Your instrument is gorgeous and there is nothing wrong with it-- the fretting pattern is a pure diatonic pattern. Tune the dulcimer this way: the string farthest away from you (on the bass side) to D and the middle string and melody strings to the A above the bass string. Then, begin playing the major scale at fret 3 on the melody string.
@derik-palmer Welcome to FOTMD! Many of us here well past sell-by date and more than a few have experience with other instruments.
What a great project! Thanks for the posting, Ken-- so good to see!
Doggone cool, John! The new owner is in for lots of fun playing this beauty!
Lisa, enjoy your beautiful Mize!
Ken, I am happy to see your good news!
If PA is anything like OH, the thing which makes a person eligible for helping someone move is owning a pickup truck. It must be different where Dusty lives (than where I live). :)
Kevin, I am not familiar with the maker. Perhaps, over time, you will be able to learn more about Mr. Frazier and his instruments.
I think the basics of what Chick Corea had to say about music applies to porch players, too, in many ways.
Many members who were on Bruce Ford's EverythingDulcimer forum will remember Richard Troughear's sound experiments with mountain dulcimer. The following is a link to a photo and information about the first mountain dulcimer Mr. Troughear built while in military service in Vietnam. (Thanks to Anne Bowman, who shared the link on Facebook!)
Here in Ohio, one festival which was fairly large with well-known players traveling to teach there folded before pandemic hit. The people who organized the festival-- a monumental job-- decided to do so no longer. The folks on the committee were all in the over-50 age category.
Also before pandemic hit, another fest which used to be well-attended scaled way back and, I think, the reasons had to do with all the folks doing the work were older people.
Relatively speaking, the population of the mountain dulcimer world is an older population. There are great young people in the mountain dulcimer world yet the bulk of the population of players of which I am aware is a decidedly older population.
Wow, @steven-berger, lucky you! John fashions those upside down hearts just right and I know it'll sound great.
@kusani I offer my deepest sympathy.
We are snug in the house and prepared for a major snowstorm heading into the region.
Take care, all, and wherever you are, be safe!
Your website looks great, Grant!
That (7-string) fretboard with the fanned frets looks pretty cool and wild!
I'll buy sets of strings in common gauges and packs of singles in light gauges and use whatever I have on hand for a re-string. Using all light gauge, for example, I might have a .014 for melody then .012 for the drones. I always have .022 or .024 on hand for when I want to switch-out a high drone for a low one on the "bass" side of the instrument.
Nate, I believe Randy has built, at least, an instrument or two with wooden frets.
Don plays so many wonderful old tunes, some of which he collected himself from people who have passed from this life. How I would describe what Don does is he plays traditional tunes in an innovative style which conveys both the tunes and the spirit of the tunes as he collected them. He uses the mountain dulcimer as a tool; like with any job, you want to use the tool which best fits the job. Don is a treasure!
So good to hear from you, Ken L-- I admit, I was concerned by what felt like a long absence. I pray for continued healing for you.
Hello, @winks! How exciting to have a Blue Lion on the way!
@adrianne It is nice to get to make connections such as yours with friends any time yet it feels especially important during pandemic. And welcome to FOTMD!
Mark and I go outside and walk almost daily. We drive to a couple spots not far away to get in more challenging walks and to get out of the village for a bit.
@mary-z-cox Violet Juniper is adorable!
Friends, I offer my condolences to those of you who have had loved ones succumb to the ravages of COVID-19. Dealing with the death of a loved one can be difficult any time yet dealing with the death of a loved one during pandemic is harder still. Take care.
I'm happy you enjoyed the video, Nina!
@bob I believe I've seen where some other builders made that same move. I imagine it will feel nice to build on your own timetable.
@Ariane I am eager to hear what y'all have come up with! Such a wonderful project!
You're most welcome, Nina! It can be fun just learning bits here and there of our favorite little instrument. :)
@dulcinina I listened to the interview yesterday evening-- so good! And just watched this YT video (of a song I have from one of their cd's):
Thanks, Nina-- I'll have to check it out!
Jeff Berman & Sue Powers played a little outdoor show with another group of which the are a part, Devilish Merry, in '19 and I got to see them in that yet would also love to see AppalAsia 'live', too.
I just watched this video from AppalAsia this morning and like it very much.
@traildad No, EAA is not 1-5-5. DAA is 1-5-5.
I'm not the best person to explain this because I am, really, a by-ear player. Here goes, though. DAA is 1-5-5 and I will try to demonstrate how this is. To visualize it, hold your hand in front of you, palm side up. Consider your thumb as representing D then think of your index finger as E, your middle finger as F-sharp, your ring finger as G, and your little finger as A. The D you started with (your thumb) is 1. Counting across your fingers in the order stated above, you arrive at your little finger, A, which is 5.
