Forum Activity for @dwain-wilder

I really like what @sam-edelston has to say about choosing the instrument on which a piece of music, or a certain arrangement, sounds best. A dulcimer is not simply a guitar without all the parts. It has its own voice, its own dynamics.

It is telling that so many people get introduced to the mountain dulcimer and are so astounded that they buy one right then and there. The instrument is capable of having a strong tug on the heart. And it is charming that so many dulcimer players want to build their own instruments —and many do.

lt seems to me that a great deal of the charm of the instrument is that it is what I like to call a small window into a huge world of early music, a time before the advent of equal temperament that allowed music to be played in any key. Before then, a piece of music had a great deal of its tonal color and its visceral pull on the imagination due to the diatonic mode.

That will forever be part of the diatonic dulcimer's charm for me as a listener: its ability to render music completely differently than the major or minor modes that almost all music has been written in since the advent of equal temperament.

As a builder, it is not for me to say what a musician should or shouldn't demand of the instrument. My job is to build the instrument that best suits the client's needs and musical comprehension. But, as I often say, the most remarkable musical experience I've ever had was hearing, at a NEFFA Festival, a women's choir singing, a capella , a Serbian folk song in Phrygian mode. The hair stood up on the back of my neck!

From time to time I dream of building a line of dulcimers that are not equal temperament. How could one resist a mean-tempered Bear?

@erthling The simple answer to your question is, yes, a chromatic has everything that a diatonic has, so it's possible to play almost everything you could play on a diatonic. (Certain long reaches may not be doable.) Whether you should get one depends on what you want to play on it.

Certain things are easier to play on a diatonic, but certain other things are easier on a chromatic. And certain things are simply impossible on a diatonic.

Millions of people play chromatically fretted guitars all the time, and it's not the least bit controversial. Electric guitars, 7-string guitars, and harp guitars are not at all controversial, and I've never heard anybody ask if they're something other than a guitar. Guitars play everything from simple melodies to strummed cowboy songs, to classical etudes, to rich jazz chords, to fast bebop and bluegrass solos, to Stanley Jordan's two-hand style, to Van Halen-style shredding; while you or I may find some styles uninteresting or ugly, nobody says it shouldn't be played on the guitar. Clearly, guitars have progressed unimaginably far beyond their traditional roots.

While respecting and loving dulcimers' traditional, diatonic roots, there's no reason why the instrument needs to be limited to that.

If I think a song would sound good on a dulcimer, I use the instrument that would be best for the job. Left to my own devices, I generally play dulcimers with 0+/1+/6+/8+/13+ frets and fully chromatic ones, because they generally do what I need. I rarely play my diatonic, except for teaching purposes. And I fully respect the right of others to choose differently.

I know some people question whether or not a chromatic should be called a dulcimer, but the instrument doesn't care what you call it.

So, again, whether you should get a chromatic depends on what you want to do with it. It's totally okay to get one, and it's totally okay not to.

Sam

PS - One option is to get an inexpensive cardboard chromatic, and see how you like it.

Well, there is pretty much a good spectrum of how the dulcimer community considers diatonic and chromatic instruments and playing, Earthling ! The suggestions here all have merit, in their various modes…

I should have clarified what FlexiFrets are, though. These are removable frets that ride in square brass channels inset into the fretboard. Since they are designed for use with short pieces of regular fret wire, they can be fitted to any mountain dulcimer, matching its other frets.

The brass channels themselves can be distracting when their frets are removed, though. I suggest to clients for whom that is a difficulty to buy a colored Sharpie pen that matches their fretboard and color the brass slots out of visual existence. It's a temporary fix for a temporary problem, as most players find they get more adjusted to those empty slots over time.

FlexiFrets aren't always the desired solution —but watching, for the first time, a fret being easily pushed right out of the fretboard often breaks people into hilarious laughter!

A lot of this discussion addresses the challenges facing people used to a diatonic fretboard who switch to chromatic and need visual cues (position dots, gold frets, etc.) to help them adjust.  In other words, the answer to the question is YES, you can play diatonic music on a chromatic fretboard, but you may have to overcome a hurdle in learning the layout of the fretboard.

In my mind there are two distinct reasons to play a chromatic instrument.  One is to play modern music like jazz and some pop/rock for which the dulcimer was not originally intended.  A good example of that is @sam-edelston.  I don' think you could play Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" on a diatonic, but Sam pulls it off swimmingly on a chromatic!  Another reason is to play in different keys, and a good example is @erin-mae.  She basically plays diatonic music, but because she often plays in multi-instrument jams where the keys change rapidly, she uses a chromatic.  No need to re-tune. No need for a capo.  Have dulcimer, will travel.

For any individual out there attracted to a chromatic dulcimer, I say "go for it!" In the long run, your understanding of music--even diatonic music--will be enhanced by the fact that you can visualize an entire chromatic fretboard and see the diatonic patterns therein.

But as a community, I think dulcimer players should still embrace the diatonic fretboard both as the historical origins of the instrument and also because of the simple learning curve.  Beginning players can learn the dulcimer quickly because of the relative simplicity of the fretboard.  That doesn't mean the instrument is limited to simple music, but merely that this humble instrument is more approachable than, say, the violin, which takes a year or two of serious practice merely to play badly.  The accessibility of the dulcimer is one of its most attractive attributes. It is a big part of what makes the instrument so special.

