Forum Activity for @rob-n-lackey

Angela. get one with four, but with the nut and bridge notched for different configurations: paired melody, paired middle, 4 independent or like Robin says take one off and use 3. I like 4 stringers so I can change 'em around. I keep several in 4 independent, a couple I've taken one off and play with 3, and 2 I keep with paired melody for (primarily) noter playing. Your big names like McSpadden & Folkcraft come that way from the shop. Many individual makers do the same, or will notch the bridge and nut as you want. Again, with 4 you can take one off, but you can't add one to a 3 string (my opinion.)

Rob

There are various options for you on picks. I use my fingers nearly exclusively now, without thumb or finger picks. The steel strings wear the nails a little more than playing nylon strung guitars (I am a classical guitarist, too.) That means I have to care for my nails more: regular filing, eat the right things, gloves in these winter months.

When I use a pick, I use either pointless picks or a V-pick "Bing." Both are designed to avoid dropping them. That being said, milk jugs or butter carton tops, bleach bottles or cottage cheese cartons, or can make a pick from whatever you'd like in the sizes you think would be best for you!

Rob

At Wartz'an'All I met John Wood for the 1st time. [Close your ears, John!] I hope we'll be together again some time; he's a good player and a nice guy.

I sure have! Sam's already mentioned our meeting/hanging out in Charleston last Memorial Day weekend. I had met Robin & Mark Thompson up in Ohio November of last year and March(?) of this year. Very short (like my memory) visits but enjoyable nonetheless. Then at Palestine, TX; there they were: The Keanes (John and Karen before they became celebrities.) We talked and talked. Then the next day had the pleasure of meeting Carrie Barnes. Later came Jim Fawcett, Kevin Messinger, Scott Allen, Patty from Virginia and I'm sure I'm leaving someone out. The first tho', since my coming back to the dulcimer after many a year, was Bing Futch. For one of the top professionals in this land, one of the nicest guys anyone would want to meet and one I'm proud to call "friend and brother." Indeed my 1st blog entry was about the Portage PA Dulcimer Day and meeting him. Ah, Portage, Ken Longfield was there too. Later came Butch Ross at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV.

I look forward to meeting more and more of the wonderful members here! I've not met a FOTMD member I didn't like, to paraphrase Will Rogers.

Rob

Charley, I've seen ads from the 70's or early 80's for dulcimers from Korea which used that DC 2 model number. Seems like that was the more expensive of the models in the ad, and is probably a very good instrument. The "clover" sound holes seem to have been used on all of those hourglass instruments. The same models were sold with a lot of different labels. On the back, near the head, is there evidence of a sticker? If so, it probably said, "Made in Korea." I've also seen 1 on e-bay with DC-1 and Korea under it.

Rob

9 on the A string is the same as 6+ on the melody string. It's a common workaround for playing without the 6 1/2 fret if you can reach it.

Rob

Actually, Nigel, capoing at the 3rd fret in CGcc tuning will give you F, not G. G would be the 4th fret since it's the 5th tone of the C major scale. Oh, and capoing on 2 will give you a nice E minor, too.

Rob

Lordy, Lordy.... You just getting too many of those, Dana. Pass 'em around

Messing around? It's the way to learn, compose and relax. Not having a "plan," just letting yourunconscious mind take you where it wants you to go. Sometimes it's a thing of beauty; sometimes it's something else. In either case it's what I need at the moment.

I learned the guitar the same way when I was a kid. Just sat around playing notes seeing where they lead, how they sound and if they can be made to fit together.

Love it!

Ok, after some very diligent searching I managed to find and purchase "Nonesuch," "Musick's Delight," and "The Dulcimer Archive;" this last one from 1997, an autographed 1st edition (one has to wonder if they sold enough for a 2nd edition.) They weren't cheap, but, hey, it's only money. I have received "Nonesuch" and "Archives" and it's interesting to see the changes in the arrangements over the 20 years between them. I've been having fun trying to get them halfway right (maybe.) His original pieces are quite the lesson in both composition and arrangement as well as in playing.

