Forum Activity for @guy-babusek

Guy Babusek
@guy-babusek
08/24/09 11:01:15AM
96 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Most of my dulcimer friends prefer the noter/drone style. I personally prefer finger picking and chords (as a player, as a listener I love all of it). But I think that's because my choice of music is not very traditional to the dulcimer. I like to play Celtic and Renaissance music a lot.
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/24/09 10:10:55AM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Wow! and double Wow! I thought you were pullin' my leg. Shows what a farmer I am. Very interesting.
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/24/09 06:49:34AM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Carson Turner said:
What do you do with a big box of worms?
They eat up all our kitchen scraps- coffee grounds, newspapers, eggshells, veggie/fruit waste, banana peels, old bread, egg cartons...they love to eat it all up. Keeps it all from going to the landfill. They are neat and clean and they pay me back with trays full of lovely pure earthworm castings to fertilize my garden with...so I can grow more good veggies! The bin does not smell- it's like having a box full of nice forest earth. I could keep it in the basement, but it's much more convenient to have it in the kitchen- nature's garbage disposal. ;)
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/23/09 11:25:35PM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Rod Westerfield said:
I'm not sure that a fishing pole left, but I'll borrow one an let's go fishin.... love them worms...
I've got about 4000 worms right in my kitchen! Wait, I'll go get them!

Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
08/23/09 10:45:42PM
109 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I'm not sure that a fishing pole left, but I'll borrow one an let's go fishin.... love them worms...
TERI WEST
@teri-west
08/23/09 09:53:02PM
25 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Yep, a whole can o' worms, isn't it??? Sally Pena said:
Teri... are you still there? See what you started? (G)
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/23/09 04:22:41PM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Carson Turner said:
I do some past-life regression hypnosis - fascinating stuff. Of course I have to do the "for entertainment purposes only" disclaimer because I don't have an MA in Psychology (but do have 2.5 master's) so can't license in this state even though I was trained to do it....... another rant on a different topic for another day.
Hmmm...no, I meant in my current life, years ago. Just a figure of speech when i said "in one of my past lives'. lol
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
08/23/09 04:06:22PM
109 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Oh we are not fussing.... this is fun challenging each others minds...LOL .... ok maybe a little fussing, but our fearless leader is watching...lol.....
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/23/09 03:41:38PM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Teri... are you still there? See what you started? (G)
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/23/09 03:39:27PM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sounds like a gauntlet (hope it's spelled correctly), to me! Now, no fussing, fellas. This is a friendly site, remember?
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/23/09 03:38:17PM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Oooo, how cool! I surely misspelled it... sorry. My hubby is Puerto Rican and I guess I made the mistake of assuming it would be spelled the way I heard it. Thanks for the correction. Strumelia said:
It's really a combination of all these factors we've been discussing.

I mean if you play a dulcimer like a guitar it will sound more guitar-like, but it will still sound like a dulcimer also. And likewise if you put a dinky skinhead on a dulcimer and play it like a banjo it will sound more banjo-like.....but you won't fool ME! LOL It'll still sound like a dulcimer too.

