Forum Activity for @rob-n-lackey

It was my pleasure to have participated in the Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming Nov 6-8, 2014. I was in the company of dulcimer greatness, that's for sure. Ralph Lee Smith and Maddie McNeil were there as well as Don Pedi, Anne MacFie and Cari Norris. The historic Hindman Settlement School was the perfect setting for this event. Teaching, playing, visiting, hanging out in the Dulcimer Shop in Hindman made for a great weekend for me. Plan to come next year; preparations are already in the works for an even better time.

Jim Fawcett kindly recorded a lot of performances and shared them with me. Here's links to some of the stage goings on. There will be more to come.

Hope y'all enjoy these. Check back for more.

Well, I don't have any instruments with 1 1/2 frets and don't plan on getting any. I think it's at best a compromise between a diatonic and chromatic. It also gets in my way. Perhaps I'd get used to it if I had one for some time, but I don't think that's in the cards for me right now. I understand why people get them and its use, but, to ME (stressing the me because other opinions are valid here,) I don't want one. I'm playing instruments without 6 1/2 frets more and more lately and playing in more tunings than usual. Just my 2 centavos

A varient of that picture is in Bonnie Carol's "Fingerdances for Dulcimer" book, but it says it's from 1979. Doug Berch and Marc Nelson should be in there somewhere. I believe Joellen Lapidus is beside Kevin Roth. Fred Meyer could be on pur left of Alan. Of course Bonnie Carol is on the far right, second from the bottom.

Try this

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/try-these-sites-for-free-tab

Patty, If you're looking at a traditional hymnal, the low bass note may well be the root of the chord. Sometimes I just experiment with chords and see how it sounds. If it sounds good, I keep them; if it doesn't, I find something else.

Little Rosewood Casket.

107

I'd say make it playable!

That is a beauty, Phil.

Glad to see you on again, Sam! Robin's told you about all you'd need to know to start.

I'd go with 4 just because with multiple notches on the bridge and nut you can have paired melody strings, paired middle strings, 4 equidistant or leave off one and have 3 equidistant. That being said, I like 4 string equidistant probably because that's what my 1st one was (is; I still have it.) Yes, as many have said, it is a matter of taste and what you get used to in playing.

The correct answer is: YES

Dusty, I think you have a good list. There's a lot of regional variations in tunes played at dulcimer jams. There are several on your list that aren't played around here. Up here you'll also hear "Needle Case," "Petronella," "Columbus Stockade Blues," and "You are my Sunshine."

Maybe next year I'll be able to get down that way again. I hope so anyway! Glad you had a GREAT time.

Robert,

Please explain how you use them for bushings on loop end strings.

robert schuler said:

Whenever I change strings I save the ball ends. I always find uses for them. Keep some and use them as bushings when using loopend strings... Bob.

Good for you, Maryann. I have the V-Pick Bing Lite and make sure it's in my pick bag. Be careful, though, it's hard to find when you drop it. LOL

Kevin, without knowing anything about what makes the Folkcraft "custom," and having heard nothing but good things about David Lynch's beginner instrument I'd say go for the Sweetwoods. I got a great deal on my 1st one and, like your post above, I had plenty "left over" to invest in books, records (at the time) and instructional material. See some of Dusty Turtle's posts on this subject; he makes some of the best points I've read.

Matthew, I'll second the recommendation of "Larkin's Dulcimer Book." I had heard of it for 25 years (at least) but just got a copy of it. It's very good. Also, you can download from www.robertforce.com "In Search of the Wild Dulcimer." That is a great book as well! Others have told me they like McNeil's "You Can Teach Yourself Dulcimer," with a DVD. I've never used it myself. When you get a little more comfortable with the instrument, Jerry Rockwell's "Music Theory and Chord Construction for the Dulcimer," is invaluable. It's available from www.jcrmusic.com . If you're interested in noter play "The Dulcimer Book," by Jean Ritchie is wonderful. Indeed, you should probably get that, too. Shucks, I'm trying to load you down with books. LOL. Hey, you can't have too much music in your life!

Most of the time, if I only have one instrument with me, I'd tune the middle string down to G. If it were just a few songs, I might try to barre the 3rd fret and leave it in DAd. I usually have a capo with me, though.

Well, Ken, in this case all other things are equal except for the type of wood. Jim's instruments are the same size, same bracing, same vsl, etc. Therefore any difference in sound in any of his instruments must be related to the wood choices. I've played a lot of his instruments and, yes, there are differences in sound which can only be attributed to the type of wood used in the instrument. That's why I didn't bring up any of those things in my answer to Denise: it doesn't apply!

