Forum Activity for @d-chitwood

Sad news to hear.

When I was a wee, new player, I was seeking a dulcimer without the arm-hair raising twang of an apple creek/peer. We had just arrived at the Unicoi dulcimer gathering and the vendors were setting up. 

I approached a young man who had a massive amount of dulcimers as he was selling his father's estate of dulcimers. "Do you have a dulcimer with a rich, almost guitar tone sound?" I naively ask.

He reached into the pile and handed me an unusual looking dulcimer. "How about this one," he says as he hands me a Gallier Star Song.

I had no idea what the star song was. Had no idea there was a multi year waiting list and to most, it was a legendary almost mythical instrument. 

I sat down to strum those heavenly strings and literally every head in the crowd turned. They approached me as one, "Are you going to buy that??" There was an almost panic look on more than one. Now keep in mind I was a new player. I had no idea what was laying across my lap.

But I wasn't a stupid girl and I could see (and hear) there was something special about this dulcimer. "Yes, yes, I am," says me, not having any notion what this dulcimer would cost.

I went back to the young man, "What do you want for this one?" I ask. He didn't know what to say and threw out a low number. One of the teachers had followed me to the table and said, "No...no, it's worth way more than that". So we agreed on a price and I took my Gallier Starsong home. 

For years, my husband would leave his office and come stand in the den to hear the beautiful sound coming from that instrument. 

I said it was sexy with the flirty brows and sharp curves. After some time, the high action proved to be too much for my fingers and I let it go to a new home, but missed that gorgeous tone.

Rest Gary, we'll all be seeing you. Here's my 'Father Get Ready' on Gary's starsong played by a one year player still learning. Whoops, not sure how to attach the song! Hopefully this works. Again, give me grace. I was only one year in at this point, in 2016. 

https://soundcloud.com/dana-leigh-788283265/father-get-ready-gallier?si=8dc81a70d810418896a743b15788db29&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Oh Marsha! Thank you so much! That was great! When I look at the sheet music, there is indeed a lot of repeats. Keep going girlfriend! Can't wait to hear it all!!

I love this song so very much and have spent quite some time trying to find my way around TablEdit, but alas, it's just not happening. The sheet music is readily available. Has anyone tried their hand at this song? It's quite lovely.

Well, folks! It's solved! Joe Collins 'The Banks of the Catawba' It's on his new album The River Runs Through it and it's streaming on amazon music. Wow..

It was one of his free tabs in the past. A nice song!

She suspects that the song came from Anna Berry's 'Soundings' dulcimer book. But she isn't sure. It definitely was a tab my friend was playing

My friend who played it, said it was recorded the day Anna Berry passed away and she is suspicious it came out of her 'Soundings' book. But it's packed far far away and she can't double check.

I just uploaded it to SoundCloud let me see if I can get it on here that way

Well shoot! I've run it past Brian G., Linda B., Tull G, Billy A. No one knows it! Can someone who has Anna Berry (barry?) Soundings book check it? She thinks maybe it was hers.

A friend recorded this song and forgot to notate the name. I've run it past a few friends and instructors and so far, no one knows what it is. Hope you can help!  Dana

Here is a google drive link. I THINK when you click on it, your computer should offer you a play with music player for google drive. That's how i"m able to hear it. First 5 seconds is quiet. 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6vTwCDi-ntaZFNaZzc2T1U4eXVkQ2ZDM1k5U1RUaEV5NTZv

Don Grundy...my mind's eye saw 'DAD (as in Daddy, Father) Tuning and I thought to myself (obviously short on morning coffee) "Awww....that's so sweet! His Daddy tunes his dulcimers for him! I wish my Daddy would do that!" 

James Horner's The Ludlows from Legend of the Fall

I wish I could find a way to tab this song. 

Hmmm....dulcimer tabbed songs, Going Home, Somewhere over the rainbow, Summertime

I just had a couple of friends come over for some look-see at my dulcimers and to discuss playing. She had two dulcimers she had purchased when she first wanted to learn. I won't name the brand but the luthier told her that ALL dulcimers should be five strings. He was adamant about this and when I expressed surprise, the person with her stressed the luthier had a reputation and that he knew what he was talking about.

This led me to wonder. I've been playing for four years. Every friend I know who plays, buys a dulcimer which often comes with four strings, removes the fourth melody string, then goes on playing with three strings.

I have honestly never seen a five string dulcimer and was kind of surprised this luthier stressed this to her... a new player.

Do yall ever see five strings? Why would he have said this? 

So I ordered Terry's new capo and it works fine. The measurements were the same on the Bella, 10" radius FB, same width and heighth. It's easy to use and works fine. It was so nice to finally be able to play with the 4th fret capo'ed. I love this Bella Dulcimer so much that now I don't want to play anything else! 

