Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Flint, I'm so happy to see a you again! Thank you, thank you for the great posting!

Flint Hill said:

Hey, I"m still here too! I'll follow this thread as long as I can draw breath. :)

How about Dock Boggs's "Calvary" ? It's about the grimmest Easter song I know. Lyrics are here , The Carter Family and lots of others, Ralph Stanley among the, recorded it as "On a Hill Lone and Gray" with a different and far less spooky tune.

It's also out there in an earlier and greatly lengthened version as "There's a Hill Lone and Grey". Beverly Francis Carradine published it in 1896 with a tune that resembles the one that the Carters used later.

Dock's version reads like a classical murder ballad. In the first few bars, Dock's tune resembles the one he used for "Reuben's Train". I'd love to find out more about the tune if anyone knows.

Dock's tuning is supposed to bef#CGAD (according to Don Zepp).

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hey, I"m still here too! I'll follow this thread as long as I can draw breath. :)

How about Dock Boggs's "Calvary" ? It's about the grimmest Easter song I know. Lyrics are here , The Carter Family and lots of others, Ralph Stanley among the, recorded it as "On a Hill Lone and Gray" with a different and far less spooky tune.

It's also out there in an earlier and greatly lengthened version as "There's a Hill Lone and Grey". Beverly Francis Carradine published it in 1896 with a tune that resembles the one that the Carters used later.

Dock's version reads like a classical murder ballad. In the first few bars, Dock's tune resembles the one he used for "Reuben's Train". I'd love to find out more about the tune if anyone knows.

Dock's tuning is supposed to bef#CGAD (according to Don Zepp).

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

too funny

Richard Venneman said:

Every song I play is mournful and spooky, at least according to my wife. :-)

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I think you got your wish, Flint. Here we are three years later.

Well, it's not a traditional ballad or anything, but David Schnaufer's version of the Hank Williams tune "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cryhas moved me ever since I discovered the dulcimer. Elvis called it the "saddest song I've ever heard in my life."

Did you ever see the Robin weep

When leaves begin to die

That means he's lost the will to live

I'm so lonesome I could cry

You football fans might like to hear Terry Bradshaw sing the song , too. Weren't the seventies great?

Flint Hill said:

I sure am enjoying this thread. Hope it has a long and productive life

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Tam Lin and Allison Gross... Bob.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Tim and Ken,

Those are great suggestions! I have found the SMN for these and can't wait to try them. I have been listening to some Youtube verions also of all of the suggestions. I am sure others reading this thread appreciate these ideas for haunting tunes too.

Ken, I have played a few tune in Aeolian mode after reading Strumlia's blog about it and really like it. That would be perfect for these types of tunes.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

a ballad called "the letter edged in black." evidently years ago a letter informing of the death of a loved one would

have a black border around the envelope to warn of sad and shocking news.

also "the little rosewood casket" as aclose second.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The Border Scots ballad called Lament of the Border Widow, in Aeolian Mode (DAC if you like the key of D). Aeolian Moe is great for all those eerie, 'fingernails on chalkboard' mournful songs.

My love, he built me a bonny bower
And clad it o'er with lily flower
A bonnier bower you ne'er did see
Than my true love he built for me

There came a man by middle day
He spied his sport and went away
And brought the King that very night,
Who broke my bower and slew my knight

He slew my knight to me so dear
He slew my knight and seized his gear
My servants all for life did flee
And left me in extremity

I sewed his shroud, making my moan
I watched his corpse, myself alone
I watched his body night and day
No living creature came that way

I took his body on my back
And whiles I walked and whiles I sat
I digged a grave and laid him in,
And happed him with the turf so green

Oh, don't you think my heart was sore,
As I laid the earth on his yellow hair
Oh, don't you think my heart was woe,
As I turned about, away to go

No living man I'll love again
Since that my lovely knight is slain
With just one lock of his yellow hair
I'll chain my heart forevermore

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks John! I will try to get a copy of that!

