Forum Activity for @lisa-golladay

Every chromatic dulcimer comes with a free diatonic hidden in plain sight. Ignore the extra frets until you need them. For some people this is no problem at all. For others it's confusing and it sounds wrong and they just don't like it. Either opinion is perfectly valid. It's your dulcimer.

I play chromatic. I play diatonic. I play half-breeds with 1.5 and 6.5 frets. Since you asked why NOT buy chromatic, here's what I got:

Chromatic is harder to play. It has wrong notes. This is not insurmountable. Think about the guitar players you know; are they all rocket scientists? If they can manage a chromatic fretboard, so can you. However, if you hate to practice scales you will probably be happier with a diatonic.

Noter speed bumps. Do you play with a noter? Can't stand the idea of your dulcimer sounding like a slide guitar? This is a dealbreaker for some. And some could not care less. Know thyself.

Lack of instructional materials. This is a big one. There are a few books and videos for learning chromatic dulcimer, but not nearly as many resources as diatonic. When an absolute beginner asks me about dulcimers, I usually steer them toward diatonic.

Modal scales get difficult. Dorian is my favorite mode for improvising, and it's so easy on a diatonic! Dial in the right tuning and off you go. Whereas learning all the scales on chromatic is a major learning curve.

Other dulcimer players fly into a panic. Seriously. A friend gets a dulcimer and wants to play together. Bring out a chromatic and they'll yelp in terror. It doesn't look the same. It's too complicated! I have to keep a diatonic around or I won't have any dulcimer friends.

It's not traditional. This matters to many people. And sometimes (living history events? tapping into your personal memories of dulcimers past?) it may matter to you. If the sound you fell in love with is the sound of a traditional silvery noter/drone modal dulcimer, a chromatic is unnecessary and will make it harder to replicate that old-time sound.

That said, if you already have a diatonic dulcimer and you're considering chromatic, and if you have the time and inclination to learn something new, then my advice is go for it.

Done! 

Ok, can you please leave a comment on one of my photos now?

I received notifications for the Group discussion, the Forum discussion, and this thread.  No notification for a comment on a photo.  

You're welcome, @strumelia! 

Before I try to get this fixed, I would like to test this on other types of 'item' that you created Robin...

I just left 'comments' on three more items you created: a photo, a Group discussion, and a Forum discussion.

Can you tell me which (if any) of my new comments generated a new notification for you?  Thanks!

Thanks Robin!

You're right, Strumelia-- I was notified about the "likes"! 

Robin- aside from not getting notified about 'comments'...

I just now 'liked' an audio and video of yours. Can you tell me if you get the usual private message notification for my two likes?  (i suspect you will get them for 'likes')

A couple of other points I forgot, a chromatic will probably be a bit more expensive to buy and much harder to sell.

Both Ken and Robin are correct.

Your instrument is personal.

As Jerry Rockwell says: It’s a possibility box.

Look at lots of video clips of folks playing a variety of music on a variety of different fretted dulcimer configurations and, perhaps, that will give you an idea of what approach you'd like to take to making music.  First and foremost, lean into what music is in your heart to make and get the tool (instrument) with which to do it best.  It's a process and it can be lots of fun to explore.  

Strumelia, I have left comment on one of your videos and one of your audio clips.  

I looked at my settings for notifications and all looks fine there.  

TRADITION! 

When asked about dulcimer with “extra" frets, Jean Ritchie replied “In a strict sense it has a different finger board, it’s not quite a dulcimer anymore.”    

You can find all the notes in the dulcimer's range, but you have to be willing to re-tune at least one string to do so (takes less than 30 seconds, with practice).

If you want a chromatic instrument lay a guitar on your lap and play that.  Or I can build you an  "acoustic lap guitar". Just don't call it a dulcimer.   Part of the essential definition of Dulcimer, to many of us, is the diatonic fretboard.

If you are playing mostly "classic dulcimer songs" especially from tabulature rather than SMN, it will be 'more difficult' because the fret numbering convention is different, and you'll have to find the fewer diatonic frets among the plethora of chromatic frets.  You won't be able to simply count 1,2,3,4... to find a tab numbered fret.  With a chromatic instrument that becomes
1/2,1,1-1/2, 2, 3, 3-1/2, 4, 4-1/2, 5, 6, 6-1/2,7......



Also, IMHO the 'sound' of a chromatic "dulcimer" is different when you slide from note to note -- because of all the intervening chromatic notes between diatonic notes -- I hear those slides as 'muddier'...

