Forum Activity for @patricia-delich

Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 21
AppalAsia: Bridging Traditions

http://bit.ly/hotdpodcast

With the unusual combination of two American and one Chinese instrument, the trio AppalAsia bridge the Appalachian and Chinese music traditions to create music that is soulful, sophisticated, and genre bending.

For episode resources, go to:  http://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/021.html

Marg, I did change the strings and I don't think I knew about the "string calculator" at the time.  The Heatherwood was the first "good" dulcimer I purchased (off ebay.)  It has a standard d'Addario dulcimer set on it right now.  Here's a video I did with it:

You can compare the sound to yours

I've seen good feedback on random searches, anyone here own one? Reasonable price, looks to be in good condition.

You can do a Google search for discussions on this topic.  Everybody has an opinion!  From Elderly Music Co. website (not where I got mine, but I thought the blurb was helpful):

Dr.Ducks Ax Wax - Elderly Instruments

I use Dr. Ducks Ax Wax.  This is for cleaning...I'm not sure about conditioning.  I bought an 8 oz bottle online and it may last me a lifetime!  There are a variety of opinions on this issue.  Some people treat it like furniture and use Pledge furniture polish. 

I think you have to know about the finish on your dulcimer to decide what sorts of stuff to use on it.  Whatever you use, test it on an inconspicuous spot and put it on a soft cloth, not directly on the instrument.  

Sorry I can't be of more help.

skip,

Thanks, I had it with me at our group practice today. I had taken off one of the melody strings, it was plenty loud enough without it. One member tuned it to DGd and really liked it, another put it back to DAd and played it the whole practice. We talked about maybe making it into a bass but they all thought it was nice as it was. Also going to heavier strings for a bass would need to address the slots for the wider strings to sit in.

Ha, maybe it's me. I like mellow better than bright & not as loud. All in growing and learning in this dulcimer adventure. I will say sitting across from it I like it better than when I am holding it & strumming. Maybe ken has something with making a recording.

I will continue to play with it until I can settle on it's voice.

Thanks all

I don't think changing the string[s] a few .001's is going to make much of a difference in the sound, you're still at the same frequency. I suggest you consider trying strings/tuning it as a bass or baritone if the sound really bothers you. Playing a tune using the bass string or the middle string for the melody may give you some indication of what the sound could become.

Also, for the bass string, you might try a nickel wound string rather than a bronze wound string.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

ken,

thanks but I have now (I tuned it for DAdd, .11 for melody, .14 for A & the bass has either a 22w or 24w but I'm not caring for the sound.)

I was wondering if as Cedar Creek says (Standard "G" tuning: .10 for melody & middle strings & .18 for the bass, giving it the pluckier tone.) if rob had changed his strings if he is in DAd & what he has on his now.

I am not sure how you could use just .10 for all 3 strings in "G" tuning, unless I am reading the string calculator wrong

For a 26.5" VSL and DAd tuning, the Strothers calculator calls for 10 gauge melody string(s), 13 gauge middle drone strings, and a 20w for the bass.  You can easily go one or more gauges higher, as the Strothers' calculator is notedly "light".   Try 11 or 12 for the Melody, 14 for the Middle and 22w or 24w for the bass.

Steamed Clams in beer on the beach....oh yum!

We have done beer butt chicken oh boy so good!

rob,

( I have kept it in DAd, but I'm thinking about making it my DAA instrument.  It needs restringing anyway so heavier strings might be in order. )

Did your dulcimer come with strings (.010 for melody and middle strings and .018 for the bass.) 

and how does this work for DAd, or do you have other sizes on now?

hey that's pretty cool...and yes I think they were made pretty well to last so long!! I still play mine when I have the time to "tune it" that's the only part I don't like...they slip!

Maria

cool Thanks!!

Maria

I'll have to look into that..thanks!! 
Maria

It may be that there is a LOT of soundhole and you're hearing the dulcimer more.  Make a recording and play it back and see what you think.  You can also try muffling the near side sound holes temporarily by taping a piece of cloth or soft foam over them and see what that sounds like.  

rob,

Yes, Heatherwood Craft was started by a former employee of Cripple Creek Dulcimers - James Crier and Esther Cockerill. I don't know either what has happen to them or if  Heatherwood Craft is still in business. 

