Forum Activity for @cynthia-wigington

Aw how sweet of you. It's a beauty and I think he is brilliant to have a 7 day return policy if it's not what you want. Makes you more willing to take a chance on him. PLEASE give it to her now, by Mother's Day she'll be giving you a nice concert!

Thanks Ken, those are both great songs.

Congrats. wondered what your two tunes were this year?

My favorite dulcimer CD is the one that came with the book Celtic Songs and Slow Airs (Mel Bay). I got the book about the time I got the McSpadden kit and listened to it all the time I was building that dulcimer. It is not only some of the most beautiful singing and playing I've heard, but the book has all the music and tab to it. I've learned many from there. Neal Hellman is the author of that book. Slow and lovely...

Thank you. I am already haltingly starting a bim bim BOM Dulcimer Club here. Attraction rather than promotion I always say. I have to give you this link because it's under copyright, but this is the fruit of kind James Phillips, played on his Cox zither pin, bagpipe tuned Ccc, which seems to have dropped to AAA.I bought this and another Cox from him tuned equidistand DAdA.

You go girl, and have fun. I am a 6 month old dulcimer player and loving it. If I can help you in any way I would be glad too. You certainly did not offend me. I love N/D though, and highly encourage you to play much DAA. No reason for that tuner to stick in DAd unless you super-glued it there. I started with a DAd tuned dulcimer because that's how the cardboard kit came, they recommended First Lessons book, and the only club in the state is mostly DAd. I've always loved minor songs and quickly latched onto Shady Grove DAc. Then came up something I wanted to play which was in DAA. I tuned down the 1st string and went for it. So I was on my way, but got quickly tired of retuning all the time. And I wanted a real wood dulcimer and built the McSpadden black walnut kit. It came with an ionian string set, DAA so I put them on, and was just thrilled at the sound on that one. It has a real long string length, so would be impossible for me to chord on anyway. Then I discovered DAG, a nice minor. Anyway, it went on from there, but I began here. Best of luck to you, and let me know if I can help. I like having 2 dulcimers: one tuned DAd, that I drop to DAc for minor, and one DAA that I drop to DAG for minor. Less tuning more playing, and, for what it's worth, haven't broken a string yet. You have fun.

Noah, the short answer to this is yes. I bought some used dulcimers, don't have spare strings for them, so yes. Early on someone said, "Buy a pound of strings and have fun." I would rather not. I'm glad you are not afraid to break strings, so what I would like to ask you it to do this: On that dulcimer, 28 1/2 vsl, with your 12-14-22 strings, tune each string up until it breaks. Play it on the way up, until you feel it's not so comfortable anymore, and let us know your results. You have no idea what a help it would be.

This is the 11th or so stringed instrument I've learned. They all had specific tunings. Even the guitar, mostly I went down or up a step and that was it. So yes this is new. You learned from your grandfather. I am in the woods here in Vermont, with the closest club an hour north, who mostly, 95% say, play DAd. Sometimes DAc a bit DAA. I am about to order one, with spare strings, and ask him specifically what he thinks is a comfortable range for the strings, so I have a better idea. This tuning all over the place is the heart of the traditional dulcimer, but new to me. Some real help here would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you Lexie, I'm so glad Lynn Austin is building these now.

Vermont Kantele Maker

Just as I thought, Lynn Austin of southern Vermont has a new 5 string kantele up on ebay for sale, her second one. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist making them. And it's a beauty, for all of you who want to enter this wonderful world.

Thanks Lynn, I couldn't have done it without you. There are tunes here, so I'm wondering whether it's the bells or the old Finnish tune you're talking about...wait until you hear Supplication with improv. and...I'm thinking soundholes...cross with thorns maybe?

Aw shucks Patty thanks, I do work hard at things though...sure am loving that instrument though.

Steph thank you, I sort of did this one so people thinking about it can hear what you can do with the 5-string. It is not tab, it's music, but not so hard to learn 5 notes if those who can't read music. Lani's first book teaches that and she has several, so for those who don't play by ear, you'd have plenty of music. She seems to be the only one writing books for it.

Thank you Lexie, that is the song that bewitched me first, and now playing that simple 5 note song, I'm even more convinced there's a lot of magic in that strange instrument...I think you might just have some fun with a 5 string. I may actually learn to make them. Never know...

Here's s sweet Finnish folk tune trad. played on 5 string kantele, which I'm playing on my 10 string as I don't have a 5. This is something not so do-able on a noter/drone dulcimer!

Supplication (Sacred Harp)

and my first song played a couple of days after I got it:

I'm having fun with my 10 string kit from Musicmakers made by Lynn Austin.

OK, I'll take it. I love the almost elliptical shape. Very sexy indeed!

Hi Monica. I'm fairly new too. What I did was find an easy one for finger-picking, settled on Be Thou My Vision. I think the free tab is on Jerry Rockwell's site, and my video of it after I'd been playing about a month is on here too. Have fun now.

Dusty, I'm looking at that one too...
Dusty Turtle said:

James, perhaps I'm too late to this conversation. Interestingly, I am in the same boat in that I want to buy a decent ukulele but I can't afford the really fancy ones. I Have a few ukuleles that I consider more toys than instruments.

But my gut tells me to stick with Oscar Schmidt for autoharps and get a ukulele by a one of the companies that specializes in ukuleles, such as the brands filipinouker lists.

For the record, within the next week or two I hope to buy this Riptide concert uke from a local music store that also hosts my local dulcimer group meetings.