Definitely the one I just bought. The tone is so beautiful it made me cry the first time I heard it. I can't imagine owning another one that sounded better and also had a 25.5 VSL so that my fingers don't hurt. Love my Tony Vines Bella Dulcimer.

I started with notebooks categorized: Christmas, Hymns, regular. Then they got too full, so I put everything in dropbox then FourScore on my Ipad. I still use a printed paper copy when I'm working on a new song. Just too easy to have it laying out than pick up my ipad and set it out.

Not sure how to do that on here, @gale-a-barr. 

@dusty-turtle, I did see the dulcimer Tony Vine made for Aaron. He had it displayed cause all the other dulcimers got sold and there was just a row of empty stands, LOL. I think Tony did say something about Aaron's being custom made. Tony's guitars are like masterpiece works of art and the dulcimer Billy got...man, oh man...I've never seen anything so beautiful! 

I stayed up late last night playing around and the Ron Ewing capo was working fine and keeping the tune spot on. So for now, I'll stick with that. I did speak with Tony and he said to hang tight that he was making a capo and it would be ready in a month, so I can use it then. 

Hi Brian,

It is 10" fingerboard Radius according to the dulcimer specifics and a 25.5 VSL. I don't know about compound radius.

So here's the thing. I can't feel any type of curve, nor does it look different. All I do know is that the action is low and smoothe and after an intensively insane class with Aaron O'Rourke on flying finger licks, Cindy ran a flying finger test on the fretboard and her eyes flew open wide and she said, "OMGOSH did you see that!? That was so easy on this fretboard!!"

It has the most comfortable feel to it of any dulcimer I've played and I do use all five fingers in chording and barring and whatnot.

I did find out Terry McCafferty also does a radius fretboard. 

Again, I can't see it or feel it. I'm sure there was a reason Tony and Aaron came up with the idea. All I know is my fingers don't hurt at all and I don't find myself wishing the action was lower. 

 I've only had the Mcspadden, Folk Root, Gibson, Gallier, Sweet woods, Modern Mountain & Blue Lion to compare to. So many have hurt my fingers. This just feels ...gentle and easy. I will say one thing...the sustain on the harmonic is insane. I think I heard it still going after I went to bed. 

It's walnut with butternut soundboard. The fingerboard overlay is wenge and the VSL is 25.5. My friend got one of the fancier ones (I think he sold out every single one he brought) and honestly, it was the most beautiful dulcimer I've ever seen. The sound...unlike anything I've ever heard. It made me cry when I played it. It made. me. cry. I looked up at my friend, and her eyes were filled with tears. Yall. The dulcimer made us both cry. 

It will be my keeper for the rest of my life. The tones are stunning. He sells $20K guitars so the man knows high quality stringed instruments. He did something heavenly with his design, gracious alive. 

Several instructors were lucky enough to order or buy one. 

It was a once in a lifetime find. 

But that spider capo, it can go suck an egg as far as I'm concerned, LOL. I'll find which capo works best and go with that. So far Ron Ewings is doing pretty good. 

Hello all!

 This past weekend I got to go to Unicoi festival and it was fantastic! I bought a new dulcimer from Bella Dulcimers and it's the best sounding thing I have ever heard, Lordy mercy! The action is low and so comfortable and the sound...ohmyheavens, it's like angels singing! I have never heard anything like this before and I've owned a gallier starsong which to me, was a gorgeous sounding instrument!

This Bella Dulciner has a radius fretboard, like Terry McCafferty's dulcimer. Tony Vine the luthier (you may be familiar with his guitars?) suggested I use a spider capo and gave me one. I'm struggling on the best way to use it. If anyone else has a radius fretboard, what do you use?

I did put on one of Ron Ewing's capos and it seems to work fine actually. Just wanted to know what yall use if you have one! Thank you!

It seems sometime last year, Bob got to the last person on his list (a friend of mine) and offered her the chance to buy his last built dulcimer. So unless things have changed, I think he has retired. I have heard that his dulcimers sound wonderful, rich and full.

I found him by contacting his brother at the probst furniture company. Rick can be hard to find but his dulcimers are amazing.

Yep. I love celtic songs.

Give me a Blackest Crow, Will Ye No Come Back Again, Dark Island...

I play and pick and play these songs again and again, adding to them the harmony of Greensleeves and a few others. 

I need some more music. If you know the above songs, then you know what I love. Can you please recommend some other possibly little known celtic-y tunes that are haunting or lovely?

I'm happy to pay for tabs. I just need some fresh songs. Thank you, thank you!

