Does anyone have experience with the Beede bass dulcimer? Would love to know your opinion. Because it's so narrow it looks like it would be 'unstable' if held on your lap? Thanks!
Ken, thank you so much. Go figure it was easy as Googling it! That and all had Amazon links to boot. There were two Lois Hornbostel's books via Amazon. One listing her as author and the other the same but following a "Mel Bay Presents". Different covers as well. I'm getting all three found on Amazon and I hope I don't get too many duplication's. Although that's almost impossible to do in the music book arena. Thanks again and I'm off to the races! Kevin.
Well, honesty demands that I while remember Rubenstein's concert quite well I really remember Jose Greco's show. Not because of him though, but rather the woman with the Castentettes in a Black Lace outfit moving around like a Mink............an impressionable young feller like me got "scar'd" half to death. As I recall after the show it seems like some of our crowd got hammered drinking what were called "Schooners" of cheap Beer at a Lum's Restaurant and started doing that dance with Ketchup bottle tops stuck on "their" fingers.....I'll guarantee that one dignified Professor would absolutely deny under oath that she did that nearly 50 years ago.
Ken and Don,
Thanks to you both for being long time listeners!
Well Happy Anniversary to the Heart of the Dulcimer Podcast. I enjoy listening to the podcasts.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I had learned of David's death on FaceBook. His passing leaves a large hole in the folk music world. Salt, I do remember Jose Greco and Arthur Rubinstein. Both were wonderful performers in their own right.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Truly, that's sad about your best buddy.
Though I was just an elementary school kid, I remember the name Arthur Rubenstein.
I really didn't think too much of it at the time since I was usually a "Go-Fer" and jack of all trades sort. I did layouts on an old fashioned contraption called a Vari-type machine, cut copy and hauled stuff around in an old VW I bought for a few hundred bucks. ( My best buddy there was drafted and during the war and killed in a training accident during basic training... we both had VW bugs and shared all sorts of "Go-fer" jobs". He was one of the staff photographers as well and that enabled me get to see and greet some of those characters.)
* A funny story about Rubenstein....the afternoon before his concert a monster of a Steinway Piano was placed on the stage where he was to perform. (You could see and hear everything going on in that auditorium since our workspace/offices were above the stage and at the back of the seating area.) The tuners worked on that Piano for a long time with all sorts of racket being made. When Rubenstein came to check the piano we watched as he played up and down the key board and picked out 2 or 3 keys that needed to be tuned some more........that's how good an ear he had.
Wow, Salt, that's pretty special how you got to meet lots of performers for your college's newspaper! Nice for you to have such memories.
@marg Thanks for the report! I'm nowhere near a store that might have an E-Bow to try so it's nice to get your take on trying it out.
Love that you did this Don!
Yes, as of episode 45, we've created over 24 hours of podcast episodes all about the mountain dulcimer! And they're all free to listen to. If you add the 40 minutes of bonus features with the 55 minutes of the documentary film that's on the DVD, that's a lot listening and watching!!
I tried the e-Bow at a guitar center yesterday with a non-amp dulcimer. I'm thinking it needs to be amp so the
E-Bow reads the electric magnate field. I could hardly hear the sound. Would be nice to have a violin tune for playing some songs
I have a Berg dulcimer
I may try the 10 on the d up by the bass D but I ended taking that string off since it seemed to either hit the bass or just not sound right. Berg's string gage attached:
Way to go, Glen!
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Look on Lois Hornbostel's website, and on Mel Bay. I've seen at least two "dulcimer duet" books. In fact -- just ghoogle "dulcimer duets" and you'll find a ton of books, tabs and websites...
So,,,,, I thought I might be more patient than this while waiting for a reply from Mr. Berg, but since I wanted to start some online tutorials, and figured it would be hard to make things worse at this point, I lowered the nut and bridge today. Of course I was worried about making them too small so I took tiny steps, ridiculously tiny actually😀 Six adjustments to the bridge to shave 0.6 mm and 7 adjustments to the nut to shave 0.8 mm. In some of these steps I did nut and bridge together, so estimate that there were10 different steps where I tightened up and turned each sting before doing the nickels and dime thing.
