Forum Activity for @dan

Our beloved John Henry, thank you for sharing!!!

This week's "Conversation" delves into the formation of the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club in the UK, with founder member John Crocker. He also tells me about his "found objects"!

https://mdconversations.blogspot.com/2019/09/5-john-crocker-from-bristol-uk.html

@dulcinina & @marg Your time making music with friends sounds wonderful! 

I had a few players from our group over and we played at sunset, made for a beautiful evening - music and friends

@dedicated-dad I knew what you meant and second @Dusty-Turtle on joining the 4 Equidistant Strings group.  We're happy to have you here at FOTMD!  

Thanks everyone.  We are definitely smitten.

Cats are the CRAZIEST people!

Dusty has such a pretty and unusual color coat. Pretty kitty.

Dusty is very cute, congrats on the new fur-baby!

Yes, "upper strings" meaning higher tones, treble, higher register.  The strings nearest your body when playing.  

What a beautiful and charming kitten. I know you will enjoy her in  your life.

It seemed to me the OP was referring to the strings closest to the body as "upper strings" of the equidistant strings because he clearly asked whether they were played together as if they were close together (as some melody strings are doubled).

"Upper" strings???  No such thing.  Dulcimers are not vertical instruments! 

Do you mean the strings closer to you than farther away?  Or higher pitched versus lower pitched? Or melody versus middle drone versus bass strings?

As Skip says, there is no "proper" tuning or a 3, 4, 5 or 6 string dulcimer; just a number of possibilities depending on the  kind of music you want to play and how you want to play it.

@gulfcoastgal What a pretty cat!  She got the size Small genes.  :)

@dulcinina Dusty sure is cute and is lucky to have her new family!  

Like most everything else with a MD, there is not a 'proper' tuning for 4 equidistant, it depends on what you're trying to do. The strings are equally spaced across the nut/bridge, like a 4 string banjo, so they can be picked individually. This layout is used primarily for fingerpicking/flatpicking

This little gal showed up 3 weeks ago, skinny, skittish and abandoned.  I began feeding her and after a week she let us pet her.  By the 2nd week we were able to pick her up.  We took her to the vet where she got a checkup and her shots.  Vet said she was about 8-10 weeks old.  We haven't had a cat in 5 years and we've never had a kitten.  She is so much fun and so loveable.  Meet Dusty who is honored to share the name with our own Dusty Turtle on FOTMD.  Nina

 20190826_132256.jpg - 356KB

Hey @Dedicated-DAD, first you should know that there is a whole group here dedicated to 4 equidistant strings .  YOu might consider joining, perusing the old conversations and perhaps starting a new one.

There are a number of ways people tune for 4 equidistant strings. Some just add another in the same pattern, so they might tune DADA.  Janita Baker tunes something like D Bb A D.  That gives her a chromatic scale, enabling her to play blues and ragtime and jazz. But she only fingerpicks, never strumming across all strings.  I recently learned that Neal Hellman often tunes DAdd.  Those two high D notes are not played together, but rather he plays in a drone style in that tuning and gets an extra high D drone that way.

I'm sure there are other variations, too. All of them equally "proper."  Again, I urge you to joint the 4-Equidistant Strings group and pursue your interests there where you'll find more expertise.

What is the proper tuning configuration for a 4 equidistant string dulcimer?  Are the two upper strings played together, as if they were close together?  Thanks.  

Got a quick reply from Cedar Creek:

We typically tune the Dulcilins GDD, but they can use the DAD tuning with some thicker strings: roughly 24-14-12-12. Please let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your inquiry.
Blessings,
Jeremy
Cedar Creek Dulcimers

Wow!  What perfect timing!  I was about to post the same question and here all of you have answered it and more.  Thanks!

My friend, Gail, and I played our cantars on my porch.  We also played dulcimer for about 1 1/2 hours but somehow our photographer (my husband) didn't get pictures of that.  Last year we played on her porch.  We had so much fun. Nina aka Dulcinina

 PLAYING DULCIMER ON PORCH.jpg - 230KB

Thanks to all of you for the good advice! I went ahead and ordered the Folkcraft strap. I'll need to add another strap button, but it will be worth it, and I can use the conventional mandolin strap I bought for my Woodrow upright.

Thanks again!

Redwolf

Thanks to you as well!

I second Dusty's advice regarding the quick release straps.  As he stated Folkcraft makes a quick-release strap specifically for the dulcimer.  With this strap a short section of the strap (2-3 inches or so) remains attached to the strap buttons when not in use.  When you are ready to use it just snap the longer section of the strap into place and you're ready to go.  They can be purchased for less than $20.00 directly from Folkcraft or on E-Bay.  

Here's a link to the 1-inch wide brown quick-release strap: https://www.folkcraft.com/collections/accessories/products/brown-one-inch-strap-2310435

If you own more than one dulcimer, you can purchase multiple straps so you won't have to continually struggle with getting the strap onto the strap button.  Just leave the short end-section attached.  The long section of the strap can be stored in the case until needed.  The beauty of the Folkcraft strap is how quickly and easily it can be attached or disconnected.  It's well-worth the cost.

Playing with a strap enables the dulcimer player to position the dulcimer further away from his or her body allowing easier access to the fretboard.

Hey, @lisavb & @ken-hulme So good y'all were able to be out to celebrate the music holiday!  :)

Thanks! That's good advice. I had that happen once with a guitar (in that case, the strap button pulled itself out, and my guitar crash-landed on a linoleum floor...talk about heartsick!).

FYI- DON"T use the strap to carry the MD like a rifle or purse, over your shoulder, unless you have installed straplocks. The strap could come off the button, allowing the MD to crash and break. I've seen it happen several times  to really nice, expensive MDs [not mine, yet].

Thank you!

@Redwolf, there are a few different options for you.

I would advise against continually pulling the strap off the strap button.  That will just loosen the hole and it won't be so secure after a while. 

Personally, I just pull the strap over my head without loosening it. It's a tight fit, but that way the strap stays adjusted perfectly for me.

There are also some quick release straps you might try.  Folkcraft offers a couple of models, ( 1" and 2" width) and Sue Carpenter also sells them in multiple colors.  A few other dulcimer folks sell Sue Carpenter's model as well, so they are not hard to find.  The quick release straps allow you to unhook the strap without taking it off the strap button.

Hi! I hope this question isn't off-topic or covered elsewhere (I did try a site search first, and didn't find anything). I'd like to get some input on using a strap with your dulcimer...specifically putting it on and taking it off.

This may seem a bit basic, but it's a legitimate question: If you play with a strap, do you detach the strap from the strap button to get in/out of it, or do you just loosen it and pull it on/off over your head?

I just got a strap button and strap for my little ACD100, and it's quite a chore getting the strap on and off the button, but I'd hate to have to untie and retie the cord around the headstock whenever I want to play.

Because of this dulcimer's small size and light weight, I really do want to use a strap rather than non-slip shelf paper, as it feels rather insecure on my lap when I play on the top frets. Any advice greatly appreciated!

Played Music On The Beach -- no porch at our weekend retreat place on Sanibel island.  And darn few people.  You'd think there was a hurricane warning or something.  But Dorian was a very Minor impediment to a fabulous weekend of sun and Gulf waters.

Was a nice day, weatherwise, for PMOTPD here just east of Seattle.  I got out on the deck and went through all the music I have that I can even remotely play, then improvised for a bit.  Saved enough juice to jam with my parrot Waldo indoors a little later, before it was time to start dinner.  I had no idea this existed--fun excuse to get out there and play in the fresh air (while we still have nice weather)!

@hugssandi I was unable to play the video here yet I saw it from fb-- yay, girls!  The photos and vids from your day were a delight to see.  

Thanks, @Strumelia!  My highest aspiration as a player is to be a good porch player.  

I've enjoyed all the postings of PMOTPD!  

Thanks. That is very kind of you.

Here is a very short clip of Hazel and I doing  Werner Van Rillaer 's "The Artists".  It's the only vid I've been successful loading here so far, maybe because it's so short?  I fell head-over-heels for this song, and Werner was kind enough to message me a vid of his fingers playing and a pic of his handwritten lyrics.  I tune by ear and really struggle to get into DAG, and there is a bit of buzz, but it's so worth the try.  This is my Teagan, a Wren by Feather Dulcimer, as well as my favorite!

I know the day is over, but I am still so enjoying reading what y'all did and seeing your pics and vids!!!!!  Keep 'em coming!

[edit by Strumelia: sorry Sandi but videos will not play as attachments, so I had to delete it. You'd need to post a link to the video somewhere online instead, and it can then play from here in a post.  Perhaps Hazel can help you with this?- I know she's smart about youtube video stuff... lol]

Thank you Ballad Gal. Here is a link in case you or anyone else is interested: 

Norulak Screen Printing

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.

David, you do so much, and the video is a bonus!

Great shirt, Ken!

The Five Constipated Men of the Bible from our very own Ken H.!  (Y'all have mentioned lots of faves I wanna learn now though...)