Forum Activity for @zinniapatch

Wow.  What a lot of great information.  Thanks so much for all the responses.

To answer the questions:

I think its a deering because it has a tag inside that I believe says Deering Stringed instruments.  The letters are very curved and hard for me to read though.

She is currently playing it equidistant but also moves it to play double melody strings.

The pictures in the advertisement looks just like hers, particularly the head and the thicker sides.  The sides on hers is 2 5/8 inch thick.  

Does the thicker sides make a dulcimer sound different?  It does sound different to us.  It seems to be louder and have more of a drone than our other dulcimers. Please keep the answer simple as we are new dulcimer players. 

Yes, we are new dulcimer players but already have four dulcimers between the 2 of us.

Thanks so much again!!!

Here's a link with photos to a mountain dulcimer sold as a Deering: 

https://www.banjohangout.org/classified/43933

Around 1975 Greg Deering and his fledgling banjo company did make a bunch of mountain dulcimers. Your might be one of them. What makes you think it's a Deering?

From the web:

"...So, around July 1975, we officially started Deering Banjo Company. That lasted until November 1977. Geoff [Stelling] had bought a shop building and I was renting part of the building from him. I had a crew of about nine people. We were making about 40 banjos a month. And Geoff came to me one day and said, “You shouldn’t be Deering Banjo Company. It should all be Stelling Banjo Works, and you should just be working for me.” And I said, “I’m not going to do that.” The next day, he cut my orders in half. So, I stayed up all night and built an Appalachian dulcimer and, when my crew came to work the next day, I put half my crew to work making dulcimers. I went out, got a bunch of orders for them and just kept on going...."

also:

"...The family-owned Deering Company, which was formed in 1975, has 49 employees. The enterprise has the self-descriptive slogan “The Great American Banjo Company,” with “Proudly Made in the U.S.A.” emblazoned on banjos made there.
Janet Deering is CEO of the company, and during a tour of the manufacturing areas of the facility, she spoke warmly about the deep roots the company has nurtured in East County throughout its history. Her husband, Greg Deering, made his first banjo in an industrial arts class at San Diego State in 1968. The couple initially made banjos and mountain dulcimers in the garage of their home, before moving to a Lemon Grove location. After outgrowing that facility, the company moved to its current factory site in Spring Valley during early 2001. Over its 40-plus years, Deering has built over 100,000 banjos. ..."

Can't tell you what wood the side are  the top appears to be spruce.  The fingerboard and tail cap appear to be walnut.  Not sure what the fretboard and tuning head are they could be birch. 

Is she playing this as "four-equidistant"  or "doubled melody" strings?  If the latter, the melody strings are too far apart.  True diatonic fret layout -- no 6+ or 13+ fret>

A Deering dulcimer should have a maker's label inside the bottom, visible from the left (nearest) rear sound hole.  Deering instruments, including the banjos, were started by Greg Deering.

I'm pretty much a beginner, although I do play other instruments, so I'm a relatively quick learner.  I'm learning the fretboard and some basic chords.

My big dulcimer project is working on a Christmas album to give to friends this year.  One song is already on my Audio list, "People look East", which includes DAD dulcimer, ADAD mandolin, acoustic steel string guitar, and an electronic pipe chanter.  More are forthcoming for this forum (as long as they include dulcimer, of course!).

Does any one have any information about Deering dulcimers? 

My daughter has one that was made in 1981.  We think they were made by the deering banjo company but not sure about that.  We have searched the internet, but haven't found much information about them.  

She is particularly interested in hearing about the history of it.  Does anyone know what type of wood was used?  It seems very lightweight.

Thanks so much for any help you can give us.

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Thank you, Dusty.  Terrifying close call you had there!  

Yes, music does help...I try to play at least a bit each day, both my guitar and dulcimer.  But some work days go a little longer and I have to choose just one to play, or I get to play for only a few minutes--or no minutes at all on either.  And I feel it when I don't get to play.  It really does help to get lost for a little while, just you and your instrument...