updated by @gale-a-barr: 07/15/15 06:13:31AM

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hello Gale, I used to take the dulcimer into schools a while back, and often used a simple song from Jean Ritchie's book ' Singing Family of The Cumberlands'. It can be found on pages 11/12 , "There was an Old Woman, all skin and bones', simple tune, nicely minor, easy to tailor to suit your audience, with a great 'punch line' ending ?

good luck in your search

JohnH

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That one sounds like fun, Shawn. I will give that a try.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Janita Baker teaches Three Blinde Mice by Ravenscroft in her Rounds and Canons workshop. This original version is in a minor key and it's dirge-like and quite creepy. I can't offer up Janita's tab, but here's an article which contains standard musical notation for the minor key version, about halfway down. If you know the notes on your fretboard you can easily tab it out:

http://strangewayes.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/late-period-english-rounds/

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I found this old thread as it is now October and Halloween is approaching.Anyone have some additional tabs, links, or ideasof spooky songs to play on the dulcimer? I can pick some of the easier, contemporary ones that come to mind - "Addams Family" that are just for but I am sure others out there can think of others? Tubular Bellsused in the Exorcistwould be interesting....

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I love to play many tunes that fit the description or mournful, spooky or lonesome (well, maybe not "spooky"), but one of my favorites is Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of his Second Wife. I just think it's an incredibly beautiful tune. So simple, and yet so moving when played well.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

John I like your version on dulcimer. I recently learned the song on low whistle and I am presently working out a minor key version for dulcimer... Bob.

John Henry said:

Sorry Bob, should have mentioned that I posted it under another name commonly given to this tune, "Velentia Harbour" (posted oct 12 th, 2010)

John

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sorry Bob, should have mentioned that I posted it under another name commonly given to this tune, "Velentia Harbour" (posted oct 12 th, 2010)

John

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hello Bob, this is one of my favourites also !!! I cannot sing for toffee, but did manage to post a fair attempt at it on this site? You might be interested in a listen?

best wishes

JohnH robert schuler said:

A slow air called...Amhran Na Leabhair. Don't ask me to pronounce it but the alternate name is, Song of the Books and or Valencia Harbor. Its a song about an 18th century professor who is sent to a new school. He loads all his worldly possessions on a ship including his beloved books while he travels by land. The ship sinks and all his books are lost. He morns the loss of his books. Its a popular song on the whistle and is sung in a style the name of which I forget. That is sung almost in one continious way without breaks or pauses a very mornful sound.. Bob.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

A slow air called...Amhran Na Leabhair. Don't ask me to pronounce it but the alternate name is, Song of the Books and or Valencia Harbor. Its a song about an 18th century professor who is sent to a new school. He loads all his worldly possessions on a ship including his beloved books while he travels by land. The ship sinks and all his books are lost. He morns the loss of his books. Its a popular song on the whistle and is sung in a style the name of which I forget. That is sung almost in one continious way without breaks or pauses a very mornful sound.. Bob.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Autumn Leaves (you know....the ones that drift by your window....)

October is a Gypsy Lass (if anyone else other than my family knows this, I'd love to hear from them)

Picardy, a French Carol in a minor key ("Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" in the 1906 English Hymnal)

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for it!

folkfan said:

I'm working on a tab for it, but my tabs are simple melody lines with the lyrics with no chords. At the moment I'm working from two slightly different SMN melodies and trying to get them to fit the music I have playing from a third source. Usually after going through the process of adding and subtracting notes I end up with a final tab. When I get there, I'll put it up.

Beth Hansen-Buth said:

I love unusual ballads! Would you happen to have TAB or lyrics with chords that you'd care to share for this one? I'm intrigued...

folkfan said:

The Rolling of the Stones. An unusual ballad in that it actual deals with magic and spelling.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I sure am enjoying this thread. Hope it has a long and productive life, and many thanks to all who have posted so far.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Dancing At Whitsun is a favorite of mine. Had a chance a few years ago to see the Hedge Row Crown in the Tower display of the English Crown Jewels. This year it wasn't there. When I asked a Gentleman Warder what happened to it, he was surprised that I even knew what a Hedge Row was and why they were important enough to be the base for a crown designed for the Queen.

