Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

Hey, Kyle, great to see you back here! As you know, I enjoyed reading your paper at Augusta last summer (and hearing you play!) and I look forward to learning more about further research. (It must have taken a fair amount of digging to uncover information about when CN Prichard first came into contact with the dulcimer!)

Wow, folkfan, looks like you could be in for several years' worth of fun exploring that site! :)

Since I don't like to tune my strings more than one step north or south of home base, I keep instruments set-up for specific home base tunings. For example, from the home base DAA (1-5-5), I'll re-tune to EAA (1-4-4) for the key of A or DGG (1-4-4) for the key of G.

-Prussia Valley Music Box is tuned ddd. You'll often hear this unison tuning referred to as Galax tuning. With the 6.5 fret on this instrument, in this tuning one can play out of D and G without re-tuning. And to get a more haunting sound, I'll use a false nut under the drone strings at the first fret to raise the drones to E.

-Rod Hensley hourglass is tuned Ddd. You'll often hear this 1-8-8 tuning referred to as Bagpipe tuning. This instrument also has a 6.5 fret so one can play out of D and G without re-tuning. As with the PVMB, I'll use a false nut under the drone strings at the first fret to raise the drones to Ee.

-And the other 5 dulcimers, 4 of which are purely diatonic (no "extra frets"), are set-up for some 1-5-5 home base tuning.

Me, too, Dave. Those "imperfections" can give an instrument real character.

Thanks for sharing the photos of the treasures Keith made for you, Dave! That wormy chestnut is so cool. . .

Well, I'm jumping in again to post another. (Glad folks liked the first one and thanks, Randy, for letting us know that tune was Johnson Boys !)

Here's link to a conversation here about the following video

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/group/oldstyledronenoterplayers/forum/topics/tim-eriksen-riley-baugus-on?xg_source=activity

and here's the video:

Margie, though I believe this is not Turkey in the Straw , this one would have to be one of my favorites:

Wow, Kevin, that's a beauty! I've seen others have replied on your other thread about repair. To me, looks like you've got a gem.

Got my fingers crossed for you, Kevin!

Do you have any photos to post, Kevin? Someone may have knowledge of the maker yet need a photo to jog their memory. ;)

Hi, Mandy! I show my head just to torture viewers! Oh, I think the first video I ever made-- a felt pick demonstration-- has me mostly headless. I was home alone when I made that video.

Bryan,

For comfort, I prefer a flat noter to a round one and use a thumb-on-top hold. And I have to watch myself that I don't have a "death grip" on my noter.

Bobby, John Henry has special powers-- he would've known if Strumelia had opened that package!

Strumelia, I don't have to tell you you've got a treasure. And John Henry is a jewel.

Vivian, I own dulcimers by different builders. The builders, in no particular order: Jerry Rockwell, Paul Conrad (Timbre Hill), Gary Sager, the Bakers (Blue Lion), Keith Young, and Rodney Hensley. As for my instruments-- I love 'em all. And there are several more builders who make fine instruments. (In the mountain dulcimer world we're most fortunate because there are many good builders; one not need spend $$$$ to get a good, playable instrument. To me, my dulcimers are worth more than they cost.) Though each of my instruments has a different sound, they share one very important quality: they're set-up to play easily. What one is looking for in the sound of an instrument is highly subjective, though.

Happy looking!

I hope Rod's family feels comfort today.

Rest in peace, Rod. We miss you, friend.

Dave,

Thanks for your lovely musical tribute to Rod. I'm also glad you posted the YouTube link to his daughter's tribute-- it's so touching. It surely was a shock last Christmas Day to learn of Rod's death. I remember Rod with great fondness. And he was our own dear Deputy Mo.

Blessings to you & yours!

Robin

Benjamin,

If you happen to have a dulcimer with a 6-1/2 fret, you can tune the strings all to D-- either Ddd or go with all light strings and tune ddd-- and you're set for the key of D (tonic open) and the key of G (tonic at 3) without re-tuning.

Some tuners that clip on work well in a noisy setting.

Benjamin,

My main dulcimer has no 6-1/2 fret. I use DAA as my home base tuning. For A tunes, I put a false nut under the bass string at the first fret-- a quick way to change tuning to EAA. For G tunes, I go to DGG. Some tunes won't lay-out right in these tunings, so I can either sit them out or just play some basic back-up rhythms.

Benjamin,

You can play rhythm when playing back-up. I love to do this in a jam! And it's fun to get creative with rhythms. Since the dulcimer isn't loud, you can experiment. . .

I only 'knew' Jack online-- nice fellow!

Hey, I"m still here too! I'll follow this thread as long as I can draw breath. :)

How about Dock Boggs's "Calvary" ? It's about the grimmest Easter song I know. Lyrics are here , The Carter Family and lots of others, Ralph Stanley among the, recorded it as "On a Hill Lone and Gray" with a different and far less spooky tune.

It's also out there in an earlier and greatly lengthened version as "There's a Hill Lone and Grey". Beverly Francis Carradine published it in 1896 with a tune that resembles the one that the Carters used later.

Dock's version reads like a classical murder ballad. In the first few bars, Dock's tune resembles the one he used for "Reuben's Train". I'd love to find out more about the tune if anyone knows.

Dock's tuning is supposed to bef#CGAD (according to Don Zepp).

Ouch! (but maybe true Robin)

John

Cool, Robin!

For old-time Appalachian tunes, Dwight Diller's play does something for me. Although I don't own a banjo, I have 2 of his cd's and 2 dvd's; one of the dvd's is instructional and it's about rhythm.

Although I don't think of playing dulcimer as competitive sport, contests have been a part of community musical get-togethers for a long time. So, I think of contests as being part of a tradition.

I've never competed and don't know whether I would or not. If the atmosphere of a given competition was light-hearted, friendly, maybe. . .

Kendra,

Yup, Amazing Grace or Southwind. . . Please let me know the preferred keys for the tunes and I'll see what I can do.

Wish you could come, Stephanie!

Got it, Kendra! I'll fiddle around with Old Joe Clark & Golden Slippers on the BD and make some kind of noise. Mark and I will probably play together (guitar & BD) for my demo if that's okay. (I've been struggling with neck problems for months and that's curtailed my music play of late, doggone it. )

I think you all had it worse in far southern Ohio than we did, Kendra. Our satellite internet goes out when there's heavy rain and, surprisingly, we had working internet through most of April and May.

Won't be long 'til Coshocton!

Jim, we were at the shop a couple hours. Randall did a little shopping before he left and we did, too. (I love my Snark tuner and I got a neat jamming stool that Gary built.)

Yup, we've got to meet somewhere down the road. And get in some jamming.

Sounds like a great meet Robin (now where have I seen a tee shirt similar to yours before..............LOL)

John

It was so neat to meet Randall! He, Gary Sager, Mark and I jammed for awhile upstairs at Gary's shop-- what fun. (I feel lucky to have gotten to jam with such good players!) Not only that, Randall took a couple of requests; talk about a beautiful, smooth baritone voice. . .

Mark took this picture before Gary got to the shop: