Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Dusty, blame it on spell check. When I typed in "Cotten," spell check immediately changed it to "Cotton."

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm obviously better with tab than with spelling. D'oh!

Mike Seeger most likely learned Georgia Buck from Elizabeth Cotten:

In the early 1940s, Cotten had moved to Washington, D.C., where (as a domestic) she began working for the legendary Charles Seeger family and caring for children Pete, Peggy, and Mike.

(also we should note that her name is spelled Cotten)

The first time I heard Georgia Buck was Neal Walters' recording of it on his CD My Pathway Leads to Pennsylvania.  His version had more verses than Ms. Cotton's, and was more like Doc Watson's rendition, which I just found a few days ago.  Thanks again, Dusty!

Wow, Dusty!  Thanks so much for the link and the tab!  Really appreciate it!

Thanks for the tab Dusty. And the link to Libba playing it. I'm trying to think of the first person I ever heard playing that song. It might have been Mike Seeger. I just can't remember.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Dusty, how nice that you whipped that together so beautifully!

Are you thinking of the trad banjo tune that goes

Georgia Buck is dead.

Last word he said:

"Don't want no shortnin' in my bread."

Here's Elizabeth Cotton playing it: https://youtu.be/IobSpMzmjQY?t=30

Is that the tune you want to learn?

There's not a whole lot to tab. It's only 8 measures long, and the last note is two whole notes tied together for measures 7 and 8.

In DAA it ranges from the 5th fret to the open string.  In DAd, with the melody moving from the melody to the middle string, it's even easier since you never have to go above the 2nd fret.

Georgia Buck DAA.pdf - 247KB

I have looked on the new Everything Dulcimer, my download of the tab from the old ED, and various and sundry other places, but I can't find tab for Georgia Buck.  Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Michael Willey

Total agreement that David has recognized this is what he needs. I commend him on his decision and wish him nothing but a bright future.

I agree with both of you. Black Mountain Dulcimers has provided quality instruments and will continue to do so, just not on as a large a scale as in the past. Building custom instruments for individuals in different from making large quantities of the one design for wholesale purchase. I wish David the best as he transitions to building one dulcimer at a time.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Forty years is long enough to do anything. Instead of lamenting that it's ending, we should congratulate David for such a fine run.  I think we can all understand the desire to switch things up.

After providing a service for many years, sometimes you just need a break.

David Johnson announced this week:

 Screenshot 2023-02-18 8.12.24 AM.jpg - 439KB

Well they were days all right.  

Gosh -- I'd forgotten about Sweet Music listserv!!  Those were the days!

Thanks for honoring Tom and Missy here, Ken.  From way back in the Sweet Music listserv days....

Thanks for posting this Ben. Probably should be a separate discussion. I enjoyed visiting with Jeremy at a few festivals. 

I couldn't find an obituary for Jeremy. Ben, do you have access to one?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The archive of DPN past publications is shared online here: https://issuu.com/dulcimerplayersnewsinc

I found it while searching for:

 Screenshot 2023-02-15 9.57.58 AM.jpg - 150KB

This may not be the post to put this on, but got notice that dulcimer maker Jeremy Seeger passed away on February 11.  May he rest in peace.

I am at such a loss for words...  So much love and support has been shared through so many years from Tom and Missy...  This is such sad news, and I am so sorry.  His memory will be eternal. 

So sad to hear. God's grace to Missy.

I was shocked and saddened to see this news.  My heart is with all of Tom's dear ones.  

Very sad news indeed. Today is Missy's birthday. My sympathy goes out to Missy and the rest of the family.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Oh this is indeed sad news. Thanks for letting us know, Ken.

Tom Strothers, creator of the String Choice Calculator and Diatonic and Chromatic Chord Wizard apps passed away suddenly Monday morning 13 February, from a brain hemorrhage.  

RIP old internet friend...

Yes Ken I am actually playing a little bit and I feel there’s actually possibilities for me,I have also cut cherry for two more necks and some mahogany for the next fret boards ,walnut would be cool but that’s one wood I don’t have in my stock ,I do have a lot of cherry,they were right,they told me it was habit forming to build these ( for a woodworker) and even more so when it sounds good in the end…! I am thinking a Dulcimer is in the future.

