I recently purchased a Pennywhistle (Key of D) with hope of teaching myself to play it. I always like this instrument when I hear it along with Irish melodies.
Has anyone out there had experience with this device?
Thank you all! I had no idea that so many folks would remember me! I appreciate the kindness and healing wishes from you folks. I'm recovering fairly well from the trauma of losing our house. I can also use the healing wishes for a health issue that surfaced just a month before the fire. I've been undergoing treatment, and so far things are looking very positive.
I ended up buying an old “Plickett” dulcimer shaped object to keep in the car. It’s very quiet and sturdy. It had a trial run last night, as I ended up doing an emergency overnight respite visit with a hospice client to give the family a break. I spent most of the night in a recliner about fifteen feet away from the open bedroom door, and plucked on my Plickett softly, to keep myself awake and pass the time, along with watching Forensic Files at low volume.
The strings were the original super thin, rusty wire, so I swapped two out with what I had on hand, and ended up tuning it to C, g, D, with the melody string being tuned lower than the middle, as is my personal presence. This is my favorite tuning that I use on my cardboard box dulcimer that I play constantly, too. The lower tunings made the Plickett sound less plinky, giving a more pleasing plunk.
It’s a fun little board, and I think would survive the trunk of my car wrapped in a towel in a duffle bag this summer.
For those who don’t know, a Plickett was a small novelty dulcimer sold in the 70’s for a while. It’s two feet long, five inches wide at the bouts, and a 3/4 inch thick solid board, with a big circle cut beneath the bridge in the back, to give it a little volume and resonance.
It’s not perfect by any means, but it beats not having a dulcimer at all by a long shot. I suspect my cardboard box dulcimer would survive a summer in the trunk if it were in some sort of bigger box or case, but I love it far too much to try that. The Plickett is actually small enough that I just put it in my work bag and it stuck out just a little, so I could bring it into work or field work situations with me, and not leave in the trunk at all. Yay! I have something to use during work breaks!
Lisa
I have one of these too. It's hanging on the wall of my music room. My wife got it for me years ago. Probably mid 80's at the latest. Every now and again I get it down and strum on it a bit.
I ended up buying an old “Plickett” dulcimer shaped object to keep in the car. It’s very quiet and sturdy. It had a trial run last night, as I ended up doing an emergency overnight respite visit with a hospice client to give the family a break. I spent most of the night in a recliner about fifteen feet away from the open bedroom door, and plucked on my Plickett softly, to keep myself awake and pass the time, along with watching Forensic Files at low volume.
The strings were the original super thin, rusty wire, so I swapped two out with what I had on hand, and ended up tuning it to C, g, D, with the melody string being tuned lower than the middle, as is my personal presence. This is my favorite tuning that I use on my cardboard box dulcimer that I play constantly, too. The lower tunings made the Plickett sound less plinky, giving a more pleasing plunk.
It’s a fun little board, and I think would survive the trunk of my car wrapped in a towel in a duffle bag this summer.
For those who don’t know, a Plickett was a small novelty dulcimer sold in the 70’s for a while. It’s two feet long, five inches wide at the bouts, and a 3/4 inch thick solid board, with a big circle cut beneath the bridge in the back, to give it a little volume and resonance.
It’s not perfect by any means, but it beats not having a dulcimer at all by a long shot. I suspect my cardboard box dulcimer would survive a summer in the trunk if it were in some sort of bigger box or case, but I love it far too much to try that. The Plickett is actually small enough that I just put it in my work bag and it stuck out just a little, so I could bring it into work or field work situations with me, and not leave in the trunk at all. Yay! I have something to use during work breaks!
Lisa
Jeannie, I am so sorry for the trauma and heartache you have been thru! I hope the road ahead gets easier. I am so happy that you have 3 dulcimers again, and oh my! That one is sure a beauty! I have found music to be very healing....... 
Jeannie -- so happy to hear from you again after such a long time, an such trauma! Heal with your music!
Wonderful to hear from you here again Jeannie, and to know that your love of music is inspiring you again in your new life journey. 
