Forum Activity for @strumelia

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Don you wrote me about this a week ago or so, and I responded, but never heard back from you. Can you tell us an example of a particular group you belong to that you have this issue with?  At least then I can check that you already belong to the group, and start from there in helping you.

Also, as I asked you prior:  when you have this issue of not being able to access a group you are a member of... are you sure you are LOGGED IN on the site when you try to access the group?  I ask this because any person who is online looking at fotmd.com would be able to see the site and many of the site pages... but they would not be able to see the content of groups unless they were logged into the site.  If you see your NAME in the top right hand link bar, then you are logged IN.  You should check that because what you describe sounds like that may be what's going on.  To see the contents of any Group you are a member of, you need to be LOGGED IN to the site.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@Don-Grundy, Ken is correct. You do not have to sign into a Group once you've joined it.  I would also like to point out that we have a Forum specifically for Site Questions . Feel free to peruse the existing conversations there or start another one of your own if you have any questions.  If we all use that Forum for site-related questions it becomes a great resource for others.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Don -- once you're a Group member, you don't "sign on" to that group.  You'll find the Groups you are a member of listed under your name when you hover over it with the cursor.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I actually use my thumb to pick (pluck) as well. Either middle on base forefinger on middle string and thumb on melody or ring on base middle on middle and forefinger on melody. I've been experimenting with tuning the double melody strings in fifths, so I'm currently tuned base C mid G and melody g and c. So I play cgc with my fingers and cgg if I use my thumb.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I belong to several groups and am unable to sign on to any of them. Please help.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Well crud and other sayings of a simular nature...looks like I stand corrected, huh?

However, I am a thumb, index, middle finger picker. That leaves out the thumb brace for me. More like resting the ring and pinky next to the fret board.

You know your dulcimer has a hold on you when...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

But as to pulling up on the strings? I would be afraid there might be a chance of the string 'slapping' the frets if string was pulled hard enough.

From Jean Ritchie's Dulcimer Book: "Brace the thumb of the right hand against the side of the fingerboard near the right hand end. Play, with a slight lifting or plucking motion, the melody string and second string with the forefinger, and the third string with the middle finger." Also The Best Dulcimer Method - Yet, (the only Dulcimer book I've seen in the past 40 years) repeats "Play with a slight lift in plucking motion." As far as string buzzing it hasn't been a problem, but my action is a little high. Not nickel and dime, more like a buck and a half.

Didn't know how to post that original quote.

Also sorry it took two weeks to respond, but, life..

 

updated by @rain-dog: 02/17/20 08:51:12AM

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hobbyhorse... great job!  I like that you were inspired by my epinette built for me by Michael King. 

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

That looks cool, Hobbyhorse-- if you were my neighbor, I'd be knocking on your door to ask whether I could borrow it.  :) I've never tried to play an epinette yet would really like to.  

Finger picks that don't sound like finger picks!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I find that Alaska Piks work wonderfully and sound just like I'm using my fingernails. You can trim and shape them with nail clippers, and you can even strum in both directions just as you can with a pick. I prefer using my own fingernails, even for strumming, but when I break a nail, an Alaska Piks is a great temporary replacement. (Sounds like a commercial, but I have no financial interest in them!) - Steve Smith

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

The so called Pennsylvania scheitholt isn't really a scheitholt.  It was called by its builders and players a zitter or zither.  The term scheitholt is/was limited to a very small region of the Tyrolean Alps -- a smaller part of the country than the area in America where a dulcimer is called an Indian Walking Stick.  Why Michael Praetorious identified the scheitholt as such in his 1618 book De Organographia we will never know.  But most American dulcimer players who see tha sketch automatically assume that that instrument is the ancestor of the dulcimer.  

Hobbyhorse is right -- his instrument is an Epinette, one of several varieties of epinette.  The distinction has nothing to do with who drew up the plans.  There are structural differences between an epinette and a scheitholt and a fretted zither.  

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

I found some information suggesting that the Epinette evolved from the Scheitholt in France about the same time the Fretted (or Mountain) Dulcimer was evolving in the US from similar sources. That would make it a cousin, rather than an ancestor.

There is an interesting discussion of the épinette des Vosges on the web page of a Musical Instrument Museum in Belgium.
http://www.mim.be/epinette-des-vosges?from_i_m=1

There are additional references to FEUILLEE DOROTHEE VAL D'AJOL VOSGES on a French auction website
https://www.musicantic.eu/plucked-strings-instrument/zither/epinette-des-vosges-la-feuillee-dorothee_4022_uk_D.html

Jean Ritchie and her husband successfully tracked down a couple of the instruments in France about 1960.

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Thanks for the comments Ken and Wally.

The plans were drawn by by a Professor Claude Blandet in 1981 and I suspect it was designed as a building project for school children, but certainly it came from the Vosges area of France. The drawing as such is readable but many of the dimensions are too small to be readable and enlarging the drawing actually made it worse .... I also struggled with the French language and words that were too blurred to read. The heading on the drawing reads  Epinette Des Vosges.

updated by @hobbyhorse: 02/14/20 03:03:57PM

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

It is a beautiful instrument. It would be nice to have a sound file posted.

