Hi, just a quick comment on a technical point.
Any grouping of notes, in order to be a chord, must contain 3 or more different notes. If it contains 2 notes, like DGD, then it is a dyad and not a chord (when the two D notes mentioned are an octave or more apart, they don't become 2 different notes, they are both still D notes). In music, the term dyad is the one mostly used for 2 note groupings, though there's other terms used by certain groups of people.
You might consider joining the Florida Sunshine Dulcimer Group here and posting your question there. The groups sometimes go dormant for a spell, but often it just takes one new person to drum up some activity and get things humming (or droning) again.
Thanks for the lead! I've joined and will give it a try!
I'm a full time resident. Will amend distance to include more people; thanks for the feedback.
Are you a snowbird? Or permanent resident?
I'm in Fort Myers, but I don't play with that evening group.
IIRC, the group that used to be in Englewood was a "snowbird" group like many others down here, which disbanded each spring when they went back north. There are a couple players I know of in Venice, and I've heard of a couple in the Rotunda. but with a 15 mile and daylight limitations you'll be lucky to find 1 or 2 players, I think.
You might consider joining the Florida Sunshine Dulcimer Group here and posting your question there. The groups sometimes go dormant for a spell, but often it just takes one new person to drum up some activity and get things humming (or droning) again.
I am looking for dulcimer players who live within 30 miles of Englewood, Fl., or those who are willing to travel to Englewood. who would like to get a group together to play. I am open to any day, and prefer to play during the daytime. There used to be a dulcimer group in Port Charlotte, Fl. which is just 15 miles from me. Unfortunately, the art center where they met closed. I have access to a space that we can play in. I know there is a group in Ft. Myers, but that's over an hour away and meets at night. Thanks!
I not only play the dulcimer but also draw/paint several hours each day. After awful thumb pain,I got a 10 buck thumb/wrist support on amazon, and wear it when I'm not using my left hand and when I sleep. Pain all gone after a day, but I've continued to wear it. Pain hasn't come back.
Yep -- a small triangular file belongs in every dulcimer players kit. Good catch Dusty!
Great insight Dusty. In fact, I have a banjo with a string that rings out in an annoying way- I will try this fix next time i take it out to play! I have a little nut file that has served me well for years.
Sorry about the confusion everyone. Someone has to be the most clueless member. Dusty, just this morning I noticed the mid string was sitting in a very shallow slot at the bridge. I could feel much more vibration when i put my finger on it than the others. I deepened the slot and it does seemed to have helped. The vibration at the bridge is gone. I think you're right. I'm going to consider the problem solved. Thanks for all the input everyone.
@gennaro, before we can really help you, we need to figure out what exactly is up with that middle string. If it's not out of tune, and it's not buzzing on a fret, what could it be?
I have one idea. I had a dulcimer that had a minor problem with one string. It would kind of ring out louder than the others with a very faint buzz. The problem was not the frets, but something else a repair guy at a guitar shop diagnosed right away: the slot in the bridge and/or nut was too flat, allowing the string to vibrate.
Basically, as the string goes through the groove or slot in the bridge and nut, you want it to sit on a single point in the wood or bone or whatever the thing is made of. Is that slot is too flat, it allows the string to vibrate and kind of ring out louder than the other strings and make a noise that is not exactly a buzz, but something less obvious but still annoying. This happens more often when the nut and/bridge are made of wood rather than a harder substance like bone.
The guy who fixed my dulcimer that had this problem did so in about 5 minutes. If you have a really small file to get into those grooves, you might just run it at an angle on either side of that groove in the nut and bridge, trying to create a single point on which the string will sit. If you don't have such a tool, any guitar shop should be able to do this.
I don't know for sure that this is your problem, but the difficulty you have describing it sounds really familiar, and this is my best guess.
OK if the scale length is 27" then forget everything I said.
It could be that the MD is particularly resonant to B, which makes that note 'stand out' more. Since you are trying to play the tune in Aeolion [capo at 1] mode it may work to try tuning to DAc.
