Forum Activity for @dusty

@floralin, there are a couple of ways to interpret your question here, so forgive us if we offer answers that aren't exactly what you are looking for.  Plenty of people play only in a drone style on the dulcimer.  They never play chords but always allow the  bass and middle strings to drone while they play the melody on the (you guessed it!) melody string.

Other people play chords but mix in drone stuff.  Stephen Seifert is probably the best player in theis vein.  You might hear a rendition of a tune in which he plays it drone style first, then he adds some "partial" chords so that there is always one open string, then he might do a verse truly chord melody in which every melody note is accompanied by a three-finger chord, and so forth.  I sometimes play drone style in the way you are describing.  For example, on the B part of Soldier's Joy, especially if playing up the fretboard, I often just play in a drone style because I find it too hard to play chords up there up to speed.  But when I play across all the strings in the lower octave, I do indeed play chords because they are easier to reach.  So my rendition of that song uses chords some of the time and drones some of the time.

And just because someone is playing with open strings does not mean those strings are drones.  It is often possible to play full chords using open strings.  If you are tuned DAA or DAd, any time the chord is a D you can play all open strings, yet those are not drones; they are chord tones.

And as @strumelia explains, many of us do not always strum all the strings all the time. In any rendition of a song, I sometimes pluck single strings, sometimes play two strings, and sometimes play three strings (which may or may note be open strings).  In a lot of my arrangements I play a chord on the first beat of a measure but then I just play melody notes until the next measure or the next chord change, whichever comes first.

And some players play in a flatpicking guitar style in which they rarely play more than one string at a time. Check out some of Larry Conger's playing for that style.  They are playing chords, though, but as arpeggios or broken chords rather than block chords.

As @ken-hulme says, there are no right or wrong ways to play this instrument.  There are many possibilities out there and you should play in the style or styles which speak to you most saliently.  If it sounds good to you, do it. If it doesn't, then try something else.

@floralin, it's very common for beginner chord players to strum out the entire chord across all strings with each beat. I happen to think there's nothing wrong with that when you are starting out, as it can help you improve your rhythm and help you to hear where chord changes happen.
I think that as players gain experience and skill over time, they naturally tend to vary the slant and pressure of their pick in order to emphasize the melody better or even avoid playing certain strings that can sound overbearing if played all the time.
-I'm hoping I'm correctly interpreting what your question is about? 

The fact that you are asking about it indicates that you are watching and hearing what other players do to sound pleasing. If you keep listening and absorbing, your playing will improve. 

Sometimes, new players get stuck in only playing one familiar rhythm... the bump-ditty bump-ditty which can be so satisfying. However such constant full chord or all-string strumming can get heavy handed. Your playing can sound more varied if you alternate single notes with full strums now and then. At other times you can simply let the previous note or chord 'hover' in the air without another strum. That can add a nice breath and lift.
And just because a written piece of music indicates where a chord changes, it doesn't mean you must play that chord right at that moment- this is often true of guitar chords indicated in songbooks.

No matter whether you're a chord player or noter player, forcing yourself to play around with varying your strumming rhythm can actually help you break free of always strumming across all strings (or playing a full chord) for every note.

Simply put, you "determine(s) whether you choose to chord or not".  This is a major factor in creating your own personal style of play.  Just as choosing to sing or not sing along when you play, how you strum or pick or otherwise make the strings sing, and whether you sit, stand, hold the instrument flat or vertical or somewhere in between, define you as a dulcimer player.

The quintessential "rule" of dulcimer playing is:   There Is No Right Way, Or Wrong Way To Play The Dulcimer -- only The Way that works for you.  Never let anyone tell you that you must play in a given way.

I'm self taught too -- 40 years ago when there was only one book!  I tell people that "one of these days I'll get it right." Actually I have -- gotten it right for me.  I don't play chords at all.  I play the full melody all the time in Noter & Drone style, with a variety of full and partial strums, primarily out-strums.  I strum to the rhythm of the words, not a mechanical tick-tock.  I almost never tune to DAd -- I change tunings readily, depending on the song -- DAA, Ddd, DAC, DAG and in the keys of C and E and G as well.  I play sitting, with the instrument flat in my lap, or standing, with the dulcimer flat on a tall stand.  I don't sing along as I play, rather I use the old technique of "play a verse then sing a verse".   