If your going to go the chromatic vs diatonic route I think the suggestions made by Dwain Wilder concerning the gold/silver frets and or his FlexiFrets is brilliant. Other wise adding fret markers is wise.

Interesting Story. Thanks for sharing.

@erthling - yes you certainly can play a chromatic dulcimer exactly the same way you would if it had no 'extra' frets at all. Many people however will find it visually hard to know which fret is which at that point- this is exactly why many chromatic stringed instruments (banjos, guitars, mandolins) have a few fret markers of one kind or another, to help them get their bearings when playing. 

Thanks for sharing this story. It certainly was interesting.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I've seen this quote from Jean Ritchie before and have always wanted to see the context. I choose to believe she meant you lose a little something if frets are added to the diatonic fret pattern. 

Never met her she appears to be a kind and gentle person who would not summarily dismiss a person or a dulcimer. 

When this quote is used as some kind of proof that Jean Ritchie thinks a couple frets disqualifies a dulcimer in a black and white manner .....no I don't believe it.

Oh, it'd be cool if the kid who stole the dulcimer came forward.  

Thanks, Bob! 

The short answer is YES. 

But if you've ever watched Robert Force perform you have to ask yourself "Why".  Why, if someone can do the Magic that he does with an ordinary diatonic dulcimer, why go to the expense of having a chromatic instrument built.  Better to spend the time really learning the instrument you already have.

There's also this to ponder...  When asked about a dulcimer with “extra" frets, Jean Ritchie replied “In a strict sense it has a different finger board, it’s not quite a dulcimer anymore.”

If you can play better than Robert or Jean, then yeah... go ahead and spend the money.

Glad you liked it, Robin. One of my faves.

Cool story. I'd love to hear from the kid who stole the dulcimer.

Thanks for sharing, Bob.

You don't often see a dulcimer story in the Washington Post, but this is a good one:   https://wapo.st/3CEnST2

Link will open in a new window or tab.  It should be good for about 2 weeks.

Hi ErthLing! Yes. And you could paint the chromatic frets with a magic marker to help distinguish them from the diatonic frets. That will wear off, but easily re-painted until your eyes and hands are thoroughly familiar with the difference between the diatonic frets and the chromatic sharps and flats.

Or you can have one built for you with features that help you switch between diatonic and chromatic play:

• For instance, you could ask that the chromatic frets be a different color, such as Jescar's EVO Gold frets. These are harder and will last a lot longer than the standard German silver frets, and make a nice visual contrast.
• Or you could have FlexiFrets installed in the chromatic positions. FlexiFrets is an invention of mine. They are available as installation kits for other builders also, but getting the fit just right is tricky.

If I get a Chromatic Dulcimer can I play it the same as a diatonic by just ignoring the extra frets?" 

Wow, thanks for sharing the video from Liliya, Dwain!  I enjoyed that lots. 

@Leo , @randy-adams , @robin-thompson , @badrepp p , thank you all. I don't have videos of my building process, and don't have the equipment for that. But there is one video of James Maguire, of Laliya, an Australian duo with his wife, Melissa. He is playing a Baby Grand with electronics and guitar synth output, the first dulcimer I ever made with advanced electronics. The composition is Weave.

@badrepp , forgot to tag you when I wrote that I'd be interested in how the Sunhearth is received at the guitar show!

And a video or two Robin. The vid 'carving the scroll' is worth the price of admission. 

Yes, in the realm of art.  And Dwain posts photos of his processes in building Bear Meadow instruments.  It's neat to see them!   

True enough Randy......................

Ken, John, very interesting to read. Up in the northeast, dulcimer builders do not feature feet, so I thought I was the only one doing so.

Here's an idea passed to me by Walt Martin of Sunhearth: place the feet offset in the major bout, so there is a space for the player's right leg to pass between them, instead of having to shift the instrument to avoid having one's thigh embossed.

So I place the treble-side foot between the bout and the waist, the bass-side foot between the bout and the tail, leaving plenty of room for the posture to shift.  See "Baby Grand" detail .

Looking forward to more discussion of the Tennessee Music Box!

Randy, I blush! I entered this craft standing on the shoulders of a giant, and feel I owe it to the community to demonstrate the craft's evolution at every opportunity.

Ok I'll say it out loud. Dulcimers built by Dwain Wilder have far surpassed the level of craft and are in the realm of art.

Hi Badrepp, Leo, Robin, Ken, Dusty,

Those photos bring back such memories of my old mentor. He was like a second father for me.

And I never knew Walt encountered L. Alan Smith! Ken, thanks for pointing Leo to my website's Sunhearth page. Glad you still have your Sunhearth!

Badrepp, 12 12 14 22PBW will work fine with the Sunhearth. You might find that the higher tension of this set sharps the tone in frets above the 7 (first octave), as Walt didn't know about intonation and compensation. But Sunhearth action was so wonderfully low that intonation problems could only be perceived by those with very keen pitch recognition. If you have trouble with the 14 string sharping, try a 13.