After checking the link, I see I may have been confused on the scale length. The nut to bridge is 27 1/2. The actual fret board is 22 1/2.
Thanks for the advice and the link. I'll go heavier on the strings. As far as filing the frets, I'm always tinkering. It's a no name dulcimer I bought from a friend. I plugged it into an amp on a whim and it actually sounded better.
Ok well that helps a lot. 22 1/2 " is a very short scale length... practically like an epinette.
You don't say what gauge your other strings are - that would help!
But .012 for a middle string at 22-23" scale length is too thin a string for DAd or CGC... and whatever tuning you use, a string of .012 for a middle string will be rather loose... so that when a capo presses the strings even further down than the nut slot level, that middle string is likely to vibrate against frets when strummed open. It's a shame you already filed down frets, as that's a more drastic and risky solution (sort of like cutting off a table leg if the table wobbles).
All you need do here is put on strings that are more appropriate to your short scale length. A heavier set will not be lax and vibrate so much that they create sympathetic ringing against the frets. The middle string will likely need to be at least a .014, for example. How did the current set of strings get chosen?
The Strothers gauge calculator is very helpful when ordering strings: http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.html
FWIW, your described 'ringing' is not a string that is 'dischordant' (meaning a note out of tune)... it's more a noise, a wolf tone, or a buzz type issue.
Scales are 22 1/2 inches. The middle string is 12 gauge. When I play, or attempt to play the song in DAD the middle string doesn't annoy me. However when applying the capo to the first fret as advised by Mr Gilston, the middle string is tuned to B which dominates the song when strumming it opened. I would discribe it as ringing, and to my ear, annoying. There are a few others playing this on Youtube. Guess I could ask how theirs are tuned.
Also- please elaborate on what you mean about the middle string that it sounds "off" or "dischordant:
Do you mean it's actually out of tune, meaning not the right note, sharp or flat? OR
Do you mean it has a bad tone- like a buzzy sound or thuddy/twangy. Need to know this!
What is your VSL/scale length from nut to bridge? And what gauges are the strings do you have on this dulcimer? These factors are important in figuring out your problem.
(note: don't attempt any tuning higher than EBE or you may break strings)
EBE definitely wasn't the way to go, but I recalled seeing a post that mentioned CGC as being compatible with DAD songs. I tried it and it seems muted or softer, which tames that middle string. It may take a bit getting used to as the strings are not as taut. Thanks again for the input.
That way, if things are still discordant, then the issue is definately not the capo itself causing problems.
Capo is on first fret. I had that setup, as it's the one Mark Gilston recommends in his book that i purchased. He plays it in a Youtube vid, and of course it sounds great. I'll try tuning to EBE. I think that's it. I'm very musically disinclined. I basically just learn songs by Youtube vids and making tabs from them. Thanks.
You're playing "King..." from DAd tuning -- capoed where? And it's when you're capoed that the open middle string is discordant?
Have you considered re-tuning from DAd to whatever the capoed tuning is, or to any other tuning?
Even though I know it's beyond me, I've been trying to learn King of the Fairies for a few months now. I almost have it but when I strum with an open middle string It sounds off to the point, I'm considering ditching the song. It's not a problem without the capo while playng other songs in DAD.
Fixes I've tried. I noticed with the capo, the strings were almost laying on the second and third frets. I laid a straight edge on the first five frets and sure enough, the second and third were high so I filed them down. I then put new strings on. I used a 12 for the middle, which is what I had. It's a little better, but that middle string still dominates. Any insights appreciated.
Thank you all for the input and suggestions.I found Mr.McCafferty online and ordered one of his capos[tuner included!] .I also stocked up on strings.It's hard to find suitable gauges and lengths for the dulcimer in Canada,in my experience.
That's great to hear. You will not be disappointed. Those with the tuner look like a great idea (I got mine before he came out with those). Glad we could be of some help to you.
Thank you all for the input and suggestions.I found Mr.McCafferty online and ordered one of his capos[tuner included!].I also stocked up on strings.It's hard to find suitable gauges and lengths for the dulcimer in Canada,in my experience.