OK, I said Jerusalem Ridge is one of my favorite songs, but I would like a copy of easy TAB for it. Anyone know where I can get it?

Well, I haven't been sewing or baking, but I was able to visit my dad for a month in sunny Arizona over Christmas and help him through a health crisis which began near the end of Dec.  I'm happy to report is is already feeling better and is happy to be able to walk with a walker, even though he's not (yet!) ready to get back on the golf course.  New meds for diabetes and heart issues was mostly what he needed, but it was certainly a very scary time.  He'll be 95 in February.

My new activity this fall and winter has been working on foreign languages on the website Duolingo.  I started with several months of Spanish and then switched over to French.  It's giving my brain a real workout.

I don't play my dulcimers every day, but when I do, I tend to play for several hours.  I want to get back to working with Tabledit, too.  I was just starting to get somewhere with it when I had to set it aside for awhile.

Good health to you all!  I hope your music makes the days merrier.

Sorry to hear about your friend, @lisavb.

Glad to hear about your house.  We had a similar accident a few years ago.  A massive limb from a 75-year-old oak tree fell down, only barely grazing the gutter on the corner of our house.  I couldn't even tell that the roof had not been damaged until the next day when I was able to remove all the branches from up there.  But the front yard was completely filled with branches and leaves. From the street, you couldn't even see the house.  It just looked like a chimney sticking out of a massive piles of green leaves and brown wood. I was so lucky that my neighbor was a gardener who had just retired.  He showed up with his chain saws and the two of us worked for a couple of days until the yard was clear.  Then it took another year for the lawn to come back since it was entirely covered in saw dust. But at least the house was OK.

Thank you, Robin...

This is a solid wood walnut dulcimer, that uses silver nickel nut and bridge. Extremely thick waist, but still enough for an hourglass. It is 1970-1980 build. It may be a Sylvan James who is known for thick waist dulcimers around that time, but not sure.

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@lisavb I offer my deepest sympathy on the death of your friend.  And while I am sorry about your RAV4, it is good your house was spared.    

I remind myself the plague will not last forever-- history teaches us this.  There are some lovely flowers growing out of the compost pile with lots of wonderful music being made despite everything.  Music can be a balm to the weary spirit.  Keep enjoying that McSpadden and Jessica C's workshops!  (Jessica makes incredibly good music!)  

I could use some bright-side thinking about now.  Found out over the holidays that an old friend died of COVID out in Nebraska.  And last week we had a storm blow through--a tree fell on our property.  *Barely* missed the house, but it mashed my beloved RAV4.  Landed square on it.  Should hear next week if it's repairable or totalled.  I'm suspecting the latter, given the hideous damage.  But it did start up and drive for the tow guy, FWIW.

A huge bright spot has been Jessica Comeau's Zoom workshops.  She started them up earlier in the summer, roughly every other week.  I've attended every one and they bring me such joy.  There is one today, in fact.  People from all over the place--including England and Germany--have been attending. 

And I've been absolutely loving my new cherry McSpadden!  Makes me so happy to pick her up and play.  So glad I went ahead and ordered her.  Beautiful to look at, beautiful to listen to.  Thanks again to all who responded and helped me with my decision.  :)

Awesome, Dave!  I'm going to watch this video. Such tips can be applied to many dulcimer, scheitholt, epinette, and hummel playing techniques.

At the risk of being boring here is a howto video teaching strumming fingering and all sorts
which although in Hungarian is mostly understandable as music is more or less universal
When it gets near the end the noter section and vibrato tips leave me open mouthed

The one in the video appears to be a traditional design and for any interested here is another video which shows how citera are played using a noter and using an inward strum pattern how the tremolo is achieved
I understand that tuning is basically  always using intervals such as a ll melody strings are tuned to g1 the rest being drone strings tuned to C, c1, c2 g2, c3.which is a little contrary the info sheet I posted which I never understood especially "h"Tuning depends on size so this is a good base.