I find that the best thing to do is establish a set time to sit and play.  Especially once you retire and all sorts of "windows" open up to claim the time which you used to spend on the job...

Good for you @Gary-Major !

I am coming back to playing. Been away too long. Got new strings. Polished my dulcimer up. Have a few song boook... Well I hope to shar when I finally catch up lol.

Hello everyone... I just ordered some new strings for my Dulcimer. I am retiring from work in a few weeks and am decitated to get back to my music. I find I am greatly rusty now and can't remember a lot of how to finger and play smoothly. To chord alone or play melody and chord. 

  If anyone has any suggestions for me or anyone else who wants to get back into the swing please offer your advice. I looked over what I shared playing before and can't believe I even played that good. Need to build that confidence again. Please suggest how to get into the proper routine.

Thank you

Love you all !!

I would say I am a novice player, self-taught with the help of books.  When I first started playing, I would play a whole chord whenever there was a chord change in the tune.  But I've been noticing lately that a lot of players don't do that - they use a chord change once in awhile but otherwise just go with the drone.  This certainly makes it easier to play fast, which is one of my problems.  I would like to ask other players what determines whether you choose to chord or not.

And I’m a very proud owner! I have another Folk Roots I treasure as well. Thanks for the information.

Yes Oct 26 1982  the second one made that day.  We did not put those inlays there.  Thanks for showing, It makes me proud!

This is the label.

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The numbers on the label inside are: 

D50St

1026822

Hi That looks like a D50ST, can you see a label inside?  If so , what  are the numbers?

Thanks for that. I will contact him and ask if he did inlay. My best guess is “inlay decals” of abalone. They are flush with the wood.

@gstringer, is that inlay or decals?  Looks pretty cool either way.

If they are decals, anyone could have put them on.  If it's genuine inlay, you might contact @Howard-Rugg , who is a member here and who resurrected Capritaurus Dulcimers a couple of years ago. 

Recently acquired a Folk Roots teardrop dulcimer. Can’t find any similar images on the internet. Anyone seen one of these with inlay/decals?

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No sense in keeping something you're not happy with.  IIWM, I'd talk to Mike and see what I can do for a trade-in.  

About 4 months ago I bought a Clemmer Banjammer at a festival (remember when we had festivals?).  I just haven't bonded with this instrument.  At first I thought it was because it was louder than I was used to, but that problem was solved by stuffing a sock in the back like you would with a banjo.  However, I'm still not comfortable with it and I finally decided just a little while ago that it is probably due to the height of the fingerboard, which is about 1 and 1/4 inches from the body (which consists of one board).  Somehow that seems to affect the action; my fingers just don't seem to glide along it as I would like.  I have two other dulcimers, a very old Folk Roots and a relatively new James McAnulty with an extra kind of "trestle" piece at the back which gives it a wonderful, mellow tone.  I bought the Banjammer because I thought it would be good for fiddle tunes, but I'm thinking of asking the builder if I can trade it in towards another instrument.  Advice, anyone?

Thank you, Lois!  I'll definitely check out that discussion.

@floralin, my sympathy when you compare the 3 stringed instruments where a chord's position is fixed.  At first this (coming from a guitar background) and the variety of tunings so that a particular fret may change notes (coming from a piano background) left me, too, as you said, "but when I try to memorize dulcimer chords my brain says, 'oh no, enough is enough'."

Dusty's given you the right advice.  I would also suggest you look at the discussion on "More DAd than DAA Instruction available."  You probably thought it didn't fit your needs and skipped it, but there are some points in it and in Strumelia's blog that may prove worthwhile for your exposure as you begin your dulcimer journey.

Yes, it definitely helps to know the names of the chords in a class where the teacher is discussing chord progressions.  ; -) 

Thank you, everyone!  I appreciate your help.

Nice.  Reminds me a bit of Carrickfergus.  Sorry I can't help with the tab tho.

Yep mahogany; perhaps ply which was common, or a mix of ply and plank.  J. Titus, builder.  Sort of "in the style" of Hughes Co. dulcimers out of Denver back in those days.  