@davisjames, I took the liberty as a Moderator of moving your question here to the Forum on specific features of dulcimers and instrument questions. The "Site Questions" Forum is for questions about how this website works. I hope you understand.
Ron Ewing is often credited as the one who basically invented the dulcimer capo several decades ago. I have a much fancier capo that cost about three times what one of Ron's does, but it doesn't work any better. I'm sure Terry's are great too. I play one of his dulcimers but haven't bought a capo from him.
Yes, Terry McCafferty’s capos are wonderful. I cannot brag enough about his capos. They are worth every penny.
As a guitar player, I have been spoiled by inexpensive capos that work great for the guitar.
I even wrote Terry after my capo arrived to personally thank him.
Terry McCafferty makes some really nice capos for a little more money than the economical Ewing capos (which are generally a good value). I have purchased 4 of Terry's capos. Nice mechanism, consistent pressure across the strings.....my favorite dulcimer capo.
https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos
Can anyone recommend a good dulcimer capo?I had one but the "legs' were too bigl and I broke it trying to tighten it enough to clamp down on the strings of my Folkroots..In this case less is more....As an aside,I used to somehow use an elastic band and a pencil as a capo[laugh] before I knew that dulcimer capos existed...much easier to have a good capo...
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As KenL says, Georgia really does not have a traditioan of dulcimere building/playing in the same way that Kentucky, or Tennessee or North Carolina or the Virginias do. No known early (1800s or early 1900s) builders or traditional shapes associated with the state. Neither does South Carolina. The reason may be how and from where those areas were settled -no direct connections to areas where the instrument was known, no settlers from other known dulcimer building areas, etc.
(Dale had a shop in Pigeon Forge in the 1990s )
Thanks for the information - could it be Dale didn't make/sell many dulcimers, that it's hard to find out information? Or, maybe because he made them before we could google or post about the dulcimers from Pigeon Forge.
Many thanks for all this information. I shall get the Book.
Two good books on dulcimer history are Ralph Lee Smith's Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions and The Story of the Dulcimer. I suggest doing an internet search for them. Georgia is not known for having a history of mountain dulcimer making or playing. If you just want to know about Georgia, an internet search will provide you will lots of information.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Dale had a shop in Pigeon Forge in the 1990s and made hammered and mountain dulcimers. I knew him more as a hammered dulcimer maker. As I recall he did good work and made fine, playable instruments.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thank you very much Ken for all this information.
Do you know where I could find some information about the history of the Dulcimer and Georgia?
Bye
John Pledger lives in northwest Georgia and after he retired decided to start building dulcimers. He is a hobbyist who sells his dulcimers through Etsy. Here is a photo of him with two of his dulcimers. This is what it says on his Etsy page: "I am a hobbyist Dulcimer maker from North Georgia. I make one dulcimer at a time and only seven or eight per year. I enjoy playing the Mountain Dulcimer and attending craft shows with them throughout the year. I meet a lot of interesting people who love art and music. The Mountain dulcimer is arguably the easiest of the stringed instruments to play. I am learning old time American mountain music and Celtic/New age tunes. The dulcimer is the instrument for the beginning string student because of its ease and immediate results." He is a member here and you can search for him under members and send him a private message if you have any other questions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Hello ,
I am new to the community and have played the Dulcimer for a couple of years now in a local folk rock music band from the French Alps.
I recently purchased a Johnny Pledger Dulcimer. Do you have any information on this builder since I got it from a French musician...
IAM also curious about the history of Georgia and its link with the mountain dulcimer. If you can get me any information on the subject I would be more than thankful
Many thanks,
JBaptiste
Sycamore makes good dulcimers.
It has a Janka hardness rating of 770; mid way between Honduran Mahogany at 800+ and Silver Maple at 700. Softer than any of the common American woods used for the rest of a dulcimer body like Walnut or cherry, but a bit harder than Poplar (Janka 550) which makes excellant instruments.
The lower part of the dulcimer top looks to be a crotch, don't know the species.....hard to make out from the image.