They could probably go lower, but at this point it seems fine to me for now. I think all I need to do is adjust the slot for the middle string on the nut. It is already a way easier to chord now.
It appears that my friend actually enlarged the the slot for the nut. The surface of the slot floor shows the change in texture. The four thin wedges remained superglued to the dulcimer slot or the plastic, so they were not any trouble to keep reinstalling.
Perhaps not the end of it but now I am enjoying it - starting the basics, did first strumming unfretted exercises, then strumming out a short melody over and over and over. And got better😀
Glen
Howdy all again! I hope it's correct to place this here for open discussion? If you caught my previous recent posts, I'm trying for some tab to join my newest baritone dulcimer with other instruments and dulcimers in particular. What I didn't realize was that since both my regular dulcimer and my baritone are 1-5-8 and in G (Dusty reminded me I could use the same music on the baritone), I don't really need a Dulcimer/Baritone duet book, but rather just a Dulcimer Duet book. The main melody would be taken by the dulcimer while the background or harmony parts played with the baritone, just that it's an octave lower. This would be ideal. A simple dulcimer duet book. I've noticed some tablature that does include a "second" part. Sometimes on it's own staff, and others written on the same staff. An example would be like tunes that have an echo part like the song "I'll Fly Away". I'd sure be nice if that could be found in one book. Any ideas? Kevin.
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 45
Nina Zanetti: The Gentle Side of the Dulcimer
We spoke with 2008 National Dulcimer Champion Nina Zanetti about her approach in playing the dulcimer. Nina’s known for her gentle style of fingerpicking the dulcimer.
You can listen to all the Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast episodes directly on our website: https://dulcimuse.com/podcast or in most podcast apps.
Every episode has its own resource page with photos, videos, and song lists.
Here's the resource page for this episode: https://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/045.html
Thanks for listening!
You know, I really can't remember if I heard him when he was with the Nashville Jug Band or before that time. For some reason I think he was at a folk festival in NC about 1970 or 71. There were lots of folks there performing that weekend. I remember Doc Watson being there and doing a couple of shows and I'm pretty sure Homer Ledford dulcimers were being sold that weekend as well. I'll have to check my old ECU yearbook if I can find it and see who was the woman singing with Doc Watson that day. (Those were interesting days, since I had a job with the College paper and got to see and very briefly greet many of the performers at various concerts..........anyone remember Jose Greco or Arthur Rubenstein? A long time ago for sure!)
It has only been a few years since I really found out what a gifted writer he was. I never really paid to much attention to who wrote the music for many of the people I used to hear on radio or on albums I had.........I think it was EmmyLou Harris' performance of his song "Jerusalem Tomorrow", that got me interested in his work.
Thanks Susie. Tracking number has it coming this next Tuesday. I can't wait!
@salt-springs Did you ever see David Olney play in person?
@irene I'll have to check out the video you recommended.
If anybody gives an E-Bow a go on a non-amplified instrument, I'd be interested in hearing about what you learn.
I agree with Lisa here. I was, and still am, put off by the copycat nature of the New ED -- right down to Discussion Titles. I wish them well, certainly. But there was a dulcimer site that started last year and basically died within a couple months because hardly anyone was contributing.
The thing that keeps me from joining the New Everything Dulcimer is the secrecy of the site-owner/administrator. That just doesn't sit well with me. Having been burned on a few dulcimer things, I'm taking a "wait and see" attitude for now.
I, too, send the new Everything Dulcimer site best wishes! My life is crazy with still having caregiving responsibilities and I can't join another forum yet I am sure the new ED will offer lots of good things to the lovers of all things Dulcimer.
