Forum Activity for @deweylandrum

All - Thanks for the information.  Here's a few more pictures for your enjoyment - taken after I clean it up a little.

@ken-hulme - thanks for all the information. I joined the beginners group.  I'm always up for a new adventure, so this should be fun.

@john-c-knopf - It doesn't show up in the photos well, but the fret board and the sides have some streaks of brown that have a red hue when the light reflects off it.

The blessings of cats.

I agree with John that the wood looks like cherry which is one of the woods Lazenby used. However, this dulcimer was made in 1980 according to label and I think I might have darkened up by now. At any rate it is a beautiful instrument. Enjoy.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That is a beautiful dulcimer @deweylandrum . What a wonderful gift from your father. Best wishes as you learn to play. You have come to the right place to get your questions answered.

Our cat Sheba (aka BooBoo) carefully wrapped herself up in the top sheet like a burrito this morning, while I had the comforter and bedspread off being washed...

Of course the whole reason I had to take off the blankets to wash them was because 'someone' hurled up a big hairball on the bed when we weren't watching. Cats. This is why we can't have nice things.

BooBoo hiding her shame...

Dewey, the wood looks like cherry to me.  It's an orangy color like cherry, and if it IS cherry, it'll slowly turn a beautiful rich red over the years.

Dewey -- If you join  the Beginners Group as Strumelia suggests  (you have to join the Group to see more than a question or two, and to create posts), one of the first things you'll see there is an essay I wrote years ago for beginners like yourself called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?  which is an illustrated glossary of terms -- so we all speak the same jargon -- like nut versus upper bridge and fretboard versus neck (dulcimers don't have a neck).  It also has answers to many beginner questions about the tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new acquisition. 

With your 28-5/16" VSL compared to the Roosebeck's 25.5", you should be alright in using them.  The String Choice Calculator suggests .009, .012 and .019 wound for strings where the Roosebeck set has .012, .014 and .022 strings.  The calculator usually presents "light" gauges and we often suggest going up one or two gauges from the calculation.     

However, I recommend buying at least one more complete set of strings (just to have extras around should you break one during tuning).  You can probably find single strings at a local acoustic music shop.  I would suggest buying .011. .014 and .021 wound strings.  While you're at the store, I also suggest picking up a tube of Peg Dope, a liquid used to help wooden tuning pegs hold their tuning.  Not something you use very often, but worth having should you need it; and head-and-shoulders better than any home remedy.

When you get strings and are ready to tune, start a new post over in the Beginners Group, and we'll talk you through the process.

Great photos of the label!  Sure looks like Lazenby's name to me.

Dewey you have a beautiful dulcimer that looks to be in perfect condition. How wonderful that it was your father's dulcimer. If I were you I would not hesitate to try and contact Bob Lazenby with questions about your particular dulcimer- I'm sure he'd be tickled pink!

Do join our Beginner's Group which is the perfect place to ask all your questions in figuring out how to tune, how to play, etc. 

It's difficult to get everything into a single photo, but here are cropped pieces to try to give the best views.

From inside nut (I had to look up what the "nut" was, I was thinking it was probably the thing between the instrument and the chair, but then figured out it was the upper bridge)...any way, inside nut to inside bridge is 28 5/16 inches.  Seems like a fairly odd size compared to what I've read about.

 Bob.jpg - 98KB

Beautiful instrument.  I'll let others speak to the wood.
The 5 strings are arranged as two pairs and a single.  The pair closest to you are the Melody strings.  The outer pair are the Bass drones, and the single is the Middle Drone.

Since the dulcimer is a vintage design without the 6+ fret common these days, I would suggest you learn to play either Melody-Drone or Noter & Drone style, where you pick out the tune on the Melody strings, and the others drone along as accompaniment.  Trying to play chords without the 6+ fret you may find challenging.

Tuning
Those Roosebeck strings have 1 wound bass string and 4 plain steel strings.  The two thinnest -- .012s will go on the melody string pair.  The wound bass string will go on the outer side of the Bass string pair.  The other two will go 1 as the Middle Drone, the other as the inner Bass string.   

