Forum Activity for @ravenmadd-garcia

Ken I respect your views

Never heard of them. Looks like an average plywood dulcimer. Design-wise I don't care for the "neck" sticking out beyond the body. Just doesn't look 'right' to me; but that's me... Just based on looks, I'd rather have a Harpmaker Student.

anyone know of this company ?....saw a starter model on flea-bay ...it caught my interest...your view amigos and amigas

I've heard these two live a few times, always a treat. Thanks for posting.

I've heard these two live a few times, always a treat. Thanks for posting.

Oh, I love Lester's fiddle play! Lester's 90 or better and I believe he was at Clifftop this year.

According to the liner notes in Kim Johnson's cd, Linda McCumbers (Lester's late-wife) used to sing Cherry River Line.
Have fun learning this cool tune, Phil!

Love It.Now I want to learn it.

Robin T , that's a great tune to add to the dulcimer fiddler repertoire- nicely played!

I find it interesting to note that there is only one note that dips below the tonic in the Lester clip- and that note is really just a rhythm ornament that the banjo player put in, it's not actually part of the tune melody. This tells me that this tune really is in mixolydian mode (it actually doesn't seem to work in other modes), and could be played from the open string tonic position too, if one chose not to use the one banjo ornament note. That one note does add some interesting difference to the tune, though. Just mental meanderings on tunings, versions, and such!

Don't you just LOVE Lester's raw tone on that fiddle? Talk about yummy !

Does sound like a 'Reuben's Train family' tune.

Here's my translation of the tune to lap dulcimer. Tuning is DGG. Any mistakes in my translation are mine. :)

Like it would sound good on a dulcimer, maybe I had better go look up Reuben's Train and learn that first.

I love this, thanks for posting I think it has turned into one of my most favorite tunes.

Great ear, Stephanie-- you heard Reuben in it! (Mark heard something from a tune he knows as Lonesome Reuben. . .) Thanks a bunch for the links-- they really add a lot to a thread!

Love this tune from Lester & Kim! I encourage you to check out the notes on YT; this was a banjo tune that Lester brought to fiddle.

Wondering whether anyone plays it on mountain dulcimer?

I'm sure Ron would answer your questions, and advise you on string gauges for other tunings. He's here: http://www.ronewingdulcimers.com/ Part of the high pitch is from the short scale length, the string gauges may not be too far from what we use on bigger dulcimers.

IF, ah say IF you change the strings to appropriate gauges, there is no reason that you cannot tune the Ron Ewing (or any other) "dulcimette" to a normal key of D (DAA, DAd, DAC, DAG). When you change the strings, the bridge won't slide around because the larger gauges will apply appropriate downward pressure.

What gauges of strings? Go to www.strothers.com and use the String Finder to find out. Plug in the VSL of your instrument, and specify which note (D, A or d) -- and it will tell you what strings to get.

If for any reason the bridge on any dulcimer starts sliding around, a single drop of Superglue will hold it yet still allow easy removal.

Hey Julie, a friend of mine has one and he tunes in Dad but an octave higher than a standard dulcimer. When he and I play together, that is our favorite combination of dulcimers to play. Go to my page and listen to Possum Up a Gumstump. That's a Modern Mountain dulcimer (played by me) and a 6 string Ron Ewing dulcimette (played by John Hawk).

Hope this helps!

Phil

Hi Just found this thread, but it looks like it's a bit dated. Good to see some discussion of recorders with MDs and other instruments. I play soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and sometimes even the sopranino with a little group of us who get together most weeks, and even occasionally "in public". I am really interested in playing my new and as yet unpracticed-enough-to-play dulcimer (and maybe a rebec when I get one) with our recorder ensemble. Would like to hear from others what musical arrangements they've found that work with these instruments together, especially medieval, renaissance, and folk/world music. Good luck finding practice time - always the trick!

Hi Gayle, A couple of months ago I bought a cheapie soprano recorder because I was in a musical Godspell performed at church over Easter and one of the songs has a recorder solo in it which I volunteered to do. I had played it as a kid so it was interesting to pick it up after 30? years. Had to google the fingering but I was practising a scale and the muscle memory clicked in and it just felt "right" in how I was holding it. Funny how that never goes away! I have decided to try the alto recorder and the pennywhistle as well. This is just to annoy the neighbors you know...the dulcimer just wasn't loud enough for the job :D

Through Half Price Books I've purchased The Recorder Book byKenneth Wollitz which has very positive online reviews.

Kind of late to this conversation. I play recorder: soprano, tenor, and bass. Tull Glazener let me play the bass in a jam, and it was pretty neat.

I have 4.5 hours of recorder practice with other players per week. Wish I could get that for dulcimer.