I'd be interested to hear how the guitar players assessed that Sunhearth.

Leo,

Thanks and WOW.

I was purchasing old wooden church organ bellows and the Dulcimer was part of the lot. I restrung it with 12 12 14 22 hope walt approves. I will have to learn to play now.

I looked Lorraine and she is scheduled in a show in Connecticut that I may be able to stop at if a trip to boston aligns.

I am invited to a guitar show in Illinois later this month and I was asked to bring it alone.

I can tell you a number of things! And pictures! 

I met Walt and Mike Martin at the Flower Carol Dulcimer Festival in Watertown, MA (Boston area, near Cambridge), which had been started by Lorraine Lee (now L.L. Hammond), in May of 1982. They invited me out to Roaring Spring, PA, waaay in the middle of the state, near Altoona, a paper mill town, to do a workshop and concert, and 'paid' me with Sunhearth #692, 5-15-83, of course signed 'W Martin.' It was the Lorraine Lee model, which had added Grover geared banjo tuners (inline, with the trad look of friction pegs), a piezoelectric 'pickup' under the bridge (a crystal that converts vibrations to pulses of electrons) (!) (does not work worn on the body!) and an extended body, which required a custom made case at the time.

That quickly became and remains the main dulcimer that I play. Walt was mildly disturbed if not insulted a year later to see I'd put on strings that were "way too heavy" - 12's, 16, 28w! "That's not what Lorraine uses! I designed that instrument for 9-10's, 14's middle, and 22w bass!!" I felt on the spot, quickly assuring him his design and construction, in their excellence, had no problem handling the heavier string!! I think he may have admitted it still sounded alright, lol. That was Walt Martin!

Lorraine wrote a tune for one of his major birthdays called Walt's Waltz, but I don't recall it and can't find it w G or YTube. 

When I was there, the Martin homestead was Walt and his wife Helen, a wonderfully warm matriarch, their son Michael, who did a LOT of the building, and his partner, folksinger Debby McClatchy. It was a visit I wished I'd set aside more time for! 

I'll attach pictures. Wish there were more! 

It was in their workshop that I first laid eyes on a chromatic dulcimer, incredulously. It seemed overwhelming, especially as, on (I think) all of their dulcimers, there were no fret inlays of any kind! Walt said, "Oh, we built that for somebody somewhere who custom ordered it and then disappeared, couldn't reach him. It's been sitting here for years - why don't you borrow it, if you like? If he ever turns up we may need it back, but I doubt it..."  So, in an unparalleled experience of dulci-decadence, I left there with two Sunhearth dulcimers and was basically out a couple days mileage and gas money, which seemed 'bad' then!

BUT, as fate would have it - I kid you not - the very next month they suddenly heard from the guy, and he wanted his dulcimer!

Just as well. The last time I saw Mike Martin and Debby McClatchy was at a Claremont (CA) Folk Festival several years back, and they're living somewhere in California. 

Great memories! On to the photos. Never got any of that chromatic that must be out there somewhere! 

1. At Flower Carol Festival, '82, Walt Martin middle w beard, talking w dulcimer historian and author L Alan Smith, unknown HD player.   

2. Michael Martin at Flower Carol Fest, '82. I think they built a handful of HDs (?).

3. Wall of dulcimers. '83. They built both with and without the 6.5. I don't think they ever did a 1.5

4. More dulcimers and ribbons.  

5, 6: pegheads in progress

7, 8: bodies and templates

 Walt Martin, sunhearth and L Alan Smith.jpg - 403KB

I suggest you contact @dwain-wilder, who is a member here.  He owns Bear Meadow and learned his luthery skills from Walter Martin of Sunhearth, which is why @dan pointed you to that website.

If you send me a personal message and provide me with you email address I can send you two scans for articles about Walt Martin and Sunhearth dulcimers. Walt was quite a character. He could be very cordial and at other times acerbic. I met him at festival and talked with him for a bit mentioning that my in-laws lived near him. He invited me and wife to stop by to visit him and see his workshop. When we did, he wanted to know what the h*ll we were doing there. We did manage a brief but somewhat antagonistic (on his part) visit.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sunhearth instruments are fantastic!  I had one and passed it along to a young person-- I was the caretaker for awhile and it was a privilege to have the instrument.  Enjoy your Sunhearth!  

Thank you very much for the link

Yes those are wonderful pieces with a very "big" sound!

https://www.bearmeadow.com/about/history/sunhearth.html

Those Sunhearth dulcimer are top quality instruments.  Have real good rep

Hello,

1st Post

I bought a Dulcimer at an estate sale. inside one of the star holes it reads:

Sunhearth #526  6-19-79   W. Martin

Looking for history or information on builder etc.

Any direction would be great

I've heard many old hymns (my mom was a church pianist for many years) yet this one is unfamiliar to me-- I look forward to hearing you play and sing it, John.  

I have not heard this John, so I really look forward to you sharing it!  I love the words!

This is a beautiful rendition of that song. Thanks for sharing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Love this, and Sarah! Thank you for posting Robin