Forum Activity for @ken-hulme

Looks good!  You don't really need the cork gasket though. 

I made a possum board using the lid of an old wooden violin case.  I cut and attached a couple pieces of wood to the ends to support the dulcimer and used pieces of cork gasket to pad them.  It works pretty well.  

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JH, like riding a bike, or...you were on that bike on the cover right? Making hay here in Vermont while the sunshines.

Ahh!    Just found it Lisa..........upper corner...............bit like saying New England's near the border ?

I'm ducking !!!

JohnH

 Cynthia, its not just you who is going senile!    Hamburgers, cell windows, I reckon I'm gonna have to wait until Jim Fawcett gets here in May and pay for a one to one tutorial !

There's your answer Kevin..............I'm sure Jim won't object to toting a few dozen copies in his carry-on bag ?   (usual fee of course)

JohnH

Well how 'bout that! I'll be trying that out!

Since I had never heard of those gizmo's and checked them out they appear to be fancy silver wire wrapped around a joint to keep the little stinker from moving.   And, since I am as cheap as they come decided to see if you could fashion a home made one.  Went to the garage, stripped a piece of heavy Romex wire that seemed to be the correct thickness, cut it, fashioned a ring like the ones I found pictured....works like a charm, nice shinny copper for a total cost of about .75 cents.  You can also use those aluminum wires you tie chain link fencing to the galvanized posts.  Or if all else fails, come over to the dark side, which is actually the inaccessible brilliance of Noter play hidden from the world.  

Hi Dana. Basically, I've never taken a video down, not even the first ones I posted which I could play a lot better now. You can follow my progress as a player by watching the videos in order.  I also have a some instructional videos that aren't public, meaning you have to have the specific URL to find them.  Here and there in my postings at FOTMD or at my local group's website , you can find demos of tunes or instructional stuff on one technique or another.  Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy my videos. If you ever have a question about how to play one of the tunes, let me know.

There are so many great luthiers out there.  Too many dulcimers. Too little time and money.

ROFL!! I'll keep that in mind! Dusty, you entertained my husband and myself last night with your playing. I like to pull up different videos with all of your massive collection (seriously, how many are you up to??) Every time I think I've found some wonderful luthier, I see you beat me to the punch. I basically want all of the ones you own.

Do you have a will? Children?  :) :) 

Those ring splints do look kind of cool, Dana, but they also cost.  The tape is cheap. I would stick with it, especially since it has worked for you in the past.

By the way, anytime I am tempted to post about pain in my fretting hand that prevents me (temporarily) from playing, I anticipate a message from Ken extolling the virtues of the noter.

Sorry so late w these pics of my capo.

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Hahaha, you're funny, Ken. Not coming to the dark side. I have noters but taping has made the world of difference. I can play for hours and hours and have no pain the next day. Immobilizing is what needs to happen and the tape works, just didn't know if anyone had used the finger ring splint things.

D -- you just need to come over to the Dark Side!  I'll send you a noter so you can get started; it's free (and pain free), not a spendy silver wire magic ring . . .

Lisa that was the face I saw, have I gone senile?

I have a bit of arthritis in the first joint of my middle finger/left hand. The more I chord, the more irritated it gets, so I tape it to immobilize it. I just saw on a few sites these sterling silver wired finger splints. They almost look like cool rings that can be worn down on that dip joint. 

Has anyone ever used one? How well does it work to immobilize the joint? I'm not giving up playing for sure, but I need to get creative on holding that one joint in place!

After clicking on the 'hamburger' mobile menu icon, when you see the dropdown links appear...if you then click on the dropdown link of your NAME, it will take you to your profile page.  Remember, you'll click on your profile page TABS- the Video Tab, to see your videos.  To add a new vid, when on that same video profile page (of YOUR videos), click on the Plus "+" button to add a new video.