By the way it's cuatro, not quatro. In one of my past lives I was a member of a traditional cuatro orchestra up in the mountains of Puerto Rico. (really)
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/23/09 03:35:57PM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It's really a combination of all these factors we've been discussing.I mean if you play a dulcimer like a guitar it will sound more guitar-like, but it will still sound like a dulcimer also. And likewise if you put a dinky skinhead on a dulcimer and play it like a banjo it will sound more banjo-like.....but you won't fool ME! LOL It'll still sound like a dulcimer too.By the way it's cuatro, not quatro. In one of my past lives I was a member of a traditional cuatro orchestra up in the mountains of Puerto Rico. (really)
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
08/23/09 02:52:38PM
109 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Can't help but do this..... So, if we made a guitar in the shape of an hourglass dulcimer from the same wood ..... then you'd have a dulcimer.... I think your experiment would be a good idea... I also agree that plat techniques have a lot to do with sound also... but I still think the sound box has a greater influence on the sound. On a baritone dulcimer, we use guitar strings... but it still does sound like a guitar.... ok let the experimenting start...
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/23/09 02:42:24PM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Wow! Again!Now we're getting into the nitty-gritty of dulcimer/guitar/banjo/mandolin/dobro/quatro... whatever sound. I already know that I won't be able to distinguish the difference... Carson, I assume you have all these instruments?
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
08/23/09 02:11:44PM
109 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Carson stated..."A .012 piece of steel string is just a .012 piece of steel string though so the sound should be close no matter what we hang it on. Our sound box doesn't make nearly as much difference as playing style does."Sorry but I think I'm going to have to disagree, the sound box has a great effect on the sound..that comes from that string.... for one dimensions of the sound box will have an effect on the sound small body versus big body... I make dulcijo's which the bridge sits on a drum practice head, gives a different sound than my normal dulcimers... lots of sound box variables will play into the sound... but anyway just my opinion....
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/23/09 11:44:04AM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That sounds right, Strumelia... but, if you think about it, guitars are played many ways as well... strumming across all strings, picking, Spanish, flat picking, etc. Just looks like too many strings, to me. But, I must say, mandolin is a fascinating little instrument. Although it has 8 strings, those strings seem to be grouped as 4. I think I'm leaning that way if I ever want to expand my stringed instrument life.
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/23/09 10:34:06AM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I think the dulcimer more often sounds like a guitar when it's playing typical 1-3-5 modern Western chordal music (which most modern folk and pop music is) and using guitar-ish flatpicking technique. Once you get away from the full 1-3-5 chord progression & flatpicking sound and go back to open drone/mode based music while fretting only the melody string, it immediately sounds almost nothing like a guitar.In simplified terms- when you play a dulcimer like you play a guitar, it sounds more guitar like. ;)
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
08/22/09 11:14:30PM
35 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Roger... I don't have the time or patience to learn guitar. But, hearing the dulcimer resemble a guitar while I'm playing it is truly wonderful. And, I like it to sound like a dulcimer too. And, if I can get it to sound like other instruments, I'll enjoy that as well. When Don Pedi gets going, he can sound pretty much like a fiddle... it's all just great!
Strumelia
@strumelia
08/20/09 07:55:40AM
2,416 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hi Teri,I split my time pretty evenly between banjo and mtn dulcimer. Even though I stick with all traditional music, I still like a little variety and hence the two instruments which I love.Learning new things is good. You should just do what you want! ;D
TERI WEST
@teri-west
08/20/09 01:42:07AM
25 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