Tim Hart's rendition of the song is just beautiful.

john p said:

Sad - Well, folowing Paul's suggestion above, the tune of 'The Week Before Easter' was used for a song called 'Dancing at Whitsun' and tells of the ladies left without their husbands and sweethearts who never returned from the Great War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9bH1XsWHgY

Spooky - Well Childe #6 is very 'Wierd', usually known as 'Willie's Lady', 'The Nine Witch Knots' or 'The Loaf of Wax'. This has it all, the cruelty of the Step Mother, the torment of the Bride, the resolutness of the Husband, the resourcefullness of the Faithfull Retainer ...

The Nine Witch Knots refers to the binding of one of the most terrible curses that could be laid on any woman.

Oddly, the tune usually used for this ballad(due to Ray Fisher) is a somewhat raucous and slightly maudlin cider drinking song from Brittainy.

john p

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sad - Well, folowing Paul's suggestion above, the tune of 'The Week Before Easter' was used for a song called 'Dancing at Whitsun' and tells of the ladies left without their husbands and sweethearts who never returned from the Great War.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9bH1XsWHgY

Spooky - Well Childe #6 is very 'Wierd', usually known as 'Willie's Lady', 'The Nine Witch Knots' or 'The Loaf of Wax'. This has it all, the cruelty of the Step Mother, the torment of the Bride, the resolutness of the Husband, the resourcefullness of the Faithfull Retainer ...

The Nine Witch Knots refers to the binding of one of the most terrible curses that could be laid on any woman.

Oddly, the tune usually used for this ballad(due to Ray Fisher) is a somewhat raucous and slightly maudlin cider drinking song from Brittainy.

john p

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Beth, I just got another version of The Rolling of the Stones, the lyrics are a bit different than those I know but the tune is the same. In this version the pretty Susie doesn't charm the young man from his grave, because after receiving his fatal wound, no one buries him. They just take him to the woods and lay him on the ground. YUCK.

It's sung by Oscar Brand on the album recorded by Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand and David Sear, title "A Folk Concert In Town Hall, New York". I got it from iTunes.

folkfan said:

I'm working on a tab for it, but my tabs are simple melody lines with the lyrics with no chords. At the moment I'm working from two slightly different SMN melodies and trying to get them to fit the music I have playing from a third source. Usually after going through the process of adding and subtracting notes I end up with a final tab. When I get there, I'll put it up.

Beth Hansen-Buth said:

I love unusual ballads! Would you happen to have TAB or lyrics with chords that you'd care to share for this one? I'm intrigued...

folkfan said:

The Rolling of the Stones. An unusual ballad in that it actual deals with magic and spelling.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I'm working on a tab for it, but my tabs are simple melody lines with the lyrics with no chords. At the moment I'm working from two slightly different SMN melodies and trying to get them to fit the music I have playing from a third source. Usually after going through the process of adding and subtracting notes I end up with a final tab. When I get there, I'll put it up.

Beth Hansen-Buth said:

I love unusual ballads! Would you happen to have TAB or lyrics with chords that you'd care to share for this one? I'm intrigued...

folkfan said:

The Rolling of the Stones. An unusual ballad in that it actual deals with magic and spelling.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I love unusual ballads! Would you happen to have TAB or lyrics with chords that you'd care to share for this one? I'm intrigued...

folkfan said:

The Rolling of the Stones. An unusual ballad in that it actual deals with magic and spelling.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Every song I play is mournful and spooky, at least according to my wife. :-)

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Pretty Polly -- Dock Boggs .

Wife of Usher's Well, either by Hedy West or M&E Carthy . Two different songs, really.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The Rolling of the Stones. An unusual ballad in that it actual deals with magic and spelling.

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

"The Week Before Easter" which I picked up from the first Robin and Barry Dransfield album, The Rout of the Blues, which I got in 1971. I started working on it when I got my dulcimer in 1974. It's about unrequited love - what else? The last Verse goes (here's the beginning and ending), "Go dig me my grave ... and that's the best way to forget her."

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Dacre's Gone to the War - originally the 1820 lyrics called The Laird of Gilsland - tune by Maddy Prior

Peace on the Border by Rick Kemp

Both are on the album Fyre & Sworde - songs of the Border Reivers by Fellside Recordings and friends...

