Forum Activity for @cynthia-wigington

Roof raking at zero degrees has become an exciting and uplifting event during covid. Even thought about visited a neighbor who moved away a year ago and recently returned. What was he thinking anyway? This is the perfect place to live! And I discovered many new herb teas that are healthful, refreshing, give give me something to break up the day and mail to friends to have a cup of tea together over the phone. Then folks have something to look forward to. Oh, and more Duolingo languages - I actually got through the new Finnish course 4 times, and all the Scandinavian languages as well. Think Danish hyggelig,,,

Ken I'm so grateful to hear that you are home and recovering. You were missed here and, I know, got many dulcimer prayers...and a few more from the ukulele players. I read your note on here as it gently snows in Vermont.

Clawhammer banjo is the one that grabs me, and I used to play it. If I had a gourd with nylon strings I'd be playing it right now! About happiness and instruments...gotta add ukulele...yep, just gotta. Beautiful Lisa. I really love the Sacred Harp tunes on clawhammer banjo. Listen to the Banjo Apes do those. Wish I hadn't sold that banjo.

That worked. Nice. What does it mean, her Soundings book? Maybe she was improvising?

Didn't work that way on my Mac - please do record it if it's so beautiful...whenever you get back. And thanks, have a good trip.

Dusty, can you play a short clip of it for us non-downloaders? Pretty please...

Now you have me curious but I don't want to download it...hope someone IDs it.

Aw, this will bloom into so much joy for everyone and you! You're awesome.

Rob this is quite beautiful, so thanks Carole and Rob. I played the first DAd version and found it fine as I'm sure the rest are.

Looks beautiful Ken, would love to hear the sound it makes.

Just go ahead and play noter/drone whereever you're tuned - most guitar/uke players will quickly find the key and join in. I was surprised to hear someone playing drone style with a guitar player playing with full chords, but by God it worked and I thought it sounded great. The dulcimer is just the coolest instrument. I someone else if playing the dulcimer, just let them start, find the first chord and your off. It's fun and it's easy, don't complicate it lol.

JH, like riding a bike, or...you were on that bike on the cover right? Making hay here in Vermont while the sunshines.

Lisa that was the face I saw, have I gone senile?

My oh my John you handsome handsome marvelous man you! Isn't this just the way it should be seeing you on that cover!

I enjoyed this again this year, so thanks for the reposting. The Christmas/Solstice season is most fun for me when I stay in the here and now, and don't go wandering down memory lane. 

I honestly believe Oliver was one of the rare Buddhas who walk humbly among us. He would have laughed had I said that to him, and yet, after talking with him, on one occasion him reading off the entire list of categories in his book collection, or telling me his schedule for the foreseeable future, or what he had for lunch, or the turtles for breadfast, I always felt better afterwards, somehow armorized to face whatever was coming my way. Sharon you're in my heart and my prayers. I'll never forget you dear friend thank you for all.

John my deepest sympathies for you and your family. You are such a devoted and wonderful person and I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. We all love you. Condolences also to your children. 

...and play a few hymns too, they (we? lol) love some hymns mixed in. Love you old pal, take care of yourself.

Yes, well I had a brand new looking 30 year old one - at least until I started using it as a possum board lol. Robert also makes a good possum board - and much better looking than the ironing board.

Vicki, I used a small ironing board with a couple of pieces of wood which worked great. Also a walnut board with a couple of pieces of wood with rubber bands around them to hold them on. Frankly the ironing board worked better lol.

Deeply shocking and sad to learn this news. We had such wonderful and fun exchanges. I can't believe it.

Thanks so much John, Sheryl and Lexie. John - I think it's more being able to actually play the guitar, and get a key that works for my voice. The mansion, ROFL, I'll have to put a sign at the end of the driveway. ...just don't trip over the chainsaw coming in the door!

Thanks for the nice comment Oliver. New link for Careless Love on uke:

Thanks Rob. It's getting tougher to find any sweet spot. Glad you played along on dobro, it's the highest compliment.

New link to St. Louis Blues by WC Handy:

Robert you're driving me wild with your dulcimers - I've always been a sucker for rope bindings, think they are so elegant, with with JI too? Eh...if that one is ever missing, I may have borrowed it for a 3 am dulcimer fix... congrats.

Ibanez Artwood parlor tenor guitar. 5ths tuning, but tuned down a step. I like this tenor guitar quite well and did a short bit of review and play of it.

This is a lovely possum board indeed, and really suits Robert's dulcimers. It did not fit any others I have, so guess you'd have to send him the right measurements.

Yeah, I thought she would buy it, she sure liked the sound of mine.

Sounds very much like the first one I bought from you Robert. Now, I hope you do keep the 2nd until you can build a third!

I got a fun little stick called a Zither Heaven Rock-It Stick. They have a web site, and they are also on amazon. I have a clip of Farther Along using it. I like it. It's quite inexpensive.

I think easier is for you to have a book with dulcimer tab and chords, and she can play along as you play the chord/melody. To me this would be a giant headache to do this list. I play uke, and basically can play on sight the chords for any song anyone hands me. I cannot do this on dulcimer. It's difficult to find tab for modern songs for dulcimer as they are under copyright. This may not be what you wanted to hear though...

Looking forward to getting this Thursday, and plan to do an unboxing video, so people will see what they will get since you are planning to build several of these. I may just buy the lot! Thank you Robert.

When Robin said the drones had to be able to tune, DDd sounded like the most obvious successful tuning. Can't help it, I like it, it does something for me. Greta used to stop me from playing, would say enough noter, going nuts - she has not stopped me once with the JI cardboard even. Interesting isn't it? No matter how I'm tuned. Animals know.

Very interesting. And I guess if the ET folks are off all the time, some of the JI folks can be off some of the time, LOL

robert schuler said:

So what if you take your JI dulcimer to the club and everybody is boiling there cabbages in DAd ?. You can tune to DAd. The only note thats really sour is the E at the first and eight fret when played against the drones. Others like f#, d, a are sweeter than a Jersey peach...Here is a clip of sweet & sour liza jane... As I play the scale note the E, and the C is natural since no half fret. One trick I learned from fiddlers is to play fast and nobody will notice if your out of tune ...

What about Chords?. Mostly they sound ok just a bit new age . The A is a bit sour. In the clip Bile them sourkrauts down, I play the A as 1-0-1 then with the C# 1-2-1 followed by D, built up 5 ways followed by G 3-0-0 and 0-0-3. Anybody who plays more than three chords is just a showoff . Im a lifelong dedicated ND man so my chord playing is a bit sloppy. But I think DAd tuning is not out of the question on this instrument... Bob.

Robert again, sounds so fine. I agree about the healing soothing sounds of JI, even on that simple cardboard one I got, and it gives it a more old-timey sound too to me. People start smiling the second they hear that sound.

Robert so good to hear what these, or this just intonation can play. One more in EAA and you'll have demonstated ionian, dorian aeolian and mixo. What more could anyone want?

Your just dorian sounds better than my equal dorian...can it seriously also play DAc and sound OK?

This sure does sound fine Bob, and you are a fine player as well.

It sure looks to be a beauty Bob. I hope you post a clip so we can hear this one and your butternut.