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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Patty,
Wait'll you find out where 'Uncle Eddie" will be living for a while...
(HINT: He didn't come back to Michigan).
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.
Robin, your noter technique is definitely advanced. And hey, no beginner could use a false nut so effectively.
Folkfan, no beginner could talk modes and tunings as clearly and confidently as you do.
I love you both, but y'all are nuts.
Thank you, Phil! I hope you and your loved ones are having a nice Christmas!
Hi, Angela! I have dulcimers with 4 tuning pegs yet I only have 3 strings on them. The number of strings is really just a matter of personal preference (based on different factors, the type/style of music you wish to play being one of those factors).
There is a "For Sale" area that can be found by by clicking on FORUMS/discussions in the green strip above and scrolling down the page a bit. Oftentimes these are used instruments for sale. Here is a link you may wish to spend some time checking out:
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/group/beginnerplayers/forum/topics/what-should-a-beginner-look?commentId=3745489%3AComment%3A83151&groupId=3745489%3AGroup%3A36
Hope this helps!
Cool, Leighann! I love this sort of "found" picks!
Leighann Batemon said:
I found a great pick solution! I use an elongated bread bag tie that I've rounded out the corners. The hole in the top makes it super easy to hold onto, and the elongation of it makes me feel more comfortable strumming. Thank you, everyone, for the nice (andingenious) posts-- I'm really grateful you took the time to respond. I learned a lot!
Oops! In my earlier posting, I neglected to say that I cut my picks so they're more or less the shape of a big ol' kidney bean. With all due respect to my friend KenH, I don't think it's the least bit silly to search Google for how to make a milk jug pick! Some plastics work better than others and some pick shapes suit some folks while still other shapes suit other folks. 
Leighann, I often play with a big homemade pick cut from the lid of a plastic food tub. If you wish to take a look at my playing using a big ol' homemade pick-- and it's pretty visible in my hand before I actually begin to play a tune-- in this video:
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/ridin-the-zigzag-wobble-railroad-on-lap-dulcimer-played-in-noter
If I had to play using a little pick, I'm not sure how I'd do it. So, hope this helps!