Jeannnie, I'm so glad you are starting to build your collection of dulcimers again. 
And your story is more evidence of what a kind, giving community dulcimer players are. Perhaps I'll see you at some dulcimer event in northern Cal one of these days.
I'm glad to hear your dulcimers have been replaced. That Koa MMD certainly cries out to be picked up and played. Knowing the well-earned reputation of David McKinney's work, I'm sure it sounds as good as it looks. So glad to have you back and participating on FOTMD's discussion forum.
Jeannie, I'm happy for your being able to enjoy playing music again! That MMD is gorgeous.
Whatever difficulties are ahead, my wish is for you to have strength to meet them.
So sorry for your losses Jeannie. Glad you are finding the heart to play again.
So sorry for your losses Jeannie. Your Modern Mountain is beautiful. I have several dulcimer books and sheet music I could pass on to you if you like when you are ready. What style music do you prefer playing? Understanding your situation I wouldn’t want to inundate you at this time but let me know if your interested in something. Getting back to playing will help your healing as well. It sure has helped me through some rough times. Happy to have you back.
Hello folks. I haven't been active on here in a long, long time. Partly, I just lost motivation for playing my three beautiful mountain dulcimers and got involved in other activities. Then along came that horrendous Camp Fire which destroyed thousands of homes, including ours and all our instruments.
As I gradually recovered from the fire trauma, I realized I wanted to play mountain dulcimer again. So I put the word out, and wow, Jim Woods from McSpadden made me a new walnut one. David McKinney of Modern Mountain Dulcimers made me a new Koa one at a major price discount. Someone else gave me a very old, beautiful dulcimer that needs work, but I'm back to three again! <3
My very favorite is the one that David made for me, and I love the sound of it. So far I've been focusing on just a couple tunes, as we're still dealing with lots of stuff regarding insurance and housing and health, but I'm feeling motivated again.
I want to show off the Modern Mountain, so here's a photo.
Hi Barlow45, I suggest you go to our Beginners Group and read a few of the threads there that have great advice about buying a 'first dulcimer' that's within your price range. You have to JOIN that group in order to fully read the discussions in it (you can UNjoin any time just as easily). You'll probably find all the help you need by reading those threads, plus other great tips for your purchase!
p.s. loved your post about your cardboard dulcimer, Lisa!
I have the dulcimers pictured in my avatar. The one I play daily, often for a couple of hours, is the cardboard one. I’m not worried if my three small dogs knock it out of my lap while I sit my my recliner. While I don’t want it to hit the floor, it’s happened a few times with no damage. It’s always next to my chair, ready to play. It sounds fantastic, and as Ken noted, the frets are placed accurately. I love it so much as is, I no longer have no plans to upgrade the box to wood. Don’t be put off by cardboard. You can buy one all put together, or buy a kit and paint and decorate it just the way she likes, too.
There’s a saying about musical instruments ... someone asks, What is the best make and model? The answer should be, the one I play the most.
Lisa
Welcome Barlow45 to our happy little corner of Musical Paradise! We'll gladly give you lots of advice on getting your wife started on this musical journey. I might suggest that you start a new topic here in the General Mountain Dulcimer forum as more folks will see your query there than in this Introduction thread, and later folks will find our answers to your questions more readily.
There are literally more than a hundred possibility solutions to your basic question. In general we recommend avoiding "mass manufacturers" who in other countries, who sell "deals" on Ebay and such. Brands like First Act come to mind.
Most of us recommend you start with "Student" model -- dulcimers made specifically to play well and sound good, but which don't have some of the 'bells and whistles' of more expensive dulcimers. You can find two or three builders of Student models who sell their works for $100 to $175.
Another option is a cardboard dulcimer. Yep -- cardboard. The body anyway. The critical part of any dulcimer is the fretboard and the accuracy with which the frets are spaced and installed. Without a good fretboard all you have is what we call a Dulcimer Shaped Object -- suitable only for wall-hanging. There are, I think, 3 makers of cardboard dulcimers, all of whom make really good fretboards, which can -- after she really loves the instrument -- be installed on a wooden body.
