Book Miller's Song or Bookmiller's Tune
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Here's someone else playing the same tune
Here's someone else playing the same tune
Do any of you know a dulcimer song by the name of Book Miller's Song or Bookmiller's Tune?
I am looking for a friend who first heard it at a jam in Mountain View, Arkansas several years ago. He is wanting to know the background/history of the tune and where to get the tabs.
I did find this on YouTube "Bookmiller's Tune" which my friend is the song he is looking for:
This may or may not be the same tune, I can't tell because I can't get the volume loud enough to hear
https://soundcloud.com/omareastwind/bookmiller-39-s-tune
Any info would be appreciated.
Here's a video Dave Holeton put together and posted of six of us from the TTAD Zoom group playing "Red River Valley" for Play Music On The Porch Day
As Rockwell sang back in the '80s, "I always feel like somebody's watchin' me"
Great article in the February 2021 issue of Dulcimer Players News by @david-bennett about @dan's 9-foot long dulcimer. Nice work, guys! Everyone should give it a read.
Thanks Dusty! There is one typo in the article. I think the article says it weighs 28 lbs, it actually only weighs 18 lbs. The typo was my fault, not DPNs.
I'm not really big on Halloween but I ran across this this morning and posted it to Steve Carney's FB page, so I figgered I'd post it here too
Old Talon by Seth Boyden
A Tennessee creature story about a mysterious monster named Old Talon terrorizing a remove Appalachian community. An Appalachian dulcimer figures prominently in the story
www.themoonlitroad.com/old-talon/
sethboyden.blogspot.com/2014/01/old-talon.html
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i2.wp.com/themoonlitroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/tennessee-mountain-dulcimer-creature-monster-story.png
David, I watched your movie on YT yesterday-- well done!
Thanks Robin!
A friend came and played with me for Play on the porch day
Ditto on John Knopf and his Thomas replicas. I love mine.
I am now telecommuting and as a result getting a little cabin fever. Bobby Ratliff has got some of us learning Waterbound. It's a nice little tune and the lyrics are fairly simple (it's one of those songs that has a lot of versions for the lyrics). Because of the simplicity I took a quick stab at making my own lyrics, and changed the name to Quarantined. I haven't checked to see if the words/syllables match the measures/beats of the music but you get the idea.
Quarantined
Quarantined and I can't leave home, Quarantined and I can't leave home,
Quarantined and I can't leave home, Down in Alabama.
1. Teleworking in the backroom at home (3X)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
2. David and Karen must stay home (3X)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
3. Social distancing sounded like fun at first (3X)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
4. Wash your hands and please stand back (3X)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
5. Toilet paper is in scarce supply and I don’t know why (3X)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
6. COVID-19 sounds like a bad horror movie title(3X) (OK that's pretty bad)
Down in Alabama
Chorus
Strumelia said in part to Melanie, "What you learn at first will not be set in stone."
I've found out that is true. Like Melanie when I started playing the dulcimer I struggled with should I learn DAA or DAD (at the time I didn't think I had the musical ability to learn more than one). The traditional part of me wanted DAA but I knew everyone where I live played DAD so I went DAD since I thought I'd get more help playing. I did the DAD thing for several years, but since then have added DAA and it was quite easy to do. For me there were many advantages to DAA that I won't go into now other than to say for me noodling out a song I've never played before is easier (again, for me) in DAA. So now with our dulcimer jam group I play DAD and for my own enjoyment at home mostly DAA/CGG. Point being is it really that hard to add some different tunings, just go slow if you need to.
When we first got Sally Ann she didn't seem to have any interest in the dulcimer when I played it. Then she got to where she seemed to like it in small doses but after a couple songs I was expected to stop and play with her instead. Then last week she's taken to sitting between my feet while I play and actually seems to enjoy it.
I've met several/many the last two years at the Berea Traditional Dulcimore Gathering and have become friends with them!
Dusty has such a pretty and unusual color coat. Pretty kitty.