JH- This is only for when you are on your iPad Tablet:   when on FOTMD look for this icon in upper corner and click on it to show the links menu:

See !.......it starts, upper left where ?

never gonna get another vid up at this rate !!!

JohnH

Cynthia, don't you agree that they might have also included this photo of John Henry?...    heh heh

My oh my John you handsome handsome marvelous man you! Isn't this just the way it should be seeing you on that cover!

I know I've written this elsewhere on the internet already, but I wanted to write it here also - congrats John Henry!  Great achievement.

A new iPad??   My oh my, you are more up to date than I now, JH!        Be aware that I've set the site so that tablets use the typical smartphone 'hamburger' style dropdown menu to save screen space.  Look for the funny square button in upper left and when you click on it, all the site links will show in a dropdown column on the left.

I'm hoping that somehow it's made sure JohnHenry receives two physical copies of that DPN issue?- one for himself and one for his son...maybe his grandson too?  A wonderful family heirloom to be passed down to future generations!  

The music will always be in you John and I know your Mary will be glad to hear you play again as will all at FOTMD. We think and talk of you quiet a lot here in Ireland John, Mary is afraid that you might not want to talk to us, now that you are so famous. Best wishes from us both. Val.

John,

I hope the songs you've held in your heart through the years can ring again, be a balm to your spirit.  

Mark informed me my DPN arrived-- I should get to see it come Sunday.  :)

While Dan Landrum is a great photographer, he's no magician-- you made a handsome subject!  

xxx

Chuckle................don't be misled by the extraordinary skills shown by Dan Lundrum when wielding a camera..............he very nearly managed to make a  'silk purse out of a sows ear'  on this occasion !                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               I have'nt seem the article in question, so cannot reply to your comment KenH, except to say I'm still learning to play.

Have been in a black place for the last few months, lost any music in me, but have booked for a week of dulcimer stuff in May, only problem is it coincides with the time Mary left the house and never came back ???

Lisa, don't despair, I have just purchased an iPad, so maybe in the future I shall be back to normal asking 'how do I' questions, and Val........

I had bet money that Ireland would upset our apple cart !!!

There is some great stuff being posted here, a privilege to be able to hear it, thanks to all concerned for the sharing

JohnH

I see that!  Got my issue today.

Poor feller;  had to whittle his first dulcimer out of a Sycamore timber so he could learn to play...

Careful, he's wielding a knife!   

Big congratulations to dear John Henry Crocker   

He's looking great, love it.

Thank you, Salt Springs! 

http://www.dpnews.com

of the new Dulcimer Player News!  <3

PS- Having tech woes and can't upload the link.  :(

Greg, so true!   One would hope that a maker would allow sufficient width of a staple fret to accommodate either string, if it were built intended to service a pair of strings.  But you're right- in our non-perfect world it's a point to watch for when choosing which melody string to remove.

Subversive Jesus by Craig Greenfield, and A Creative Minority:  Influencing Culture Through Redemptive Participation by Jon Tyson.

I agree with Lisa with one exception.  If you are playing a dulcimer that has staple-style frets, you will want to keep the string that is most centered over the frets.  These partial frets have a tendency to let the string slide right off the fret.  Not a problem with full-width frets, but annoying when playing over partial frets.  That being said, most reproductions utilizing staple-style frets or partial frets are built with only three strings, so what to do with the extra melody string is not an issue.

I agree!  For noter playing , keep the melody string on that is closest to you and the edge of the fret board.  

In most cases, Elidh, it will be the string closest to you.  If you played across all the strings, you would want the remaining three strings to be equidistant from one another. But if you are playing noter/drone, then there is no harm in having the melody string a bit further from the other two.

I'm reading Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger.  Pretty good so far.

Several places on line including Musician's Friend, Guitar Center, Ebay and Amazon carry one or more versions of the Remo(tm) 6" practice drum from $12 to about $25; some are tuneable, some aren't.  You don't want just the head to make a banjimer, you want the whole drum.