Forum Activity for @lexie-r-oakley

I am thrilled that you gave your Mom her gift. You are a great Son!

I hope you and your Mom will play for us.

Hi Randy, I am not saying I don't like hearing old time music played chord style, I listen to it all the time.

I am just really liking noter/ drone to play, love the sound.

I am happy for Ken for competing playing N & D also.

Sounds interesting Ken and I am so happy to hear that you will stick to your ol' time N&D and the good ol' songs for next year also.

I think you did really well in your placement, I am not surprised that competitors playing chord-melody style placed higher, seems to be the craze these days.

Will look forward to hearing the songs you chose for next year and see your results!

I, like you am sticking to N & D ol' style cause it is SWEET!

I agree Robert, if you stick with just one tuning, we will not learn what our dulcimer will sound like, and you will not know which sounds the best, also you will not learn about what tuning's your strings will handle.

Yah and so if you break a string, then ya gotta change it, well now we learn how to change the strings.

Tunes sound different in different modes and it is fun to be able to play with it.

This is my relationship with my very "Sweet Lil' ButterNut" dulcimer! I Love everything about it!

Hi Gary, Have you tried playing your dulcimer setting it on top of a table?

This may give you a different sound and maybe similar to having a possum board.

Oh Ken this sounds like I really would love this cd, thank you for your suggestion.

Robert Schuler, I checked out the cd on the DPN site and it is really good.

Thank you for the suggestion, I will enjoy the DPN subscription.

Thank you for the suggestion Robert, I ordered DPN yesterday. Really sounds like a great resource and good reading, good for my Dulci Journey.

Cynthia, I put this book on my tab book wish list and hope to be able to buy it in the future.

Thank you Robin T.; Oh boy they are going on my cd list, for when I get to buy more.

I am listening to MD music in the car and when I do house chores, so I am saturated with sweet sounds.

Sometimes they rumble in my head when I sleep or when it is quiet too.

Thanks Dusty, this would be an interesting choice, I like folk songs and those from HI, seem to be relaxing.

I put this one on my wish list because I believe I have spent my MD Journey money for this month, but I am going to check into this one.

I have ordered 5 cd's, including Jean Richies Traditional book which comes with a cd, all choices from all of your suggestions and I think these will keep me swaying and singing for a time.

Thanks all for your contributions.....My dulcimer Journey is Fun!

Thanks Mandy, I will check out your suggestion.

There are great suggestions that many may like here, I am excited to collect folk tunes running through my head and having the sweet sounds of the MD will be of great benefit for my learning to hear songs and play them. Also it will be fun and interesting to see how my Lil' Girl Friend responds to the sounds coming from Aunties home.

Thanks Joe, Gail, Rob, Robert and Ken;

You all tuned me in on some nice selections and I think I will have enough to listen to while I am driving or dancing with my mop and broom.

Joe the Nashville Dulcimers, was a great find and just what I was looking for with songs I am learning on it and some I don't know yet.

Thank you for the link I am sure other's may have an interest also.

Thanks Robert and Gail for your suggestion.

Robert, I may consider a MP3 player, might work not sure.

Gail, I put the Russell Family on my wish list, I love Galax dulcimer and it sounds like what I am looking for, I am wanting mostly dulcimer alone so I can hear the sweet sounds while I am doing dishes and what not.

What a wonderful resourse Ken, thank you.

I like it especially for the history of the folk songs and I am sure this will give me and others much enjoyment of gathering a verity of folk music I would like to listen too and learn about.

Hi Folks, I am wanting to begin a collection of good Traditional Folk tunes, so I can saturate myself with Mountain Dulcimer music when I am doing house hold chores.

I would like your suggestions, Thanks!

Hi Babs, sorry about the allergy with the tin whistle.

Maybe changing to a Native American Flute made of wood may give you what you got from playing the tin whistle and hopefully no allergic reaction.

Just a thought.

Thank you for sharing your dulcimer Journey Babs.

I too have damage to my joints, but it is wonderful that we can play our dulcimers. I play noter/drone and use a wooden spoon some of the time to add comfort to my fingers.

It is fun strumming along and hearing those sweet sounds and I am happy that it brings you happiness, I know it brings me peace, I use the sweet sounds and activity of playing such as I do for my therapy. And it works!

The dulcimer is so versatile and unique to each person's creativity, I shall look forward to hearing your musical choices.

Have FUN creating those sweet sounds!

Wonderful news Dana, I am very happy you now have this option.

Take care of yourself, you are in my prayers.

That is so great that you played for the folks in the waiting room. I hope the guy picks it up and comes to you for more tunes on it and those who just look at them, well hope you encourage them to get to strumming.

It is a nice way to relax people, I have played mine during my monthly treatment of chemo for RA, it has given those who are feeling bad a smile.

Good Wishes for the possible lessons and your treatments.....will be thinking of you.

Dana R. McCall said:

Lexie the only one that plays is the guy that puts you under for surgery. He has built five and says he plays chord style. The others just have them I told them I'd give lessons. And I have played for the radiation waiting room. Loaned a dulcimer to a fellow patient that wants to learn. He is picking out some hymns by ear.