Anyone else having this issue, who used to get notifications and are no longer?

Robin, perhaps you can leave a comment on one of my audio clips and one of my videos, so i can see if I get the notifications? (my personal settings are set to send me an email upon such comments, as opposed to getting the notifications in a private message, so not sure how good this test will be.)

Have you double checked all your 'notification' settings to make sure they have not changed and are as you like them?

Hey y'all--  

I've noticed I get no notifications for comments posted on my audio and video clips.  They've always shown up in my private messages yet in recent weeks, no notifications.  I'm wondering whether others are not getting notifications from audio or video, too?

Thanks!   

Shhhh!  I have traditionally fretted dulcimers, some with 1.5 6.5 and some that are chromatic. And two with nylon strings.

My favorite dulcimer is the one in my lap.

I think many of the reasons will be be focus on tradition and your music interests which will include style of play [N/D or chording] and need for the extra frets.

It will boil down to what you want plus a bit of DAD [dulcimer acquisition disease].

I am NOT a traditionalist but I find I play mostly traditional [diatonic] music most of the time when I play with others even though my main MDs are chromatic. I use the chromatic side mostly when playing by myself.

I forgot to add, there are 'chromatic tunings' such as DAA#d, but they are 4 equi-distant strings. These are done on the standard diatonic MD.

I am looking to purchase a new dulcimer and am considering getting a chromatic.  It seems the benefits of being able to play any note within the dulcimer's range is a big plus, but I am looking for reasons why I would not want to get a chromatic.  Can anyone provide some insight here?

For instance, does having a chromatic make it more difficult to play classic dulcimer songs, is it generally more confusing, etc...?

Convince me why getting a chromatic is not the way to go, and why a diatonic is better.

Thanks!

Sorry to see the Bill Taylor tab collection is no longer available unless you are a member of the Knoxville dulcimer club. I've used it a lot in the past and am sad to have lost access to it.

Thanks Everyone, for the help. My granddaughter is a definite handful, and it is very difficult to keep her attention in one place for very long. I keep thinking that if she gives music a chance, she'll love it. I don't care if she wants to play the tuba (well, maybe I do!), but Something! I have the dulcimers so I'm going to try to start her there. I think she can get some early success which will help keep her interest. Your suggestions will definitely help guide me in this. I'll let you all know how things go. Thanks again!

Thank you Strumelia. I'll check that out.

How wonderful to see the way this all took off!  I'm just sorry I missed it somehow.  I'll put this on my calendar for next year!  Clearly I need to stay on top of things with fotmd. 

@ken-longfield  thank you for thinking of me, sir.  In these instances, where we face these immense and overwhelming circumstances, I think that it is mostly not about us at all..  we are simply being swept along by something that we cannot even create a clear conception of....  in come cases, we benefit, and it is a thing to recognize, and to be grateful for.  

So, it seems that we both have quite a bit to be grateful for.  We are fortunate.

Teddy, I thought of you at worship this morning. Psalm 30 was the appointed Psalm. I particularly liked verses 2 & 3: "O Lord, my God, I cried out to you and your restored my health. You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; you restored my life as I was going down to the grave." These verses were particularly meaningful for me before and after my open heart surgery which was almost a year and half ago now.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

@ken-hulme  I think that I will enjoy playing in styles that are both bagpipe-like, and also entirely unlike what I already know...  that is the thing about embarking on a new thing;  the entire world is suddenly wide open to you.  I am really enjoying this already, and I haven't even received the instrument yet, lol.  Thank you so much for your help.  I have literally everything to learn.

Teddy -- Traditionally only the Melody string (or couplet) nearest to you is fretted to make the notes.  The other two strings are Drones.  If you fret the Melody string(s)  with a small finger-sized stick, we call that stick a Noter, and the style is Noter & Drone.  If you fret only the Melody string(s) with one or two fingers we call that Fingerdancing.  If you fret across all three course of strings we call that non-traditional style Chord-Melody.  For the most bagpipe-like sound you'll want to focus on Noter & Drone or Fingerdancing because they emphasize the Drones.

@richard-streib  I have been a professed monk in a monastic order for a very long time, sir.  When I was in the hospital, I often received visits from clergy and consecrated lay brothers and sisters (monks/nuns), as well as from clerics from various denominations who would come and spend a few moments with me, offering their quiet presence.  During the months that I spend in the hospital, I took comfort in knowing that I was prepared for however things turned out.  I can affect very little insofar as how these things play out.  The priests, monks, and nuns who visited me similarly were unable to change how things turned out, though I very much appreciated their calm, quiet presence when they visited me.  I have no control over most of what takes place in my life.  I was fortunate in a way;  my decades of practice as a contemplative monastic prepared me to accept whatever life unfolded to me in any given breath-moment.  (this came as a pleasant surprise). 

