Forum Activity for @strumelia

Annie, if you are on an ipad mini, you should be able to go to the itunes APP STORE and look for tablet apps while using search terms like "Font size" or "magnifier" or "resize screen font"...etc.  

The old FOTMD was pretty lame on mobile devices according to most users who reported multiple ongoing problems to me.

One more suggestion, not tryng to be a wise acre, but...maybe some stronger drugstore reading glasses for mini-tablet reading?  Might be less trouble than any other solution...    

Thought I would share this curious setup from the goodwill website. Anyone seen something like this before?

Dulcimer with playing table

Thanks. Tried all the browser settings every which way to Sunday, but all too big or too small, like now. Does this website support Dynamic Type?(setting on ipad for larger type). I think the old one must have, as 2 taps was all it needed. Sorry to be a pain I just have to stop for now, before I throw this thing in the Red River. There's a reason it's called a "cursor." =:-o

How does one find these external plug-ins? Is that like an app? 

(Dear S., no rush to answer, please just don't give up on me yet. Playing my dulcimer is  still  my freshest  joy - 3 months today, it came! -  and it's largely because of fotmd.) Annie

I mostly play in CGC 3 string. Occasionally DAD and DDD . Just keepin it simple. 

When other musicians cmplain because the dulcimer is too loud...and there's only the one player.

Anne, there are various ways to increase font sizes through browsers settings and browser plugins.  I think if I increase the site's overall font size, it's going to really mess everyone on phones.  So either way there would be a problem.  If the mobile zoom function is not right for you either, can you browse in your browser options to try and find a font resizer plugin ?   For example, on firefox i like to use: ThemeFont&SizeChanger plugin.

One of the lovely aspects of playing old dulcimers with wooden pegs and 'by ear' frets or staples (I have quite a few!) is that you can forget about switching on an electronic tuner (it wont do you any good - in fact, it will drive you mad) and basically ignor any tuning 'rules' you find in dulcimer books.  All the tunings I use are really simple.  They will involve finding a root note that sounds OK somewhere on the melody string (depending on the mode of the tune) and then blending in the drones to that note.  The drones will be some sort of combination of the root and/or 5th of the scale that I'm playing on the melody string at that time.  I'll pick the pitch of the scale and combination of the drones depending on the timbre I want for a particular tune. 

You know you own too many dulcimers when:

-You start using them as bird houses

-You put one in a pond just to see how well it floats

-You can't afford to change the strings on all of them

-You keep one on your desk to hold pens and pencils in the soundholes 

-You can't count them all without loosing track

I usually am playing in DAD or DAA with an occasionaly journey into CGC, DGD and CGG. Some tunes just sound better in different tunings. That creates just enough confusion for my ears, fingers and brain.

Hahahahah, Ken!

Site works fine on my Nexus tablet.  Unfortunatly I can't bring it up on my stone tablet.. but then I got it ove 2000 year ago.

Hi. I too have an ipad mini. I can now get more audios and videos, yay. And thanks for all the hard slogging to get us here!

However, I find the font on this new sight to be incredibly small. On the old site, a double tap was all I needed, but now that doesn't make enough difference, and when I use an "outward" pinch to zoom, I lose a big chunk of the line and have to keep a finger on the screen to slide the letters back and forth. Very frustrating and tiring on the eyes. I did go into my settings and try to adjust font size, but to no avail. Any ideas welcome when there's time.

No worries Nigel, glad to helped.  I've had that feeling for several months now...  

AHA!!!

Many thanks.....I was sure my brain was failing....even more

I'm not having any issues with the site on my Kindle Fire HD tablet. It looks good!

What kind of tablet are you using Dan?  I am not seeing this problem on my iPad mini.  Zooming in was no problem for me either.

--Feedback from others?- Anyone else experiencing these issues, and please tell us the type of tablet you are seeing this issue on?

Nige,

click to "Forums" (top navbar links), then go to a forum category...for example "Off Topic Forums".

there, you should see a big Plus+ button the add a new discussion in that forum category.  See screenshot...

Help please!

I can post a response to other peoples discussions, such as this......but nowhere can I find how to start a new discussion in any of the forums???? No buttons, no text boxes? Am I going mad?...No, don't answer that one....is there something obvious I'm missing?

Nige

Hi Everyone,  I always use a possum board, and there are pictures of mine in my photos section.  As I have mentioned in another forum, the most important thing is to only support the dulcimer on the head and tail stock.  Any part touching the back will not allow the back to vibrate freely.  Other uses for a possum board are as a lap tray table if they are serving food where you are playing, and as a shield if they start throwing things while you are playing.

An idea that confused me a lot when I first began playing was when a tuning and a mode were equated. . . Once I realized that a tuning and a mode are not the exact same thing I had not quite a "lightbulb" moment yet it was rather like a dimmer switch being turned up.  :)

I play lots using DdA tuning, key of D, fret 3 as tonic, Ionian mode.  From this tuning, easily, I can re-tune the A to a G and play in the key of G and Dminor (I think) and I don't know what mode I'm in with those two keys unless I look it up or ask somebody.  ;)

Started there (DAA), never found a need to switch ... well, except for 'When The Mountains Cry'. I like that in DAC. 

