulcimer)

Wout

(the different soundbox or wood -  one has to experiment - I mostly play in DAA,)

    I like the 12 string size on melody for my 2 other dulcimers but this last one, an older 1970's dulcimer I'm haven't gotten it to sound pleasig as of yet. I have it tune to DAA and had 1 melody string on it to start but I am starting a DAA class today so put 2 - 12's on. I do feel I liked just the way just 1 string sounded better - maybe because it was thiner or just 1? Since I maybe will play mostly DAA on this dulcimer should I also have the middle string the same size as the melody? Maybe that is where I am running into trouble with the tone.

   Yes, experiment is needed on this dulcimer to find it's voice and that was the thought of the post to see how much of a difference the strings can make.    thanks

How much of a difference does the right size strings have on the tone quality of the dulcimer? 

( Apply pencil graphite on the nut and bridge. That helps reduce breakage)

Why is this? What does the graphite do to help prevent string breadage?

    I am starting a class in DAA but will continue to go to practice that is tune to DAd, I will be changing my strings back and forth often. If this works it will be a great cofort not to be breaking strings alone the way. Thanks for this Robert but how does it work?

 I would like to repeat what dan posted because I agree and thank all who have added to this discussion to help myself and others with this wonderful discovery of tuning possibilities. Yes, it is pure joy and excitment to hear such beautiful sounds.

"I like them all! Finding a sweet spot by experimenting with all the tunings is such a joy."  dan

 Thanks dan but no worries. It's more discoveries than struggels.

 DAc &  DAg ( I am playing the same fret numbers for each tuning)

Are you playing one tab that fits them both?

I do not know how it works that some tunings or modes can create beautiful sounds when playing a certain tab but try it in another tuning or tab and could sound terrible. It was the cord 447 (sorry I can't write it going down)  4 on the base & middle & 7 on the melody -

I was tuned DAC Aeolian mode and playing a DAC tab. The dulciborn tuned CGC is part of the Mixolydian tuning and you can play the DAd tab. Some tunings work with either DAd or DAA tab but DAC seemed to need it's own (not sure really on this but fron tonight that's what it seemed)

I hope you get the answer you are after, I don't know the how of any of this. I am just checking out how the different tunings or keys sound and what tab can be played with them and which dulcimer I have - what sounds better with what tunings. it is all just a learning process for now.

The red stain dulcimer I have, everytime I try a different tuning I come back to DAA thinking on that dulcimer that sounds better and even when I try a new tuning and I have the correct tab to go with it, there are some of the notes that just don't sound very nice at all. But than again, can't say my ears can really pick up on what's right only what I fine I like. 

All the post above in this discussion are a learning guide for me, it's like getting a new puzzle. You have all the pieces but not yet knowing where they will fit or if they will, I am just turning the pieces over to see what I have.

    I tuned the dulciborn to CGC from DAd and it's really nice like that. Tonight I tune my John Naylor to DAC and played 'Greensleeves'. It sounded so beautiful, some of the cords were wonderful when played, a tone I had not hear yet on the dulcimer. I look forward to many beautiful new sounds as I go through the different tunings. 

    There are so many different dulcimers and each member has their own way they like to set them up and play, as someone just learning all the possibilies, I thought this dicussion was a great learning post - giving us insite into the choices yet to come.

Thanks so much, this is vey helpful              and I look forward to trying them out.

ken,       DAd tab - to play any of the Mixolydian Modal Tunings:   AEa, BFb, CGc, DAd, EBe, FCf, GDg     Likewise you can play DAA tab using any of the Ionian Modal Tunings:    AEE, BFF, CGG, DAA, EBB, FCC, GDD

don,       One nice thing though is whether you're in DAD or DAA you can change to CGC or CGG or whatever key you prefer as long as you keep the string values the same (1-5-8 or 1-5-5) and you can still use the DAD or DAA TABs. 

Lexie, thanks - I don't know how to ask questions either but ask anyway and like you, I am so glad we have this site and it's members to help us understand our dulcimer. I have seen some of your post and think you do quite well with your comments.

Thanks linda, when I retuned from DAd to DAA on my red stain dulcimer I did change my bottom string because it was slack. I also put on a bit heavier one.

I am sure I will have questions, even with all the many answers - you are right, depends on the way they are explain ... different angles. When the right way for me to understand is stated and sometimes several times, I finnally start to see.

;-)

Thanks to all of you, I am learning a good bit from this discussion. 