Small "C" citera.

Measure 48-52 cm.

Keynote: g'. Melody strings - g'. Resonant strings - g' -  c' - c - g . Side strings c'' - g'' - c'''.

Great "C" citera.

Measure 70-80 cm.

Keynote: g. Melody strings  - g.  Resonant strings  - g -  c - C - G .  Side strings -  c' - g' - c''.
Watching this video explained a great deal to me

I like this a lot!  

Dave, thanks a million for the links to other photos of your citera-- it's wonderful!  It'd sure be fun to play around with.  There was a sizable Hungarian population here in my little corner of SE Ohio, in old coal country.  

Dave, I hadn't considered ash, but that is certainly a possibility. Thank for sharing all those photos. We supported a Hungarian refuge family years ago and I had a Hungarian dictionary which might have helped me in understanding the info sheet. Unfortunately I gave it away when I retired.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

For anyone interested here is a link to my citera pictures on public access stored on "Tinterweb"
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmf7tizc

The factory was a furniture factory apparently so they would have a variety of local timbers available.
I have myself pondered the same question and suspect the frame is perhaps Ash which is generally easily carved, light in colour and not too heavy
I am trying to attach some detail pictures but I first have to remember how BB system works and where they are stored meanwhile this is the Hungarian info sheet from 1981

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A major bright side for me is extra time with my teenage daughter.  In normal times the last thing she would want to do is hang out with her parents, especially now that she and her friends are getting their drivers licenses.  But we spend lots of time together every day; I'm grateful for that.

I've also gotten to know dulcimer players from around the country in Zoom gatherings of various sorts.  My "local" dulcimer group is no longer local as about half of the attendees each month are from all over the country.

Still haven't learned to sew, though.

Looking on the bright side- I'm guessing we have all become better cooks this year! Also maybe more knowledgeable and reading more? Perhaps started a garden, built things, or learned to sew, or bake?    I know I've been doing most of those things over the past 10 months.

Hi, all, up here in Ontario we are locked down again. We are finding that deliveries of the Pfizer version of the vaccine are going to be delayed a bit because of changes in production in Belgium.  So the Provincial health authorities are talking about delaying second shots to 48 days after the first. Not happy about that, because of course the clinical trials approvals were as far as I know predicated on there being 3 weeks between doses. Lots of disagreement on that in the medical community, (which I follow because I worked in the hospital system up here for 35 years.) The only other vaccine approved by Health Canada is the Moderna. Johnson and Johnson is possibly going to get approved, no idea when. Astra-Zenica will be coming from Britain if it gets approved, but they are now racing the increased-contagion variant so who knows when.

Since I am retired from the hospital for 11 years now I am no longer covered by the health-system workers line, so no injection for me yet. At 74 years 5 months I am just a bit under the Group 1 line too, but that may change. Sandie is younger by 2 years but asthmatic. We will see if that makes a difference.

At this point, frankly, I would take the Cuban, Russian or Chinese versions. The wait is killing people!

In Arizona the governor checked on when the reserve vaccines that were released by the Government were going to arrive and how many. He found out that there are NO reserve vaccines, never were, and that nothing is coming. For Me I am waiting for the Johnson and Johnson single dose product. Too many unknowns about the second dose at this point, if there ever will be one, for the Pfizer or the Moderma. There also is the Astra Zenica coming. Needless to say I will have to wait anyways, if I ever do receive it, probably by 2022 for my age group. By then we will either know if the vaccine works, especially for the new B117 version.

Thanks.  I actually fashioned one using some brown paracord I had hanging around.  It connects at the head with a bow knot  that stays there, and attaches at the tail using a Marlin hitch knot, which is adjustable.

