Forum Activity for @wally-venable

Given the wide variety of playing styles used on the dulcimer, I don't think there is any "proper form."

Noter-drone playing puts a very different stress on the wrist than any form of chording. Some people I have met who have hand issues find it the only way they can play. It is part of the reason I play almost exclusively in that style. I use a noter which is about 3/8 inch in diameter and about 6 inches long with my forefinger on top and the heal on the noter at my wrist.

You appear in your photo to be playing chords, so that probably won't helpyou at the present, but of your problem becomes severe, consider the noter-drone tradition before giving up.

Hey folks, can anyone recommend any good videos, articles, or just general advice on proper form for fretting a dulcimer. The way that I fret can put a lot of strain on my wrist at times, so I need to improve my technique, but I don't actually know the correct way to fret ergonomically. Can anyone offer advice or direct me toward content that will help me to learn how to practice good form that puts less stress on my fretting wrist.
I am hesitant to just trust whatever comes up from a google search since I know so little on the topic, so Id be grateful if anyone could share any good resources or tips.
Thanks,
Nate

Wow Dusty, that sounds rigorous. I'm sure it'll pay off to develop that, though. If I enjoyed doing drills like that, I'd probably have a lot sharper of skills than I get from just plunking around like I do.

I'm a total OCD dulcimer nerd right now. I tabbed out a few fiddle tunes that make for great finger exercises.  For 2-3 days I've just been playing " Harvest Home " over and over, forcing myself to use my pinky for anything on the first fret, middle finger on the second, and index on the third across all the strings. And that's the range of the arrangement, from open bass to third fret on the melody string. So the left hand never moves, requiring the muscles in individual fingers to do all the work.

Both A and B parts of the song have four consecutive triplets are really tough.  I'm forcing myself to use a metronome and play really slowly.  Maybe someday I'll speed up a little, but I'm not there yet.  Sometimes I only play that triplet measure over and over. 

My goal is not to play the song well (or event at all), but to use the song to strengthen my pinky and develop greater finger independence and flatpicking accuracy.

But I do feel like I'm getting a bit geeky and losing touch, like Jack Nicholson huddled over his typewriter in The Shining .

@shanonmilan I enjoy Wittner pegs on several traditional dulcimers. Wrist arthritis makes tuning wooden pegs difficult as much as I like them on the traditional instruments.

Only been playing for 5 months as a complete beginner but I am now exploring the sounds of CGC tuning. Luckily as it is still 1:5:8 I can still play all the stuff I was learning in DAD. To me CGC just sounds so much more pleasing.

I also discovered I like playing with harmonies and am working on a little ditty,  something along the lines of 023 - 034  - 045 - 023 -022 - 011 - 103 -113- 012 - 234 045 - 056 -045 - 056 and so on and trying different strumming patterns.

Just need to  learn to write what I play in musical notation now, for the fun of learning it.

Dusty is right, giving them a call is a good idea....it's what I did last year, when I ordered a music stand (it was taking longer than Steve stated and I was getting frustrated). I think, to continue, they need to figure out a better business plan, because communication is so important. Here's what he posted on Facebook in August:

MESSAGE from STEVE BINKLEY, 
THISTLEDEW ACRES (dulcimerbaglady.com):

I am writing this to let you know that Thistledew Acres 
aka dulcimerbaglady.com is alive and moving forward 
in this dulcimer world that we love.

There is no doubt that the ‘office’ side of the business 
including communications and filling orders in a timely 
manner is not what I want it to be at this time.  I sincerely
apologize for any frustration I have caused.

With the encouragement of some treasured music friends, 
plans are in the works for extra quality help on the office 
part of my business.  In moving forward, I will be able to 
spend my time in the wood shop and at the sewing machines.  
Making product is what I love!
Sincerely,
Steve

It's great that people appreciate the convenience they offer while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the instrument. And trying out Wittner pegs sounds like an exciting experiment! Their reputation for quality and reliability suggests you're in for a treat.