James, I think I follow a similar muse. I get bored doing the same thing all of the time too. I cannot stick to one thing in my crafting/art either. I like to do different things in different media. But then again, I could be going in the "jack of all trades, and master of none" direction too....I learned violin and guitar when I was young and others told me that playing dulcimer would come easy to me because of it. I laid the violin down 30+ years ago and I don't think the dulcimer came that easy. I have been playing for almost 2 years and I still have a long way to go. They are 3 distinctly different instruments. I guess being in my 50's doesn't help. I do wish that I had picked the dulcimer up a long time ago. I play mostly by ear and even though I had a lot of theory training, I do not think that way when I play. Lately, I have been trying to learn tin whistle too..... What I really want to learn is bowed dulcimer. Jim Miller allowed me to play his at KMW.It is strung like a violin so it was not that difficult for me, other than balancing it was not easy for me. I think I could play it well if I had one and worked at it. FWIW, Teri
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
08/10/09 03:59:04PM
1,564 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I play noter-and-drone style all the time and love it! Yes, it is easy to play "Bile 'Em Cabbage" at the speed of a dirge. Try playing it at fiddle tune speed. Try playing it through 10 times, at fiddle tune speed, without playing it the same way twice. Try. . . How about Jean Ritchie's "Over The River to Feed My Sheep" from her album THE MOST DULCIMER. Play that "at speed" cleanly and you'll know you played somethin'!I love lots of different styles of dulcimer play! This past weekend at Fort New Salem in WV, I heard Jerry Rockwell, Butch Ross, and Doug Berch all play MD-- I enjoyed them all! Butch Ross played electrified stuff using looping and it was very cool to get to see and hear and Doug Berch is a fine player whose music I'd never before heard. Everything Jerry Rockwell plays is wonderful; he is a master of the mountain dulcimer in every sense of the word.Playing noter-and-drone is simple, in many respects. However, it is always a challenge for me to play both slow pieces and fiddle tunes cleanly and with expression.Robin
Randy Adams
@randy-adams
08/09/09 11:34:10AM
125 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I mostly play old time music....couple of Irish tunes played w/old time beat....few classical tunes. Even tho I play the OT tunes I can't limit myself to 1 playing style. I love to play the noter drone way...& have been stuck on it for a year or so....but to me not all the tunes I wanna play sound good thataway.....how ya gonna play Staten Island Hornpipe n/d for instance....& not all the tunes I wanna play fit in a diatonic fret configuration.I like to flatpick fiddle tunes...pretty much note for note....& also like to play fiddle tunes...& other melodies....in a melody approxamation/chordal style.I am tickled when I get a melody in mind & it fits into a way I play the dulcimer. And even tho I take about 3 approaches to playing some tunes just don't fit for me on the dulcimer. I don't play slow tunes very well...or waltzes.I could learn some new techniques but am not motivated at this time.The diversity of the dulcimer is a wonderful thing & I enjoy listening to others play in so many different ways.
TERI WEST
@teri-west
08/08/09 01:42:01AM
25 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

"...we can make it very complicated indeed and might even progress our droned monochord into a whole 'nother instrument (such as a guitar or piano) that's no longer as easy to play or as inexpensive, but capable of different music..."I agree completely with this! We have created the complexity of the dulcimer. Considering it was originally a quiet, personal instrument, there was no need for anything fancier."...Is the time coming when the six-string chromatic dulcimer will be so prevalent that those of us playing a pure diatonic three-string would be considered to be playing the "easy" version or an archaic instrument? I think that's where the chording style is leading, players of that style will continue to expect more-and-more capability from their instrument. Not exactly a "bad" thing - it's different....."This does seem to be the way things are moving today. I felt really sorry for the noter/drone player I spoke with because they had participated in a competition and it did not go well. There does not seem to be a place for folks who want to "keep it simple" if you want to compete. Maybe there should be separate competitions, ie.. traditional/modern.As far as progression goes, I have not heard of that type of thing, but it may be the reason folks want to introduce kids to it, hoping they will have a positive experience and move on to other things. I would hope that they become terrific players and carry on the tradition. FWIW, Teri
Foggers
@foggers
08/07/09 11:47:36AM
62 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Interesting thoughts there Carson.The appeal of the dulcimer is exactly its simplicity and that someone learning can grasp basics and produce some satisfactory sounds quite quickly. That is exactly what it was developed for; ordinary folks wanting some family and community entertainment and respite from hard working days.Nowadays the "needs" a dulcimer can meet are broader and will include those who want to progress in complexity and performance ability.Of course the age-old question is how many modifications (chromatic fret board, six strings etc) add up to make some instrument that is no longer a mountain dulcimer? Ken H calls such items "dulcimer shaped intruments" and I can see his point.So there is a tension between the traditional noter and drone style rooted with the traditions of the instrument, and the chord/melody style which starts to push the boundaries of what you can do with a dulcimer. These will appeal to different people in different ways. Reading your comments I get a sense that you are enjoying the fundamental simplicity of drone style after being steeped in music of the harmonic genre.Personally I like both approaches and will decide which suits a song or tune best when I am working on it. I was drawn to the MD through the playing of Jean Ritchie who is very much an N&D player, but she manages to play a kind of harmony to the melody she is singing, and that just grips me with its sweetness and directness.As I experiment with MD styles I am making some interesting discoveries. Some more modern songs/tunes can suddenly reveal something very different when played in N&D style.I play guitar and am learning banjo too, so now when I hear a song I want to add to my repertoire I have a range of choices to consider in terms of which instrument and which styles to incorporate.It's all good stuff as far as I am concerned!
TERI WEST
@teri-west
08/06/09 03:01:32PM
25 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Here's a thought about difficulty: I also play violin and played in orchestras for many years. Harmony and structure are built into my brain as a result, so when I play, it can actually be more difficult for me to allow the drone because it does not always "harmonize" to my ear/brain. But I have learned to enjoy it. Some old time music does not fit the "mold" rhythmically either and it is hard to play tunes that do not follow what seems like a "logical" progression. I do not like to hear people make the assertion that the dulcimer is an "easy" instrument. I can understand how difficult it could be for someone who has never been exposed to music as well as someone who is steeped in other styles of music. FWIW, Teri
Dennis Waldrop
@dennis-waldrop
08/06/09 08:22:06AM
16 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

