Forum Activity for @lexie-r-oakley

Yee-Haw! 

My main aspiration is to play my dulcimer's every day, to listen carefully and learn how to add my own touch to each song.

I want to continue to play the songs I know to keep up my skills and to work on my memory so I can play without tab.

I want to learn from other's and become more comfortable playing in front of others and work more on playing by ear. 

Playing my dulcimers and the helpful folks on this site have greatly enriched my life. Thank you Friends, who have taken the time to teach me about the MD and it's sweet music.

Rest in Peace John P. 

Oh I feel a little sad today, however I have been listening to my playlist of John P's music and remembering his gental way of guiding me to hear the sweet sounds. I have been recalling the demo songs he would post for us in audio and how it was slowed enough so I could attempt to pick out the melody along with him, as if he and I were face to face and yet we were across the pond from each other.

I will remember his love for sharing this beautiful instrument and all the encouragement he gave us.

John's music will live along with us, He gave us a beautiful gift and we shall remember his life with appreciation and Love.

Thank You our Friend!

Really impressive, I am fascinated and plan to watch those videos.

Very beautiful Brian, you have me fascinated. Thanks for the demonstration.

Happy New Year My Friends!

I will pop in occasionally this month. I have been staying at my Mom's during her hip surgery and recovery. It is closer to go to the facility to see her and an easier drive. Mom is doing her best to get up on her feet, she has some troubles still but is doing a little better each week.

I am always happy to see and hear from you all; Wishing you all a prosperous New Year.

Blessings to each of you. I have missed you! 

The Anticipation of it's arrival is a big deal. Congratulations David, your new dulcimer sounds like a beauty. Will be looking forward to pictures and hearing it. 

 Brian, you got me excited to hear the harp dulcimer, John Doan is a pleasure to hear. Thanks.

I have not seen a harp/dulcimer, Brian perhaps you would demonstrate playing it sometime. Both are beautiful instruments.

Rob that was an amazing report of your time at Hindman, so happy you did so well with your classes and glad you enjoyed it all.

I would so love to be able to make it all that way to soak up all the history of the mountain dulcimer and meet all the great people who keep it singing today. It especially is a dream of mine to meet some of our members/ Friends and learn from you and play a tune with you.

Thank you Ken, Rob and Robin for sharing your time there and Ken thanks for the wonderful tour of pictures. 

Hi Susan, I am the Fothmd member Strumelia suggested to chime in.

We are a wonderful group because everyone is so encouraging for a person to play the MD the way it suits you comfortably and everyone has great ideas to help people to do juts that. You might also check out the group for "Challenged Players" my story is there with ideas also....

I have Rheumatoid Arthritis which challenges my hands, I have found that I enjoy playing Noter/Drone style, choosing the pick helps and I wear hand splints. The splints relax my hands so pain does not cause shaking or cramping.

It sounds that you are helping your friend come up with a solution which makes her more comfortable. 

Let us know how it is going for your friend and the solutions you come up with to help your friend play comfortably.

Thanks Rob, nice of you.

Nice feature Lisa, and thank you for working this all out for us. 

Sure makes for a great conversation piece, ye guys!

Patricia, I truly enjoy your pod-casts, how you introduce people and their creative ways of enjoying our magical dulcimer and the variety of music it brings us.

Thank you for your strong support of the mountain dulcimer.

Good idea Robert. Looks like this will work well when you play your psaltry.

Really happy you enjoyed the Ledford Festival Dana. Would love to be there one day!

Sending you big  Hugs Dana, Happy you are involved with life and music fun again. Your family continues to be in my prayers.  Sending you Love....

Very beautiful instrument, I am inspired along with you.

That sounds fantastic Robert.

http://thedulcimerhymnal.com/resources/media/9._Come_Ye_Sinners.pdf ; this is the hymn you were looking for.

http://thedulcimerhymnal.com/resources/media/9._Come_Ye_Sinners.pdf ; this is a good hymn recource. 

Yes Marg, please continue to ask questions, those of us who have little or no musical experience at times don't know what question or how to ask a question.

There are many of these types of discussions I study and refer back too, take notes on so, I will gain at my understanding of my dulcimer and how to play and tune it. Many of us only have the folks on this site to help us learn.

I think we would be surprised how many new players pour over old disscussions to gain knowledge and not know what to ask.

