Forum Activity for @richard-streib

Congratulations on your purchase. That is a beautiful dulcimer. I know you will enjoy it for a long time

That is a beautiful instrument. Enjoy and have fun playing it (which I am sure you will). Richard makes wonderful instruments.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The answer is dependent upon the size of your fingers and hands.  In general, larger hands are more comfortable with a longer VSL and smaller hands are more comfortable with a  shorter VSL.  However, the space between strings can also be a factor.  If your fingers are long or fat/stubby, a longer VSL and a wider fingerboard and string spacing is more comfortable.  If your fingers are short or thin, the width of the fingerboard is less of a factor but you might find a shorter VSL more comfortable.

For the most part, assuming your hands and fingers are a good fit, switching back and forth with dulcimers having a difference in VSL does not usually cause a problem.  The left hand can usually adjust to the minor differences fairly easily.

That dulcimer looks like a keeper! Congratulations and enjoy!

Less sustain is not necessarily true. My 26" vsl models  tunes to dadd pitch two inches sooner than a 28" vsl so there is less tension on the strings allowing for sustain. There is a lot less chance for string breakage as well. ..Robert

That looks like a mighty fine instrument, @Wmacky.  Really beautiful.

Haha  Yes Beard!

Here are some pics.

 s-l1600 (2).jpg - 134KB

Congratulations, @Wmacky. I'm sure you'll make that dulcimer sing in no time.  Do you have any pictures to share?

(By the way, I think the name is Richard Beard , though I'm sure he eats bread every now and then. )

Well I did it. I purchased a new Dulcimer and will learn to play it! I looked at the usual big production units, and thought I had decided, but then found a small production dulcimer from a individual Luthier. The Luithier does not seem to be well known to the dulcimer community, (Richard Bread?). Research shows he make excellent guitars, and Mandolins with Very glowing reviews. I guess the negative would be resell value compared to better know instruments? The positive seemed to be a lot of deluxe features and upgrades for the same price as a "regular" upper end standard Mcspadden.

This one comes with a red cedar top, highly flamed Maple sides and book-matched back. Walnut scroll , end block, and fingerboard, ebony fret-board, ebony tipped Grover tuning keys, and a high gloss polished lacquer finish. It's quite striking! :-) This was a internet purchase but with a 14 day return period.

I start out with some scales as Dusty suggested and prctice those for no more than 10 minutes.  Often only 5 just to warm up my fingers.  Then I quicly play a couple songs I know and like.  Then I go to a song I'm learning or one I find very difficult.  I repeat small sections of the song, especially the measures giving me trouble.  When I get tired of that or frustrated, I stop and play songs I like or are on the playlist of my dulcimer group.  I always end with playing something I really like.  But some days I just play and don't "practice."  

I like variety, too, and try playing the same song in different styles. Dulcinina

Though I'm a by-ear noter/drone player, I think my approach to bringing variety to practice would work for anyone no matter the style.  I like to try different, really different types of picks or even fingerpicking on tunes to give variety to the sounds which can be got from a single tune.  It may not be to everyone's liking as an exercise, I imagine, but I also like to know the essence of a tune so well I can vary the tune slightly each time I play it through.  

Thanks so much for the replies!  And Dusty the video is wonderful!  I had just started working on scales and this will be a definite help!  Strumelia, I have trouble playing with feeling.  I try, but it seems to be a rare occasion when I actually "feel" it.  Someone told me long ago that you've learned a song once you can play it 3 times through at the correct tempo with no mistakes and that, to me, is becoming very boring and frustrating.  Mandy, I'm going to try the index card idea.  It sounds fun and I'm sure will definitely break up the monotony!  Dusty, I agree with the "don't put the dulcimer down when you're frustrated" theory also.  I'd been doing that quite often since after I ran through all the other tunes I'm a bit tired when I start working on the new one.  So for now I start out with practicing scales then play just one or two songs I know, then start in on the new one, and finish up with Rosin the Beau or Wildwood Flower, ones that bring me joy and I know that I play pretty well and it really does make a difference when you walk away from it.   Thanks again!  I wish more people would post how they practice also because the ideas coming in will keep us from being bored for quite some time...lol

I confess my time available for practice gives me too little review time and tends toward program needs and a song or songs matching themes coming up at our local folklore society.  I use the group's monthly themes to try new material.  The later in the list, the better the amount of time spent on the song.