@Randy I like Dwight Diller's story and tune version. He called it Dead Man's Piece i think. At least i think it was the same piece, a very old banjo tune, almost just a repeated phrase. Best teacher I ever had. Never in a rush, knew the power of silences between the notes.

Ah but Lisa a good old time banjo picker playing a just right old time banjo in that good shaving a dead man tuning...transcends the mortal world...and I know you know that ❤️

@bing-futch just shared his lesson on Shaving a Dead Man here at FOTMD . What timing!

Sorry to hear that, @greg-gunner.  The website lists a phone number; have you tried calling?

The last couple of years the Dulcimer Bag Lady has not done a good job of communicating and responding to orders.  My most recent order was submitted in December 2023.  I'm still waiting for the order to be acknowledged.  A follow-up e-mail has also received no response.

The dulcimer bags are of exceptional quality, but the business end needs to be addressed if they want to continue selling dulcimer bags.  

Newest on top is very convenient when you are an active participant in an ongoing conversation.  That way you can join and see quickly the comments added since your last visit. Easy peasy!

@strumelia just shy of 50° here in Peru, NY, but warm enough to wash my truck without it turning into a truckcicle!

One thing I find really cool about that is that speeding up music doesn't change the pitch of the notes so you can speed up or slow down backing tracks or "play alongs" and they will still be in the original key

Wow, the weird weather- mid february and it was a gorgeous 55F and sunny in NY here today. I went down into town and sat out at a sidewalk table at my favorite Mexican cafe. I sat basking in the sun and enjoyed super yummy fresh grilled tilapia tacos with a Mexican mocha coffee.  

Often when I'm watching a YT tutorial video on some subject, it drives me nuts when the person is talking slooooowly and I wish they'd just get to the point.  🐌  That's when I click the gear and speed it up to 1.25 speed... what a Godsend! 

@wildcat, you click or tap the gear icon and then choose "playback speed." 

YouTube added this feature a couple of years ago. It slows things down but keeps the same pitch, so you can learn tunes really easily. 

On a PC, that gear icon is on the bottom of the YouTube screen, but on a cell phone it appears on the top right.

Edit: Woops!  It looks like @salt-springs types faster than I. 

Simple........on the youtube video.......start it.........go to the settings on the video (that gear thing).........hit playback speed and speed it up or slow it down.

@lilley-pad How does one go about slowing YouTube down? Can this be done on a cell and a pc?

@strumelia It took me a bit, but I navigate things pretty well now using my phone and yes, it's nice with newest on top. 😊 

Yes strumelia, playing with a very nice bow that came with the psaltery and assumed to be original to the piece. Learning bow technique now, experimenting with bow positions, chops and drawing speeds. I pluck when tuning as recommended by Jean Schilling. Have not yet tried to play it with plucking, but the thought has crossed my mind. I'm really not very fond of using picks and have grown very comfortable as a strummer when playing autoharp and uke.Thanks for the link, will take a look.

@motormike - are you bowing your bowed psaltery, or plucking the notes like a plucked psaltery? (do you have a bow for it?) Yours is intended to be bowed (it produces an incredible haunting sound when bowed, bow it on the outer sides of the instrument, right next to the pin to sound each string), but there's no law saying you can't pluck it if you like!

Bowed psalteries are made for various keys and scales, they are not all tuned or strung alike.

There are some wonderful bowed psaltery videos here on FOTMD, btw:
https://fotmd.com/search/results/jrVimeo,jrYouTube,jrVideo/1/25/search_string=bowed%20psaltery

So true, Robin!  -and if the noter tends to sharpen your notes too much for your liking, I find that changing the gauge of the string can help lessen the effect. 

Tuning from the tuner is one thing.  Sharpening a note when I use a noter is another-- noter pressure can do that. (me with my noter)   

Thanks you guys are the best. I'll keep my eyes open for Bing's episode.  The beauty of YouTube is that one can slow it down.

Just got a real instrument a Folk roots. My first one was a cheap import, waste of money oh well live and learn. Thanks again all for the good input. stay dry.😁

It's amazing how innovations can arise from the need to address specific challenges, like encouraging proper bow technique in students. And it's great to hear that you've had the opportunity to explore playing the BP with custom-made bows using alternative materials.