Thank you Strumelia for your clear and wise words here. I can't count all the things I've learned on this site. I used the E.D. site mostly for the fast way I could get old songs in notation and words. Maybe that will happen again. Thank you for owning this site. Thanks to all who moderate and communicate here in. aloha, irene
For clarity's sake, a few things should be noted:
At the time everythingdulcimer closed, Bruce Ford its creator announced he was shutting the site down and deleting the forums rather than choosing to hand it all over to new owners. He had his valid reasons. It was indeed a sad day for so many of us when Bruce's site closed.
The person starting this new site has posted the "About" information that they purchased the everythingdulcimer .com domain in an online auction once it was no longer owned by the original everythingdulcimer owner/creator (i.e. Bruce no longer wanted to keep paying for the domain, and let go of his ownership of the domain name). Unpaid domains typically are made available to anyone interested in buying them. Often they just become advertisement click sites that can have nothing (or something) to do with the original domain's subject matter. That's just how the internet works.
This new person decided to use the everythingdulcimer domain name and to call their new dulcimer site everythingdulcimer, the same name Bruce Ford created for his site. They seem to indicate they will also be adding the tabs from Bruce's old everythingdulcimer site, which Bruce kindly made available for download to anyone needing tabs. As the new ED site owner makes clear in their About section, this new site is not affiliated with Bruce Ford or his old everythingdulcimer site . Originally, they began a site they called DulcimerJam, but they've now switched to using the name EverythingDulcimer instead.
We wish them well! ... after all who doesn't like as many dulcimer related websites as possible?
The Everythingdulcimer Facebook page is another existing venue enjoyed by many, which is not connected to this new everythingdulcimer site.
It can get confusing, but there are now four sites to keep distinct in our minds when it comes to "everythingdulcimer" (for those like me who like to keep track of such things, lol): The original website created and owned by Bruce Ford, now gone.... the Everythingdulcimer Facebook page which was created as an offshoot of the original site for people who like FB, still active.... the DulcimerTab .com site which offers all the old ED site's TAB in addition to adding new tabs over time plus the Teachers and Events section like ED used to have.... and now this new 'everythingdulcimer' site as well. I'm sure the new site will grow quickly, particularly because of the familiar and long respected name and domain.
I do think it'd be good if the new site's owner would actually identify themselves a little more... I like it when sites do that. 
I'm Strumelia, I'm located in New York state. I started playing the dulcimer about 22 years ago and was an active member of Bruce Ford's everythingdulcimer site for about fifteen years, also the "SweetMusic Digest" before that. I started Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer ( FOTMD.com ) ten years ago and I run it with the help of several dedicated volunteer moderators who are very generous with their time and assistance on the site. 
You can contact me directly anytime by email at the link at the bottom of every page here. I'll respond right away with site help if you need it. I wish I could give my real full name here, but alas I must discourage stalking incidents ...because Internet. So I generally just go by 'Strumelia' here on FOTMD. 
Best wishes to the new mountain/hammered dulcimer site!
Yes, Rain Dog, the new site began on January 13, 2020. It is starting to be populated by former members and new folks.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Dusty, you came through again for me! I hadn't even looked into the "groups" section of the forum and as you suggested, I joined the Baritone Group and boy that has everything I've been bugging you all about. Thanks again and I'm going to try to post a pic that Ron Ewing sent me just before he put my instrument in the mail....... I thought that the picture would come up in the text, but the link attachment should do the trick? Maybe I did that wrong, but have a look as it's beautiful as are all of Ron's builds. Look close and you'll see the Galax back as well as the six strings. I asked for all to be unison, but Ron said that on the bass course, two of those rather thick string would be buzzing if placed together so on the bass course it has an octave pairing. I may decide to do the same with the middle course after I get it, but??? Time and sound will tell. Kevin.
Kevin, there are a few books of duets for standard and baritone dulcimers. I know @LarryConger has one, as does Shelley Stevens. Larry is a member here so you could contact him directly with any questions.
But this is the kind of question the Baritone Group would really help with, so once again, I urge you to join that group and seek guidance there.
