Forum Activity for @jan-potts

In 2009 I had a class with Steve Eulberg -- music theory, something I was very afraid of at the time.  I was at about the high-novice/ maybe low intermediate level, and had plenty of gaps in my knowledge and skills.  Instead of loading us down with a lot of music theory terms, Steve worked with us on how to find the songs we really wanted to play on the dulcimer fretboard.

I wish I could remember exactly what he said that was so profound, but I can't remember--I just know that a year and a half later when I was holding my dulcimer and thinking, "Now why can't I just pick up my dulcimer and play the song that's in my head, like I can do on the piano?"--suddenly a connection was made in my brain between what he had told us in class and what I was attempting to do, and whatever "it" was, I suddenly "got it". 

My playing ability suddenly increased by leaps and bounds and soon I was ready to take on new challenges at more advanced levels  Fingerpicking, hammer-ons and pull-offs, playing across the strings, learning many more chords, developing a playing style--all these things go back to that lightbulb moment and Steve's class in 2009.

So I pass it on.... Helping people make the connection between what they already know and understand musically with how that applies to the mountain dulcimer is one of the most rewarding things I do these days. 

G=000 or 020, D=010 or 012, C=133 or 333.

Hi Tom,

First, please note that there is a group here called Help Me Learn This Song that is specifically devoted to members helping one another learn specific songs.  You might consider joining that group and posting your question there.

However, I can give an initial response here.  If you are only playing the chords,  you don't have to tune to DGD.  In DAd, your G chord is 3-1-0, your C chord is 3-4-6, and your D chord is 0-0-2.  There are other versions of those chords, but that will get you started.

You can also learn the song in DAd in the key of D and put a capo on the third fret.  Play the song as you learned it in D and you will magically be in the key of G.  Check out this demo I did for another FOTMD discussion where I use this very song to demonstrate how to use a capo:

But if you are in DGD, your basic G chord would be 3-2-0, your basic C would be 3-1-1, and your basic D would be 2-1-0 .

I hope that helps. 

Hi,

I am having some success with Will the Circle be Unbroken when tuned to dgd.  However, to play rhythm I struggle to find the G/C/D chords.  Is there a chart somewhere that shows the shapes of those chords?  

The reason that I am playing it in dgd tuning is because friends play the song in the key of G.  That being the case, am I limited to dgd tuning if I want to jam with them?

            Thanks

( look at the nut height and action at the first fret)

Thanks matt, you are right. the dulcimers I have that have the 0 fret, yes they are low (less then a dime) but the ones without the 0 fret have extra room above the dime. Interesting and why maybe I still felt some of my dulcimers were hard on my thumb in slides. 

Yes. It may lose a bit of volume. As to 'clearer sound', that's probably subjective.

the action (distance from fret to string) at the seventh fret is just one place on the string.  It is determined by the height of the nut (what the string rests on near the tuners) and the saddle (what the string rests on near your strumming hand).  For example, I have a twelve string guitar where the height of the nut is actually lower than the first fret.  This makes the action at the first fret very low, even though the action at the 12th fret (equivalent to the seven fret on a dulcimer) is about the height of a nickel.

Many dulcimers use what is called a -0- fret instead of a nut.  Doing so will lower the action at the first fret to less than that of a dime.  The action at the seven fret is determined by the height of the saddle for these instruments.

The ease of pressing the strings depends on the string action along the entire length of the fret board.  Most players spend 80% of their time below the seventh fret.  If you are truly looking for an instrument with easy action, look at the nut height and action at the first fret.

skip:

( smaller/thinner/lighter gage string will be easier to push down.)

So a double 10 maybe would be easier to fret (less pressure using my thumb) than a double 12, making a clearer sound?

String size and VSL. For a given VSL/tension a smaller/thinner/lighter gage string will be easier to push down. For a given size/tension a long string is easier to push down. Note that the action is dime next to the 1st fret, nickel ON the 7th fret.