We can, and will certainly help her learn to play as well. There are thousands of written and video lessons, song books, audio files and much much more.
Several years ago I wrote an article for beginners called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? which is an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms (so we all talk the same jargon) plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of their new instrument. You can find an electronic copy here:
https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group_discuss/2316/ken-hulmes-i-just-got-a-dulcimer-now-what-article
Hi Colleen! This tip will help with volume. I understand about volume problems with banjo type instruments. I have a mandolin banjo that would drive both my husband and cat out of the room until I learned how to muzzle it! You have probably heard the phrase "Put a sock on it" and I have heard this came about due to uncontrollable banjos. Just take a sock, washcloth or something similar and put it between the rod and underside of the head. Presto, it is muted! This may give you a way to practice your strums without driving all those around you crazy. Gotta love the bratty little banjos!
Barb
So, I'm back, now up to 7 ukuleles and I still can't play any of them very well, but that's another story... I've now got 3 concerts, (including the Fluke), a longneck soprano, a tenor, a baritone and a banjolele. The banjolele is one of the Gold Tone Little Gem line and I love it to bits. It is LOUD and I am still trying to figure out how to incorporate it into some of the songs that my dulcimer group plays. Unfortunately, all of my mistakes are amplified for the world to hear and I throw my fellow players off so will need to work on that. I will be sitting down with my dulcimer group leader and trying to work with her re strumming patterns for our songs. I do ok at home and then get totally thrown when I try to play with the group.
Until I reread this thread, I had totally forgotten the tuning issue with the Fluke. I haven't gotten back to trying to play it, but plan to someday. I think that I enjoy the larger ukes (tenor, baritone, banjolele) the best at the moment.
Steven, that is similar to the 6 strings I am asked to build at times. The only difference is a single vs. double middle string.
Bill Berg makes 5-string dulcimers with an interesting set-up...doubled melody strings, single middle, doubled bass tuned an octave apart...makes for a fuller sound, not necessarily louder. I love mine; one of my favorites. I equally love my 3 and 4 string dulcimers. I can only speculate (which I won't do here) why a luthier would insist a beginner buy a 5-string, though.
Bosse (She's a girl, but has a male name. Ask my daughter why.) She's a "dvärgvädur," which seems hard to translate. Maybe Mini Lop, Hollad Lop, Dwarf Lop.
She's normally in my daughter's room (we live in an apartment), but every summer she gets to spend some time outdoors at grandma and grandpa's in southern Sweden.
All I found was this old listing on Reverb:
https://reverb.com/item/6939411-music-crafts-mountain-music-dulcimer-4 string-vintage
It probably looks like yours. No date given, but the same labeling.
I've done a bit of looking in Jean Ritchie's Dulcimer People and not found a maker working under that label name.
I think I find the song below mournful, because the words all sound beautiful, though the tune is very haunting, then at the end it says all this will be "When you lie still."
The World Is Old Tonight, The Morning Dew
Traditional shepherd’s carol from the Ritchie Family, Traditional Irish Reel
The world is old tonight, the world is old
The stars around the fold do show their light Do show their light
And so they did and so, a thousand years ago And so we’ll do, my love, when we lie cold
The world is still tonight, the world is still The snow on vale and hill like wool lies white Like wool lies white
And so it did and so, a thousand years ago And so we’ll do, my love, when we lie still
Bit of a postscript here. I had heard of the title "Little Musgrave", but that's about it. This is one wicked little song. Yes, it ends as unhappily as Child Ballads have a nasty tendency to do (are there any happy ones?), but the action is far from slow and I think our Strumelia would agree this one ought to hold the audience's interest. I'll prowl the verses to get it as lean as possible.
