Geekling, 
I wasn't clear about how I used to hold a mountain dulcimer upright to bow it. When I did this, the instrument was nowhere near the floor-- the lower bout was held/balanced between my knees.
Hey, friends, this same instrument is attracting attention on another FOTMD thread, too.
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/funny-ebay-listing
It's a cool piece of folk art. The fretboard does appear to have a radius to it. I suppose someone could've bowed it, holding it upright the way I hold my bowed dulcimers; I used to bow a mountain dulcimer this way. From the looks of it, though, I'd just call it a mountain dulcimer.
lol
Mandy said:
Love the looks of it, but my goodness that poor stump has been impaled by a TON of booze.
Love the looks of it, but my goodness that poor stump has been impaled by a TON of booze.
Sorry I can't offer any help, but I would like to add that that is a unique piece. I like it. It has very nice lines and appears to be in pretty good repair. I wouldn't change the soundholes. I have one with none. Sounds very sweet.
Raven it appears to have a radiused fretboard, and the bridge seems arched as well. I think you might be right about it beung a bowed dulcimer. You might want to see what Robim Thompson thinks she plays a bowed dulci.
Another example of someone building a dulcimer without a lot of clues. The staggered string pins are interesting. The peg in the tail block may be just to keep the end off the ground when you stand it in the corner. Another builder who does not understand the function of sound hole size to body size! Nice elliptical shape though,,,
Well I have seen dulcimers built as canes or walking sticks. Perhaps this is someone's version of a dulcimer cane??? Just a guess.
has a woman's head carved on the top like a old pirates ship.....anyone understand what that stump is on the bottom?.... is this a dulcimer for bowing?....said to be vintage ...strings are spaced wide......also now I'm addicted to the looks of some thanks FOTMD
Welcome Syd;
The shape of the dulcimer isn't the problem. No shape, except a box, is any more stable than another. Chances are it's
A) the 'slippery' pants/shorts you wear. Use that rubbery shelf liner material as a mat across your lap.
or
2) your basic 'posture' with the instrument. Many beginners try to sit too prim and proper. Start with your knees wide apart - more than 18 inches! Sit upright, not laid back, not hunched over. Then don't put the dulcimer at right angles across your lap. Angle it so that the right end is tucked back by your right hip and the left end is out over your left knee - about the 1-3 frets over your knee. As you strum the right end will try to work its way out - on an instroke with your picking hand brucsh your little finger into the body, pushing it back against your hip.
If you practice good posture, you absol;utely do not need a strap or anything like that. If correct posture doesn't work, conside gettin/making a table of some sort on which you can put the dulcimer while you play.
Syd, I found a previous discussion on this topic. Here is the link: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/holding-the-dulcimer?commentId=3745489%3AComment%3A44996
I hope this helps
Syd, before you give up on your dulcimer you may want to talk with those who have a teardrop. Sam has one and Wayne does too. They can give you some advice. I had trouble at first keeping my dulcimer positioned on my legs until I used a makeshift footstool to keep my legs level and I have an hourglass. Some people use pads underneath to keep the dulcimer from sliding. Carrie uses a strap that she brings below her legs. She uses pads too. I also had strap buttons installed on my dulcimer thanks to Ken . I haven't used a strap yet but plan to and soon as I get one made. I'm a newbie too but have learned a lot from the discussion posts and watching videos.
We Just Aint Right D(2 on melody)G(3 mel 1 on mid) A(4 mel 1 bass
Well we sit and strum all day long
D D D D D D D D
Making videos and singing songs
G G GGG G G G G
Then the bee boopin starts
G G A A A A
And we chat all night
A A A A A
But some people say
A A A A A
We just aint right!
A A 3 2
We just aint right , thats what they all say
D D D D D D D D D
But we dont care, cause we like us this way
D G G G G G G G G G
So join the Bee boopers, were outa sight
G A A A A A A A A A
But some folks say We just aint right
A A A A A A 3 2
Were always happy and havin fun
D D D D D D D D D
So jump right in, so you can have some
D G G G G G G G G
Your toes will be tappin
A A A A A A
All through the night
A A A A
Then they will be sayin
A A A A A A
You just aint right!
A A 3 2
We Just aint right , thats what they all say
D D D D D D D D D
But we dont care, cause we like us this way
D G G G G G G G G G
So join the Bee boopers, were outa sight
G A A A A A A A A A
But some folks say We just aint right
A A A A A A 3 2
Dana, this is awesome!!!