I was an ordinand in my third year of seminary when I found myself going into surgery, with no certainty, and no clear idea of how life-changing the experience would be, ultimately; or whether I would have any lifespan remaining at all.

Whatever the circumstances, I am alive, I am mobile, I am not dependent upon infusions, machines, or appliances, and I am able to eat and drink and my body functions normally (mostly;  everything that was in there is no longer in there, and there is something of a 'new normal' but I will accept that with gratitude, along with whatever physical pain remains).

As I write this response (01 May 2022), I am preparing for the formal conclusion of the seminary academic program which will take place tomorrow evening.  If I am able to meet all of the academic and other requirements, I anticipate ordination to the Priesthood on 03 or 04 June of this year (I am currently a transitional deacon, reading for holy orders to be ordained as a religious-order priest ((priest-monk)) ). 

Please keep me in your prayers.  I am not entirely convinced that I am worthy of this... though I am also aware that it is not about me at all.  But, I will accept prayers in support of my vocation with humility and gratitude, sir.

Perhaps, if things go well, I will be able to return the gift of a calm, quiet presence (at the very least) to some other poor soul who is facing an uncertain future while hospitalized, and perhaps be able to provide them with some small degree of comfort in a difficult moment.  _/|\_

@ken-hulme  Thanks Ken for the article.  I like the idea of a 'stringed bagpipe' and I very much would love to be able to play the Scottish and Irish tunes that I have played on the pipes, on the dulcimer (although, there is a maxim in piping that the only tunes you still love are the ones you haven't learned to play yet, since, by the time you are able to play a tune with any competence, you have come to hate it, lol!)  I don't know what Fingerdance syle is...  but it sounds intriguing.  

Best wishes Teddy on your dulcimer journey. Thanks for your testimony of God bringing you through a very serious condition. I echo what the others have posted. When you get your dulcimer enjoy it. Ask any questions you have. We are here to support you and help you.

So sorry to see this.  Naomi gave us some memorable music along with her daughter.

Rest in peace Naomi, and condolences to Ashley and Winona.  

Welcome Home, Teddy -- in many ways!   

The good news is that you can think of your dulcimer as a sort of "stringed bagpipe"!  It has the same melody and drone setup as the GBH.  There is even a specific tuning called Bagpipe Tuning -- Ddd.  Coincidentally, the dulcimer also excels at renditions of classic Scots and Irish tunes, the Border Ballads and more, particularly when played in Noter & Drone or Fingerdance style, which emphasize the drone nature of the dulcimer.  I've been playing those ballads and tunes for decades!

To get you ready for your new "friend", here's a link to an article I wrote several years ago, called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? .   It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer tunes (so we all speak the same jargon), plus answers to many beginner questions about the tuning, playing, care and feeding of your instrument.  

Ken Hulme's "I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?" Article - Strumelia | fotmd.com

@john-c-knopf  Thank you, John.  Its a pleasure to meet you, sir.  I am glad every moment of every day.  Nothing is guaranteed, and anything can happen.  I plan to do my very best to make the most that possibly can out of each moment going forward, and I am really happy and looking forward to learning how to play this instrument, hearing it, admiring it, and learning about it...  and to share the journey with my fellow dulcimer players.  This is a really nice community. 

@irene  Thank you so much for your response, Irene.  For whatever reason, I am indeed still here.  I wake up on my own, no tubes, no wires, no needles, no intense pain, no deep, endless, gnawing hunger and/or thirst.  I am capable of getting up, moving around on my own, eating, drinking, using the bathroom, and feeling normal.  It was not always the case.  I have no idea why I was so fortunate to come out of a situation that didn't really offer very much hope of survival.. but, I am here, now, and in all of the infinite stream of time going forward and backward ...  and in all of the illimitable distances in this universe that we live in...  we are all here, now, together.  We are all living in the same bellybutton together, we have to help one another get through this thing...  the situation that I faced is a situation that many, many other people would have traded me for, no questions asked.  I am so very, very grateful and fortunate.  I cherish every moment.  What I know is that it never occurred to me to think, "I never got to buy that... (something)", or, "I wish I could wear my... (something) just one more time." - what I most wanted were moments with people that love me, and that I love in turn.  It is the small things that escape our notice that are so very very precious.   I am attaching a photo.  This is a photo of earth, taken by Voyager 1 about 30 years ago.  Everyone and everything that has ever been, is, and will ever be important to either of us is in this photo... 