I "play" the soprano recorder and the tinwhistle. They are great little instruments and sound nice with the dulcimer. My problem is I don't give them enough time. I'm too busy with my fretted/stringed instruments. But, I haven't given up on them. I'm trying to devote more time to them. The soprano recorder is fingered very similarly to the alto sax, which I played in jr and senior high school. So that helps me alot. So is the tin whistle. I just picked up a new tin whistle from Guy George, which I'm hoping will help me progress more, as it's a better whistle than what I had.My husband made me a tin whistle "case" to protect it, made from pvc. It's really cute and very practical. I call it my "tunes in a tube"!

I play arecorder too. well not as much now days. I still get it out from time to time and mess around. May be time to starte to play it again. Oh I also play Native American Flute.

Hi, Gayle, I've played recorders for about 50 years now and, yes, they do blend well with dulcimers. Generally speaking, recorders come in "C" and "F" variations, alternating between the sizes (Soprano-C,Alto-F,Tenor-C, etc.). This is what causes the difference in fingering. Good luck with your learning!

Gayle, I used to play recorder a bit but haven't given it a go in years. I look forward to hearing your mix with dulcimer and recorder!

Welcome to the group, Gayle! I, too, think that dulcimer players are pretty special people. Most of us are just chock full of enthusiasm for this instrument and the music we play--and we play all kinds! We come from a variety of backgrounds and music experience and live all over the world. But we're all part of the dulcimer "family". Glad to have you aboard!

Have to agree with Rob. We just aren't right and want everyone to feel at home, not being right.

R N Lackey said:

It's really 'cause we just ain't right

Gayle, welcome!!! I hope you find great friends and information about this incredible instrument. I agree with Rob...it's because we ain't right, LOL. I enjoyed your video. Like I said I'm still a newbie too. I have made wonderful friends and am learning lots of things about playing the dulcimer. You will be amazed at how versatile this instrument is. I'm sure you will enjoy the videos from the other members. I do

Hi Gayle and welcome aboard!

I agree that every website has its own "tone" and a lot of that is influenced by the approach taken by the moderator(s). Here on FOTMD there is a culture of welcoming everyone, regardless of identity or ability, and focusing on the thing we have in common, i.e. our love of and interest in the mountain dulcimer. So I really do find it to be the most friendly site I use on the whole World Wide Web!

Especially if you're playing on a possum board. hehehehee

Gayle, Robin is certainly right that different websites have different personalities, and Strumelia and the early members here certainly set a friendly and encouraging tone that is what has drawn so many of us to this little corner of the internet.

But I also think that something of the dulcimer's personality comes out in those who play the instrument. It is a humble folk instrument with no pretense at all. It can make very sophisticated music (not in my hands, of course) but is more at home on the porch being played by familiy and friends who care more about having fun than impressing anyone.

And no one can play something called a hogfiddle and take themselves too seriously.

Hogfiddle is one of the regional American names for the mountain or Appalachian Dulcimer; along with Indian Walking Stick, Dulcemore, Scantlin', and Tennessee Music Box. A Possum board is a detachable second back that gives your dulcimer more volume without electric amplification. Check out my article here in the Blog section called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms, plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, music, care and feeding of our favorite instrument.

Carrie you summed that up beautifully! The dulcimer brings everyone together. I was amazed to find out there are doctors, pilot,nurses, accountants, ministers,mountain climber, people in exotic places all over the world and the one thing they have in common is they play the dulcimer and have fun and enjoy it. It's such a simple instrument that has so much potential and fits in everywhere. So many people like me had a wish to be able to play a musical instrument but thought it not possible because of no musical education. But the dulcimer proves anyone with the want and love of music can play whether the simpilest tune like Bile Cabbage to Starry Night(Vincent) to Classical music and everything inbetween,depending on how far they want to take it. And right here is the only place I know of were you have a loving, encouraging, helpful audiance. Your own spotlight.Hope that speil made since.

Actually what it is is that we're dotty. Or at least some of us are dotty and others are not and sometimes we're both.

Marking dots that is.

Hi Gayle! I'm not sure if its all dulcimer players or just all FOTMD dulcimer players....I think the later! It is a great site with wonderful group of people. I started posting videos from the very first week I had my dulcimer and received so much encouragement! It was very uplifting and I think I'm getting better because folks are so generous in the praise and also with information regarding the nuts and bolts of playing dulcimer. Can't say enough about these folks and so glad you have found the site!!

Cheryl

I'm just jealous Sam because my Koi won't let me skinny dip in there water hole. LOL

Sam said:

Dana I enjoy my small pleasures ....... he he ........

Gayle ... simple answer to your question, for me ... I keep hoping somebody will show up that I play better than .... so far ... sigh ... nope .................. but they let me stay anyway

Dana I enjoy my small pleasures ....... he he ........

Gayle ... simple answer to your question, for me ... I keep hoping somebody will show up that I play better than .... so far ... sigh ... nope .................. but they let me stay anyway

Hi Gayle. Welcome to the family. I'm sort of with Dana. We're family and it's a family where everyone is welcome.

Your a good one to talk about getting your feet wet, resident skinny dipper