When I first learn a song I usually play it only on the melody string without the chords. As I feel more comfortable with the music then I will go back and learn the chords. When I am in a jam if I do not feel comfortable (they are playing faster then I can play) then I will play just the melody string. As I continue jamming I will add the chords when and if I can.I enjoy the sound of the dulcimer with the drones but I also like to stretch the instrument by also learning to play the chords.
TERI WEST
@teri-west
08/05/09 11:30:10PM
25 posts

Dulcimer or Guitar?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I met a player a few weeks ago who plays strictly noter/drone style and nothing else. I personally like a mixture of styles but I have also wondered how other people think about it. Sometimes, I think I should just stick with a traditional style but when I pick out a Beatles' song, that doesn't work so well. What do you guys think?
updated by @teri-west: 02/22/19 11:02:07PM
Dana R. McCall
@dana-r-mccall
05/22/10 05:18:03PM
168 posts



I just picked up some spoons like that someone left laying at a Jam in Cumberland Gap I loved playing with them! Paul Rappell said:
My Instrument Acquisition Disorder is no longer Obsessive Compulsive, so now it's just IAD. You can't be OC when you don't have the cash! You must be on your guard, though. Yesterday we were at an antique store in Bath when the woman said there was a music store across the street. I crossed over to find the most disorganized, untidy store I'd ever seen. But, when I was about to go, the man opened an old box to show me a much older banjo mandolin inside. I had to back out quickly - it would have been a great project.

My OCIAD days resulted in so many guitars, banjos, and so forth (including amps and a P.A. system)that one time when I set up for a concert, one of the band members walked in and said, "Is there a sale?" And that was just the stuff I'd brought for the show. I culled mostly by giving or trading away. My daughter now owns my 1929 Martin. Some stuff got stolen.

Then there are "the ones that got away" - stuff I passed up, like the banjo-mandolin yesterday, and the old Gibson mand-cello I should have bought, and the Grit Laskin twelve-string. I had the cash in my pocket, but I wanted to hear it played along with a six-string, and the guy said he was busy. He was reading the newspaper. I walked out.

My first pennywhistle was a Clarke's (still have it). I'm down to a couple of Generations (silver Bb and D) that haven't escaped, and my old copy of The Pennywhistle Book. In the mid-eighties my grade sixes, many of whom were in Instrumental Music, got hooked on whistles when I brought some in and showed them (I still can't play for beans). So I made periodic trips downtown to a music store where I'd pick up a few and the kids would pay me for them. At least they had something they could actually own, and they were learning the basics on flutes, clarinets, and other band instruments. That was the best class I ever had, not just for the music.

