Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Welcome back! Glad you are beginning to play music again. Keep at the dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It's like a bicycle, once you fall off, you never forget how

@magictime, welcome 'back' !   Music skills can be a little like riding a bicycle, in that when you restart playing music after a long hiatus, you're not really starting from Square One all over again... you do retain some of the skills, maybe even as 'weird reptilian brain memories'.   

I'm not a new member, but it's been several years since I visited so I thought I'd re-introduce myself.

I originally stopped visiting FotMD because I started learning clawhammer banjo and my dulcimer playing fell by the wayside. Then two years ago I had a brain haemorrhage from which I recovered very well, very fast - but which did leave me permanently a bit uncoordinated in my right hand. I found I had trouble getting a strum going on guitar, and even more trouble with the 'bum-diddy' banjo strum. So my instruments were left gathering dust.

Maybe I should have practised harder as part of my recovery, but I was so glad just to be alive and in good health, not being able to play an instrument just seemed 'no big deal'. I didn't feel I had the motivation to try to re-learn skills I might never get back. Plus I had other, family stuff to focus on. But just recently I've felt I wanted to get back to playing music again. So a couple of days ago I picked up my dulcimer and noter and started picking out some of the tunes I used to play and trying to get a decent strum going. I'm very happy to report that so far it's coming back to me pretty well.

@Gstringer -- Notice how Robin's Kern has the smaller bout at the tuning end of things where yours is the reverse.  Makes no difference, and it is unique; and if it plays well that's what matters!

Yep -- I've been a Personal Chef off and on for the last 20 years.  It's another aspect of my creativity; and you can eat your mistakes (unless they're really bad)!

@Gstringer The instrument is, surely, not "high end" yet it's a great little instrument.  The wood itself is light in weight and the color is a stain.  Plays well and has a nice timbre.  Enjoy your Kern! 

EDIT: Yes, Mr Kern's initials and last name are on the back of the headstock, written using some type of electric tool. 

A video with the A.R. kern mountain dulcimer

https://fotmd.com/robin-thompson/youtube/661/cherry-river-line-on-lap-dulcimer

@gstringer Ambrose Kern made really nice-sounding dulcimers-- I own one, a gift from a music friend.  Mr Kern lived and built in West Virginia.  I have a video or two in which playing the Kern.

Irene -- can you not click on the words Array mbira in Ballad Gal original post?  It's a link...

The image in your Avatar is still the standard FOTMD dulcimer...

However, I went to your page, and the dulcimer is there.  Not being able to zoom in and pick up tiny details, I'll say this:

The only time I've seen the forward bout of an hourglass that is longer and wider than the rear bout is when someone assembled a kit dulcimer "backwards".  The rear bout is almost invariably wider if not both wider and longer (waist to end) than the forward bout.  

The diamond scroll sound holes are nicely done.  The antiqued finish also well done.  Best guess though is that this is a kit instrument that was accidentally assembled backwards.  As long as it plays easily and sounds good, that's what really matters. 

On another note, how are things at the Titan Missile Museum?  The first time I was down that way it was still active (but we could no have talked about it then).

bought a used dulcimer marked AR Kern on the back of the headstock. I’m using an image of it as my photo. Anyone have info about him/her?

See........the FRIENDS OF THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER rides again.   This is very good and I'll surely order one for the dulcimers that I make for others.  Then they can choose that one or some kind that I make that is of Hawaiian prints and such.   The price is very very good.  aloha, irene

hey hey, folks, I want to see a photo of this  marimbulas.   Curiosity....aloha, irene

I have a 17 key kalimba....quite enough for me, folks!

Yup -- Arry is the brand -- the maker company.  I've made a couple of small kalimbas, but that 5 octave marimbula is really fabulous!

I agree with the others. That's a great way to protect you dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

They are also called marimbulas, m'rimbulas, etc. No one seems to spell it the same way. The large ones that I have seen have had a lot less "keys" and were in the bass range. The smaller ones are usually called kalimbas and come in a variety of ranges. This is certainly an Olympic class version. And you are correct, I would hate to fall on it.

The low D is the D below middle C. The A is the A below middle C. The high Ds are the note above middle C. If you do no have access to a keyboard, you can call up these notes on your computer to hear how they sound. This should help get you in the neighborhood. Remember to keep the note sounding as you turn the tuning peg. If your Korg gives the octave of the note you are tuning to the notes are (low to high) D3, A3, D4.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That's a remarkably pretty sound. I'm pretty sure "Array" is a brand and the instrument is called an mbira.  They are sometimes called thumb pianos and usually only have about an octave range.  I've never seen one that large before.  Pretty cool.