However, those strings may not be appropriate for your dulcimer.  The gauge of the string depends on both the open note you want to tune to and the VSL -- the distance between the nut and the bridge.    The Roosebeck 5-string dulcimer has a 25.5" VSL, if your dulcimer's VSL is much longer -- say 27+ inches, the Roosebeck strings may break if you try to use them.

If you tell us the distance from the inside edge of the nut to the inside edge of the bridge, we can use a string calculator to see if they will work.  If not, you'll have to buy five single strings or a dulciemr set of 4 strings plus a single to make up your own set.

All that aside.  Two good tunings would be DdAAA  or DdAdd, where d is an octave higher in pitch than D and the As are 5 notes higher in pitch than the D  ---  D..E..G..G..A   If you want to tune a bit lower, then  CcGGG or CcGcc would be good choices.  

Dewey, if you could get a clear photo of that label, someone on here might be able to tell you for sure if it was made by @bob-lazenby .
It sure is a beautiful dulcimer!

Welcome to FOTMD, @deweylandrum! 

I'm completely new to dulcimers and am attempting to learn to play this instrument.

I'm sure Mr. Lazenby get's tired of people asking him questions, so I won't ask it directly.  Maybe somebody else knows.  This dulcimer was given to my by my dad.  He didn't know much about it other than he got it on a trip to Tennessee and enjoyed it over the years.  He said he watched a guy making instruments through a window and he bought this one.  There is a music store tag inside it from Pigeon River Music with an address of 101 Marshall Street, Pigeon Forge, TN and a phone number that is no longer in service.  There is also a sticker that is coming lose and is smudged that looks like it says "Bob Anne Lazely" in cursive blue ink with a date that says 1/(not decernable)/80 in the same blue ink.  The instrument is made completely of a blond type wood, had 5 wooden tuning pegs, three nails for the string loops, lower "F" style holes at the bottom, and two round holes at the top of the body.  After a little research, I concluded that it was probably Bob Lazenby that made the instrument based on the Pigeon River Music store.  After finding his profile on this site, the "Anne" makes more since to me.

The questions: 1. What kind of wood is this probably made from?  2. I ordered a set of Roosebeck 5 string dulcimer strings.  What do I tune them to?  I can find what you tune 3 string dulcimers to.  Any other info about this dulcimer (model, tuning, etc) would be greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,

Dewey Landrum

 20210226_163352.jpg - 245KB

Hi. My name is Dewey.  I found this site doing some research on a dulcimer my dad gave me.  He's in his late 80s and doesn't hear well anymore, so he gave it up.

Here's a link to one of my blog posts that might be helpful in figuring out how to tune your dulcimer:
https://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2010/12/what-notes-do-i-tune-my-strings-to.html

In the blog post there's a link to a real online keyboard where you can HEAR the notes D3 and D4 for example. You'll want to e sure to tune to the notes in the correct octave so you don't break your string.

Venni, how to start will depend on a few things, most notably whether you have any experience playing music.

I would suggest you start by tuning to either DAA or DAd (check out Get Tuned for help) and then just trying to pick out melodies on the melody string (the string closest to you when you lay the instrument on your lap.

And yes, the Beginner Group that Robin points you to is the place to start here at FOTMD.

There is tons of beginner stuff available here at FOTMD and elsewhere online, and there are also lots of beginner instruction books available.  If you want formal lessons to help you get started, there are lots of folk who give lessons via Zoom or similar platforms. But nothing can beat just exploring the instrument on your own and watching lots of videos of other people playing.

Good advice Robin. Venni, do join the group (you have to click the button there to "join" ...and then you'll be able to read all the complete discussions and post yourself.
Lots of helpful FOTMD members can guide you in the Beginner's Group, and you can ask all the questions you want there! 

Vinni, you can join the group for beginners-- there is a lot of information there.  Here is a link: 

https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group/1/beginner-players

I had no heard of John Frazier before reading your post. I have been unable to find out anything about him. I'll be interested to see what others come with about him.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Its always nice to learn of different builders. I have not heard of this one. Let us know when you find out more information.

Kevin, I am not familiar with the maker.  Perhaps, over time, you will be able to learn more about Mr. Frazier and his instruments.