The wood appears to be a type of mahogany used by many builders of inexpensive dulcimers in the late 1960s and 1970s. I can't tell if the top and back are plywood, but I suspect that the sides are. If the peg head and fret board are a single piece of wood the that is mahogany. The side view of with pegs definitely shows a piece of mahogany.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm going to guess that the label reads. "J. Titus" and that 1970 is the year it was made. It is typical of a lot of amateur, kit, and crafts fair artisan instruments of the day. It isn't a fancy instrument, but looks to be nicely made and in pretty good condition. That is, except for the nut where the strings rest near the tuners. It has come unglued and slipped to one side. An easy fix. Without seeing the edge, it is hard to tell if it was made of plywood or not. 

It doesn't have any great value, except sentimental. Assuming there aren't any cracks or loose braces, it could easily be made playable. 

You don't have to know what you're playing to play very well. But it makes it hard to communicate with others about music. If you want to ask questions or answer other people's questions, it helps to actually know the names of the notes and chords you're playing.

It is worth paying attention to the point your teacher was trying to make even if you don't always follow his or her advice.  There is nothing wrong with playing a 3-1-0 G chord with your thumb on the bass string, and it might work great if your next chord position is a 4-0-1 or 4-2-1 A.  However, if your next chord position is an A chord played as either 1-0-4 or 1-2-4, when you will need your thumb on the melody, then your whole hand has to change not only its position but its angle of attack.  However, if you play 3-1-0 with your index finger on the bass, then your thumb is almost on that 4th fret on the melody string anyway, so you are already in position for that 1-0-4 chord.

My advice is to be as flexible as possible and not get locked into a single approach.  Your thumb on the bass may be fine some of the time and also prove a barrier to smooth playing in other contexts. We all know that cliche to "go with the flow," and I would suggest that you want to adapt your playing to best capture the flow of the music.

Thank you all so much for your responses.  It was a teacher (I don't  remember who) who told me not to use my thumb, I think because it would take too long to reposition to the next chord.  I'm talking mostly about the 3-1-0  and 5-3-3 chords, in DAd tuning.  Or I think that's what  I mean, because...

Another little problem I'm having is that I know guitar chords, know banjo chords, and can fake mandolin chords (have trouble with the barre), but when I try to memorize dulcimer chords my brain says, "oh no, enough is enough".  So I'm having to go by how the chord feels in the piece or sit there and say, "let's see, d-e-f#-g, and a-b, and d, so this must be a g chord".  This is slow.  But I can play a piece all the way through without remembering the names of the chords, or choose to use a chord without knowing its name.

I've had classes with both Stephen Seifert and Aaron O'Rourke.  They are wonderful!

@Floralin, I personally never use my thumb on the bass string, but I know some superb players who do so a lot.  I also have one student who does it even on some of my own arrangements.  The short answer is if it works for you, then it works for you.

One big issue when it comes to left-hand fingering is how the dulcimer is positioned on your lap.  People who use their thumb a lot will want the dulcimer to be angled so that the lower bout is tight against their right hip and the head is angled out over the left knee (assuming you are a righty). Watch some of Guy-Babusek's videos here to see a good demonstration of that kind of positioning.  That angle makes it much more comfortable to use your thumb (but much harder to use your pinky).  People who don't use their thumb as much and rely more on their pinky move the head of the dulcimer in more so that the dulcimer is closer to being perpendicular to their legs.  That positioning facilitates the use of the pinky.  Check out Aaron O'Rourke's videos for an example of that, and notice that he also lifts the bottom of the dulcimer off his lap and angles it away from his body, something else that would make it harder to use your thumb on the bass string (and maybe the reason I never do it).

Personally, I use both my thumb and my pinky, and I shift the dulcimer on my lap depending on the fingering for any given song.

I am not sure which G chord you are talking about.  In DAd:

I play the 3-1-0 G chord with my index on the bass string and either my ring finger or my pinky on the middle string. 

For the 0-1-3 chord I use my ring or middle finger on the middle and my thumb on the melody. 

For the 3-3-5 chord, I use either index, middle, thumb or middle, ring, thumb.

For the 5-3-3, I use index, ring, and pinky. 

For the 5-6-7 chord I use either ring, middle, thumb or middle, index, thumb.

For the 7-6-5 chord I use either index, middle, pinky or index, middle, ring.

I'm sure there are other ways to get these chords (in fact, I know both Stephen Seifert and Aaron O'Rourke barre two of the strings when they play the 3-3-5 and 5-3-3 chords) but those approaches work for me, and in cases when there are more than one possibility, the context of the notes before and after will dictate which I use.

