Dulcimers and their sound - makers
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Have you ever heard a Probst?
Forum Activity for @robin-thompson
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Have you ever heard a Probst?
If You Don't Somebody Else Will
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thanks so much for the kind comments, friends! My favorite dulcimer players in the whole world can be found right here at FOTMD and y'all are among them! :)
Since noter play is all I can do, this little observation may be off- base. . . Yet, here goes! :)
It seems that some styles of dulcimer play can be approached more on a note- by- note basis (with both the right and left hands) while tunes played with a noter are more easily approached by working with phrases, series of notes. And a noter player has to know a tune well enough in order to decide how to create good phrases-- when to strum/not strum and how to use slides-- to best emphasize the tune. Sometimes, I'll record myself and notice I haven't strummed enough in a passage and expected too much from the sounds got from the slides to convey the melody. There are also times I strum too much and don't use slides to the best effect. And sometimes I need to let there be space-- not a rest, necessarily but a little breathing room. . .
As Randy indicated, some slides are harder to get clear tone out of than others. I've been working on Fisher's Hornpipe this summer and the A part is hard for me to play cleanly consistently to phrase it just the way I want to. There are plenty of challenges, fun challenges, in sliding a stick along a string to help make sounds!
PS- I, obviously, don't know correct musical terms to explain things musical. So, if what I wrote above makes half sense or no sense at all, please feel free to keep on scrolling. :)
If You Don't Somebody Else Will
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Steph, I can't take any credit for Billy since it's a trad tune. :)Randy's fantastic flat- picked version is a YouTube favorite of some players here in Ohio who are familiar with the tune. They know the skill required to do what Randy did with the piece!The tricky part for me of playing Billy with a noter is that run up the fretboard in the first section of the A part. I can only get it to sound half decent about half the time. ;) It's a timing thing that I can't think about too much or rush too much. Too much thinking is bad for my health, anyway. Haha!
Geekling said:
That couldn't have been easy to play--I know I certainly couldn't! I'm particularly partial to Ridin' the Zigzag and Wobble Railroad.
It's both fun and traditional-sounding, and it has a great title!
If You Don't Somebody Else Will
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Randy, you are the first and, I'm thinking, the only person I ever heard play Billy in the Lowground on MD. Since you flat- picked it and it's got lots of notes (Mark flat- picks it on guitar) I thought it was a tune I could never manage on dulcimer. Once I got rid of that droning fifth (by going with the CcG tuning), it worked for me. I played this with a fairly stiff quill-- it sounds different yet with a more flexible quill or one of my big homemade plastic picks.
Y'all are so nice to take the time to listen and comment, friends. I'm going to even risk seeming sappy and let y'all know that I have great affection for my music friends, many of whom I've never met in- person.
Do your pets enjoy your playing?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Our dog can take our music or leave it. There's no accounting for her tastes in music. :)
Though I have all my digits, I have physical problems with my hands. For picks, I cut large ones out of plastic lids and use quills, too. Both of these give greater points of contact with the hand than smaller picks of whatever type. The more points of contact my hand has with each type of plectrum, the better it is for me physically.
I'm happy to see you're going to explore further options, Julian!
Oh, Julian, I am so very sorry and hope your healing is progressing well!Though I do not wish to presume anything, there are various styles of dulcimer play which could, perhaps, be managed if you wished to explore options for playing mountain dulcimer.Again, I'm sorry about your accident! Take care.
There's nothing like getting to play music on your porch! Enjoy, Donna!And Kate has located information on Mr. Dunkle. It's always special to learn of the builder.
updated by @robin-thompson: 02/16/16 11:48:13PM
Enter FOTMD's 5th Birthday Pickled Dulcimer CONTEST!
OFF TOPIC discussions
Yay, FOTMD! I <3 this place!
Enter FOTMD's 5th Birthday Pickled Dulcimer CONTEST!
OFF TOPIC discussions
Yay, FOTMD, and congratulations to the winners!Happy strumming to everybody here!
... ain't skeered ... <:)
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hey, I neglected to make clear in my earliest response that I assumed Sam's intent is to play the melody on the string closest to his body!
Yup, what folkfan said!
Someone needs to put mittens on me before I ever attempt to answer a music question! :)
... ain't skeered ... <:)
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
You're welcome, Sam! Just know that even I wouldn't take anything I say about music as gospel. ;)Hugs to you and yours!
... ain't skeered ... <:)
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
In DAd, you start open. So, to play notes below that d melody note, you catch them on the middle and bass strings (as opposed to beginning at fret 3 out of DAA, a tuning which has a bit of real estate under the melody string below the third fret.)DAC is a great tuning, too, for that haunting sound.I shouldn't even be trying to answer any music questions, Sam-- I'm no good at all at explaining music!
... ain't skeered ... <:)
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Yup, Sam, one octave above your bass D. Go for it, with a light enough string gauge and eye protection. There are plenty of ways to play out of D and it's fun to try- out any of them you think you might want to try. :)
Common Dulcimer Jam Tunes
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I'd say you've got the bases well covered, Dusty, and I'm sure it'll be a fun jam!
Leah, I own several dulcimers and each has its own sound. I hew to the idea if it sounds good to me, it is good.
Leah Crosley said:
I daughter's think my dulcimer's sound is reminicent to a harpsicord. Is that good?
phil said:my newest dulcimer is called Ol' Hickory it's made from 99% reclaimed Indiana hickory. has a high sweet voice.
You're ready to testify, for real! :)
John Keane said:
I have no recollection of any of this.