    I e-mailed my dulcimer group I play with last night, if they would like to change tunings to CGc. I am waiting to hear from them but I have the dulciborn tuned to CGc - not the one I take to practice so I'm good with playing with the group in DAd, that's what I am tuned to on my John Naylor dulcimer and the one I used with the group. 

    I have learned a lot from you guys, so thanks again for answering what must seem to you as very simple silly questions - but for me your answers are hugh breakthroughs, so many of the discussions are Amazing Discoveries for me.

ken,

This is great news for me. As exciting as it was today playing in CGc, I can't wait to try each of the tunings and see how they sound. 

One more question, if you don't mind - if I can play DAd in all the (Mixolydian Modal Tunings)

If I am playing with a group, do I need to be tune in DAd or can I be in any of the keys as long as I am playing the same DAd tab?

    Thanks so much ken, I think my days just aren't long enough to do this all in short order. I think, as I am playing with the different tunings I should make notes on which songs sound better with which tuning. 

    Since I need to pratice the songs I have anyway - to be able to do it now with the different tunings will be like a different song each time. 

The more I learn, the more it all gets better :-)

My dulciborn I had tuned DAd. I retuned it to CGc after I tead I can play DAd tab. The cords have different names but the tab is the same. I played all afternoon, so many of the songs I had been playing in DAd I could now play in CGc and many sounded really nice. 

Members that are tuned in CGc, have you played the DAd tabs with the CGc tunning? Anyone in DAd, if you haven't tried CGc yet, do. You wont be changing your fingering but playing everything the same except one key lower - From D to C and A to G

I feel like I made a discovery today, I went back and read the post in this discussion and didn't see anyone had mention CGc can be played with DAd tab. I hope I'm not wrong because it sounded gran.

(Almost everyone today lists tunings from Bass to Melody -- DAA, DAd, GDD, GDg; not the other way around. However, there are still a few older books which list from Melody to Bass, )

Ah, thanks ken. that's it, DDDG should be listed as GDD. 

    I have my student dulcimer tune to DDDG, G on the base.     But my red stain one is tuned to DAA, D on the base.

How do we tell which way to read the tuning so we know we have the right one on the right strings? Seems some we read left to right but some we read right to left.

I should also say Jan, I think all the designs of the 'circle of fifths' are very interesting. They go back so far, a good history lesson. One of the paintings I just finished for a St. Jude donation was a circle design, would be interesting to place a bit of music theory within the piece. 

;-)

    Wouldn't take much to tie my brain up in knots. I think the idea of a 'circle of anything' would have me going in circles and never getting anywhere but thanks for the thought of a merry-go-round ride. I don't even know how many sharps or flats make up what keys or modes, so it wouldn't be much of a ride. I wouldn't even get to start going in a circle other than I have seen the illustration of the 'circle of fifths'.

    Everyday I am learning something new but I am still just a happy infant crawling alone with my dulcimer. 

"double box instruments"

If the dulcimer has a hard case, should it still be double boxed or just good box with padding?

Do you find one company is better than another for shipping? Reading the post sounds like maybe UPS is better than the others. Has anyone ever have UPS help pack the instruments and would they do a decent job of it? Or - are their boxes to thin?

My dulcimer handbook, i revisited and went over it's info on tunings and it's starting to make sense.

Any idea how many tuning there are, or could be?

When I was playing a song in DDDG,  I notice the melody line tab was also DAd.  Haven't checked yet if it was just that one song or you can play with either tab.

Yes, all OK.

    I enjoy the dulcimer, the known and the unknown, the simple and the complex. I am different than I was and yet, I am the same. My playing was nothing and now it is something and one day will be something else, hopefully better than the day before. Much in music I don't know but I know it's warms my heart & soul and it draws me into it's web.

  I'm content    -     'and that's OK'

ps: I counted about 36 tunings mention in the post, yes we are all different and each very unique. It's been a good discussion and a new interesting discovery.

(Tuning a Dulcimer using a Keyboard )

wow, this is so simple, so great to see it like this. I am a visual person, so I will be keeping the tabs. No, I don't paint by-numbers but I do paint. Enclosed is a quick small drawing of a heron fishing, if only I could jazz up my playing lke I can throw things into a piece of art.

Thanks for the site for this illustration.

 Untitled-1.jpg - 187KB

It is interesting the many differences that can be achieved by eaçh person.

I saw that Strumelia has her dulcimer tune an octave highter than mine also but she says she likes hers high and we would probably be an octave lower. Could it be if you play with a noter you are tune highter than if like me i cord or finger dance? Or is it I just like the sound of the lower octave?