Well, here in Kentucky it is spitting snow and cloudy. I'm envious of those who get fresh fruit out of their yards. We are in the roughest and poorest part of the state in the hills. Very limited on fresh vegies and fruits. 

We got our first vaccine injection last Monday. We are both over 70 and vaccine is crazy on how it's being given out. We are supposed to follow up with a second injection on Feb 1st for it to be effective, but not sure if it's going to be available now. If we can't get it then it's been wasted. 

Some healthcare people are still not getting it. I don't know what that's about. The governor says things like, "we have given out more injections than we have vaccine." I tried to sort that out and know I don't understand the new math, but somehow that just doesn't compute for me. 

Trying to stay busy by cooking. If we don't get out of this pandemic we won't be able to get out of the house because we can't fit through the door. I did make homemade bread which was great. I love doing that, just hate the clean up.  It sure makes the house smell good.

I try to play at least a few tunes each day on the dulcimer to keep my fingers in shape since I sure haven't managed to keep anything else in shape. I tried changing some old tunes around and that's been fun some times. Some times a musician friend will call and we all feel about the same just wanting to get out and play. 

I know I'm not alone in the world so reading all your comments help. I just hope and pray we all come out of this a little kinder and caring, but then most everyone in the dulcimer world already were. 

BJ

Thanks Strumelia for seeing my cleverness. All joking aside, I wanted to share this with others for it took me a long time to discover how to do this. For those who may be interested in the three chords I use: F, Bb.& C my fingering for them is as follows:  Starting with the top string and with the  capo on the third fret:  F= 3 3 3 or 5.3 3  Bb= 6 4 3  C= 4 3 4.   btw I found that fingering the F chord on the dulcimer is a lot easier than on the guitar.  I am afraid arthritis is catching up on and that is one more reason I am thankful for the dulcimer.

John, I look forward to hearing that from you!  It's clever how you figured to first tune to C and then capo on 3 to get into the key of F.  I think the key of F is probably the most problematic key to tune to on a typical diatonic dulcimer with 26-28" scale. Good for you!   btw I too find it way easier to sing in F or G than in D.

I am trying to identify a vintage dulcimer made entirely of butternut, but the luthier used small wooden pegs to hold the sound board onto the frame. The pegs go into the support frame. I will post pictures, but I have no references to pegs / dowels approx 1/8" being used. Whoever made this loved butternut.

I am working on the hymn: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". Hymnals have it in the key of F with one flat which puts it in a good singing range. I put my dulcimer into F by capo-ing on the 3rd fret while the strings are tuned C G C. I have worked out the three basic chords F, B, and C to accompany my singing of this hymn. I'll do the video of this hymn for FOTMD soon for you to hear and see what I have done.

Hello All,

The fruit tree post was wonderful . Our 3 Meyers Lemon Trees are heavy this year & so is our pink grapefruit tree :) I’ve been busy in the kitchen & put up 12 pints of Lemon marmalade . It takes almost a full day for only 6 pints . We have tried to encourage our neighbors to pick—but most of our usual pickers are staying indoors because it is cold & rainy. Also everyone in our neighborhood is having a bumper year for lemons —so it is difficult to find them homes :)

My good dulcimer news is I’ve been having fun experimenting in EAA & working out many A old time tunes  —having fun with Grub Springs Waterbound Shenandoah Falls  & Crockets honeymoon :)

Also had some frets pulled on my black walnut MMD & greatly enjoying playing it again :)

Here is some of our good news for this year (not going to mention any troubling or sad news because we all got plenty of all that )

1. Bob & I are finally going to be grandparents —Violet Juniper Hyder is due in February . This is our Daughter Natalie & Husband Will’s miracle baby & is the only grandchild on either side of the family . So far she is growing well, active & healthy & looked good in the genetic testing too —she’s already 4 lbs & the size of a cauliflower :)  and Bob has quit drinking so he will be allowed to hold her—which is improving his health too :)