Is there a reason why you call it an EPINETTE rather than a SCHEITHOLT ?  Are the plans from a French source rather than an American-German one?

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Indeed, it is a small world. You did a nice job figuring out what you needed to do. It looks like a very nice instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Epinette

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Herewith an Epinette built from a rather poor quality plan dating from 1981 and as a result, there was a fair amount of guesswork involved. It is built from recycled Kauri and finished in oil and wax. Tuning at the moment is  gggec and I am agreeably surprised at the volume and tonal quality of the instrument.

 

I saw the youtube clip of one built by Michael J King and was attracted to it and I am now awaiting the plan from him, but this will take several weeks to arrive and I built this as practice run. I have since  found that the plan from Michael is in fact the one built for Strumelia ... it is a small world.

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions


That's a lovely instrument! I'll shoot you a PM when I get home from work. :-)

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Buckeye67,

You are indeed very fortunate!  The Dayton dulcimer club is probably one of the best clubs in the US.  They have many events during the year.  I have contacts that are leaders of the group and have other information about the club.  If you want to send a PRIVATE MESSAGE to me, I will send information to you.

Since both of you are military,  I am posting some pictures of one instrument that I recently built.  A mother here in Ohio had me build this instrument to honor her son as he retired from the USAF. She was having a hard time deciding on sound holes. She decided on the "stars", since they are a prominent part of the USAF insignia.

Please see attached images.

Jim Phillips

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions


Hi Jim,

Thank you! We'll be moving to the Dayton area (WPAFB). I agree completely about learning with a group/club. When I started playing ITM I was fortunate to find Cincinnati's Riley School of Irish Music. I've seen that there's a dulcimer club in Dayton that I was going to check out, but would love info on Cincinnati happenings as well.

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That is absolutely beautiful! Unfortunately technology is only as good as it user. I totality missed the groups under the menu. The last social media I used was AOL in the 80’s if you would call it that. I would love to be able to call upon the experience found on FOTMD how every I’m just starting and don’t have enough knowledge about the process. I did join that group last nite and as suggested started a post. I am trying to find some good books on the subject and what is good and important in them as well as maybe give experienced builders new resources they may have not know. I listed a few that I found through one builders web page. Most are out of print since the 70’s but have all but one on the way. I look forward the discussions and thank you all for point me in the right way!

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@Appalachiandreamer -- We've talked quite a few new builders through their first dulcimer in that Group.  We can get you going with designs, materials, hand-holding help... whatever you want/need.

I see you're from North Carolina.   You might be interested too see  that I build a pretty rare North Carolina dulcimer style called a Holly Leaf shape.  The original was built in Burnsville, NC around the time of the "recent unpleasantness" -- 1860s.  It's a traditional dulcemore  -- that is it's not suited for playing modern three-finger chord-melody style, but rather for traditional noter & drone style playing.  

updated by @ken-hulme: 02/12/20 10:35:09PM

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thank you very much that’s a big help

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

At the top of the Home Page click on "Groups".  Then scroll down to the "Dulcimer Making" group and click on that.  You can join that group by clicking the "Join" button.  Once you are a member of the group, you can post your questions to other members of the dulcimer making group for discussion by clicking on the "+ sign" in the upper right-hand corner and creating a topic for discussion.

If you want to discuss deceased dulcimer makers, you can join the "Dulcimer History" group in the same manner and post your questions there.

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Not sure if I have missed it or if this is the right place to put this post request as I am not a social media person this being my first forum group. My attempts to used search engine in forum for a subjects or topics and even post my name has not gone well. Is there a forum started for new to making mountain dulcimer or could we make one. Could call it “So you want to make a mountain dulcimer.” Was looking for schools, books, tools, jigs, resources, maybe internships, etc. Reviews of such things to aid a person in getting started and avoid the junk and pit falls. With and were some of our fine members could start/post bio on their work and how and why they got into making dulcimers. Links to their web site. Maybe well as about their innovations, style, technique and writing or publications. As we all have looked at those that came before us, Leadford Uncle Ed, Presnell etc, can we have a place to marvel a greats still among us. FOTMD might become the best reference for those folks looking to learn more about the makers of their instrument long after personal web pages go down. Thanks for you time and reflections

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Buckeye67,

Many thanks to you and your wife for serving and protecting us.

I am also a “Buckeye”.  I live in central Ohio - play and build dulcimers.  I am also from Appalachia.  Family was from Buchanan County, VA - maybe 50 miles from Pikeville.  I have a son that lives in Cincinnati and I would be glad to send you information about playing.  I know players who are involved in string clubs in southern Ohio.  I think playing with a club is a great way to learn.

Jim Phillips

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hey everyone,

I'm originally from SW Ohio, served in the US Army and worked in law enforcement nearly all my adult life.  My wife is still in the USAF, which has had us move from Ohio to Texas and to Michigan where we currently live.  This summer, we'll be moving back to SW Ohio and this September we'll be welcoming our first baby!  My mom's side of the family is from Pike County, KY (she was born in Hardy), and having roots in Appalachia, I have an avid interest in the people, culture, history and music of the mountains.