Thanks Dusty! That was very informative. I've had some "previous" bad luck with capos. Specifically on the dulcimer I refer too, it had a relative short fretboard height off the sound board. The capo I was using had to really hug the top of the dulcimer in order to "fret" the strings enough. Long story short, somewhere along the line I ended up pushing in dimples (rather unsightly ones at that) in the side of the fretboard. But I do see where you're going and appreciate the information. I do sort of want a dulcimer/baritone dulcimer book of tab since my wife has expressed renewed interest in learning the instrument. That would be ideal for me if my wife and I could play some tunes. I was thinking that if there were written "duet" music for the two, then the parts for the baritone might be slower for one and easy as well? Maybe I'll have to dust of my staff book and write my own parts as I did way back when for my church? My newer (already 3 years old) computer and an early copy of Finale music notation software didn't like each other and the Finale folks couldn't offer a compatible upgrade. They did offer to sell me a new version though, hah. With it I could scan in standard notation music and change keys and then convert it to dulcimer tab. Boy how I miss that program. Thanks again. Kevin.
Hi @5Kwkdw3,
First, let me point out that there is a whole group here devoted to baritones, and the most recent discussion there is about how to tune to play with others. You might consider joining the Baritone Group and carrying on this discussion there.
It appears you are not principally interested in playing with other dulcimer players, but in playing with other instruments more generally. The basic issue, as I think you understand, is determining the key you will be playing in.
If you tune your baritone to GDg, playing in the key of G will be easiest. You can also tune AEa and play in the key of A. If you are tuned GDg and you capo at the third fret, you will be in the key of C, and at the fourth fret you will be in the key of D. If you are tuned AEa, you can get the key of D with a capo at the 4th fret and E with a capo at the 5th fret.
So just with those two 1-5-8 tunings, you can easily play in the keys of A, C, D, E, and G.
If you have a 1.5 fret, there are other possibilities as well, and depending on your string gauges you might be able tune a bit higher than A or lower than G. Be careful, though, tuning too high since you may break a string.
There is some tab for baritones, but you don't need it. If you are in a 1-5-8 tuning such as GDg, you can use all the tab for dulcimers tuned DAd. You will simply be playing in G instead of D, but the tab will still work. I tab everything out in DAd, but I often play that stuff tuned EBe or CGc or GDg or AEa, and sometimes a half step lower or higher than those tunings depending on my mood.
By the way, I see you have a Probst dulcimer in your picture. I, too, have a Probst, and it is currently strung as a baritone!
If you are not familiar with capos, take a look at this video . I posted it about two years ago in response to a similar question here at FOTMD. I demonstrate the capo on a standard dulcimer tuned DAd, but hopefully you'll get the point.
Thank you! We will let you know.how it goes.
BTW, the 'kit' he had been looking at, sold also, but we didn't watch that one, or know how much it sold for....
Thanks Susie for your comments. That's also pretty much the case with me (playing solo), but from time to time I do come across a guitar, violin, etc. that I'd like to play with. It was playing for my church that I think was my first reason to tune everything in G. Not so much for the other instruments, but for me. (I didn't have to think that much). I did a fair amount of the "arranging" for the instrumentalists who'd play together so I appreciated making it simple for myself. The most difficult was when a young college student wanted to join in but had a trombone. I forget now what it was keyed in, but remember it was a "head scratcher" for me to pen his part. Kevin.
Kevin, welcome back. I remember corresponding with you about our Olympia Walkabout Dulcimers. I have a Folkcraft Custom Baritone, tuned to A. I haven't yet sat down to try to play with others. For me, it's about my personal use and loving the lower tones in all the standard tunes. So, I use my regular music when playing my baritione.
I have read a few articles that may help. Just google "playing baritone dulcimer with standard dulcimers". Hope this helps.
The ebow is an interesting concept, certainly. From doing some digging, I see that it will work, however temperamentally, on non-amplified acoustic instruments but very quietly; with sufficient experimentation to find one or more 'sweet spots' where it works best.
berg string gage.pdf - 38KB