Must be something in the air/weather/water but I've been playing in DAA more and more of late.  Something about that tuning has just been drawing me in.  Maybe I've been listening to too much Blosser and Nicholson and it's subliminally warped my thinking  LOL!

Don, welcome to the wonderful world of Daa tuning. I spend most of my time in this tuning. Although I constantly retune to other modes I always come home to Daa.... Robert.

I to have small hands and have run into problems with longer dulcimers.  I prefer a VSL of 25 to 27 inches.  I'm glad to be able to help you with this.

I've asked the seller of the Cedar Creek to measure the VSL.  Unless you have large hands, It may be a bit long.  Not a big problem for noter/drone play but can be troublesome for Chord/Melody playing.  Which method are you using?

I'll take a look at it and get back to you.  Will this be your 1st dulcimer?

It's a good deal so far.  Apparantly it does need some repair to the neck area. I wouldn't go much over $60 tops.

Is this viewable on Ebay or where? 

This is the one I have used at various festivals: http://hardwareonlinestore.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=77058&virtuemart_category_id=86603&gclid=CjwKEAjw2ImsBRCnjq70n_amv14SJAChXijN8a6bekBnRJfDi1v2wQsvq7_942f64SCsJaHRbJADwhoCqfbw_wcB  I can carry a couple of mountain dulcimers in it and have also carried a hammered dulcimer with it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

And the best thing is- FOTMD is now in a much more secure and safe environment for the future!   No more renting from a cold uncaring marketing corporation Glam/Ning anymore.  Now we truly OWN our site here, and it's modern and mobile-friendly and more powerful and flexible for the future!   

p.s. plus I can add a gazillion smilies, whatever I like!   lolol

Thank you so much for your kind comments, CD.  Good to see you've made it here to the New Frontier! 

Big thanks to our three generous Moderators - Dusty Turtle, Jim Fawcett, and Robin Thompson .... who helped all the way through these changes, and helped me test the site while under construction.  They also provided wise advice and strong shoulders to lean on when things were difficult.

And of course none of this 'building/moving to a new site' would have been bothered with at all if the entire FOTMD membership weren't so wonderful to begin with!  AND... special thanks to all the members of FOTMD who have donated generously- without whose contributions there would not have been the funding to do all this during the past year or so.  (and Patron members- I have not forgotten to work on getting your badges back, never fear!)

Group hug to us all!  

Hi Jan,

Held off during the transition time to our new site.  Have two carts to show and describe.  The first doesn't show instruments, but it's a walker (complete with hand brake) & uses a large gym bag.  The earlier version and slightly smaller one was a child's stroller with the seat removed, but the mesh bottom for a child's feet left in.  (The 3d instrument is a banjo in its case, so you can see this holds 3 dulcimers easily.) 

A HUGE Thank you to Strumelia, the Moderators and all involved in this Magical Site!

I believe it is looking good and slowly getting the hang of it. I feel like when all get settlled and glitches are worked out it will be terrific.

I am thankful we have this site, it is great and more, the folks on it are what makes it so great.

Michael, I purchased a pickup from Folkcraft for my Folkcraft dulcimer and installed it myself. It is an under saddle/bridge pickup. If you don't have the skills and tools to do it yourself, take Dusty's suggestion and send it to Folkcraft to have it done.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I am extremely grateful for all the hard work Strumelia and others put in to making the move. I am sure that it has been an experience of mixed emotions and will continue for a while as various issues arise and get ironed out. To Strumelia, the moderators, and those who took part in the various tests of this site: THANK YOU!

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

CD, I know Strumelia has spent countless hours over the past many months working for this much-needed move. . . I know I am grateful for all she's done!  

Back when Deputy Mo was Strumelia's right-hand man, the two of them worked together to be sure FOTMD was a friendly, welcoming place. . . Rod will never be forgotten

Michael, if you can afford it, you might consider sending your instrument back to Folkcraft and asking them to install a pickup.  Find out how much that would run you.

If it's too much, Rob's suggestion of the Schatten Dualie is a good idea.  I've never used one myself but I've heard good things from several other folks.

No laughing here.  Inquiring minds want to know!  It lets you plug into an amplifier.  There are basically 2 types: magnetic and piezo.  Magnetic picks up the vibration of the strings, like an electric guitar.  The piezo picks up the vibrations from the top giving a more "acoustic" sound.

I use the Schatten pickup that Rob's talking about and I am pleased with it. I have nothing to compare to as I haven't used any other pickup. I stuck the pickup onto the top of my dulcimer with the double sided tape that Schatten provided, but I actually screwed the jack receiver onto the tail piece of my instrument as I figured it was a sturdier application than glueing or taping.

If you want a stick-on pickup, I highly recommend the Schatten Dualie.  Inexpensive and a great sound.  I've used mine on my nylon strung guitars, and dulcimers since the dualie has been in the US.  (Schatten is a Canadian company.) Never a problem and they are great folks for customer service.

If Jerry Rockwell is making any more of his magnetic, over the top pickups, they are choice as well.  Different than the Schatten since they use (I think) a Bill Lawrence humbucker.  I'm sure others will offer you more suggestions as well, but those would be my choices.