He describes what musicians do as delivering 'the pleasure of sound."  That's a nice concept.

Some great points made, Robin!

Thanks for the responses and insight into this. I will tune the strings according to the meter and then just tweak it to my ear.

Well,  I just tested 8 dulcimers of various VSLs and tunings, and I can say YES -- at the very end of the sustain, the needle wiggles a little to either side of 'spot on', usually less than 10 cents worth.  I suspect it's an artifact of the volume of the sustain falling off as much as anything.

Leny-sue, that's what is called "decay" of the note, and is normal. It tends to be more noticeable on strings at looser tension and also wound strings, and more so when the strings are plucked hard. Most of us pick the first part or middle part of the sounding note to tune by, not the ending 'decaying' tone.

Hi Folks. I have a question concerning my dulcimer strings fluctuating in pitch while tuning with an app on my mobile device. Is it common for them to "go flat" while sustaining after plucking? The pitch actually moves lower then sometimes back to nearly what it should read on the meter. Is the sustain suppose to remain constant to the end? Thanks for your input.

I think the basics of what Chick Corea had to say about music applies to porch players, too, in many ways.  

Great news. Enjoy!

Venni that's good news for sure. I hope you've been looking in the Beginner Group here to learn about how to tune it for example... lots of good starting out info to be found there!
I hope it arrives safely and brightens your day!

@venni Please post a photo of your mountain dulcimer!  

That's an original, Dusty, except from the quote of Vocabulary.com.

By the way I have painted a turtle to go along with this and I will post it

under photos soon!  Take care, John

Thanks, John.  I like that a lot.  Did you come up with that yourself or is that some ancient Chinese saying or something?

To "Dusty Turtle" & all of my friends at FOTMD:

"Like the turtle may you float in the hard times

and bask in the good!"

"To bask in something is to take it in, receive

its warmth, or bathe in its goodness."

Vocabulary.com

Great post from @Lisa-Golladay. I particularly agree with her thoughts of: "I suspect that newbies are overwhelmed by the usual festival offerings. It's one thing to navigate a busy festival in person; online everything looks harder. The website, the downloads, the class schedule grid, how will this work, do I need a webcam, will my internet connection be up to snuff, am I a "beginner" or a "novice" and can I trust this site with my credit card number? Really it's a lot to handle.

I believe LisaG is so right in that. Dulcimer festivals are intimidating to begin with in person/pre-pandemic, ...and full pandemic/zoom festival online scheduling and commitment is enough to scare away many potential beginners would are not absolutely determined. Note my use of the word potential. Beginners who have not yet bought a dulcimer can join FOTMD and learn a gazillion things and get encouragement from dozens of people before they even touch or order an instrument. So much to explore, learn, listen to, watch, and ask! 
But in an online dulcimer zoomfestival, potential beginner players (some of whom may not even have dulcimers yet) would have pretty much nothing to actually do. I would think the experience would be confusing and discouraging. 

I've always noticed that the majority of new members here on FOTMD tend to be brand new beginner players. As a lark, I just now explored the 12 most recent new members' profile descriptions as of today Feb 21 2021.
Of the 12, only 3 had been playing mtn dulcimer for a while already... and of course they all owned dulcimers.
That left 9 others. All of those described themselves as either a new beginner or had not even gotten a dulcimer yet. Of those 9 beginners, 7 already had a dulcimer or had ordered one and were looking for help in learning to play. Two did not make clear whether they had a dulcimer yet but they still said they wanted to learn to play and were beginners.
So, of the random sampling of 12 new members, 3 were already dulcimer players with some experience, and 9 were beginners new to the dulcimer and looking to learn to play.

The most critical thing is getting their attention in the first place.

Marketing always boils down to three questions:

Who are the people ready and willing to become your customers?

Where/how do you find them and get their attention?

What can you offer to meet their needs/wants?

You want to target beginners, but that's a big group and not clearly defined. Let's do some market differentiation.