What's your favorite mournful, spooky, or lonesome song to play?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It's October. The days are growing shorter, leaves are falling, pumpkin's on the vine, and the chilly winds are kickin' up, so....

Of all the sad, lonesome, spooky, mournful, ominous, plaintive, or mysterious songs and tunes that get played on dulcimers....which is your favorite one, and why?

(Limiting answers to between 1-3 songs at most will keep it more interesting- I'm not really looking for people to post long lists of all the ones they like- just tell us your real favorites!)

updated by @strumelia: 02/09/25 10:37:40PM

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Someone else suggested I could make her into a clock...but I'm not ready to start the Frankenstein process on her.

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

That's a lovely idea! I might pull it out from time to time to remind myself as well.

Strumelia said:

I think you should write a little note that tells of the joy she brought to you and fold it up and put it inside the autoharp. Not only would it honor the instrument, but someone might find it 50 years from now, who knows? and that would be really lovely. I once wrote a message inside the closet of an apartment I left, on the old wallpaper way in a corner, saying how some of the happiest times of my life were spent there in that apartment. I like to think someone will find it there one day and read it.

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

I think you should write a little note that tells of the joy she brought to you and fold it up and put it inside the autoharp. Not only would it honor the instrument, but someone might find it 50 years from now, who knows? and that would be really lovely. I once wrote a message inside the closet of an apartment I left, on the old wallpaper way in a corner, saying how some of the happiest times of my life were spent there in that apartment. I like to think someone will find it there one day and read it.

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Thanks Strumelia, I just needed to share what has happened with other musicians, who have that same bond with their instrument. She sits on the stand that I just bought for her a couple of months ago in my office/music room. I'm normally the type to get rid of broken things, but she's my first Autoharp so I will keep her. She holds an honored place in my life and so will be on display as a reminder of all that I've learned and the wonderful experiences music has brought to me over the past two years.

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Beth I like that story. Often we gush about buying new instruments, but we seldom talk about the instruments that either 'died' or linger in our closets. Everything and everyone has a lifespan, and coming to terms with that can help us appreciate what we are doing today.

Autoharp Adventures...Life & Death of an Instrument

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Once upon a time I bought an autoharp. I was inspired to do so after seeing my friend Becca play one in a gig at a small coffee house. She told me to look for one with fine tuners, and so my quest began. I found one on Ebay, and Oscar Schmidt Appalachian model, and I bought it. I was so excited to get my Autoharp, I couldn't have been happier when I got home and saw the package waiting for me. It was the middle of July 2009, I named her Becca after my friend who so inspired me.

A couple of months laterI took it in to have strap pegs put in at Homestead Pickin' Parlor , they noticed that 1) the instrument was hot from sitting in my car, and 2) the sound board had sunken underneath the chord bars. The supports had given way because of the heat. Whether that happened on that day, or when the instrument was sitting on the steps waiting for me to come home I do not know. I did know it would be more than the cost of the instrument to try and fix the problem.

So I went ahead and played her for the next two years, keeping her in tune and out of hot cars. During that time I began a tradition of having Music Circle Parties in my home each Spring and Autumn, and we've had wonderful times together, my Becca and I. Butthese past few monthsit has been going out of tune more and more until finally I cannot get it in tune at all. Upon close examination I found cracks at the corner of the High C fine tuner, with the soundboard caved sharply in. It finally gave way, may she rest in peace.

I purchased my mountain dulcimer this past May after becoming obsessed with the little instrument due to YouTube. I'm very careful with her indeed. I will get another Autoharp one day, but not for a while. I have my lovely Ginger...my mountain dulcimer...to get to know and share with my friends in my music parties.

updated by @beth-hansen: 01/15/16 12:04:30PM

Walter, you might also consider tuning it up to something higher - say key of G - GDD or GDg - which will put more downeard pressure on the head...

It's possible the strings aren't putting enough tension against the head. The angle they make from the bridge to the tailpiece where thy mount has to be steep enough to provide a certain amount of tension. This also applies to any other stringed instrument as well as banjammers. A taller bridge might do the job, if it doesn't make the strings too high to play well.

Paul