Jon, that's the album I have. Glad you got a book. I haven't been able to find one. Not only Ionian tuning but no 6 1/2 fret either. Love his arrangements as well as his playing.

John Henry, that's the way his early tabs in DPN were as well. Some of them are very hard to read

Jon, there was one more in the 90's which was sold by Moore, who wrote the "Eurotunes" column. I've been trying to find an email address for him, so far without success.

Jon, there were also at least 2 songbooks published. You'll find ads for them in some of the old DPN issues which Ken referenced, but I've never seen them. Would love to get my hands on them, too.

Rob

Wow, Joanna, that is one great looking instrument. I would love to hear it too. Can you tell if the full width frets are original? any evidence of staple type 1/2 frets?

Thanks, Ken, I'll check the Ollie's in Clarksburg today! Like you, I still like to hold a book in my hand and turn the pages! Having on-line, or electronic editions is nice, but there's just something about paper!

Well, well, another thread which should generate some great responses! I learn by ear a lot of what I play. Indeed, I feel more comfortable more quickly when I learn by ear. However, you can make mistakes by mishearing or misremembering some of the notes. That's where you talk about "regional differences" in tunes (works particularly well for fiddle tunes not so much for a Johnny Cash song.) Training your ear is, like Robin said, not difficult and well worth it. Start with a simple tune you know well but have never played on the dulcimer; then find the notes. In fact, if you like Johnny Cash a lot of his songs meet the criteria of "simple tune."

The next best way for ME is SMN. I just learned O'Carolan's "Lord Inchiquin" from SMN in G and played in D. I think Robin's mention of intervals brings up a great thing which happens (I think) to at least many dulcimists who read music: you quit thinking in terms of note (a, b, g#) rather you think about the interval between the notes (1, 2, 7.) Then it's easy to transfer the SMN, no matter what key it's in, the dulcimer, no matter what tuning it's in.

Lastly, I hate tab. I hated it on the guitar; I hated it on the banjo; I hate it on the dulcimer. But.... I use it when that's all that's available. Now, I don't mind tab below the SMN. I think of that as the fingering indications on classical guitar music: read the note, get an idea of where it should be played on the fingerboard.

There you go. My 2 centavos! Have fun

Rob

Gayle,

What Robin said! I feel I'm just "practicing" a piece until it's memorized. Then, and only then, can I work on it to try and "fine tune" the arrangement and make the song mine. I find some songs are easy to memorize and others are more difficult. As an example, I memorized "Nonesuch" in less than a week, however, I've been working on the "Farewell Pavane" now for about 2 to 3 weeks and still it's not coming together in my mind. I thought I had the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance memorized and ready to go; now I can't remember it at all. Oh well! I agree with everything you both have said.

Nice! Will be looking forward to hearing it when you get a song or two "down."

Rob

You can download the entire book from www.robertforce.com . I think it's great that he has made it available to all in (I think) pdf format. There is also "The Wild Dulcimer Songbook" on there too for free download. Has a lot of great tunes in it.

I'm not the one to ask about changing strings. I don't change mine nearly as often as I "should" on guitars or dulcimers. If I have a gig then I change them on the guitar(s) or dulcimer(s) I'll be playing. I know I ought to change them a lot more often than I do, but I can hear the difference and most of the time, after about 2 days of fussing, I think I did the right thing.

Yes, it's true. That's why bluegrass guitarists want Martin guitars from the '40's & '50s and why violinists want an Amati or Stadavarius.

Isn't that a GREAT book? It revolutionized my playing 2 years ago when I finally got a copy! Everyone with a dulcimer should have it.

Lisa, I think I remember seeing the "instructions" for making those in an old, old copy of DPN. I'll have to look thru' mine to see if'n I'm right.

Well, I used a burlap mail sack for a while. I checked the gun cases at Dick's Sporting Goods and couldn't find one that would fit like I wanted it to. Thought I could find a gun case that would hold 2 nicely, but couldn't

Raven,

I've been thinking this might work, with proper padding added, of course

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300604887882?var=600023415174&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_3427wt_1139

I have an old one from Michigan with the same fret pattern (no 6 but a 6+.) I haven't tuned it to anything because the strings are so high off the fingerboard I can't fret it. Neither can I lower the bridge because the strings would not touch them when tuned to pitch. I am taking it to my repairman as an engineering problem to see what he can do. All in all though I agree with John P. It's diatonic and ionic with the do note being on open instead of 3.