David, you do so much, and the video is a bonus!
Thanks. That is very kind of you.
Karen & I played on our porch for about 4 hours this morning. Here's a short video I made.
Karen has snacks for our porch too!
Sheepy and the Goat.
It's not ha ha funny, but kids like it. I learned it from Don Pedi the last time he visited north Alabama. I think Don said he was making a tab book of very simple tunes. See the video (unfortunately Don doesn't sing it here but he does play it) at https://dulcimercrossing.com/sheepy/dc_sheepy_md_pre.html
The lyrics something like:
Sheepy and the Goat walkin’ through the pasture
“Sheepy” says- "Goat, can you walk a little faster?”
Sheepy got- tired and it lay down,
and the Poor little Goat kept pickin’ all around
[then you can add any animal you like]
Sheepy and duck...
Sheepy and the cow...
Sheepy and the aardvark...
etc.
Sad news. The other Tuesday (4 June) we had our Sheltie, Angus, put down...
Sorry to hear about Angus. He was a pretty dog.
The first link says the exhibit features dulcimers made by Ernest Combs. I'm not familiar with this luthier. I could be wrong but from this bio he didn't seem very passionate about dulcimers
https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/ernest-combs/
Still there is probably more to the exhibit and either way I am glad they are even doing a dulcimer exhibit.
Dulcimer Exhibit at the Jonesborough Washington County History Museum
Jonesborough, TN 04-29-2019 thru 06-09-2019
http://www.heritageall.org/2019/04/dulcimer-exhibit-at-the-jonesborough-washington-county-history-museum/
https://www.jonesboroughtn.org/index.php/full-calendardp/g-16-604gmasds7k6era99soidi034m_201904291400
Sally Ann Watches a Movie for Cats (with a couple replicas of vintage instruments in the background)
Here is Sally Ann admiring the new Dulcimore that arrived from Dulcimore Dan this week. The instrument is made pine and cherry. Sally Ann will be a year old on 9 March.
Thanks for the reminder. I've participated the last couple years, it's a lot of fun. Two years ago I even a few people from our dulcimer jam group join me, that got the neighbor's attention.
Here's my collection of shows/movies I know about featuring mountain dulcimers:
CHRISTY TV SERIES https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/christy-tv-series/
DANIEL BOONE, AKA FESS PARKER, PLAYED DULCIMER IN 1964 & 1969 EPISODES https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/daniel-boone-aka-fess-parker-played-dulcimer-in-1964-1969-episodes/
JOHN BOY WALTON PLAYS TWO MOUNTAIN DULCIMERS https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/john-boy-walton-plays-a-mountain-dulcimer/
Chevy Chase Show: KNOW WHAT I MEAN VERN? https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/know-what-i-mean-vern/
LAST MAN STANDING https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/last-dulcimer-standing/
SHEFFEY https://athensdulcimerclub.wordpress.com/dulcimentaries/dulcimentary-articles-pt-ii/sheffey/
Probably not what you're looking for but I just say "collection"... though agglomeration and arsenal come to mind as well.
Yesterday while Karen and I were watching football on TV our young cat, Sally, sauntered in from what we call the "computer-music room and lay innocently on Karen's lap. During a commercial I went in to that room and found turkey feathers scattered all over the floor. Sally had found the stash I thought was well enough out of the way. As I was picking them up Sally poked her head in the doorway and had this look on her face like, "What in the world happened here?"
Our previous cat really liked me to play the dulcimer. She'd walk over to it and meow at me then lay down when I'd start playing.
The new cat, Sally, at first didn't show any interest the first few months when she was a little kitten. Maybe it was scary to her.
Sally is 7 months old now. Now when I play she comes over to me squeaking and rubbing my legs. I haven't figured out if she is saying she likes it, if if she's saying, "if you're not doing anything worthwhile give me a hug..."
Sally at 2 months and 7 months checking out my 1931 Uncle Ed Thomas reproduction made by Kevin Messenger