As you know James, I own this one, and it is my best uke. Uke friend Ron also thinks it's my best one. I like it, nice to play, nice sound, and I can be heard in uke club. My others get drowned out in the buzzing...

I just built that kit, and it comes standard with McSpadden Ionian strings - 1st-3rd .012", 4th .022. Those gauges sound absolutely fantastic on it and the strings tension feels correct when fretting it. I will sometime string it Mixolydian tuning, Dad, I think their set has .012 for 1st and 2nd, .012 or .014, not sure for middle and .022 for bass. You could always order the strings from them and they will say, Daa or Dad probably. Anyway the Daa set is spot, just love those.

My very favorite noter/drone players here are John Henry and Robin Clark. It would be helpful for you to watch their videos. I think you picked the right style to get into this instrument the fastest way, and it's a blast.

Hi Ruth, the bridge is the high one. It was my post, but I had put part of a song on it that is under copyright and had to remove it.

I still don't have mine set up right, but I can tell you what I did wrong: I sanded from the bottom. Now I would sand from the top instead. OK? Sorry that came down when you needed it!

Regarding strings, I had never put any on a dulcimer before, I just left some slack and yes that action is going to be high. You can still see that video on youtube under my name to see how high the action is, under my name Folkcraft Cardboard Kit dulcimer. Don't dare post actual link.

James, I'm not positive, but if you're using the version on E.D. I think it's 2x then 4x.

Michael, when are you leaving to go to McSpadden? I'm getting a baritone with the 11/2 and 81/2, possibly tomorrow. After I get my hands on one, I'll let you know if I find it troublesome. At this point I want it and was thrilled to find this baritone was made that way. I do think it will be handy for the minor modes. However, to keep things simple, I've been using a capo a lot on the stick and loving all the different keys I can get. Besides, don't you think you're going to need another trip next year to each get one with the 11/2? If one is good, two is better, right? . Anyway, can't wait to see what you two come home with.

I don't know how to tab this and post it, but I will get you playing this tune even if we go one note at a time - promise!

Lynn, I am really new but heard this haunting air many years ago sung a cappella. I just put up the video I did for it. I did it DAA tuning, with the melody starting on the A string 0123 2 3 4 4 31, then on the low D string 3 4 4 4. I think you can get the rest. I didn't tab it out. The best thing about it is that it only needs the drone strings, no chords as it is sung a cappella (just the voice alone). Hope this is helpful to you, I've always loved this tune.

I don't know if this will help you, but I just got a set of these the other day and here is the info on them:

Loop end, .023 wound, .014, .010. They say also that their strings provide a chenille wrap to cushion the spot where the string crosses over the end of the instrument. They also say you can get them by mail from them for $12 US postpaid. IF NEEDED you can unwind the chenille from the old string or use yarn or a pipe cleaner if you get strings without chenille from a store. If necessary, you can use strings .001 larger or smaller . A light gauge 5-string banjo set will give you 1 of each string you need for the Strumstick. Ha! That should give you all you need.

Thank you all for this. I looked on both sites for the Stew-Mac kits and they were never mentioned. It's probably food to have this up somewhere so others can reference it. I like the David Lynch idea. Really appreciate you guys commenting, it's just amazing how quickly the info showed up! I hope I can help others out too as I get more into this.

Someone has offered to build me one of these who has built beautiful guitars before but wants experience building a dulcimer from a kit. He said that if I bought the kit he would build it, but I can't find anyone who knows anything about this kit. If he is willing to build a decent dulcimer for me, I'd like to get a great kit that he could feel good about too, good instructions, quality materials etc. So, does anyone anywhere have any experience with this particular kit? Thank you for reading this.

Thank you so much for this, I subscribed. I got a book of kantele songs called Fishbone from kantelemusic.com. It's very nice, now I just need to add kantele and voila. I wish someone on here would start making 5 stringed ones.

If he knows D,G and A chords he can play with you.

He can capo 2 and play in C - CFG, which will please him.

If you have specific questions on specific songs, I'll help you if I can.

CGC tuning for you is fine too if you mostly are going to be playing with him.

Have fun, I do this all the time and they sound great together.

Vielen Dank! Ich glaube dass ist Wahr! I really appreciate your input here. Love your site - especially the yellow one, fantastisch! Wenn I got into dulcimers I didn't know if I would like it or not ( was ein Dumkopff nicht, what's not to like?), so I got the cheapest thing I could find, a cardboard kit. Had I known then what I know now, I would have simply mortgaged the house! I had a lot of fun living in Germany teaching guitar and doing lots of concerts. It was the best musical time of my life, well wait, these dulcimers are pretty fun too...Glad you're on here. Oh, I was in Oppenum am Rhoi.

Peter, the book looks very precise, German-like, and well done. The only change I would make is getting rid of all the exclamation points. I'm hoping to acquire one of these someday. The old Finnish music really intrigues me. I'm thinking an 11 string is what I want. I don't want to jump like I did with the dulcimer, but wait until I know a little more about it. Thanks for doing the book, especially the chord charts are helpful, very thorough, very nice.

Peter dass interessiert mich sehr, ich werde dich gern feedback geben als ich dass tue. Vielen dank, ich brauche zuerst ein Instrument. Du bist etwas, menschens Kind.

I just realized you did I Moved Through the Fair. It's amazing.

These are to lovely Guy. Watching your fingers in the first one was like watching ballet.

I meant "She Moved Thro the Fair" DAaa