Forum Activity for @john-keane

That's an interesting link. I've often wondered about that myself.

Thanks Robin!

Dave, there might be a lead or two in the following link in which some history could be tracked down:

http://www.bartonpara.com/discog/missouri/stinson2.htm

Does anyone know of any history behind the tune John Stinson #2?

Wow great! I could only find Musicks Delite. Guess I have to keep hunting.

Ok, after some very diligent searching I managed to find and purchase "Nonesuch," "Musick's Delight," and "The Dulcimer Archive;" this last one from 1997, an autographed 1st edition (one has to wonder if they sold enough for a 2nd edition.) They weren't cheap, but, hey, it's only money. I have received "Nonesuch" and "Archives" and it's interesting to see the changes in the arrangements over the 20 years between them. I've been having fun trying to get them halfway right (maybe.) His original pieces are quite the lesson in both composition and arrangement as well as in playing.

Jon, that's the album I have. Glad you got a book. I haven't been able to find one. Not only Ionian tuning but no 6 1/2 fret either. Love his arrangements as well as his playing.

I see what you mean on his tabs. Seems to be all there except for actual notes. Well just have to pick up the melody from his albums or another source. He is definitely a good excuse to get back into Ionian tuning though. I found a copy ofMusicks Delight on the Dulcimer online and ordered. I have his album Gentle sound of the Dulcimer. It really impressed me.

John Henry, that's the way his early tabs in DPN were as well. Some of them are very hard to read

A point of minor interest re 'Nonsuch for Dulcimer'. It was produced showing only tab, abeit a complex tab , showing hammer ons , pulls, slurs and slides, and with a detailed explaination of how to use same.

JohnH

Jon, there was one more in the 90's which was sold by Moore, who wrote the "Eurotunes" column. I've been trying to find an email address for him, so far without success.

Yes I checked the old DPN issues and found 2 books mentioned:

Nonsuch for Dulcimer and Musicks Delites on the Dulcimer Stratchwood Music 1974. I saw these in Vol 1 number 7 November December 1975.

R N Lackey said:

Jon, there were also at least 2 songbooks published. You'll find ads for them in some of the old DPN issues which Ken referenced, but I've never seen them. Would love to get my hands on them, too.

Rob

Jon, there were also at least 2 songbooks published. You'll find ads for them in some of the old DPN issues which Ken referenced, but I've never seen them. Would love to get my hands on them, too.

Rob

Thanks Ken ! I have learnt something today ( and found a pic of my son and I from way back!!!)

John

Roger had a lot of things published in the early years of Dulcimer Players News. You can browse the Archives here:

http://www.dpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=544&Itemid=106

When the Archive was part of Everything Dulcimer, there was a better Index of the early years, but that has gone away since the files reverted to DPN.

There are several tab books of medieval/renn music for dulcimer.

Hello Jon, I have a copy of Roger's 'Nonesuch for Dulcimer', Scratchwood Music, dist. by EMI Music publishing Ltd, 138/140 Charing Cross Road, Lindon WC2H OLD All that info is NEARLY AS OLD AS I AM, SO CANNOT VOUCH FOR IT !!! I personally know of no other published stuff, but there are at least a couple of members on this site who may know more, ie John Shaw and Dave Kirpatrick (sp?)

come back to me if you get absolutely stuck

JohnH

Does anyone know if the late Roger Nicholson's dulcimer pieces were published in sheet music or tab form? Would really like to get my hands on some. Big fan of medieval/renaissance pieces on both fretted and hammered dulcimer.

That is a lovely instrument!

I'm not that surprised by the staples being full width. I've seen that before on early dulcimers that were only ever played in noter drone style. The width of the staples would depend on the tool that they were shaped around. Also there are lots of other little features on that dulcimer that are very neat and tidy. The full width frets look very tidy too and I expect they were installed to make the instrument look symetrical and very smart.

It's a beauty

just to say thats a beauty

I have no technical or cultural input ... but my what a treasure.

I agree with strumelia. It is very interresting that it has full frets, bt, set up to play noter drone.

Interestingly, even though they are full width staple frets, the dulcimer appears to be set up with the melody string set far from the two drones, as a noter player would like, and the two drones look to be too close together to do any practical fretting. Looks like the original bone bridge that was set up that way. Looks like it was set up for traditional playing and not for chord playing.

If you look at the frets , they look to be full staples, as opposed to newer frets. I hope to get a look at this dulcimer soon.

I, too, am interested to know if there had ever been half frets on this instrument. I need to go back and look at all my pictures of Prichard dulcimers. I can't recall ever seeing one with frets all the way across the fret board. Also the feet on the back do not look like anything I have ever seen on a Prichard. It is a great looking dulcimer.

The strings not staying in tune can be remedied with a little "peg dope" from a violin shop. Save the old strings, but replace them, one by one, with new strings of similar gauges (a luthier or even a mechanic with a micrometer can tell you the existing gauges of the strings).

What is the VSL? Other dimensions of the instrument?