If we use a nickel under the 7th fret to measure the action, what would make some dulcimers easier to fret than others - if they all have about the same nickel height in action?

Could it be just the difference in the string size or do some dulcimers brands just play better?

Play some West Virginia tunes.  After all, June 20th is West Virginia Day, a holiday here!

The Berea group will begin playing at the Visitor Center (depot) on June 20th from 2-4 and will play each Tuesday during the summer. There is no set play list.  We usually take turns choosing a song and hopefully we all have the music.

Giddykitty, most of us check out the Audio and Video sections on a regular basis to hear what music members are playing. Also, when you post there, we can always find it even years later by going to your homepage and clicking "audio" or "video." If you post your music in discussions it will get buried as new discussions are created.  Here is a screen shot showing you how to get started.  IF you still need help, let me know.

Cool tune, giddykitty.  Are you playing or singing on that track?

If you want your music to be easily found by others, use the Audio feature to link from SoundCloud or the Video feature to link to YouTube or Vimeo.  Most of us regularly check those spaces rather than Forum discussions to see the new music that members are playing. You start from your home page and then click "audio" or "video" from there to see the "+" button to add a file.

Also, remember that there is a whole group dedicated to " Composing and Songwriting " and another one on " Arranging for Dulcimers ." You may want to join those groups and and share the ups and downs of the process.

I like your stories, folks.  <3

Skip has it right. Check out Get Tuned for a visual depiction of the tuning of the dulcimer relative to the piano.

A couple of things to remember:

1) The suggestions you've received so far for string gauge are reasonable, but without knowing the VSL (vibrating string length, or the distance between nut and bridge), no one can really know for sure what gauge strings would be appropriate.

2) Your mileage may vary.  Play around a little to find your personal preferences.  I have discovered that I like slightly heavier strings than most, at least for flatpicking.  But I often tune down to C for fingerpicking because I like a little give in the strings, something I definitely don't want when flatpicking.

3) Steel is steel and strings are strings.  Don't worry about brands.  Just figure out what gauge you want for each string and buy single strings, avoiding sets which might not have exactly the right gauge for each string and also cost more per string.  Once you know what gauges you want you can buy in bulk and save even more.

3a) The exception to the statement above is that wound strings come in a few different varieties.   The most common are nickel wound and bronze wound.  Take the time to discover your preferences.  Personally, I like the bronze-wound strings because the tone is more mellow.  The nickel-wound strings have a brighter sound, and that might be more appropriate for some dulcimers than others and for some pairs of ears than others.  Also, if you find you get a lot of squeaking on the wound strings, you can get "squeakless" strings (which aren't actually squeakless, but the squeaking is reduced).  I won't go into the options there, but just know they exist in several different varieties but some people think they produce a more muted tone.

The bass string is tuned to the D below middle C, D3. The middle string is to the A below middle C, A3. The melody string is tuned to either the same A as the middle string, DAA, or to the D [D4] just above middle C, for DAd. Middle C is C4. 

Do you tune the bass string to an A above, or below the D?

The wound string (.022) is the bass string. Low D will be fine with that string....

DAN

www.dulcimore.com

One more question about strings.

Will the .12 .12 .14 .22 accommodate DAA and DAD tuning, or will the .22 break when tuned to D?   Does this question even make sense?

Doesn't the Berea group play at the Visitor Center (depot) certain days all summer long?  If someone had that info and shared it, maybe a bunch of us would show up and share some tunes!

Love to hear my dulcimer buddies chatting it up!  Yes, I do think you two were paired up for the "Finding Do" (as in "Do Re Mi") activity we did awhile back.  I encourage everyone to play with lots of different folks-- mix it up, get outside your comfort zone, meet new people, and widen your vision!  You will be exposed of different ways to play the same songs, new songs--and possibly some new genres, and maybe learn a few tips you'll find helpful.  I'm looking forward to gathering now and then throughout the summer, jamming and learning with folks at Kentucky Music Week in June and also at the Homer Ledford Dulcimer Festival Labor Day weekend.  But if you can't attend one of these special events or workshops, hopefully you'll find someone to join you on your porch with a cold drink this summer and you can swap songs, sing a little, and serenade the lightning bugs!