Total newbies: Do not play an instrument, do not own a dulcimer. They show up at festivals or club meetings because a friend brought them, or they stumbled across an event that looked interesting. Where are they?  Everywhere, but it's hard to find a lot of them at once. What do they want? They want to see, hear and (ideally) get their hands on a dulcimer. They haven't fully bought into this, so they can be scared away if you make dulcimers look too difficult or too expensive.

What can you offer them? Maybe an online concert. Maybe a 1-hour class where you show a few dulcimers, play a few tunes, talk a little about how to play, and answer questions. Make it free and easy to register. This audience is not motivated to scroll through a half-dozen web pages about festival schedules, workshop descriptions and registration forms. The kiss of death: "This is too hard, I'll just skip it."

Folkies: Whether they play, sing or just listen, we know they are actively interested in folk music. Where are they? Folk festivals and websites. What do they want? They probably have a vague idea what a dulcimer is. The message they need to hear is 1) they can learn to play one and 2) they can use it to play music they like.

What can you offer? They might pay to attend online concerts, especially with name performers and a mix of instruments. I've met a lot of folk music fans who profess no interest in dulcimer because they think it's too limited and can't play with other instruments. I would be sure to show them a wide range of playing styles and mixed ensembles. After the concert, point them to an online festival where they can learn how to play. The kiss of death: "I should learn guitar instead."

Musicians: They already play other instruments. Where are they? At the music store, the coffeehouse, online forums for their instruments and music genres. What do they want? A new instrument that's fun to learn... or expands their musical horizons... or ideally both.

What can you offer? As noted, the usual beginning dulcimer class isn't a great fit. At the Old Town School of Folk Music here in Chicago, they offered (pre-Covid) a popular one-session class called "Fear of Commitment Mandolin Workshop" for guitar players. Attendees borrow a mandolin for the duration of the workshop -- and they can buy mandolins after class ;-) Lots of people sign up because what have they got to lose? A few bucks and an afternoon, and it might be fun. The kiss of death: "This is a waste of time."

Unfortunately, all of these groups share a big problem: They Do Not Have a Dulcimer. What can they gain attending an online workshop? In live classes you can provide loaners, but how do you put a dulcimer into their hands over Zoom? It's relatively easy for people to find a guitar to borrow, and a beginner ukulele costs 50 bucks. Dulcimer availability is a major issue that limits how much outreach you can accomplish online. This leaves one more group of beginners who are, I believe, your best target audience:

People who have a dulcimer but aren't playing it. They bought it on a whim, they inherited it, or a roommate has one that looks good on the wall. Where are they? Could be anywhere, start with the folkies and musicians and maybe retirees. Contact sellers and ask who their buyers are. What do they want? Encouragement and a path to follow.

What can you offer? Super-easy classes and a supportive environment. Not a huge time commitment; if they were motivated to spend time on dulcimer, they'd know how to play by now. A single-afternoon workshop?  A four-week introductory session? Drop-in play-alongs that do not require advance signup? The on-ramp can't be steep or they'll go away. The kiss of death: "Nah, this is for real musicians, not a duffer like me."

If you've managed to read this far, you're probably noticed I didn't recommend a full online festival for any of these audiences. I might be wrong, but I suspect that newbies are overwhelmed by the usual festival offerings. It's one thing to navigate a busy festival in person; online everything looks harder. The website, the downloads, the class schedule grid, how will this work, do I need a webcam, will my internet connection be up to snuff, am I a "beginner" or a "novice" and can I trust this site with my credit card number? Really it's a lot to handle.

I think it's possible to design a beginner-friendly online festival. It would need a super-simple website and registration process. Heavy promotion on well-targeted social media and websites. Great instructors (of course). At ukulele festivals, full membership can be expensive but there's usually a beginner class that's free and does not require advance registration. Just show up and we'll get you started. That's probably the best promise we can make.

For those who haven't watched, this show seems to be a continuation of a series on making your own "dulcimer" sandwiched in between a few songs by the second incarnation (1970) of Steeleye Span just before release of their second album Please To See The King.   

The hosts idea of a dulcimer was to make a fretboard stick that would use a table top for resonance.  I seem to recall this being reported as being done in Appalachia with standard dulcimers on occasion.

I only know Garry from our phone conversations over the years when I placed orders with him.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."