Wow, Joanna, that is one great looking instrument. I would love to hear it too. Can you tell if the full width frets are original? any evidence of staple type 1/2 frets?

It's a beauty!

The tail piece, the scroll shape, the dark reddish wood finish, and the shape of the feet all remind me of c. 1900-1910 era aesthetic stylings.

Joanna, I believe you have a dulcimer that was copied from a C.N.Prichard Dulcimer. Or perhaps one made buy his brother John. Also it is said that his father in law possibly made dulcimers. I make a reproduction of the Prichard dulcimer, which you can see on my page here. This dulcimer was definitly influenced by the Prichard dulcimer,as it so closely resembles it. I would be interested to see what research will turn up about this dulcimer. I would love to be able to look at this dulcimer up close. There are even more to be seen or not seen on the inside of a dulcimer as there is outside. I live in Bruceton Mills ,WV and would love to have the chance to inspect this instrument. Thanks for sharing, Kevin Messenger.

You're welcome Robin. Glad they had a copy.

Hey, Ken, I went to the Ollie's in Newark OH and got a copy. Wow, it's some big book and I look forward to spending time with it. Many thanks for the heads-up!

Kenneth W. Longfield said:

No problem Robin. The offer is open as long as the supply lasts. Ollies buys damaged tractor trailer loads, remainders, etc. I do not know where these books came from, but they are new and shrink wrapped. Folk music and crafts are only a small part of the Encyclopedia.

No problem Robin. The offer is open as long as the supply lasts. Ollies buys damaged tractor trailer loads, remainders, etc. I do not know where these books came from, but they are new and shrink wrapped. Folk music and crafts are only a small part of the Encyclopedia.

Ken,

If I can't get to the Ollies up in Licking County to see if they have any copies, I may just take you up on your generous offer. Would it be all right if I let you know in the next few days?

Kenneth W. Longfield said:

I think there are seven more copies at the Ollies here. I am not sure how much it would cost to send them at the media mail rate, but it would still be cheaper than the list price. I am willing to purchase a few and send them out just for the cost of the book and mailing.

I think there are seven more copies at the Ollies here. I am not sure how much it would cost to send them at the media mail rate, but it would still be cheaper than the list price. I am willing to purchase a few and send them out just for the cost of the book and mailing.

Wow, I wish I could get to an Ollie's and buy a copy! (I've never heard of this outlet store.)

PS-I just searched and found there's an Ollie's in the county north of where I live! I just may need to take a little trip. . . Thanks for the information, Ken!

Thanks, Ken, I'll check the Ollie's in Clarksburg today! Like you, I still like to hold a book in my hand and turn the pages! Having on-line, or electronic editions is nice, but there's just something about paper!

I posted this information over at EverythingDulcimer, but for those who are here at FOTMD and do not visit ED, I thought I would share it here as well.

I had a pleasant surprise the other day while browsing through the books at Ollie's Bargain Outlet. For those not familiar with Ollie's here is what Wikipedia has to say about it: Ollie's Bargain Outlet is a chain of retail stores founded in 1982 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by the late Morton Bernstein. The first store was opened in Mechanicsburg, just outside Harrisburg. The chain now has 120 locations (as of June 2012) in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, New York, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Michigan.
Well, I found a copy (actually eight brand new shrink wrapped copies) of the Encyclopedia of Appalachia for $9.99 each. The EOA is published by the University of Tennessee Press and is still in print from them for $79.95 (Amazon, $70.95). Needless to say I purchased a copy. It has an extensive section on Music which contains a one page entry for the fretted dulcimer and a half page entry for hammered dulcimer. Other items of interest to folks on ED include the section on crafts and folklore. I am just beginning to explore this handy reference to Appalachia.
If you do a web search for Encyclopedia of Appalachia you will find a listing for the music section which is accessible on the Internet. It will give you a good feel for the book. I think that eventually the whole book will be on the Internet. While I have enjoyed the web edition it is nice to be able to hold the print edition and look through it.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

What a great looking place Ken. Why come back

Great photo too. just where Cezanne would have set up his easle, he liked a good mountain as a backdrop.

Any walnut there, couple of trees look right from the photo,

john

That was my first exposure to Mediterranean Mountain environment. Steep, thickly brush covered slopes, red clay. Bamboo and some of Robin's reed-type grasses along the river bottom. Most of the trees are smaller leaved varieties than we have in the States - more like Live Oak and Laurel Oak than Maple or Poplar. Interesting mix of hardwoods and scattered pines and cedars too. The finca has a couple feral orchards; one of cherries and one of olives, and a veggie garden in disuse. There's a metalworking shop to die for, and an equally well-equipped woodworking shop, and always has a bunch of projects on the fire, including a built-from-scratch small steam engine that's about 75% complete.

His nearest neighbors are a Brit couple in the mid 50s who bought a piece of the original finca from Dad about 10 years ago. They sort of look after him and help him with things.

Looks like some really nice country over there, Ken.

Oooh That's lovely