Rob

It's really 'cause we just ain't right

Skip, I went to the spring gathering of the Mountaineer Dulcimer Club here in north central West Virginia this year. These folks all play in DAA, almost exclusively. I re-tuned for the teaching part, but for the jamming I tuned back up to DAd. I found I could play harmonies quite easily with them. They had never had anyone do that before nor heard anything like it, but they seemed to enjoy it and invited me back any time!

Rob

Wonderful... Can't believe this site has only been here such a short time. Thanks Lisa for all your hard work to make this the most enjoyable music site of which I've ever been a part

Naomi, sorry to imply you were a guitarist. I meant to just make the comparison between 6/12 string guitar and 3 or 4/6 string dulcimers. Glad my poor wording of the analogy made sense

Rob

Well, I see it like this (and 4 other people may give you 6 more opinions,) most of us guitarists did not start on a 12 string guitar. Instead we learned on a 6 string and once we got some proficiency we progressed to a 12 string. Holding down the doubled strings is a bit harder on the fingers and (again IMO) you should develop some strength before you go there, otherwise you could (repeat could) get frustrated. Practicing when you are frustrated is not fun. So... continue practicing and when you get a little experience under your belt.... GET ONE!

Rob

Yes, Dana, from 2000 to 3000 in virtually no time! It's because people want to see what us crazies are up to and keep an eye on us.

Great find, Curtis. Looks like a wonderful instrument

Rob

My Keith Young dulcimer has pegs and the beads for fine tuning. I was amazed at how well they work. Took it to Portage PA Dulcimer Day and was able to get in tune and then re-tune very quickly andaccurately with them. I think this will now be my "go to" dulcimer!

Thanks for the heads-up. May have to come over & check that out.

Glad it worked out. I thought it would and now we get to hear another wonderful song!

What Sam said! Changing string gauge to increase the tension will make the action (at least seem) higher. I wouldn't do anything to the bridge or nut until you found the best gauge strings for the way it's to be played, then you could play with the bridge height. Remember though, raising the bridge too much, particularly with heavier strings could change the intonation. It may not benoticeableto the ear, but you'll be able to "see" it on a tuner. That's one of the problems I'm having with my Marsh. Get the strings right, intonation is off at the 7th fret. We're now trying to see if it's fret placement or bridge placement. I'm hoping for bridge!

Cheryl, sounds like the strings are too light for your style of playing. Use this http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.htm

to determine the basic gauge then add some because this site has it a little too light for my taste.

Ex: vsl=27.5 tune DAd

It says the high d should be a .10; I'd use a .12 'cause I like 'em a little tighter for fingerpicking.

That being said, you know from your classical guitar background that individual guitars like certain strings. My di Georgio hates Augustines. You have to experiment with different gauges and types, bronze for the wound or phospher bronze or steel. Thank goodness we just need 4 and they are cheap. I'm thinking about a wound 3rd on the one I'm keeping in DAAd. Try it 'til it feels good and sounds good too

Rob

Randy, it sounds like you might have had a great time . Wish I could have been there, but week-long seminars are just not do-able for me right now. So I'll just live vicariously through the descriptions you and others have given. Maybe next year will be different, but right now, it doesn't seem like it will be .

I'll have to get Phyllis's book. Love her playing and the sound of the traditional Galax dulcimer

Rob

How about, "Wow, let me check my tuning. Anyone else need to borrow a tuner?"

Howdy, Marian. What Robin said is a great way to get the rhythms ingrained in your system (so to speak.) Another thing which may help is to pat your foot at a steady beat (or use a metronome set to a fairly slow tempo.) Strum out in out in on each beat (pat of your foot or click of metronome.) When you're steady and clean with that, then strum out in for each beat. Do each of them 16 times before starting to play as a warm up, gradually getting faster, but not so fast you lose the steady rhythm.

Enjoy

Rob