WOW! I just went to YouTube and caught Nic Jones's fingerstyle guitar version. Oh Ken, that's one heck of a rockin' Child's ballad. I know for a fact they plan to bring the theme of Child's Ballads back next year and I was dreading a real downer of an evening. The librarian in me will research the heck out of this song, but I'd thank ye kindly for any arrangement, or whatever you might be willing to send my way. I know I could probably manage it on guitar, but I'd love to do it on the dulcimer.
Dusty Turtle is right. (And if you have never tried playing in DAG, it is interesting!)
I think we hear both Aeolian and Dorian modes as "minor" because in both, the 3rd note of the scale (the third scale degree, in theory talk) is a minor third (3 semitones) above the key note (root). (This is the F natural at the 3rd fret in DAc.)
Aeolian is the "natural" minor scale. Dorian is a little "brighter" because it has a raised 6th note. If your instrument has a 6+ (6 1/2) fret, you can hear the difference. Here's how:
If you play in DAc using the 6 fret, the melody string(s) give D Aeolian. Starting with the open string (C) and going up to the 8th fret (skipping 6+) you get: C D E F G A Bb C D
DAc using the 6+ fret gives D Dorian: C D E F G A B C D
In arrangements of Dorian melodies in D, you often hear the B natural harmonized with a G major chord (ex.: 7-6-6+ or 3-3-6+), which can be a nice contrast to the minor harmony implied by the F natural.
Hope that illuminates - TomR
Lois -- check out the olde version of Shady Grove, called Little Musgrave. No spooky or lonesome but a great "origin story". I often perform Musgrave and then explain how lyrics and tunes change over hundreds of years.
I'd post The 3 Ravens, but if you read my update on how my performance went, I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to it for a lo-o-o-o-ng while.
I do play Shady Grove and it has a few mournful verses, but the tune is bouncy.
Sally Ann Watches a Movie for Cats (with a couple replicas of vintage instruments in the background)
I probably have about three hundred favorites! Yet I'll name three here. :)
And Can It Be - Charles Wesley
Peace Train - Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam)
Hard Times Come Again No More - Stephen Foster
The vast majority of the revival and pre-Revival instruments had only 3 courses of single strings -- melody, middle drone and bass. But pre-Revival luthiers experimented will all sorts of numbers of strings.
The 4 string, doubled melody course was popularized in the Revival as a way to get more melody volume compared to the mid and bass drones.
The 5 string, with two doubled course pretty much came from the same era. They are not common in the dulcimer world today, but not unknown, either. The idea that all dulcimers must have 5 strings is ludicrous at best.
6 strings -- all courses doubled -- were known a "church" dulcimers. The idea being that they had enough volume to be the instrument for services in one-room, backwoods, churches.
Scheitholtz and similar fretted zithers of early America and Europe had as many 16 strings arranged in double, triple and quadruple string courses, as can be seen in the University of Leipzig Instrument collection on-line.
Obviously, all dulcimers do not need to have five strings. Five strings are not unusual, but dulcimers typically had three strings in the latter half of the 19th century as evidenced by the surviving dulcimers of James Edward "Uncle Ed" Thomas, Charles Napoleon Prichard, and others. At some point, a four string (double melody) set-up became the standard. Individual dulcimer makers have experimented with the design of the dulcimer and other variations of the dulcimer (Scheitholt, Epinette des Vosges, Langspil, Langeleik, Hummel, Hungarian Citera, Pennsylvania Dutch Zitters, etc.) exist with more or less than today's standard of three or four strings. The luthier that stated all dulcimers must have five strings is only stating his personal preferences. Plenty of evidence exists to prove that dulcimers can and do come with a varying number of strings. The dulcimer is a folk instrument. The number of strings is entirely up to each individual to decide for himself or herself.
There are some dulcimer makers whose standard models feature five strings. I can think of a few. But there is no standard in which the number of strings defines what is and what is not a dulcimer. If someone wants a five string dulcimer, by all means purchase one.
By the way I also have a Blue Lion AJ baritone dulcimer. I ordered it with just three tuners and three strings and Bob and Juanita Baker were very accommodating. Their dulcimers are in high demand these days, and anyone ordering a Blue Lion can expect a considerable wait.