I, too, have other things - a couple of Kalimbas (plus one made from a gourd), a turtle shell banjo, one-piece wooden spoons from a woodworking shop east of Quebec City, a tambourine, a couple of washboards. That's the stuff you can leave lying around at a party or jam session so that everyone can get involved.
Paul Rappell
@paul-rappell
05/22/10 03:31:23PM
31 posts



My Instrument Acquisition Disorder is no longer Obsessive Compulsive, so now it's just IAD. You can't be OC when you don't have the cash! You must be on your guard, though. Yesterday we were at an antique store in Bath when the woman said there was a music store across the street. I crossed over to find the most disorganized, untidy store I'd ever seen. But, when I was about to go, the man opened an old box to show me a much older banjo mandolin inside. I had to back out quickly - it would have been a great project.My OCIAD days resulted in so many guitars, banjos, and so forth (including amps and a P.A. system)that one time when I set up for a concert, one of the band members walked in and said, "Is there a sale?" And that was just the stuff I'd brought for the show. I culled mostly by giving or trading away. My daughter now owns my 1929 Martin. Some stuff got stolen.Then there are "the ones that got away" - stuff I passed up, like the banjo-mandolin yesterday, and the old Gibson mand-cello I should have bought, and the Grit Laskin twelve-string. I had the cash in my pocket, but I wanted to hear it played along with a six-string, and the guy said he was busy. He was reading the newspaper. I walked out.My first pennywhistle was a Clarke's (still have it). I'm down to a couple of Generations (silver Bb and D) that haven't escaped, and my old copy of The Pennywhistle Book. In the mid-eighties my grade sixes, many of whom were in Instrumental Music, got hooked on whistles when I brought some in and showed them (I still can't play for beans). So I made periodic trips downtown to a music store where I'd pick up a few and the kids would pay me for them. At least they had something they could actually own, and they were learning the basics on flutes, clarinets, and other band instruments. That was the best class I ever had, not just for the music.I, too, have other things - a couple of Kalimbas (plus one made from a gourd), a turtle shell banjo, one-piece wooden spoons from a woodworking shop east of Quebec City, a tambourine, a couple of washboards. That's the stuff you can leave lying around at a party or jam session so that everyone can get involved.
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
05/21/10 09:59:46AM
2,157 posts



Music For Healing & Therapy this the program. Many hospitals allow volunteers to come in and play for the patients.You can actually earn a certificate in the subject. There's a school and program, originally started by a concert harpist. In years past they were not particularly friendly towards dulcimers because we were a "limited, diatonic instrument". I volunteered at the hospital whe nI lived in Prescott, AZ, and had to fight like mad to participate although I was clearly more of a musician and accustomed to playing a wider range of music than anyone else who "answered the call" of a newspaper note asking for volunteers.That was 10 years ago. I would hope that the program has become less harp-centric since then.If it was me, I wouldn't want some harpist playing at my bedside - far too reminiscent of angels and I want out of that hospital alive!
Strumelia
@strumelia
12/06/09 10:24:27AM
2,416 posts



Rosemary Bridges said:
Remember that you don't want to over-whistle every single song, leave people wanting more.
Rosemary, that is excellent advice for playing all music and all instruments. :)
B. Ross Ashley
@b-ross-ashley
08/20/09 08:35:26PM
59 posts



Yeah, for years my voice and the ocarinas were good enough for me. Ocs range from the cheap and barely playable to the lovely big doubles I've seen online but never had a chance to play. But the ones I can afford are just barely good enough to play around people, in for example a jug band.The MD is giving me a chance to get good enough at something to perform in a concert if I get called on to accompany my choir.
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
08/16/09 11:34:24PM
2,157 posts



Haven't written a thing. I'll dig out some pix of one that I made and original that I bought and post them...
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
08/12/09 02:08:56PM
2,157 posts



I play pennywhistle, doumbek (Arabic drum), and Scottish Bass drum. I also play at Baltic Psaltery, Anglo-Saxon/Germanic Lyre, and Stoessel-laut - a unique German fretted zither of pre-WWII era.
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
05/26/10 08:43:16AM
1,564 posts

How did you first discover the mountain dulcimer?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Cindy, what's not to love about your fellow's tastes? Dave, what a neat story! I live in the county just below Licking; small world.
Paul Rappell
@paul-rappell
05/24/10 02:00:20PM
31 posts

How did you first discover the mountain dulcimer?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

CD said:
Nah. But I get a little green with envy because he won't let me play his and it is green.

Paul Rappell said:
CD, is it a little green dulcimer?
Green is the new black.
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