Forum Activity for @rob-n-lackey

ANYONE who would like a copy of "Battle of the Somme" follow the above instructions, since there seems to be no way to post it here on a discussion.

Battle of the Somme.pdf - 73KB

Well, here you go. I finished the  "Battle of the Somme" Tab in Dad.  3 pages.  Page 1 - melody low register; Page 2 - melody high register; page 3 - adding chords.

I just followed you; now you need to follow me and send me a private message with your email so I can send you the pdf

I found the music to "Battle of the Somme."  It's not in copyrite so, I can do a tab of it.  I can do it in DAd, but being composed for the pipes and have a lot of drones, what about DAA?  Ah..... maybe I'll do both just to see which sounds better.

Wow,  "Battle of the Somme."  I haven't heard any one other than Alan Freeman play that one.  I'll look around for it.  "Cavantino" I'm not familiar with it.  There is a dance form called Cavatina.  Do you know of an author for it?

Here's another neat site for early recordings.  

  http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

Lot of old minstrel tunes, the pop music of the day, was recorded on cylinders.

Here it is from archive.com

https://archive.org/details/DonRichardson-ArkansasTraveler1916

For stage work my Jerry Rockwell large hourglass, if I want to get jazzy, and old Jim Good set up like Alan Freeman's in Jim's weird G tuning, and for learning new tunes (in DAd) or jamming, a (supposedly) WV made small hourglass.

Melody, melody, melody.   If you don't have the melody correct there is no need to add chords.  Were I to teach a beginner on either guitar or dulcimer scales would be the 1st thing I'd cover.  I know a fellow here in WV who carries 7 Jim Good dulcimers in a cabinet tuned in 7 different keys.  I agree with Travis, you have to approach them differently.

Janet.... try these

http://www.mne.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes.html

http://www.drfiddle.com

Must be something in the air/weather/water but I've been playing in DAA more and more of late.  Something about that tuning has just been drawing me in.  Maybe I've been listening to too much Blosser and Nicholson and it's subliminally warped my thinking  LOL!

No laughing here.  Inquiring minds want to know!  It lets you plug into an amplifier.  There are basically 2 types: magnetic and piezo.  Magnetic picks up the vibration of the strings, like an electric guitar.  The piezo picks up the vibrations from the top giving a more "acoustic" sound.

If you want a stick-on pickup, I highly recommend the Schatten Dualie.  Inexpensive and a great sound.  I've used mine on my nylon strung guitars, and dulcimers since the dualie has been in the US.  (Schatten is a Canadian company.) Never a problem and they are great folks for customer service.

If Jerry Rockwell is making any more of his magnetic, over the top pickups, they are choice as well.  Different than the Schatten since they use (I think) a Bill Lawrence humbucker.  I'm sure others will offer you more suggestions as well, but those would be my choices.

It's a beauty, Tom. Bet she sounds good, too. I kinda like that it has no extra frets.

Actually, I believe this is a 30 to 40 year old instrument which was made in Korea. The DC-23 label is the giveaway. I've played a couple of them and they can be very nice instruments. With the soundholes it has, I'm thinking earlier than later, probably from the mid to late 70s. Tune it up and play it!

Paula, I'd say the bridge would have to be made to fit. If you have some wood, sandpaper and a knife edge needle file you're good to go. Can't say I've ever heard of that maker. It looks really nice tho'. Good lines, craftsmanship (from what I can see in the pics) and no 6 1/2 fret.

Tunings, eh. I use DAd and its variant CGc. I retune those to DAc, DGd or DGc. I have 2 or 3 tuned DAA or CGG. Drop them down to DAG or tune up to EAA for mixolydian tunes. Then there's one DDA that I sometimes bow. One's in Ddd. The Mawhee's in AAA. Then there are the Jim Good's which I keep in Jim's tuning: b G d d d. Then for 4 strings, DAAd is probably my favorite, then DAdd. DAdc gives some great drones for songs such as Lord Thomas and the Fair Elender. DGGd and DGdd and DGdc and good, too. Oh yeah, I have one that can go up to EBe.

Anything by The Simmons Family, from Stone County, Arkansas, home of McSpadden Dulcimers, would be a good choice. Jerry Rockwell had a cd called (something like) Favorite American Folk Tunes, but I'm not sure it's still in print. If Robin Clark's cd is still available that would be good. David Schnaufer's "Tennessee Music Box" cd has a lot of traditional material on it and is (I think) all solo dulcimer. I'm sure there's a couple more that I can't think of right now.