Well, Denise, getting a West Virginia instrument, eh? I have 2 Jim Good's: an old one that's all walnut, and a newer one that's butternut. They are great instruments.

Now, to your question. Some people will tell you the choice of wood won't make that much difference except in looks. I own a lot of instruments in various woods, and I think it does make a difference. So.... based on just what you told us, I'd go with the poplar. I have an all poplar instrument and have another with a poplar top and they both sound great. My 2nd choice would be the padauk. If I heard them and they sounded similar, I'd pick the one I thought was prettiest. I hope you enjoy your Mastertone! Jim & Brenda are nice folks, and you'll be getting a very well made instrument.

Rob

That's great that the mystery is solved. Thanks for letting us know.

Howdy David,

Jerry Rockwell forwarded to me the pictures you sent him. Glad to see a photo of the top, however, it still rings no bells with me. I had thought it might be early McSpadden as I've seen some of his early ones with the cuts at the tail. I've never seen one of his with staple frets though. I'll keep searching and hopefully the collective mind of FOTMD will come up with an answer.

Rob

I had a noter with a leather lanyard. I liked it because I could drop it and play with my fingers then swing it back up again. Unfortunately my dog thought it was a chew toy one night. I'm ordering another one this week LOL.

Julie, you're using a technique that requires a lot of practice to get right. I barre with a finger across the fretboard since, as a guitarist, I have used to doing it that way. Sometimes I use my little finger, other times I use my ring finger. An easier way might be to use 3 fingers, probably index, middle and ring, to make the barre. That allows the thumb to be free to move up the fretboard. Give that a whirl and see how it works for you.

DAAA was what how McSpadden's came tuned. However, they always said you could tune them up to DAdd with no problem. If it's a 3 string disregard the 4th string.

Helen, What's the vsl? I can go to E on most all of mine I've tried with no problem. EAd is a great tuning (IF that's what you're trying to get to) for several good old tunes.

That's a tough one, Steve. Ukes being chromatic instruments they can play in many different keys without retuning. You need to know in what key the majority of their songs are played, then perhaps we can give suggestions about tunings which can accommodate most of them. For example, if they do a lot of tunes in C then CGc would be good for the dulcimer.

Well, thanks for posting that, Steph, even tho' it brought a tear to my eye.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/pete-seeger-i...

A great interview with Pete! He was a gracious man.

Well, last night I had about 4 paragraphs written on this subject before falling asleep. A cat on the keyboard (thank you Mousie!) killed the window with about 24 open tabs in it. So much I had written has now been said, so I'll just reiterate: comfort and appropriateness. Oh and at those open mikes with the young folks, If they like your music they won't care what you wear. I had quite a following at one when I lived in MD a few years ago, particularly among the other musicians. Just be yourself and wear comfortable shoes.

Me.... a few years ago at an open mike

Thanks, Wout, I knew it had to be one or the other!

Rob

Well, Larry, unless you have a chromatic dulcimer, the short answer is, "yes, you're missing something." Because of the diatonic arrangement of the frets on the dulcimer, you have not only changed the open notes; you have changed the mode as well. Instead of being in a nice major sounding mode, you'll be in (I think) aeolean, which is minor sounding. If you have not read it, you can download Robert Force's "In Search of the Wild Dulcimer" for free on his website: www.robertforce.com . He has a great discussion of modes in it.

In old time jams, I normally have 2 or 3 dulcimers in different tunings: one in DAA, one in CGc, one in either DAd or DGd. See it's a great excuse for multiple dulcimers.

Rob

Sorry, Phil. But y'all are ok and that means a lot!

Dana, I'm certainly going to try my best to be there! I had a great time there.

Well, Dana, in your case it's quality as well as quantity. You got a bunch of good uns! That's what makes yours so special. Thanks for letting me see and play some of them!

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/photo/dulcimer-wall?context=user

One of the best collections, of which this is just a portion.

Yep, it's still Mixolydian... all the tabs still work... you'll just be playing in E instead of D. Strother's calculator is a little "light" for my taste, so if you can ease them up a pitch it may take away some of it. However, it could be that you just have an instrument which has a lot of sustaining power and it seems like an echo. Some people like that in a dulcimer; some don't.

Elaine, I really didn't hear an excessive echo in your sound clip. However, just for curiosity's sake you could try tuning up to EBee and see if that takes away some or all the problem.

Ellen... those strings sound like they should be "right." What is the vsl of the instrument? Sounds like you might not have the melody string up to the right octave. Remember, It should be an octave above the bass. Are you using an electronic tuner? Most of them show which octave you're tuning to by a number. As for the "echo," if you could post up a sound file, it might be easier to diagnose.

Hope your Thanksgiving is Happy

Rob