Enter FOTMD's 5th Birthday Pickled Dulcimer CONTEST!
OFF TOPIC discussions
Yay, FOTMD, and congratulations to the winners!Happy strumming to everybody here!
Forum Activity for @robin-thompson
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. . .
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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
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Beautiful, Phil. I know that pretty baritone will give you many enjoyable playing sessions. :)
This is what came in the mail.
OFF TOPIC discussions
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)
Strumming so frustrated
Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!
Julie, I got my first dulcimer in '05 and I'm always working (playing) on my strumming. :)
Julie Semones said:
Thank you all for your responses!! I am going through reading them all. I've been trying to play since Aug 2013, which isn't really that long at all. I'm proud of myself for plucking out the tunes I have. My dad for Christmas made me some beautiful noters, and I've tried using those too...beautiful sound.. Please don't think I'm ignoring comments, I am just taking my time reading through them all!
Strumming so frustrated
Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!
Yes, please do be patient with yourself, Julie.For fun, put any music you like on a music player. With dulcimer in your lap, mute the strings with your left hand by laying your hand across them. With your right hand, strum to the music you're listening to. Don't even think about it. Maybe even close your eyes. Don't worry about which direction you're strumming. There is no wrong way to do this exercise. The point is to just get comfortable with strumming only. The musicians you're listening to are playing the song-- you're just adding some percussive sound. :) If you try this, have fun with it!Everyone is different-- to me, strumming is more felt than thought about. It's likely not the same for everyone, though.
Dulcimer Challenge
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
If someone else was doing the playing and I was in an audience and had my eyes closed, I likely could tell no difference between an hourglass and a teardrop. If I were a betting person, I'd bet against my ability to do so. Lol! If, though, I were blindfolded and could stand right in front of the player, maybe. . . It'd just be something to try for fun. :)
RIP Pete Seeger
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hugs from me, Dusty! You're so nice to say that.We all need a balm for the spirit from time to time. Maybe even all the time.
Dusty Turtle said:
Such a sage comment from a sage woman.
Robin Thompson said:Life can be just plain hard sometimes and making music or sharing music can help along the way.
RIP Pete Seeger
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thank you for the links, friends.I can't help but think how, in some ways, Pete Seeger was to the banjo what Jean Ritchie has been to the mountain dulcimer. If each had done nothing but help popularize those two instruments, it would've been a lot. They did much more. . .I think of how many people have been encouraged to realize a dream of playing a musical instrument and have been helped along the way by folks both at Everything Dulcimer and here at FOTMD. Life can be just plain hard sometimes and making music or sharing music can help along the way.
RIP Pete Seeger
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
He worked hard, got dirt under his fingernails. He was a man of principle. I admired him.
Dusty, if I hadn't tried-out those clogs before actually wearing them to a wedding to play, I would've been in trouble. So, just try-out the red stilettos ahead of time-- might work. Hope your cocktail dress has side slits or you'll never get your legs set just right for dulcimer playing. ;)
Dusty Turtle said:
So I guess I won't be wearing my red stilettos at Thursday's open mic! Too bad. They go so well with that new cocktail dress I just got.
Rob N Lackey said:Just be yourself and wear comfortable shoes.
To me, I'm dressed-up when wearing my good jeans. :)
We don't play 'out' a lot. That said, being porch players of mostly Appalachian old-time music, we dress in clean jeans and, lots of times, t-shirts. Actually, we have a lot of very cool music-themed t-shirts, some of them painted by a good friend of ours.
If we're playing a wedding, though, we dress appropriate to the occasion and do not wear clothes that would draw undue attention to ourselves. I stick with nice trousers for myself, though, too, because it's easier to position either lap dulcimer or bowed dulcimer without much fuss. Also, pockets are very handy to have for picks, noters, rosin, whatever.
House fire
OFF TOPIC discussions
I'd wager your mail the other day was way better than mine,Phil. :)
phil said:
as soon as i get some new battery for my camera I will show ya'll what I got in the mail.
I know i have been missing for a few days. nothing bad has happen, we have been moving into our new place. still have some things to get moved. then we will decide what we are going to do and where we want to live. so for now we are renting.
House fire
OFF TOPIC discussions
Yay! FOTMD Is a special place. So happy for you to have a happy surprise, Phil! :)
phil said:
Wow good things really do happen. I always knew there where some awesome people here. But today just blew me away when I went to the mail. I am not sure if I can say what came, but there are some really spectacle people here. I would like to thank them for what they have done. Oh and ya can't knock the smile off my face no matter how hard you try. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.