Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

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. :)

I really enjoyed your old- timey Appalachian sound, Gordon.

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

I'm a by- ear player. Some Appalachian old- time tunes I may listen to 100 or more times to get in my head and to figure how to make the banjo or fiddle piece fit on a lap dulcimer (meaning discovering what tuning works and sounds best).

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. :)

My preference is 3 strings. As others have indicated, though, it really is just a matter of personal taste for any number of reasons.

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.

I've seen where some folks name their dulcimers, Kitty. Mine all answer to "Hey, you!" :DAlliefair is a nice name; I'm guessing it's tied to Jean Ritchie some way?

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.

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!

I'm glad you posted-- I, too, enjoyed the piece! Nice, indeed, G.S.!

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.

OFF TOPIC discussions

Phil, what great mail! Some of the nicest people in the world play mountain dulcimers. :)

Hi, Jim! If the email address you shared is your private email address, I recommend removing it from public forum for the sake of your privacy. Private information can be shared through private messages here at FOTMD.Please pardon my interruption!All good wishes,Robin (one of the moderators)

Wow, I'm sure glad Robin C jumped in here-- I neglected to mention how the false nut is for noter/drone play!Robin, I just had The Cadair Idris Sessions playing on my car stereo the other day. :)

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. :)