Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I’ve been a member of FOTMD for a couple of years now, and posted some audio clips of Welsh folk tunes, but I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. I’ve been quiet for the last few months, trying to get my head and fingers around my new toy - a lovely walnut/Engelmann spruce Folkcraft Series H dulcimer with a 1.5 fret, 25in VSL. Now that I’ve stopped stumbling over the 1.5 fret, I’ve posted some tunes that I’ve been playing on the new dulcimer - not perfect, but then I’ve never been able to play any tune right through without a mistake, especially when it’s being recorded!
I have been playing the dulcimer now for about two years. I used to play guitar, but arthritis in my fingers made it difficult for me to shape the chords. I’d been eyeing dulcimers for years, but you don’t see them in music shops around here to try them out, so I did nothing about it. But in August 2022, I bought an all walnut McSpadden dulcimer from Red Cow Music in Yorkshire while on a campervanning trip and I haven’t looked back. I so wish I’d started playing one earlier.
I play the dulcimer mainly at home, picking out folk tunes and trying to find chords for them. But I also get together with a group of people who meet to play Welsh folk tunes. This made me hanker after a quick way of changing keys, so I bought a McSpadden Ginger (walnut/redwood). Its higher pitch and brighter tone also had the advantage of being easier to hear over the other instruments. My hearing is not so good (I have two hearing aids), so I find it difficult to play by ear against accordions and fiddles.
I found myself obsessively browsing the internet looking for dulcimers with more volume, listening to videos of dulcimers made from different woods. The FOTMD site allowed me to research whether a 1.5 fret would allow me to play in more keys without having to use a capo or retune and catch up with everyone else. Eventually, as a 70th birthday present to myself, I ordered the Folkcraft dulcimer. I had a devil of a job getting it through the bureaucracy of UK customs, but thanks to Richard Ash’s co-operation and endless patience it finally arrived in January. I haven’t put it down since.
So now I have three dulcimers and a bad case of Dulcimer Acquisition Disorder. Though the Folkcraft is in many ways more versatile, I still enjoy playing the two McSpaddens. I like the mellow buzzy tone of the all-walnut dulcimer and the brightness and portability of the Ginger. The Folkcraft series H sounds to me more guitar-like in quality and has a big sound. The 25in VSL suits me better too than the 27ins of the standard McSpadden and I’m enjoying the new chord opportunities that the 1.5 fret offers me. The ebony fretboard makes a difference too as does having only 3 strings - my fingers slide better over the fretboard, though I do feel that I have to be a bit more careful in my playing on the Folkcraft.
Excuse my ramblings, but I thought perhaps my experiences might be of interest to those who can’t easily walk into a dulcimer shop and try out all the wonderful variations of dulcimer types before choosing what to buy. Thanks to you all at FOTMD for the information and warm support you provide - and also for putting me in contact with the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club here in the UK.