Now you have to send us the tab for it. Then we can all do a collaboration. The President of SpitValve Inc. will put it together in a video for us if we bribe him, LOL .
Seriously, that is a great song Dana and yes I would like to have the tab for it Better yet, I would love to see you sing this
Updated:
We Just Aint Right
Well we sit and strum all day long
Making videos and singing songs
Then the bee boopin starts
And we chat all night
But some people say
We just aint right!
We just aint right , thats what they all say
But we dont care, cause we like us this way
So join the Bee booper, were outa sight
But some folks say We just aint right
Were always happy and havin fun
Jump right in, so you can have some
Your toes will be tappin
All through the night
Then they will be sayin
You just aint right!
We Just aint right , thats what they all say
But we dont care, cause we like us this way
So join the Bee booper, were outa sight
But some folks say We just aint right
We Just Ain't Right!
Well we sit and strum all day long
Making videos and singing songs
Then the bee boopin starts
And we chat all night
But some people say
We just aint right
But we all say were just havin fun
Just jump right in
So you can have some
Soon your toes will be tappin
And youll be singing along
Join the bee boopers
Where going strong!
Then dont be surprised
If you hear one night
Someone say..
We just aint right
Hi Ken.
Nothing strange about it at all, most dulcimers made today have this fret pattern.
It's only 'old school' types like ourselves who insist on only having a single diatonic fret pattern('do' at the 3rd) rather than two diatonic fret patterns('do' at the 3rd AND 'do' at the open) that most folks use today.
That being said, having an instrument that only has the 'do' on the open string has definite disadvantages compared to one that only has 'do' on the 3rd fret. Choice of strings and having no leeway below the Ionian root being the main ones.
You could, of course, add a 6 fret, in the same way that old dulcimers have a 6+ added, to give you the style of dulcimer used by most people today
The only things stranger than his fret pattern is his spelling of "Appalachian". I wouldn't tune it, I would never have bought it.
Hi John,
Our normal dulcimer only needs a melody string capable of the range G > d to accommodate the four standard tunings.
On this instrument you would need a string capable of the range F > d. This is a bit of a stretch, and whilst the thicker string would help tune Aeolian, it would probably then break in Ionian.
It may be an unusual fret pattern for regular dulcimer players but it's not unknown elsewhere. The scheitholt depicted by Michael Praetorius in 1620 has the exact same pattern. And it's not farewell Old Joe Clark - the mixolydian scale starts on the 4th fret. So if you've gone for DAd tuning that'll give you the ionian scale in d, whereas DAG would give you mixolydian in d at the 4th fret. Guess you'd have to restring it with a thicker melody string for that though.
Here's another odd fret pattern. Same maker as the other.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOUNTIAN-DULCIMER-KENTUCKEY-STYLE-/17089617...
John P. Your right about the first one being an Ionian tuning from the open position. So long "Old Joe Clark".
I have an old one from Michigan with the same fret pattern (no 6 but a 6+.) I haven't tuned it to anything because the strings are so high off the fingerboard I can't fret it. Neither can I lower the bridge because the strings would not touch them when tuned to pitch. I am taking it to my repairman as an engineering problem to see what he can do. All in all though I agree with John P. It's diatonic and ionic with the do note being on open instead of 3.
Rob
Same way you tune any other dulcimer really Dan. This is still a diatonic fretboard, the difference here being that it starts at 'do' ... not the 'so' we are familiar with.
The home fret would be tuned to the tonic, the bass drone tuned an octave below that, and the middle drone tuned a fifth above that.
john p
Dan Goad said:
... Don't know how I would tune that thing.
II notice he also lists Martian strings. Is this another one from the fella who go all peeved when we told him his instrument wasn't right???
ya got me on what they where thinking when they set it up.
That is an odd setup. Don't think I'll be bidding on that one. Don't know how I would tune that thing.
I wonder if anyone will ever tell this seller/maker that he has a very strange fret pattern.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/APPLICIAN-MOUNTIAN-DULCIMER-HAND-MADE-IN-THE-USA-/170895966191?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ca317fef
As near as I can tell he goes 0,1,2,3,4,5,6+,7,8,9,10,11,12,13+,14. How would you tune it?
But then neither am I