2. Bob & I have been fortunate in we live in Tallahassee which is easy to stay inside & to also have outdoor activities that are isolated in natural beauty —so we have not caught the virus . We got our first vaccines last Saturday from the local health department & have our follow up on the 30th :)

3. Looking forward to camping & festivals this summer & hope we’ll all be out & about & picking again :)

Hope everyone here is safe & well & picking a few new happy tunes too :)

Love & blessings,

Mary Z. Cox

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Dusty, how wonderful that you have backyard oranges and lemons! What a blessing for health!  I'm grateful to be able to buy the world's best fresh apples here here in NY. Long ago when i lived in Puerto Rico my neighbor had a HUGE mango tree and my kids and I ate them by the shopping bag full. 

I believe age 65 and up is group 1C. Lots of states have opened up for that group now, ahead of the original plan... including CA and NY state where i live. However, for example in our county there are 60,000 people, yet the govt has only been sending our county 300 doses per week for the past month and a half. Major fail. You can see where that's going... at this rate I'll die of old age before I get vaccinated!
Hopefully vaccinating people will be given higher priority and speed soon. I can't wait to get mine!

Here in California, vaccines are available (in theory) to anyone 65 and over.  But I think that's group 1B, whereas 1A are the frontline healthcare workers and those in assisted living facilities, and they haven't even gotten to all of them yet.  But the next group is those over 50, so I'm hopeful that within a couple of months both my wife and I will be able to get the vaccine.  Plans are already being made for mass vaccination sites in the parking lots of sports arenas, where you'll drive in and get the shot right in your car.  Like drive-through fast food.

And I won't brag that we have two orange trees bursting with fruit here.  The biggest one is a navel orange tree on my neighbor's property, but it's about 30 feet tall and he can't possibly eat all its fruit. Every week or so we go over with a ladder and pick a bunch.  We have a smaller tree of valencia oranges, which are harder to peel and better for juicing. We also have tons of meyers lemons this time of year.  Those are a cross between lemons and mandarin oranges, and have an almost tangerine-like sweetness.  They make the best lemonade.  For some reason, my lime tree fruits earlier, so there's nothing left now, although all three trees flower at the same time.  

Strumelia; sadly had I been there your poor husband would have had to share all of his treats.  

Here's to covid vaccines coming to a pharmacy or clinic near to all of us in the not so distant future! 

I try to plan my supermarket trips so that I hardly ever have to go- like once every three weeks or so. Between big trips i do occasionally stop into our (much smaller) local farmer's market to quickly pick up a few fresh things like bread, milk, eggs, and apples.

Today was one of my big supermarket trips. It's a big project, especially when I get all those bags of stuff home! Pretty much takes up half a day.
There are things that we so much savor, now that we don't have them as often. For example this evening it was sooo nice to cut up a gorgeous juicy navel orange and eat it slowly- it was so good!  And my husband was excited to have a tub of real guacamole to put some in the tortillas he likes to make for himself, along with his favorite pepperjack cheese. And we now each have 2 pints of our favorite Ben & Jerry's in the freezer as a treat!  Brian's is always ChocolateFudgeBrownie, and mine is CherryGarcia. 
The pandemic has taught us to really appreciate fresh food and having access to it.    We're lucky indeed.

David, can you tell what type of wood is used the construction of you citera? It looks like some of it might be birch or maple. BTW, thanks for sharing the video and the photo.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It is interesting to see the underside fo the citera. The board with the holes in it reminds me of one of my zitters that has a board with two holes in it, but rather than being perpendicular to the top as the one in the citera, it parallels the top. The woman who plays in the video is a very skilled player. I enjoyed her smile at the applause when she finished playing.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

They are apparently all constructed in a similar fashion with no back and need a table for a sound board
This is the underside of mine which was made in the government factory
[img] https://www.flickr.com/photos/99248490@N05/25298908127/in/album-72157693231671105/ [img]