My understanding of Heatherwood was that it was 2 people (maybe a couple) who had worked for the Ford's at Cripple Creek.  They left them and started Heatherwood.  I'm not sure if they died or just quit.  There were still some phone listings on-line for them a few years ago.  I like the gap between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge.  Nothing to get in the way if I use a pick or strum violently with my fingers.  I have kept it in DAd, but I'm thinking about making it my DAA instrument.  It needs restringing anyway so heavier strings might be in order.  However, that will be after my diatonic year with no extra frets.  ROFL

Rob,

Also, what do you think of Heatherwood Dulcimer?

Do you know when the builder died?  

Rob,

What do you think about the fret board stopping and having a floating bridge hanging out in the open? 

Strange but when played with my fingers or slowing with the pick on one note at a time, sounds very nice but when I strum across all the strings I hear strings not the notes.

What do you have yours tune to?

Nice. Marg.  I have a Heatherwood with the same appointments, schooner medallion, gull soundholes.  Mine is different wood tho'. I like the sound of it even tho' I don't play it a lot. It's got nothing in common with a banjo even tho' it's tone is a little higher than my Rockwell.  

26.5"

pluckier - loud, bright, metal ring tone.

Hard to say but not mellow which I was hoping changing the strings & tuning from "G" to DAdd would do but it just doesn't help the sound. Sounds more like it's out of tune but isn't. Maybe I just don't like a tone of a banjo on a dulcimer.

It would help to the VSL (vibrating string length) of the dulcimer. Measure it from the inside of the nut (fretboard side) to the inside of the bridge. Also, I have not idea what a "pluckier" sound is. Is it high pitched? bright? shrill?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.

Banjo Dulcimer
A 4-String dulcimer that looks and plays like a dulcimer, but has the  pluckier loud tone of a banjo! 

I just picked up a Heatherwood dulcimer, James Cryer invented this style and sold it under his own label in the Cedar Creek store years ago.

Suggested - Standard "G" tuning: .10 for melody & middle strings & .18 for the bass, giving it the pluckier tone.

I tuned it for DAdd, .11 for melody, .14 for A & the bass has either a 22w or 24w but I'm not caring for the sound. Is there a way to make it a bit less pluckier or is the "G" the best tuning for itthis dulcimer

Does anyone have this dulcimer? Image not mine but looks just like this one

 Heatherwood copy.jpg - 134KB

Jan, I have never used FingerEase. I did use FastFret for a while. From my searching the Internet, I understand that FingerEase contains silicone which is a great lubricant, but not friendly if an instrument needs repair. It prevents finishes from sticking to the wood even after the wood has been sanded bare. Your use of it by spraying a cloth first and then putting in the strings/fretboard helps keep the silicone off the rest of the instrument. FastFret is a mineral oil based string/fretboard treatment.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That's my question.   My husband bought some and I'm wondering if it's safe to spray it directly on the instrument as the directions say, up and down the fretboard.  If I were going to use it, I would spray it on a cloth and then rub the cloth on the strings/fretboard.  Hmmm...

Yes, Joellen wrote a fun article about a wonderful musician. Wayne and I spent an afternoon with Aaron and his wife Nicole when they were visiting Portland over the holidays. We're looking forward to sharing our conversation with Aaron on the podcast.  :-)

Thanks, Patricia, for pointing us to Lapidus/O'Rourke interview.  There's some interesting stuff there both on Aaron's early musical development and also on how he worked with David Beede to get the dulcimer that was perfect for him.

Here's a wonderful article  by Joellen Lapidus about Aaron O'Rourke. We'll be having Aaron on a Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast episode later this year.

We featured Joellen in two Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast episodes talking about Joni Mitchell ( episode #2 ) and Richard Fariña ( episode #5 ).

Thanks Dusty and Jan,

 So, I'm such a dinosaur I didn't even know there was voice recording software on my computer.