Thanks for all the great info.  Looks like I am settling on .12, .12, .14, .22 (or .24)

           Appreciated

Also, some players/listeners really don't appreciate the 'squeal, buzz, twang' or whatever some call it on the heaver strings and those (.022" - .024") strings are available in plain steel or a 'silent' wound string. 

What gauge is more important than maker, this will all depend on you! Some like them light, some heavier. Start in the middle and give them a while before you decide what is right for you. Next, the specific gauge is determined by the instrument, vibrating string length, maker and such will better let us help you to start.....

Hi, Tom!  Welcome to the site.

It would help if we knew what kind (or make) of dulcimer you have and what tuning you'd prefer, but a good starting point would be a set by C. F. Martin, D'Addario or GHS.  The strings tend to be plain steel (.012" - .014") and wound steel (.022" - .024").

Hi All,

Totally new to the dulcimer and have a couple of questions about strings.

What brand of strings, and what gauge, do you recommend?  

            Thanks...Tom

Just read about your loss JH , sorry to hear about it and for your loss. they say Time is a great healer, but every now and then the loss comes back to bite. Lost my Dad nearly 10 yrs ago and still in catches me now and again.

Keep a Haad ,young man.

Hey Dulcimerjones, I go to the Nicholasville group when I can.   I think we were partners in the finding "Do" exercise. Yes, come to Berea sometime. 

I didn't know that. Thanks. 

There are European and Latin American styles of HD play that use fingerpicks.  The Mexican instrument is called the Salterio.

So glad to know someone else is visiting other groups.  I think it's an excellent way to meet players who might line up with your particular style & others that don't.  I'm in eastern Ky & have been visiting the group in Nicholasville over the past 6 months--next stop, Berea!

Using a pick for tuning. I ... overlooked that. I was thinking of plucking it with my fingers, but a pick would certainly work.

Now if I can figure out how this thing should be set up. I can tell that a few strings are out of tune.

I keep a pick holder on mine to do the tuning. I pluck each string with a pick. It could have been used for her mountain dulcimer as well since many people play both. Linda

Over the weekend, I retrieved one of my late mother's hammered dulcimers (Jake's Cabin Traveler). I'm new to the instrument but can play the melody of some tunes already.

But here's a mystery. There's something on the side of the dulcimer that looks like a pick holder. So I put a pick in there and took a photo of it.

Does anyone use a pick on a hammered dulcimer? Or is it likely there in case my mother had her MD with her as well and needed a pick?

 Pick holder.JPG.jpg - 84KB

Thanks for the tip about Susato low D whistles, Robert!  I have a Susato Kildare in C (which of course is waaay smaller than a low D), and boy that thing is loud and clear- great for playing outside or in a large group or festival/event setting.

I have slightly smaller than average woman's hands, and I find the low G is currently a challenge for me.  The idea of a 'keyed' low D is very appealing for me!  Will look into this.  Might be cool to play a low D if Brian is playing in a higher D octave on his fiddle. 

An intriguing puzzlement!  I would not have believed that Homer Ledford would leave one of his dulcimers unmarked.

Probably just another "dulcimer history mystery"...

Way cool, dulcinina!  I love both Hindman & Berea!

My first was a walnut McSpadden with wooden tuning pegs purchased in summer of 86 on a road trip from FL to CA..whilst driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Met the daughter of the owner of that shop at a workshop in northern GA a year or so ago.  She said it was going to close soon.  They got me started...recommended learning materials (Larkin's book) and basic supplies and sent me on my way.  Played at our campground each night for the month-long trip. 

Still have it (had the tuners changed out though).