I've never heard of an Array mbira before. Sounds pretty. Looks kind of scary though!

Array mbira

The notes are the letters A through G, then begin again with A. There are some sharps and flats along the way as well.

Depending upon which note you start with, the tuner will show D, then E, then F, then F#, then G, G# and A. Be sure to only turn the tuning peg when the string is vibrating.

Hope this helps.

I recently had an accident with my dulcimer and have had to restring it.

I have a Korg electronic tuner and have the two high D strings in tune. I think the middle A string is low as well as the Bass D string. I am very nervous in tightening these strings as I am afraid of breaking them as I have done before. What is the note progression approaching the Middle A string so I know I am getting close and have not gone too far. The same on the bass D string.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Looks like a great solution, especially for the price!

Sounds like good solution, Phroedrick! Like Mr. Berger (my dad) always used to say, "If it works, keep it. If it don't work, give it to someone you don't like!".

@Phroederick Paper bags can be a cat favorite, too.  

Those eyes through the slit in the box-- perfect!  :)

@phroedrick, of course! 

If you're going to spend that much $$$ of a dulcimer, play it before you buy it!

Thanks everyone for your responses. I did the math and it would not save me much money. I just bought the McSpadden in my profile picture and will hold off for now. Dusty, the strings being farther apart and the floating bridge kind of made me rethink it. I want a dulcimer with a 1-1/2 fret down the road and am willing to wait. Again, thanks to Banjimer and Dusty Turtle.

If you've got the opportunity to purchase a Blue Lion at a good price, don't pass it up.  Blue Lion is not currently accepting orders.  When they do accept orders, the wait can be 6 months to a year or more due to the high demand for their instruments.  Incidentally, their instruments have a full-bodied well-rounded sound, somewhat guitar like.  Many dulcimer players love them as the quality is top-notch.

Hi @Silverstrings. I have an older Blue Lion I with a cherry body and cedar top. It does indeed have a big, warm sound.  I doubt the walnut is much different.  Here is an audio recording of my playing Rosin the Beau that shows off the big sound the instrument offers.  If you scour my videos and audio clips I'm sure you could find other examples, too, but I didn't have good recording equipment on some of that older stuff.

My only complaint about Blue Lion dulcimers is that the strings are set so far apart from one another.  That works great for fingerpicking, when you need your fingers to get in between the strings, but it is hard to flatpick fast with that setup.  At one point I talked to Bob and Janita Baker about making me a custom nut and saddle to move the strings closer together, but I never did that. I use the instrument now mainly for fingerpicking and use one of my other dulcimers for flatpicking.

The I model does not have the fancy inlay of the II model, but I have never been able to hear any significant difference between the two.  However, the Acoustic Jam model is a standard dulcimer built with the extra large body they use for the baritone, and that one supposedly has more volume.

If you do buy the dulcimer, or even if you ask for a sound sample, be aware that Blue Lion dulcimers have a floating bridge. When I first got mine (used from a noter/drone player) the bridge was not placed right and the intonation was off.  It's an easy fix, but you have to be aware that if something sounds "off" it is not a design or build defect.

Does anybody have an opinion about the Blue Lion style 1 with Red Cedar and Walnut? I am wanting a big, warm sound. It also has a 1-1/2 fret that I will need in the future. There is a used one that I am really interested in purchasing. Thanks

If you find anyone doing those body transplants let me know. I've been looking for those for awhile now and having not much luck.

@fiddle, you can always feel free to start a violin thread in our "Adventures with Other Instruments forum, here:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/adventures-with-other-instruments

Welcome Lisa @fiddle!   Well, we can certainly help you with dulcimer related things, but not many here play violin that I know of.  Fiddle and dulcimer do go together well; many of the 20th century changes to the structure and playing styles of the dulcimer came about because folks wanted to play those fast Celtic fiddle tunes...

Hi  My name is Lisa. I have played the dulcimer for about 10 years. on and off. I recently  purchased a violin. Now the problem is trying to get the violin to sound right.. I played the violin in H.S. .... I am just frustrated at my progress. I did play the violin last night in my Dulcimer Group... I will have to learn some more songs...