Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

BEGINNERS' OLD TIME JAM – DOWN THE PUB

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I enjoy this, Robin-- am listening now. Jamming with another musician or musicians is, in my experience, a great way to learn lots about tunes. Helps hone my listening skills, which are in need of honing. ;-)Thanks for sharing the recording, Robin!

Hey, frets4fun-- feel free to share pictures when you get the dolphimer! :)

I echo Flint's choices and can add Bobby's f-holes, too. I like an old-timey look.If a builder has a signature hole, so to speak, I may order that-- it's what I did when I ordered my PVMB from Gary Sager.

I've had this book and cd for perhaps four years and love it! I could listen to Jean talk and play for hours-- and have! Strumelia said:

Perhaps if you don't like it you can sell it used on Amazon.com

For a whole different approach, perhaps next try Jean Ritchie's recent teaching dvd? She is a good beginner level teacher, and it'd be interesting for you to observe the difference in playing style.
Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Mountain-Dulcimer-Homespun-Tapes/...

Love

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Strumelia & FOTMD family, In addition to the many wonderful folks I know online, I've had the pleasure and privilege of meeting FOTMD player Julie Elman and playing music with her. Our getting together is truly a joy for which I'm most grateful!FOTMD feels like home-- thanks for all you've done, Strumelia!

800!?!!

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Strumelia and Rod,You both have my undying gratitude.And if Mo's psychotherapy sessions run under a hundred bucks, sign me up for them, too.

800!?!!

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Thank goodness we've hit 800! I'm starving!Robinwho's at the front of the line for the food

800!?!!

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Thanks, Rod, I'll take 'em!I see Strumelia's skillets will be in use-- those 'Dutch Babies' look good!-- so can't borrow them.

800!?!!

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I make a decent whole wheat crust pizza in a cast iron skillet. Trouble is, only got one skillet. So, I'm thinking I'll need to borrow 199 skillets.

Just a note to mention that Randy Adams made a noter demonstration about his noter hold-- very much worth a look, too!

Got any for sale? Flint Hill said:

"Ironwood" noter, from a slab collected in East Texas, ca. 1960, by A.L Vawter.

Approximately 6 1/4 x 3/8 x 1/4 in. (15 x 1 x 0.6 cm). "D" cross section.

Dense, extremely hard wood. It sinks in water and is difficult to work.

It made a nice, slick noter that sounds a bit softer than a goose quill.

Probably Big Bend or Eastern Hophornbeam. (Ostrya virginiana var. chisosensis or Ostrya virginiana var. virginiana, 2007)

A toothbrush handle? Now that's something I think I haven't tried! I'm going to, though. . . My bone noters-- got from Randy Bretz-- yield clear tone on the string. For playing fast tunes, I need a noter that's forgiving, so use my homemade ones cut from a hard plastic jar that once held store-bought fruit. Photo can be seen by scrolling down the page just a bit here: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/whats-your-favorite-n...

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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Ken, that's almost too pretty to eat. I might try this after berries come on this summer. Thanks!

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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The cabbage wedges wouldn't make it past the grilling stage with me. Ken Hulme said:

They are easy to do and so good tasting!

So... When are you serving them??? Enquiring minds and all that...

The Kitchen Sink - talk about food

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Ken, those recipes are mouth-watering.

I, too, have only three strings on my dulcimers built to accommodate four. Play just seems to come easier for me with this set-up and the sound, to my ears, is fine.

Party Time coming for 700 !!

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Wakes can be fun. Well, in a way they can be. ;) razyn said:

I was afraid we were going to have to have a wake, for the 40.

Party Time coming for 700 !!

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I'll sign Dana up for fried chicken! :)I love her stories, by the way.

Party Time coming for 700 !!

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I don't know what to fix for the potluck. We should have the hootenanny outdoors, though-- was about 80 degrees here today!PS-I went hunting for morels today and came up empty. :( If I had a mess of them. . .

Rebec

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

So glad for you, dear Strumelia! The bowed dulcimer hold along with the underhand bow hold are, to me, comfortable. Have all kinds of fun learning!

Rebec

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Those are cool. I wonder whether a decent one could be made from a gourd?Ken, I believe Toledo OH has a sister city relationship with Toledo Spain-- at least they used to.

Challenges?

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Both thumbs up here, Ken. Looks good.

Challenges?

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Ken's overview & Strumelia's comments look good to me.Ken, I would use "please" less-- both to clean up wording and so as not to make some actions appear to be optional. ;)

Challenges?

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Well, double-dang. I hate it when stuff like that happens.Ken, I imagine others of us will keep an eye and ear open for music that's not in public domain. We want no trouble for FOTMD! Flint Hill said:

Dangit, I just posted a list of rules/suggestions, and they didn't post.

Back to the drawing board.

Should have done it in a text editor first.

Challenges?