I guess when talking about tuning precisely it's two kind of separate questions. Not only the question of "how close to dead on do you get it" but also "what do you count as dead on" since as folks mention, the 'sweetest' pitch might not be exactly where the 12 tone equal tempered note is. I was more curious about how meticulously people are about getting the instrument to their desired pitch, but the topic of choosing to tune slightly sharp of flat is also really fascinating
Nate

Something I notice that has me a bit puzzled.
In the Schilling book of instruction and song,
the pin configuration and tuning on the psaltery
that is illustrated is quite different compared
to my psaltery. Mine has fewer strings, and the tuning starts
and ends with F on the natural side, whereas the sharps and flats
side omits all the B's and E's.
   Anybody see something that I am not educated enough to understand ?
I might mention this, the shorter strings are much harder to achieve a good tune.
The longer strings seem to fall right in place.
I would say that these strings are original and show slight discolorations throughout.
  

It just so happens that the next episode of Bing Futch's Dulcimerica (#687) will feature Bing Futch playing and teaching Shaving a Dead Man.  Check it out in a day or two whenever it drops.

I just stumbled on a 14yr old video of our own @randy-adams playing that old banjer tune on one of his cigar box instruments   :

@ocean-daughter.  If you tune a Bagpipe tuning:  Ddd or Ccc for example, you can play both Ionian/Mixolydian and Aeolian/Dorian modal scales *without* having to have a 6+ fret!    

That's a Bowed Psaltery, not a plucked psaltery.  And a very nice BP it is too! 

The BP was supposed developed in post-WWII Germany by a violin teacher trying to get his students to bow correctly.  Whatever the truth, they are nice instruments, and you don't need a full sized bow to play them.  A simple 18" or so bow will work jut fine.  Several years ago I was gifted a BP and made some simple bows to play it with, using all sorts to waxed string other than horsehair/

The song dates back to the 1930s at least, and does not appear to be copyright protected. No dulcimer tab I could find.  Best to sing/hum/whistle the tune until you KNOW it, then sit down and pick it out on youe melody tring and write the tab as you go...

Lilley, Dusty is correct as far as I know. 
I think you'd have to work it out on the dulcimer for yourself (either making a simple tab or learning it by ear), but most of those old fiddle/banjo tunes are pretty simple in structure, so it might be fun for you to do. It's definitely a traditional tune and not copyrighted. I do like that tune name "Protect the Innocent".

I don't think the song is under copyright.  It appears to have a long history as a clawhammer banjo tune, but at one time the title was different and included a racial epithet.  From what I can figure out, by the 1970s, folks were calling it "Shaving a Dead Man" or "Protect the Innocent."  There's lots of banjo tab out on the tune as well as discussions about playing it in different keys and tunings.

That song may be  under copyright. I did a search and could not find when it was written.  Your best avenue may be to purchase the sheet music and create your own tab from the sheet music.

Hi sorry I don't know where to post this question. Any idea where to get the dulcimer tablature for a song Shaving a Dead Man? Thanks Kids

Well, I expect this question has been settled in the mind of the OP, at least with regard to the purchase that was being contemplated.  But it's still an intriguing question to consider. 

For me, the answer would be--I don't wanna.  At least, not at this time.  I mostly play melody-drone fingerdance (with a few sort of chords occasionally), and I don't feel a need to get a chromatic.  I do retune to get different modes (and I keep my various dulcimers in one of a couple of different tunings most of the time).  One reason I appreciate having a 6 1/2 fret is that it gives me two modes in each tuning--for instance, in DAC Aeolian I can also play in Dorian...

I've been wanting to add a 1 1/2 fret (along with an 8 1/2) to one of mine, to explore what it gives me.  I already know I'd appreciate that subtonic note on the middle string.  (I can play it on the 6th fret of the bass string when tuned DAD, but that doesn't really satisfy me.)  I guess for me it's discovering and deciding what music I want to play and how I want to play it, and how I get my instrument(s) to contribute to that.