My advice is to do what works, but be aware that it might not work all the time, so be prepared to try other possibilities as well.

I inherited this piece from my mother-in-law when she passed away.  She's had it for decades and I'm going to sell it but I don't know anything about it (style, finding the brand, etc.). She lived in the Denver area for the last 30 years and likely got it in that area or in her regional travels.  Any help would be appreciated.

There is a maker mark inside that I can't decipher. (see photo). It looks like a Pi symbol with "itus" after it.  Or it could be S.Titus where the S and T are running together, or possibly a JTitus.  I can't tell and I've done searches for all of them with no results.

It also has the date 1970 underneath it (or possibly this is a model number??)

Approximately 33" long x 8" wide x 2 3/4" overall.

The fretboard is 1 3/16" wide by about 1/2" thick.

I don't know if this is walnut, spruce, cherry or what type of wood.

Again, any help is appreciated.

 IMG_8101.JPG - 134KB

You'll get lots of opinions on this, probably best answered by someone who teaches in chord/melody style.  :)

Of course a lot depends on 'who' told you this (another beginner student? the teacher?..), and what the reason was for their advice. There might be a good reasons to follow or not follow their advice based on the situation. But a good teacher will usually have a good reason for their advise. Maybe using the thumb there create an awkward hand/wrist angle.

I'm assuming you're in DAd tuning? There is more than one way to finger a G chord. Which G chord  are you referring to?
A lot also depends on the sequence of chords or notes going on in a particular tune as well. Sometimes finger positions will be changed from the norm in order to make a specific musical phrase or sequence flow better and not sound choppy.

Various factors at play on this. Hopefully an actual chord style teacher will jump in to help here.

I love this song so very much and have spent quite some time trying to find my way around TablEdit, but alas, it's just not happening. The sheet music is readily available. Has anyone tried their hand at this song? It's quite lovely.

I'm not a Chord-Melody player.  But the first rule of playing dulcimer (having done it for 40+ years) is this: 
 There Is NO right way, or wrong way to play the dulcimer -- there is only The Way that works for you. 

Others may not like or approve of how you do play, but that's their problem.  Let no one dictate to you. Just because someone is a teacher does not make them right -- for you. 

I play other instruments but am fairly new to the dulcimer.  I was told in a dulcimer class that using the thumb on the low 'd' string - for example, when making a G chord - is a no-no.  But sometimes it just seems more convenient and quicker.  Opinions? 

Beautiful pets in this thread!

Your big blue looks like my late Humbug would have looked with a few more years under his fur!

We have three cats. Our big handsome grey boy cat Teddy is usually sweet, but he's very big and strong and turns into a powerful deadly tiger when any vets try to examine him. Imagine our dread when we found out he has to get a medicine drop in his one troublesome eye twice a day ...as in forever. Yikes!

At first he fought it a bit, but we kept turning the event into a petting/brushing mini session after his drop...he loooves being petted or brushed. So now two months later he absolutely demands we give him his eye drop twice a day, coming to get us, meowing loudly and leading us to the bedroom where we sit on the bed to give him his eye drop and then the reward of 30 seconds of petting or brushing. It's too funny! he gets so excited and in the middle of giving the drop he starts purring so hard he rumbles.    That's when we call him Rumble Purr Teddy.

@anne-maguire , nice to see you checking in! I hope those animules all realize how lucky they are and settle into polite behavior, adding extra joy to your life.  :)

@buckeye67 : sorry i missed seeing your post til now.  Those 3 "curs" are quite camera-ready and appealing! The genetics must have been a good match to produce that handsome brindle boy Sam!

Well, rescue dog Biddy is well and truly settled, and has, I think, accepted this as her permanent home - at least I hope so! There was someone running past the house and over the bridge a couple of nights ago - she went off like a bomb!! Very big, deep barks and growls - took a while to settle her down. 

Senior cat and her still at loggerheads - problem is, Pug runs from dogs, as the last dog he had anything to do with tried to eat him! Junior cat gradually becoming more and more at ease. Not cuddle up together friends yet, but while Biddy was asleep last night he did come up to the lounge, stood up to investigate a dangling dog paw, then just walked away. I think they will end up friends.

So, all working out for the best, for now!