 Pardon all these pics,I’m working on image quality and format and also I need to find the edit feature on the comment box here( it seems to elude me!)here is another pic of my guitar full length and whole finally!

 FD1D708D-7041-41E1-94B0-4F64ABFAC664.jpeg - 101KB

Working on loading photos to here,I think I have it licked

 F84146CF-CBDF-4E34-A00B-09A0B2481E16.jpeg - 170KB

Sorry,my acronym caused so many problems,in the Cigarbox guitar world ,it does make the handle easier to use,and I grew up and served in the Armed Forces where acronyms are king but I do agree online people seem to make them quicker than you can learn them.At least in the Marines they are made official and formally listed as soon as the General says so!

Here’s no 2

 9D2FCB63-6419-42EE-AF9A-78CA022C8780.jpeg - 203KB

The picture of my cgb,unfortunately image was a bit downgraded

 AFD9F39D-EA9B-483B-BFEB-10BF4E972CB6.jpeg - 36KB

Dwain,

   I moved the nut toward the scroll .12" , set the location of the 6 1/2 fret by using the corresponding note on the middle string.  The strings are 0.12, 0.12, 0.14, 0.12, and 0.24. Even though the measured locations are not exactly according to the fret calculator, it notes true  and checks in tune with harmonics.  It is a very easy playing  instrument with a bold sound.  I do think I will change the middle string to a .016 size, it has a slight twang . That may be caused by slot in the nut or bridge, will check that first.

  All I have been able to find out about Davis dulcimers is what seems to be common info on the internet  and a little info from a man in London who has  at least a few of Bill's dulcimers. 

  Thanks again for your thoughts and directions.  I am a relative newbie to dulcimers, I got my first one about 10 years ago after I retired the second time. I didn't build my first one until I turned 74, am now 81 and have built 131. 

                                Bill R

I recently started playing the pure diatonic Jean-Ritchie-style dulcimer my wife built 50 years ago. No extra fret enhancements (6.5 or 1.5). For modal music, I love it's sound, ease-of-play, and slide-ability (something not possible on a chromatic). To expand its capabilities beyond noter-style playing, I've set it up with four-equidistant strings.

Exploring this instrument's capabilities, and developing proficiency and style in playing it, could last a lifetime. Musical genres that I like on this instrument are Appalachian, old hymns, traditional music of the Brittish Isles, Medieval, and Renaissance.

However, there are musical styles that sound good on the dulcimer but require more than hard-wired modal scales. For me, these are Jazz, Blues, Classical, Eastern European, and Klesmer.

Because I don't want to alter the beauty of my wife's pure-diatonic instrument by going down the slippery slope of adding extra frets whenever I encounter missing notes, I've ordered a chromatic dulcimer. But, for me, it won't replace my diatonic instrument for being able to capture the unique beauty of modal music.

I learned of this when I received my magazine yesterday.  Ashley said she would keep the website up, and the festival and club directories.  

I'd like to see some sort of blog or continued articles online if not in print.  That's my wish anyway.  I feel like the dulcimer community has done amazingly on embarking on the new online adventure.  We still need a way to stay connected with the community as a whole.  I do, anyway.    

My first dulcimer was a Backyard Music cardboard kit.  The fretboard (mercifully) already had the frets on, and it was easy to assemble.  The tone was shockingly good.  It's a nice little dulcimer, although it led to other things--a walnut kit from Cedar Creek (fretboard was pre-slotted, and I did not do a great job on putting on the frets, TBH), then my McSpadden, which is the only dulcimer I play now.  And that cardboard dulcimer led to first a steel string acoustic, then a Stratocaster, then a nylon/classical acoustic, and now 3 Native Flutes from Highspirits.  

That cardboard dulcimer was expensive, LOL.  But yes, they make a nice kit, the frets are very well done, and it sounds amazing.  They offer with and without a 6+, I didn't know enough to go ahead and get that and regretted that pretty fast.  I knew nothing about dulcimers at the time, bought it more as an art kit that I could maybe play sometimes. 

Thanks for the advice-3 strings for melody playing,making harmonies with 2 fingers,etc.