Wonderful news Dana and so happy you are feeling good. Did you play your Doctor's and Staff a song on your Dulcimer?

It is terrific maybe you will be able to meet with them and play together.

You and your family are in my prayers.

Take care of yourself and your family, sounds like you have had a time.

You and your family are in my prayers.

I have not played a tear drop shaped mountain dulcimer, but have wondered about them so it is a good question.

I have two different sized hour glass shaped dulcimers and I really like playing my shorter one, my longer one slips a little bit, but thus far neither have slipped off my lap.

Interesting observation Linda, nice to know.

Fantastic Cynthia, and love the name of your Club. I wish you much Fun with it.

Cynthia Wigington said:

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.

I just love singing harmony with a bagpipe tuned dulcimer. I'm in heaven. Bless you and this site.

Thanks everyone Babs and all, love your tuning talk, it really helps a newbee to learn and put it into perspective; It put me into experimental mode and I tune to what sounds nice to my ear and each re-tuning I listen to my fret board.

I have kept it simple and have learned major or minor keys. I am not afraid of tuning have learned what my lil butternut dulci can do and respect those limits and haven't broken any more strings, but earlier when I broke strings, it just gave me the opportunity to learn to change them.

With suggestions from other Friends, I have on hand lighter strings and will have no wound bass string and in time I will have 3 dulci's and I believe I will tune in 3 different tunnings.

I don't always comment, but I sure keep up on reading and learning from your responses.

I have gone with your suggestions Ken on the plain strings non wound and I don't have any trouble tuning, but also I just think changing strings are part of the process or breaking strings which I don't do any more. I am sticking with the traditional dulcimers also. I have ordered from Bobby Ratliff and am really looking forward to it.

Ken Hulme said:

I think you're right Noah.

I think it IS propaganda.

And, for some reason, a huge number of players are terrified of breaking a string and having to change it. I'm like you. The strings on my Bobby Ratliff Virginia Hogfiddle have been down to Bbb and up to Gdd numerous times without getting floppy or breaking. But mine are traditional dulcimers and I don't use wound bass strings.

Nope, there's no 'perfect' VSL but I do think that that length is as close as you'll get

Thanks for the video's Mandy. You and the kids did a beautiful song and I think are excellent performers.

I love the enthusiasm of the children.

What a wonderful opportunity for you and the kids, sounds fun.

Mandy which songs did you play for the kids?

Excellent, I love the sounds of your Kantele Cynthia. It is nice to have all three songs in one place.

Cynthia, I loved that song, very pretty to hear the bells.

You are really going on that Kantele and love hearing you play. Keep em coming!

Fabulous Mark, made me want to go visit the Clemmers well at the very least buy one of their dulcimers.

What a beautiful tribute, praying for her family.

Great Mandy, we will be watching for it. Enjoy strumming your sweet dulci.

Mandy said:

Next few days or so hopefully. I'm working on a song I want to play on it now and once I feel it's pretty good I'll post it.

Mandy what a beautiful dulcimer you built. What a great experience to be able to do it in the class.

Really amazing process and will love to hear your dulci sing

You are a sweet lady Lisa, I am happy our Australian Friends have a group of their own. I hope that they will have a great time connecting.

Strumelia said:

Hi all,

You know, I hadn't been aware of this thread until just now, and I did not realize that we have over 50 members on FOTMD from Australia- but I saw that after reading this thread just now and doing an 'advanced' search by country as Mark suggested above. I now see that there are many more Aussie members than I thought, and that you are indeed having a hard time connecting effectively.

Anne did ask me yesterday about having a new Aussie group, and I decided against it, since I am very reluctant to add more new Groups over time.

But you know what? I now think that wasn't the best decision and I can see a real need for this here. I'm changing my mind.

Let me go ahead now and create the new Australia Group for you all, and you can all join up there and dive in.

Hi Anne, I know how it feels to be far away from the dulci groups, that's why we have this fabulous site, so we can connect and learn together.

Anne Bowman said:

Hay LLexie,

Well, there are quite a few other Aussies, but we're quite a distance from one another ...

If you want to connect with folks from Australia, go to member page and in the search box type in "Australia" and this should show you members from that country.

Have fun struming those sweet sounds and hope you can connect to some great folks.

Joe seems that all great craftsman want to talk to their custumers and build them a great instrument, this has been my experience.

I am not familiar with this luthier, but what a nice article about him.

Do you like the sound of your dulcimer? I am glad you were able to talk to the builder.

I am sorry about the crack in your Jeffery's, I hope that Kevin can help you to fix it Pat.

I have a question, How can we prevent this sort of thing from happening to our treasured instruments?

Would regular lemon oil treatments help?

Kevin Messenger said:

No need to tetire the Jeffreys, a sound hole crack is easily fixed. If you can't find someone local let me know, I would be happy to help you out.

Dusty, I just wish I had old fiddle tunes bouncing around in my head.

Sorry can't help, but it is a nice tune and I am sure someone will help you out.