Bob's right; Mary Faith Rhodes would be good, too.

DAA, Robin, and EAA for mixolydian. In fact, I believe I've gone up to DAc for a little minor action

I would think they'd be fine, Robin. I've used similar gauges and the instruments have been fine.

Oh my, Dana. So sorry to hear all that! Hope everything goes well.... you know you're in my prayers as well.

As a guitar player, too, I see no reason why dulcimer smn won't work for a guitar. Make sure the guitarist knows SMN, and isn't trying to read the tab.

I have an old Dixon based on the Shellnut teardrop that I believe is Korean made. I've seen DU-200 stickers on other Korean made instruments from the 70s.

Actually, to my non-builder's eye, it seems if the fret after the nut is really a zero fret (which kind of makes sense because of the soundhole) then the fret pattern looks right. However, there is no 6 fret; there's a 6 1/2 fret. I have an older one from Michigan with that arrangement. David Schnaufer in his Dulcimer Times interview said he had found several really old ones that had that fret pattern to begin the major scale on the open string. That said, I still didn't bid on it.

My 1st dulcimer has about a 30" vsl so I'm probably not one who should comment. However, my hands are small though I was a classical guitarist before the dulcimer. I play many different dulcimers with different vsls. I would get the standard size with the short fretboard. You already have one ginger, so I'd think a full size body is in order. Just my 2 cents.

Measure between the bass string and the middle string. Use the same measure from the middle string to the melody strings and leave the one that's closest to that measure. As an alternative though, have you thought about 4 independent strings for fingerpicking? I love to use 4 strings tuned DAAd, DAdd, DAdc, DGGd, DGdd, DGdc, EAAd, etc. Gives you a lot of options.

Grahame, I can't think of a folk rock band in the US which used a dulcimer. My 1st record with a dulcimer on it was Steeleye Span's "Below the Salt." I had no idea there was a dulcimer on it nor what a dulcimer was 'til a trip to Mt View, Arkansas the next year.

One great sourcebook there, Babs. Thanks for the link. I see several I'll be trying to add to my repertoire.

Mandy, looks like you've done really well. Can't wait to hear it.

It's Rickett's Hornpipe

Shenandoah, eh? Good tune. Looking forward to it.

I had just one for about 25 years, a Fred Martin all mahogany, my 1st. Now I have about 28. 10 of which I play regularly. It has to be something very special for me to add any more. Thank goodness there's a lot of special ones out there.

Thanks for the link, Ken. That was great.

Monty, I remember Hanon for the piano, in the Hanon-Schaum version, but can't say those memories are "fond." LOL I do also remember trying to use them to help build finger dexterity when I began studying classical guitar. Those memories are more fond. I think exercises of this type would definitely benefit the dulcimist whether playing with the fingers or a pick. Also, I played them on a pure diatonic (no 6 1/2 fret) and they didn't sound bad using the 6 fret. For notation software I use musedit, a free download. Gives you 3 or 4 string tab and allows you to set the tuning.

I thought it would be easier just to attach it to this thread

"Drive the Cold Winter Away," in the music I found for it, is in D minor. It works out really well in DAc tuning. In fact, I have it tabbed out now.

Send a friend request if you'd like a copy.

Rob

Maddie MacNeil, This is the last of the videos Jim took of the Homecoming Concerts.

Next year we'll get everyone, complete!

If you can make it, you won't regret coming to Hindman next year. Thanks, Mike, Brett, et al. It was a blast

Don Pedi, Don PEDI, DON PEDI! I know some of y'all have been waiting patiently for the Don Pedi portion of the concerts at Hindman, so here they are:

Enjoy! Maddie & Cari to come later!

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Be sure to give Jim kudos for the videography. Here's a few from "Gentle Anne" Anne MacFie, "The Spandex Folkie."

NEW LINKS: here are most of the Friday night jam session with Ron Pen, Don Pedi, Cari Norris and me. We had a blast, as I hope will be evident from watching.

Thanks, Ken. I had a fantastic time there, too. I recommend it for everyone who has any inclination to go to a dulcimer festival and can make it to Hindman. There will links to the Friday night jam session after the concert soon.