Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

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. :)

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.

If you always stand, Mary, you should be okay with clogs. If you think you'll sit, clogs change the relationship between dulcimer and hand/arm positioning a lot.

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.

House fire

OFF TOPIC discussions

Phil,Sending warm thoughts to you and yours! It's good to know you have a place.

House fire

OFF TOPIC discussions

Oh, no, Phil! Thank goodness you are back with family. Take care.

House fire

OFF TOPIC discussions

Phil, I'm sorry about the bronchitis and tickled about the possibility of selling your place!Mark, I'm glad those folks made it out alive and have lots of community support!

House fire

OFF TOPIC discussions

Hope you get good word soon, Phil!

phil said:

well we went to rent a place today. Just sitting here now waiting to hear if we get it or not. how do you have references when you have lived in the same place for the last 25 years. waiting just makes me nervous.

House fire

OFF TOPIC discussions

Phil, I am so very sorry. Take care and check-in here when time allows-- though we're not in your neighborhood there, we are here.

Wandering in and Figuring it All Out - Six months a player

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Golly, Ellen, I'd say you've got it figured pretty well!
Thanks for the fun!PS- What are capos, really, anyway? I mean, is there a capo tree or bush? And I never heard of anybody having a capo farm when I grew up in farm country in central Ohio. :)

Nice to see everyone again!!

OFF TOPIC discussions

Wow, Guy, you gotta be home to take delivery of that Bear Meadow. I know it will be a beauty.

Remembering "Deputy Mo" / The Friendly Beasts

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I remember coming home on that evening of Christmas '10 and seeing Sharon J's posting the sad news of Rod's passing.I treasure the book of sacred harp tunes and the accompanying recording Rod made.Thanks, Deputy Mo, for the friendly spirit you brought to FOTMD! When we get together to play tunes, I'm counting on you to supply the Mountain Dew. Strumelia can bring one of her famous Jell-O molds. :)

Look Who Came to Visit!!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Cool, Mike!Happy Christmas to y'all!

Look Who Came to Visit!!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

John, it qualifies as pretty durn big in my book! :)

Look Who Came to Visit!!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

So cool, John, and I'm glad you got home ahead of the bad weather.

John C. Knopf said:

I thought lots more folks would see Uncle Eddie in a shop like that than in my Michigan basement!

Tourists look for dulcimers in Hindman... Most Michigan people don'teven know about them (or care).

It was an interesting trip, but I'm glad to be back home, especially with the worsening weather.

Look Who Came to Visit!!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Is he staying at Hindman?I enjoy the pictures-- thanks to you and Kevin and Mike-- and think your trip sounds very cool.
--
John C. Knopf said:

Patty,

Wait'll you find out where 'Uncle Eddie" will be living for a while...

(HINT: He didn't come back to Michigan).

Your "Dream Dulcimer?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Mike, your question is a good one to provoke thought. Causes me to realize I own dream dulcimers. :) I answer thus, in large part, because I play in a variety of tunings and favor certain instruments for certain tunes sometimes.

What to call your dulcimer collection?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I got a passel of 'em! :)

That sure is pretty work by Mr. Wood, Mark.
updated by @robin-thompson: 07/17/15 11:54:59PM

Those of us who have somewhere in the neighborhood of ten dulcimers need those of you with more so we can point to y'all as the people who are truly afflicted with the acquisition syndrome. :)

Thanks, Strumelia! I reckon I got hung up by thinking I was hearing the relative minor!?!

Strumelia said:

I'm not so sure this is as complicated as it seems, nor does it call for unusual or minor tunings. The whole thing can be played in plain old C ionian tuning using no extra frets and the drones sound good all through the tune.

Walter is in a normal (not minor) fiddle tuning- hear him check his tuning in the beginning. He's playing it in the key of C, even though it modulates in the 'low part', which he starts out playing first.

Tune to C-G-G (C being your bass string) and the tune's 'home base' is located on the 3rd fret, ionian mode.

Walter starts on the modulated 'low part'. That's what is confusing people, because it 'sounds' minor, leading one to think a special mode tuning is needed, but it's not. Try playing that first/low part by starting frets 5-7-8, 5-3-4... etc.

The high part goes back to the root C major feeling, and he plays in the upper octave starts by using frets 10-11, 10-11-12...etc. You can also play it in the lower octave, starting on fret 3, but then it will sound yet lower than the other part. It's kind of nice with that real high part, gives it some punch.

Some folks might choose to start the tune on the high/major sounding part, and if Walter had done that it would have probably been easier for people to figure out. It would have been a more 'predictable' way to play this tune. But it's pretty cool and more fascinating to start it on the modulated quirky sounding low part.

Abby, I haven't worked this out-- my disclaimer. Perhaps try tuning to DAC and see if anything fits/ lays-out right on the fretboard.
updated by @robin-thompson: 02/14/16 01:39:55AM

The 'Other' Dulcimer......the beaten kind

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Go for it! Then get together with Phil M to play a Irish jig duet. :)