Robin Thompson said:Hey, Carrie, I'm glad you got back to Ol' Pal! If you ran into a certain J.K. there, I trust you made every effort to avoid that troublemaker. LOL! I've heard wonderful things about the Wright's fest and might just make my way to TX some spring to attend.
My New Dulcimer
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
As I wrote before, I think the skills of the original builder were decent-- and "decent" is likely an understatement-- it's got some very nice touches. For me, sound is everything and looks a bonus. You've got both here!
My New Dulcimer
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
I could well be mistaken. . . It seems the original builder may have had decent skills yet those who made changes to the instrument later were not expert.
Happy strumming!
5,000! What I'm most grateful for. . .
OFF TOPIC discussions
I don't know whether I would've stuck with playing if not for FOTMD. Though I have fun with the lap dulcimer, learning new things and sharing music here helps keep things fresh.Oh, and the number of luthiers who are either building replicas of old instruments and/or drawing heavily from old ways of building is great to see. I don't own any that are new yet look old. . . Not yet, anyway. ;) I've gotten to see and hear some of these beauties here at FOTMD and I'm grateful for that, too!
5,000! What I'm most grateful for. . .
OFF TOPIC discussions
John, how glad I am you've been favoring us with your wonderful instruments and play! Your instruments are family heirlooms, treasures.Ken, our in- person meeting was far too brief. I hope our paths cross again and that we can share some tunes!
5,000! What I'm most grateful for. . .
OFF TOPIC discussions
It's a given, I think, for many of us that the "Friends" part of FOTMD is the "thing" for which we are most grateful. . .At this 5,000 milestone, though, it also occurs to me how grateful I am that this site has been instrumental (haha) in the re- surgance of the noter and drone style of play. I had seen precious little to help me with learning ND style before FOTMD popped onto the scene. The available recordings in the style were few and video demonstrations were scarce not oh-so-long-ago.So, thanks to Strumelia for her noter and drone blog-- it's how I stumbled onto FOTMD in its earliest days-- and for starting "Friends"! And a big thanks to you all for making this neighborhood a nice place to learn-- I've learned lots-- and spend some time.Happy strumming, y'all!
updated by @robin-thompson: 08/02/23 03:15:05PM
Loop vs. ball end strings
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
I've saved lots of ball ends!
robert schuler said:
Whenever I change strings I save the ball ends. I always find uses for them. Keep some and use them as bushings when using loopend strings... Bob.
Loop vs. ball end strings
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Jean,On my instruments that will accommodate both types, I prefer to use ball end. However, I'll use whatever I have on hand when I need a string change. (I also re- tune a lot.)
Dulcimer competitions
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Winfield rules apply at Coshocton because the winner then advances to KS. Particulars are available on the Dulcimer Days website. The Rust Belt's got just the right amount of oxidation. ;)
Ken Hulme said:
One of the biggie competitionsis Winfield, KS.
Get out of Rust Belt, Richard, and come down to the Sunshine State. We'll start that Old Fogies Dulcimer Championship and Grouper Eatin' Competition. Should be real successful, as most of the northeatern US and Canada migrates here between Thanksgiving and Easter. Literally 10% of the population of Canada comes to Florida annually....
Dulcimer competitions
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Richard, there is a dulcimer competition at Roscoe Village (Coshocton OH) in eastern Ohio in June.
www.Coshoctondulcimerdays.com
As a beginner - which is better?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi, Kevin!
When I bought my first mountain dulcimer, I didn't yet know enough to know what features I would prefer in an instrument. It took many months of strumming and listening and learning before I discovered my own preferences. . .
With Dave Lynch's student model, you would have a well- made inexpensive instrument and be able to take all the time you want to explore the various facets of mountain dulcimer play.
Larry, my husband and I go to an acoustic jam dominated by guitars with maybe a banjo and mandolin thrown in and me on diatonic lap dulcimer. After experimentation over a period of months, here's what I tried at last month's jam:DdA- home base tuning for key of DDdG- key of GEeA- key of A- I made the quick tuning change from home base tuning by using a false nut under the drone strings at fret 1.My aim is to re- tune quickly because the guitar players will call any tune that pops in their heads, no matter the key.I'm playing in noter/ drone style so this may not be workable for a chord style player. The jury is still out on how well it worked for me. I think I liked it.
An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer
OFF TOPIC discussions
Beautiful, Phil. I know that pretty baritone will give you many enjoyable playing sessions. :)
This is what came in the mail.
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Phil, what great mail! Some of the nicest people in the world play mountain dulcimers. :)
Helen, if you wish to go higher than E with your bass string, you may wish to try using a "false nut" (also known as a reverse capo). A false nut is nothing more than a small piece of wood or hard plastic that can be slipped under a string/strings against a fret to create a temporary nut at that fret.
My false nut is nothing more than a piece of a bamboo chopstick cut then whittled so it can be slid under one (or two) strings.
Like Rob, I can go to E on most of mine with no trouble. I have also just used a false nut to make a change from D to E when the mood struck. :)
Hope this helps!PS-Quite some time ago I made a video about using a false nut. The video quality is poor-- we had bad, slow internet at the time -- and it's not, by any means, exhaustive on the topic. It can be found in my videos.
Strumming so frustrated
Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!
Julie, you're doing great! Just keep with what you're doing and strumming will, over time, come to feel natural. Well, at least most of the time, anyway. I have days. . . :)
Julie Semones said:
Alrighty all, I've been trying everything you all have posted, I think I'm finally catching on....here I am (YIKES, can't believe I'm sharing this!!LOL)