I know the trend has been toward shorter scale lengths, which I suppose makes sense for chord melody style, but being a drone player, I prefer a longer scale length which for some reason sounds better to my ear. But I was wondering what the reason is, and basically, how does scale length affect the sound of a dulcimer?
Yeah, I'm more of a finger-dancer, rather than just using one finger. I have used a noter, and yes, it's not that hard to still hit the middle string with your finger. But finger-dancing came more naturally to me after years of playing chord-melody style and I never got very good with the noter.
After abandoning chord melody playing (former long time guitar player), I've been playing drone style, (but no noter though) using more traditional tunings, and have really come to appreciate the old time sound of the dulcimer. However, the other day I tuned to DAD for the first time in a long time, and was pleasantly surprised to find how good this tuning sounds played drone style without any chords. Since I don't use a noter, I can easily play a couple notes on the middle string when necessary. It would seem most DAD players use chords, but I was wondering if any of you traditional players use DAD? I guess you could say I'm becoming a semi- traditional player, ((no chords but no noter) using not-so-traditional chords (DAD/DGD). Hmmmmmmm........
Dda........you don't hear much about this tuning. Strumelia mentioned it in an old blog, and I was wondering if the middle string would be an unwound high d or a wound lower D like the bottom string? Also, any thoughts or experiences with this tuning for drone style would be appreciated.
Come to think about it, I guess it never really was what you'd call a popular instrument. And one of my favorite quotes about the dulcimer went something like this:
"The mountain dulcimer.....that quiet, peaceful, personal instrument; meant to be played in some lonely log cabin, down some dark holler."
I believe I read that in "Four and Twenty" , a songbook which used to be included with McSpadden dulcimers. I think Lynn McSpadden probably wrote it. Of course, that was before the internet.
Has the popularity of and interest in the mountain dulcimer declined in the last 10 or 15 years?
I'll check it out.....thanks. I live in the east, and don't want to overcharge or Take a beating either. It's gotten so expensive!
When listing a dulcimer for sale, and you get to the shipping costs part, can you simply put "actual shipping costs", and then let any interested buyer know exactly how much once they've provided their city and state? Thanks....
Thanks Ken....I found it online and downloaded it. And thanks to you too Dusty.
Interesting question, and one I've thought of often. My response would be a quote.....maybe by Lynn McSpadden, found in the "Four and Twenty" songbook they used to include when you bought a new McSpadden:
"The dulcimer......that quiet, peaceful, personal instrument designed for playing in a lonely log cabin deep in some dark holler."
For me, nothing much has changed.
I generally keep my dulcimer tuned d-d-D. I've noticed when I play in the ionian mode, certain hymns like Hoy, Holy, Holy, Abide With Me, and Softly and Tenderly require the use of the 6 1/2 fret. (I've also noticed I can't seem to play these same hymns in the mixolydian mode.....at least not in d-d-D tuning) Could anyone give me the reason for this, keeping in mind I'm not the sharpest knife in the music theory drawer? Thanks......
Thanks guys........that helped.
Very helpful Ken......thanks very much.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like when I'm in bagpipe tuning, and I lower my melody string a full step, I can now play in BOTH Aolian and Dorian modes. Is this right? Thanks.......
Could anyone here shed any light on what time period historically and where geographically bagpipe tuning....(not Galax tuning))....was more commonly used? I find it to be quite versatile and also very traditional sounding. I much prefer it to the more commonly used ionion tuning. Thanks for any info.
