Forum Activity for @dronestyles

How to tune wooden pegs

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I agree that it is easier just to tune by ear.  However, a Korg OT-120 does have several historic temperaments in addition to equal temperament, plus a movable pitch.  

How to tune wooden pegs

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Pull out only if the peg won't turn at all.  If you have the peg properly seasoned with chalk (for stickiness) and pencil (for lubrication) it should turn and hold just fine with a little pushing.   Because both of these substances are solids throughout a wide range of temperatures, they retain their properties with the temperature changes we usually encounter.  Not so for soap and/or rosin.  I don't recommend them for that reason. 

I just bought a 27 year old dulcimer and I have some questions

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

If it ain't broke now, don't fix it.  However, if you find the outermost (closest to you) melody string breaking often, try reversing the peg attachment for the melody strings.  That way the outermost string will be attached to the farther peg, making it bend less.  

I just bought a 27 year old dulcimer and I have some questions

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

You might have tightened the screw a little too much.  Try loosening it just a bit.  A little WD 40 on the outside of the peg assemble can't hurt.  But don't get it on the strings!  A guitar luthier could defintely help.  It looks like the outside strings bend too much when going into the peg box.  Attaching them nearer to the center of the peg box would help.  

Ozark Folk Center in the 1970s

OFF TOPIC discussions

We went to Mt View/Timbo starting in 1966.  We made almost every festival until about 2 years after they built the folk center.  It was REALLY folksy when they had the festival in the high school gymnasium.  The Beers Family happened to be there in 1966 and they sang "Dumbarton's Drums."  Thought we were in heaven for sure.  When we got to the square on Saturday morning, a family in a van pulled up and started playing.  Nothing unusual about that.  But these people called themselves the "Down Home Folks."  Actually they were the Whites.  They are the group who played on the flatbed truck in "O Brother Where Art Thou?"  

The photos below show two memorable scenes: 1. Pickin' and dancin' on the square.  The man in the center was a tireless step dancer.

2. Jimmie Driftwood giving the audience the cue to start clapping so the performers knew their time was up!

updated by @dronestyles: 11/01/15 04:35:04PM

In chronological order: piano, violin, cello, guitar, mountain dulcimer (!), autoharp, guitalin [www.guitalin.com], Great Highland Bagpipe, mouthoblown smallpipes, bellows-blown smallpipes, biniou, washboard, harpsichord (!).  I can no longer play guitar or violin due to arthritis in the fingers, but other instruments are still doable. I love playing in groups.  We have a small family ensemble called "May Milling Company" composed of myself, my husband (on washtub or bodhran), and our nephew on recorder. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you you are too old to learn an instrument!  I have a good friend whose father played the clarinet all his life.  In his 90s he took up the bassoon!  Etta Baker was a fine bottleneck guitar player in the Piedmont of North Carolina.  We had the pleasure of seeing her at Merlefest back in about 2004.  She was in her 90s and had just taken up the banjo.

Playing with Guitars

Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

You can play the I IV and V chords for the keys of D, A, and G in DAA tuning. The "extra fret" is helpful, enabling you to play an E chord in the midrange of the fretboard.  So if you are tuned DAA,  The I IV and V chords are D, G, and A, respectively for the key of D.  If the other jammers switch to G, the I IV and V chords are G, C, and D, respectively.  Make the C chord on frets 6,4, and 6.  When they switch to A, the I IV and V chords are A, D, and E, respectively.  Make the E chord on frets 5,4, and 6+, from bass to treble (far to near).   Fiddle and banjo players love the "sharp" keys, so this knowledge will carry you far.  If you find your jamming mates want more keys than that, an extra instrument is advisable.

updated by @dronestyles: 09/17/15 03:53:59PM