Great sounding guitar good tunes and loved your singing along. Very much enjoyed hearing you play.

I have one by Robert Schuler and Kevin Messanger and they are the best workmanship and sound, I am very happy with them both. You can talk with either fellow right on this site and they will treat you right.

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/  Marge, have you seen this site, there are many tabs and information.

To change a tab from DAD to Daa just add 3 frets.

There are lots of tab sites out there, I have filled two binders by printing them off.

There is also much information on modes and tunings by Ken hulm, Robin Clark and others on our site, they are all accomplished musicians who can help you better than I, I have very little music experience.

Have Fun with your Dulci Journey! 

Wonderful Ken, it is great you all met and got to play music on Jim's porch.

Ken, so happy you are down to meet Patty, Jim and Rob, hope you have a good time jamming n eating guys!

Fantastic Debbie, so glad you got to go to the festival and come home with lots of tips to practice.

I received my mini universal tuner, it is tiny and clips on, works fine. Kind of convienent and I really like the red and green lit up bars it shows, easy to see and use.

Hehee, I just ordered a flute for myself and one for Lil' Girly from High Spirits, mine is white ceder in medium tone "A" a "Sparrow Hawk" and Girly's is in Birch a high "D" called "Kestral" each are 6 hole but one can be covered up. We shall get them in 5 days or so and I will let you know how we do.

I am thrilled, I want to have this be a thing we can do together and create music together.

Thanks for your help Ken, to let you all know I took all the strings off, but replaced them one at a time, I began with bass, then outer melody so the bridge would be held in place on either side, then I added the other melody and middle string.

It all worked out and I mark it to something wonderful about this dulcimer, new to learn and I will get used to it. 

Thanks to all who helped me work it out, it is terrific that it helped others also. That's what we are hear for.

Has anyone thought to make pvc dulimer stands, I am going to work this out maybe. Just a thought.

You got a great dulci Marg and a good deal. You'll have it singing and I hope we will hear it.

Thanks I really don't intend on glueing my bridge down, just will learn about it.

Good luck on your session next week and welcome to our wonderful site. Sounds like you have a great beginning to learn noter/drone style. Mostly, just have fun!  Happy Strumming!

Hi D-Chitwood, I think I am going to learn about just having a floating bridge, when I know where I want it to tune and adjust it I think it will work fine and make the instrument flexable to maybe add heavier strings to change the sound. I am not ready to do anything crazy so I am keeping to similar strings for adjustment and tuning.

Thank you for the suggestion, gluing it down is one suggestion that I may consider some day.

Liked the 2'nd part of Schienholt, great interview Ken. It is really interesting to learn so much history of this instrument, too bad there is not more music from the past. Maybe you'll find someone who knows of the music through the podcasts.

Hay Jan, Sam and Bob R. thanks so much for joining our wonderful moderators team. I appreciate all the work you each do and keeping us all in line is a great job cause we are a wonderful group of members. Keep up the good work and don't let the "SPAMERS" INTO OUR WONDERFUL SITE!

Hey Patty, Dan, Prestine 2, Dusty and Bob R.; I knew ya'll would come through for me and help me lean about my new discovery of a floating bridge on my Robert Schuler dulcimer.....You guys are the  Best!

Well Robert Schuler has a saw marking where he placed the bridge that I can use, I am happy you offered me the video, thanks Dusty. Robert told me to loosen the strings when adjusting the bridge, but will see how this works when I tune and may use Prestine2's suggestions also.

I now have a clear picture why people use a floating bridge, mine is unnotched, but with it I can be flexable about using different gaged strings if I want and experiment some with it.

I will be puting on 0.18 for bass and middle strings and 0.11 for the melody strings and see how I like this. I will let you all know how I like this and how I do with adjusting and all....Thanks to all you great Friends for your suggestions and help.

Nice picture (Avitar) of you Patty. Thanks for the information about your floating bridge.

I was surprised when changing my strings, that my bridge came off. It is kinda trinangular shaped made of wood and has a saw mark where it is to sit that I need to line it up before I tighten strings. The Dulcimer was made by Robert Schuler and he also told me that I can use heavier strings and adjust the bridge to get the sound I want or to change my tunings.

Apparently, the floating bridge makes my dulcimer more versitile.