 Pale blue dot in space earth.jpg - 24KB

@ken-longfield  Thank your for your response.  I think what speaks to me most, and what resonates with me most deeply, is a fingerpicked style of dulcimer music;  particularly older music.  That being said, however, I have no intention of entering this venture with strong pre-conceived notions at all.  I am going to maintain an open mind, try every single thing that I am capable of trying, and just enjoy the journey.  I have no stated goal, nothing that I must have a deadline for..  I just want to do it for the doing of it.  (Contrast this to learning the bagpipes so that you can pass the Pipe Major's testing of your playing and march in the band, play at bagpipe gigs, and so on.  The dulcimer is not for that... its for me...  I just want to play..  I am simply happy to be here.  I have faced my own mortality on several occasions, however, every time prior to this medical thing, I had made a conscious decision to take a risk;  by taking up arms, jumping out of aircraft, being under water, or around explosives or munitions, or, later, as a police officer, walking into situations that were inherently dangerous.  In this recent instance, I was simply living my ordinary, day to day, mundane existence...  I had just lost my cat, who was my little buddy for the past 17 years at that point...  and I was heartbroken over it, and my wife, myself and a close friend went out to dinner together as a small sendoff for a special little guy.   We ate, we were talking, and I suddenly felt a dull pain, and a peculiar wet sliding sensation, and immediately felt pretty bad... but I didn't say anything, not wanting to put a damper on the evening.  I had no idea that that moment was as crucial as it actually was.  Basically, by the time I arrived at the ER, they did not expect me to live through the night.   This was the first time I had ever been confronted with my own mortality simply when I had been living my life... not taking risks, not doing dangerous things..  just living.

It changes your perspective.  I can now answer the question (i.e., for myself;  "What is the meaning of life?" - for me, it is enjoying the passage of time.   Time is passing whether we realize it or not, notice it or not, enjoy it.. or not.   At some point, an exhale will take place, without a corresponding inhale.  This is what it is to be human.  We all face this.   The difference for me now is that I actually, truly know it... am constantly conscious of it... and know that my time is finite.   A day will come when, inevitably, I am going to die, and there is nothing whatsoever that I can do to change that.

So, one day I will die... this is true.  What is also true is that from this moment, until that moment, I am going to live.   Part of living includes making music on this new instrument, enjoying the craftsmanship of the instrument, the choosing of it... and the fellowship and community with my fellow musicians, and with all sentient beings.

I think that this is the best way to show gratitude for each moment;  by living and enjoying each moment, and by being fully and totally present to it.

@greg-gunner Thank you sir, for taking the time to reply to my post.  I am sorry that you were forced to confront such a frightening and painful illness.  I have been a fighter all of my life, involved in combat sports since I was a very young child, and I served in two branches of the United States military and have successfully completed some of the toughest training courses our military offers;  I *thought* I knew what pain was, and that I could tolerate nearly anything.  Suffice it to say that I have a very much deeper understanding of what pain is now, particularly since I refused further narcotics on the fourth day after my initial surgery.  The timing was not good, as my surgeon was out of state and for some reason could not be reached for a few days, which meant that I could not go back on the narcotic pain medications for nearly four days.  Once the *actual* pain set in..  a minute was interminable from my perspective...   so it was a real hoot for a few days.  I imagine that you are no stranger to suffering either, and I am sorry for that.

You touched on the very issue that prevents me from simply switching over to bellows blown pipes.  The belt is a problem.  I know that many dulcimer players use a strap, but, I think (hope) that it is looser, and it seems to be placed in a different spot that will not be problematic for me.

Teddy, we're fortunate to be communicating with you at all!  What a horrible experience you've been through!  So glad that you haven't succumbed to those serious infections and complications.  

Monkeying around with a new dulcimer should be fun for you.  It's really a forgiving instrument, and you get nice sounds out of it most of the time.  Best wishes, and let us know if you need help.

Dear Teddy, I have tears in my eyes after reading your post here and I can speak for others that we are grateful you survived to learn more on this old world and grateful also that you are going to learn a instrument of "old" and it will be new to you.   I love noter drone style the most, as it's the oldest style....and much can be done with this way of playing.  We will be excited when your dulcimer arrives and we want to see photos of it with you.   Many will help you on this site and surely you'll find a teacher in your area.    aloha, irene