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Ken, in a jam a person "calls" a tune. Flint Hill said:

I wanted to say thanks to all who replied. I am feeling sort of stumped and stupid right now -- just got in from a long day working in a pasture.

It does seem like "challenge" is the wrong word, and maybe the wrong concept, even. I'll post again after I've gotten some rest. :)

Challenges?

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I like this idea for a couple of reasons. First, recording one's own play is helpful, instructive. Secondly, listening to the play of others is helpful, instructive. And it's all fun! One thing it'd be good to emphasize, even over-emphasize, is this format is the opposite of a contest; here, players of all levels (not just the best, the professionals, the contest winners, etc.) are encouraged to submit recording.It'd be neat to have a thread where, say, there'd been a 'Pretty Saro' music challenge and one could hear ten different people play (or play & sing) 'Pretty Saro".

Musical Traditions Dulcimer circa 1980

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Musical Traditions2375 Edgewater TerraceLos Angeles, Cal. 90039p121May have no connection to your luthiers. . .

Musical Traditions Dulcimer circa 1980

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Ken,You probably already know that Jean Ritchie, in her Dulcimer People, includes a shop of that name in a "Where To Buy" section, located in Los Angeles.Good luck in your search!

If you could only keep ONE of your dulcimers....

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Blue Lion Jean Ritchie modelspruce top, walnut back & sidesGot this dulcimer from a woman named Meghan in Berkeley CA who'd custom ordered it from the Bakers at Blue Lion. The spruce top-- it's Sitka spruce, I think-- was from wood Meghan's brother had had for 20 years. This dulcimer has none of the inlay that's typically on the Jean Ritchie model. I tried to get a decent photo of Jean's signature on the label that's inside the sound hole but got none that turned out well.It was hard to choose the one dulcimer I'd keep. One reason I chose this instrument is it's got a VSL short enough to accommodate a variety of tunings-- I like to change tunings! She plays smoothly and has good sound. Perhaps the main reason I chose it, though, is that it's a Jean Ritchie model-- I'm a big fan of hers!

folkfan, you just haven't heard me really fly through it. So, I understand it being on your least-liked list. :) LOL folkfan said:

I can tell you some of my least favorite songs. I've been going through all my books, stacks, and piles of tab and throwing out those I just never play. So among the several hundred sheets of paper I seem to have thrown out so far, I can say that

Boil em (Sorry Robin, but I've heard this one, one too many times)
Old Joe
I've got rings on my fingers
Sidewalks of NY
Road to Boston
Green Corn
Shepherd's Hey
Goober Peas
Wabash Cannonball
etc and so on will never be heard in this house again.

hehheheheheeee

Always subject to change, here are three tunes I've enjoyed a lot in recent weeks:What'll I Do With the Baby-OStar of the County Down (on bowed dulcimer)Bile 'em Cabbage

Suzanne, you are cool!

Though not exactly call and response, might it work to sing a simple song or two with the leader lining out the songs like a Primitive Baptist song leader?

How many dulcimers do you own... lets see the lists..

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Mary, being from the Buckeye State, I think it'd be neat to have a dulcerine made with buckeye someday. And my husband and I want to go visit Paul's shop someday. . . Mary Z. Cox said:

Got an email from Paul Conrad and these are the words:
walnut, honey locust, buckeye :)

How many dulcimers do you own... lets see the lists..

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

*Prussia Valley Music Box 2006 - spruce top, cherry back & long sides - strung for Galax tuning*Jerry Rockwell teardrop 1992 - spruce top, figured maple back & sides*Jerry Rockwell small Kentucky hourglass 2009 - butternut top, birch ply back*Keith Young teardrop 1977 - butternut top, maple back & sides, wooden tuning pegs - bagpipe tuning*Blue Lion Jean Ritchie model (without inlay) 2003 - spruce top, walnut back & sides*Rodney Hensley hourglass 2009-all cherryEach of these dulcerines has a very different sound-- nice-- and each is strung with 3 strings.

Party time :)

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Feels fancy drinking this tea out of this pretty cup with a saucer.With 600 of us, maybe we ought to make two jam circles instead of one. ;) I call for "Red Wing" when my turn to call a tune comes 'round!

Party time :)

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Strumelia, enjoy the olives! I like J-E-L-L-O (sing while you spell it) and there's always room for it. :)Now to sample a little bit of this and a little bit of that. . .

Party time :)

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Thank goodness-- I'm hungry as a horse! :) Some appetizers and a jam with 600 of my closest friends. . . it's all good!

Party time :)

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Aw, Strumelia, come on! I was the 6th person to show up and I'm getting hungry waiting for the 600th! :) :) :) Strumelia said:

Robin Thompson said:

Would somebody pass me those fries, please? Oh, and ketchup, too! :)

Sorry, no nibbling until we reach 600.
Mo, that tall burger is even more unsettling than my Jell-O mold!

Party time :)

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Good to know you made home safely, Bill.Would somebody pass me those fries, please? Oh, and ketchup, too! :)