 I went with the Snowball mic, got a decent video cam since a lot of my dulcimers need to be seen too~! :-) 

  Jan, you were right the sound quality with the onbard mic isn't great but works, that's why I went with the Snowball, Thanks for the recommendation on that Dusty, Has a lot of great reviews.

 I can finally start posting some embarassing clips of me playing badly!!

I have just been using the voice recorder on my laptop.  I started a free account at soundcloud.  When I make a recording I name it and stick it in a folder in some easy-to-find place in my computer.  When I log into soundcloud I select the "Upload" button, and bring up the folder and song.  Then, after it's on Soundcloud, I say I now want to share it and copy the address, and any other pertinent information.  In FOTMD I go to my page and select Audio and add a soundclip from Soundcloud and paste in the address i'd copied.  That's one way to do this.

That being said, my sound quality isn't good, but I cared more about actually getting something recorded and preserved than having a polished product.  It's more of a matter of how much time I wanted to spend working with it and what would be a sequence that would be easy for me to follow and learn.

This may not answer you question, exactly, but I thought I'd go ahead and explain what I was doing!

Thanks Rob, that's interesting....what size strings would you guess they are proportionally?....are the 2 wound the same size, the middle different than the 2 melodies?.....

Well, I finally dug out the Maxwell and looked at it.  Yes, it has 2 wound strings. I tuned it D D A AA and it sounds pretty durn good to me

More often than not, I can't find a .09 string when I need it! 

Old strings can get floppy even if they were the right size back in the day.  I can relate ;-)

Thanks lisa for the info.

The nut & bridge look fine and since the 9 should fit snug I wonder if the 10 or 11 string maybe wouldn't fit. Only way to tell, is to try. The 9 just seems loose, could be it's just time to change out the strings anyway. Why did you go with a 10, did you not have a 9 or just wanted to have it a bit heavier? I may try the 10 first, to make sure it fits. A new string maybe all it needs.

Other than that, I do like this dulcimer. It packs a lot of wonderful sounds 

I have a Bill Berg 5-string hourglass that measures 27-1/2" from nut to bridge.  Bill recommended these string sizes:

.24-.09-.13-.11-.11

The wound bass string is on the outside.  For the inner string on the bass course I often use a .10 instead of a .09 and it works fine.  You can try .11 if you want, but I don't think string size is your problem.  Bill knows how to set up a dulcimer and I am certain your MD did not leave his workshop with string interference.

Ken's right that changing strings is the first thing to try, since it's easy.  But I'm wondering: does your MD have the original nut and bridge?  Have they been damaged?  If somebody took a file to the bass slots (perhaps to install a second wound string instead of a thin octave string) then they could have messed up the string spacing.  The .09 string should fit snugly in its slot.  If you can, post a close-up photo of the nut and bridge.

Rarely do I pass up an opportunity to suggest that people learn how to strum with a lighter touch, but unless you're strumming like a gorilla that isn't your problem; it's the dulcimer's problem. :-)

Hi George,

I struggled with this issue for a while until I eventually broke down and bought a Zoom H4N.  A handheld device that runs on batteries, it makes CD-quality recordings and only takes a few minutes of reading the manual (or watching a YouTube video) to figure out how to use its basic functions.

However, that item is kind of pricey.  Luckily there are lots of good mics that you can use with your laptop.  The Blue Snowflake and Blue Snowball are pretty popular. I had the Snowflake at one point. I also bought a Samson Go Mic that works the same way. It's tiny but it makes a great recording, and you don't have to be right in front of the thing to get clear sound.

All of those items can be used with the sound recording software that comes with your laptop or iPad but are much better than the internal microphone.

Also, please note that there is a whole Group here at FOTMD devoted to Home Recording and I'm sure you'll get better advice there.

That is a BEAUTY! I love the lines, the sound holes and the hearts in the strumming hollow. The simple chip carving adds a whole new element to the design that is splendid and simple. Thanks for sharing these photos. Its a very pretty dulcimer!!!

thank you george for your kind commnents about my work.  i am always glad when  i hear someone is enjoying one of my dulcimers.

Thanks ken,

That is what I was thinking, just too thin. The 11 does make more sense.