I mostly play traditional Irish music (whistle and flute), but also throw in some Breton, Scottish and Galician tunes as well (Breton tunes would sit very well on the Dulcimer, I think).

I don't own a dulcimer yet, but plan on getting one and getting started learning to play soon.  Doing research on them is what led me to the forums here. 

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to starting this journey. :)

 

Let's give this a bump.  I'm a whistle and Irish flute player.  These are my workhorses, my Burke B flat & Low F and my Copeland Brass D. 

 

Here's a little clip with the Low F

 

And an oooold one on the Copeland.

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thank you For aiding on this Journey @ken-longfield, I called the Settement school that sent me the artisan center that has sent lead to a Mr. Naselroad. I’m waiting on a call back from him. Just wanted to update everyone. I will get a few more steps before posting again. I just feel that this is an important part of American history and that of the dulcimer. So much this instrument’s creation and early years has been lost to time. It seems that the 1960’s and 1970’s unearthed many artisans and some of dulcimer’s history but written works has trailed off in recent years leavening is to revert back to word of mouth again despite the dulcimers growing popularity. From what little I have read on this web site there is an Extraordinary wealth of knowledge and new group artisans perfecting and shaping this history. As will as generations that had first hand knowledge of events and all the folks that contributed and continue to mold this truly American heritage.
We should all ask ourself for time to time:
-Do we stare into eternity passing us by or do we leave a few marks so that they shall never be forgot?

Show Us Your Pets!

OFF TOPIC discussions

Hey everyone,

Here are my three Original Mountain Curs - Ben, Grace and their baby (who's bigger than both of them) Sam

updated by @buckeye67: 02/12/20 10:59:16AM

Finger picks that don't sound like finger picks!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

You’re correct. They are picks; not fingerpicks.

Changing the order of posts within a thread

Site QUESTIONS ? How do I...?

Thanks Strumelia. I understand the reasoning for it, just not used to it. I'm sure I'll grow to love it, lol.

Finger picks that don't sound like finger picks!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Don, I use those Wedgie rubber picks on an acoustic bass guitar, and they help make the instrument sound more like an upright bass.  But I don't think they make fingerpicks, do they?

Finger picks that don't sound like finger picks!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I use Wedgie rubber soft picks.

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

If you can contact the folks at the luthiery in Hindman, Ky, they may be able to help you. I am sure that they have seen and handled many Amburgey dulcimers. Do a google search for  Hindman, KY and Doug Naselroad. The Appalachian Artisan Center and the Hindman Settlement School are other things to look for. Hope this helps you.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Changing the order of posts within a thread

Site QUESTIONS ? How do I...?

Another way to think about it is-  in the days before there were smart phones or tablets, everyone used to read newsgroups and forums on their desktop computer monitors. Once tablets and smart phones came along, every post or two took up an entire phone screen, and people really began to hate having to scroll through endless screens of their tiny phone screen to get to today's posts in a discussion they were following. People don't like having to scroll through a whole long discussion from start to finish every time there was a new post in it. That's really the reason why so many sites today make sure the most recent posts are first/top and older posts are below them in that order.

Some online forums are still set up the 'traditional' way. When everyone was doing their online reading on large monitors, it made sense to have threads read from start to finish in original order, like a book. Many of us got used to that and it's not always easy to switch back and forth when you follow various sites. But nowadays people mostly prefer to view the latest posts when they check in to see what's new in their favorite discussions. 
I'm sorry that it can't be changed as an individual viewer preference... that's sometimes possible with simple PHP forum sites, but I'm afraid it's not possible on this network platform.

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Your J Amburgey looks great, @appalachiandreamer!  Thanks a million for sharing the photos-- I enjoyed seeing them!

 

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

ADDENDUM: Sorry, again the numbers made were 1350 to 1600, approximately depending on the source- please forgive the typos

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sorry the pics did not attach

Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Here is the dulcimer we found at the Salvation Army. Jethro Amburgey inscribed it and dated it 11-23-71. It was numbered 1268. Upon research, I learned he passed away two days later. I was thinking he had a makers mark inside his dulcimers, but found one he had in a Tennessee museum that was inscribed in the strum hollow. I think the one in Tennessee was from David Schnaufer’s donation but don’t know for sure. I hadn’t seen any others until I came across this forum page. I think this one is significant because of the number people say he made which was upward of three thousand, yet mine is two days before his passing but the number is much less. Trying to figure out this puzzle. Any information is helpful. I would like to get it authenticated but am not sure how to do so.

Finger picks that don't sound like finger picks!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks Dusty! I do have Gorilla Tips - and when I use them on my fretting hand I wear a thin silk glove over them so I'm able to slide. I've not heard of the guitar gloves - I'll look them up! Another thought you reminded me of - when I (try to) play the harp, (same hand issues), I tape my fingers with paper tape. I'll try that on the dulcimer and see if I can finger pick that way. Thanks so much!

UPDATE: Just ordered the Guitar Glove. Will see if that is an option for my picking hand....

updated by @jill-geary: 02/11/20 07:10:24PM