Thank you Dusty! That's some great info! Right now, I play mostly in CGC or C#G#C#. I love a lower tuning. Can I get a compensated bridge if I want to change it out?

I just took possession of a Redwood/walnut ginger. It's very nice and has a great tone. It is tuned to G with an extra set of strings, 26, 14, 10. 

My question is...what exactly does the G tuning mean? I realize Mac has you get a compensated bridge if you want it tuned to D. But what does that actually mean?

Can I play DAD tab? How should I tune it? Do I need to change strings to play in DAD? 

Dusty? Ken? Looking for yall to chime in and let me know what exactly I have here. Thank you as always!

We have a new puppy. She is an English Shepherd and her name is Piper Lou. As you can imagine, chaos has reigned in the house since her arrival Sunday afternoon. Our other dogs are kindly tolerating her and also getting annoyed with her fuzzy self. 

This morning, I sat down and began playing Larry Conger's original tune, September on the Mississippi. It was like peace itself fell upon the room.

The lab layed down, the puppy layed down, and best of all and most important of all.....the other english shepherd who has been most annoyed...layed down directly in front of the pup, arms to arms, face to face, totally relaxed with an all-accepting posture and a 'I'm ready to play with you while we lie down face'.

Then they all fell asleep.

This isn't the first time I have seen the enchanting, mesmerizing song of the dulcimer totally change the atmosphere. Such a peaceful, restful tune. 

 PIPER LOU.jpg - 115KB

 Hahaha! That made me laugh out loud!

I'm pretty sure half of you were fiddling around with supper yesterday and looked up from your soup pot, wondering what in the tarnation that bell sound was...that kept going and going and going. The birds flew from the trees, the dog woke up from its nap, haha! 

I confess...it was me.   I just took receipt of my 26" mcspadden and whilst playing around I accidentally hit the 7th fret with the side of my hand. A bell tone harmonic rang out so loud and for sooo long, I gasped! And of course rushed to pull up Larry Conger's Summertime so I could put this new found force of nature to work.

Lord help mercy, the harmonics on this thing!!  Of all the dulcimers that have passed through my hands (folkroots, gallier starsong, gibson, 3 mcspaddens, modern mountain, blue lion) I have never in all my born days heard such a ring!  My other dulcimers pale in comparison. Woo Hoo...thank you Brian G. 

So have at it! Can we talk harmonics? 

Most 'fun' I would have to say 'Nut factory shuffle'. Anytime my playing partner and I get into a 'kerfuffle' with a challenging song, we'll look at each other, grin, and tear into Nutfactory with a vigor, laughing at our confident bravado. I love how loud and in your face this song is and it is a hoot to play! 

So this koa folkroots. I have given it a name. Jimmy Earl, ala James Earl Jones, "Luke I am your Father". The deep, rich voice this dulcimer has blows me away BUT...that longer vsl, I just can't do it. It will go the way of my last two mcspaddens and I will be sticking to the shorter 25-26" vsl. But seriously folks...how did Howard get such a boomy voice outta these things. Nothing comes close. 

I just now received a refund check for my sent-back dulcimer. The builder did find the issue, albeit, twas an odd issue he could fix by changing out bridges, and did so on several others he found with the same issue. They refunded my money minus the shipping. 

I realize I'm going to be a play it before I pay it kind of consumer from this point forward.....when the instrument is over $400.  

Thank yall so much. That is all some great information! 

I have decided to lose all of my longer vsl dulcimers. The Mcspaddens have that traditional 28.5 and the Folkroots has 29 (I think). I do love the sound of the Mcspadden though. I just can't do that longer vsl anymore.

I'm wondering how I would like a 26" Mcspadden. For those who have heard the standard vs the 26" of the Mcspadden, what are your thoughts? Big difference in sound, or just better playability? 

Have you ever had to send a dulcimer back as soon as you got it? WITHOUT NAMING BRANDS OR LUTHIERS, I was curious what caused you to send one back and was the return policy one you could live with.

I just received a dulcimer on Friday and the intonation was off on the bass string on many frets and there was just a funny 'off' sound every time I strummed. It wasn't cheap so I sent it back. (Also since I had mentioned earlier I had ordered a Sweetwoods baritone, I wanted to clarify this was NOT the sweetwoods baritone) 

I'm hoping the maker will refund my funds and not make a fuss. I just know I wouldn't play it. 

Again, without naming names, what has been your experience with sendback?

I was looking at the sweetener aisle this morning and wondered about monkfruit. I have gotten completely away from most all sugar but might want to sweeten an oatmeal crisp fruit dessert and wondered if any of you have ever used monkfruit and if so, what brand or form did you use?

This thread is great! I can't wait to dig in!