To add to my guilt, I have more than just MDs I should be playing/practicing.

To paraphrase a popular quote about books:  So many instruments, so little practice time.

Yes, it all comes down to prioritizing, which also shows why I'm not a musician, but a storyteller who dabbles in music. 

This is not saying I won't try to apply some of the ideas offered here.  After all that's the benefit of FOTMD.

There are two ways to reach DAD from GDG. 

You can use heavier strings to go DOWN to standard DAd tuning.  A McSpadden Ginger has a 23 and 6/15" VSL.  With the recommended string sizes of .012, .016 and .026  it tunes very nicely to DAd in the same octave as a standard-sized dulcimer. 

Or you can go UP to the higher octave.  A Ron Ewing dulcimette has an 18" VSL.  With .010, .012 and .020 strings it can tune to DAD one octave above standard.  But that's high tension -- I usually tune my dulcimette down to C or Bb instead of D -- so I have doubts about taking a 22-inch VSL to the high octave unless you use very light strings (.009?).

At 22 and 1/8 inches, your backpacker can probably take Ginger strings and tuning.  I suppose I should ask the obvious questions: have you tried taking your current strings and tuning them down to DAd?  What happens?  Are they a little floppy or a total disaster?  Have you contacted Cedar Creek and asked them about strings for DAd?

ETA:  Folkcraft's FolkRoots Travel Dulcimer has a 22" VSL and uses .012, .015 and .024 for DAD in the standard octave.  There you go.

For what it's worth, I'm building an 18" vsl Octave dulcimer and Ron Ewing recommended, for DAD tuning, that I use 10, 14, and 20 ga. strings. I'll let you know who it works when I finish it. 

Do you know the string gauge of your strings?

Don, others have asked this question, too, assuming that the small differences in distances between frets would pose problems.  But I've never found it to be a problem.  I do think it helps that I tend to look at the fretboard rather than tablature when I play, but I think you'll get used to whatever instruments you play.  I regularly play instruments whose VSLs range from 17" on an octave dulcimer to 28-1/2" on one I string as a baritone.

As @Robert-Schuler explains, it is easier to finger certain chords on smaller dulcimers, which is why my main dulcimer now has a 25" VSL.  But there is also a trade-off, as shorter strings in general have less sustain.

Short scale dulcimers are much easier to finger when playing chords. I mostly build with 26" VSL. It's a happy medium...Robert

I don't see why it would.  The difference of distances between frets is pretty small.  So finger placement even with a 3" difference in VSL isn't  that critical, IMHO.  This table compares the distance between frets on 25" VSL with 28" VSL, and there seldom more than .2 difference in fret spacing between 25" and 28" VSLs.  

Does playing different VSL impede the learning for a beginner?

That's some mighty fine playing, Randy. It not only sounds great, it's just plain fun to watch too!

Nice, Randy. I could sit and listen to you play all day. Might need a break for pizza though.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Love it.  Thanks for posting.

That looks and sounds great!

I've always seen CBG's and CBU's tuned in fourths. You can tune ukes and guitars in fifths but it is rare. Tenor guitars are probably tuned in fifths most of the time. 

I saw a 16" VSL instrument tuned DAd once, but the strings were monsterously thick! Almost like an autoharp.   Not fun to play.

You could try ADDd on the GDDd. the bass string should be ok going up one step to 'A' [give Cedar Creek a call and verify]. It should be compatible with the DAd players then, although chording may be a problem .

The shorter you go, if you want to stay tuned to DAd you'll have to put on heavier strings so it won't start feeling floppy.  Personally, if I wanted to have relatively 'normal' gauge strings for DAd tuning, I wouldn't go shorter than around a 23" scale.

I have a hard time posting pictures here.  The file size is too large and I have trouble changing it.  I'll try to record something soon and post it.

Don, the questions isn't as simple as you might think because VSL and string gauge both vary, so different VSLs might require different string gauges to get the same tones.

Standard size dulcimers can probably be thought of as having at least 25" VSLs.  Dulcimers smaller than that, say in the 22-24" range are usually tuned up a fourth or fifth to G or A, but not always.  A lot of people play the McSpadden Ginger model tuned DAd.

And Skip's suggestion of using a capo at the 7th fret demonstrates, you can also get DAd an octave above a standard dulcimer.  There are a few really well-made octave dulcimers out there, Ron Ewing is probably the best known builder.