Forum Activity for @diesel

Different strokes for different dulcimer folks.  I just think of my instruments as having a soul of sorts; released as they get played in and attuned to me.  Names personalize that feeling for me.  And just for the record, I name my tools also.  My screwdriver is named Lucille and I call my hammer Trigger; with apologies to B.B. King and Willie Nelson.

Lisa, I am glad you like "my" song. I agree, it's a beautiful song. Irene, like you, I have lived on a river, the Flint, for many years. I love "my" river. I love it so much, that almost always, while motoring slowly up or down, early in the morning, I feel haunted by it's beauty. That's a good reason to love this wonderful song. Congratulations for your 54 years, Irine.  Fifty years for us.  Dusty, it feels good to know there are other men, and women, who don't mind admitting, that they too get emotional with certain songs. I'm glad you pulled yourself together and we're able to play this song. I love playing it on dulcimer, but I do believe the guitar is the right instrument for this song.

I don't name any of my instruments. Most of them are just called by the name of the builder; e.g., the Folkcraft, the Blue Lion, the Thomas, the Prichard, Number 1 (the first one I built), etc. The same goes for my banjos and guitars. They are tools to help me make music. I don't name my screw drivers, wrenches, pliers, chisels, or other tools either. It doesn't mean that I do not care for or cherish them.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The comments here in....about RIVER by Bill Staines had me looking it up on youtube.  No wonder it's a favorite.  I've never heard it and I too can love that song.  I live on the grand Mississippi....seeing the sunsets daily...sunshine and rain and big thunder clouds....remembering my past with all the kids and now just my husband and I ....looking and singing and playing our instruments together at ages 77....We'll sing our 54th anniversary in our round yurt this July 30th and be grateful for all our years together and then some. Thank you friends for posting your favorites for us to learn from them too.  aloha, irene

Terry, I once played guitar backup to a woman singing "River" at a small community arts festival.  I was given a lyrics sheet with chords to play, but when we rehearsed I broke out in tears as I followed the lyrics.  I had to just learn the song and play without looking at the lyrics so that I could smile at the audience instead of balling like a baby.

You are not alone.

I have always named my instruments for the simple reason that, as space in the house is limited and accidents will happen, they live in their cases in thee olde musick closet unless I take them out for a stroll.  All black cases.  All black, identical cases...  So I write their names on paper luggage tags and attach them to the handles of their respective cases.  Makes it a lot easier to find the one I am looking for.  As for names, the last in was the circa 1890-1910 home-made baby I posted about a week or so back.  When it arrived I took a long look at it and thought 'Ohio' for provenance, but no good name came to me - though I considered 'Buckeye'.  But then we were watching an old Andy Griffith rerun Friday night in which Andy had a scene with the old codger named in this episode Jubal, Jud in others, and I thought "thats it!"  I looked up Jubal on the internet and found that he was a descendant of Cain and is credited as being the "father of all who play the harp and flute".  As I am also learning to play the fife, I knew I hit this one on the head.  Serendipity strikes!

"River" by Bill Staines is truly a beautiful and emotional song Terry.  It's very easy to understand it producing tears.

About 3 months after I began my journey with the dulcimer, I drove 100 miles to my first of only two D Jams. The group of around a dozen played "River (take me along), instrumental. I'd never heard of it. I thought it was the prettiest song I had ever heard. And then when I discovered the words, I was blown away again. I've been working on this song now for 6 years. My wife told me a couple of years ago, that I am ready to play the song out.  However, I love the song so deeply, I just don't want to blow it for someone else hearing it for the first time. "River", is a metaphor for the life we have each lived, and tomorrow on. If I told you how many times tears have flowed while practicing this song, one would say; "You need to get a hold of yourself, boy, or get institutionalized." One day, just maybe.

How many times can I answer this question?  If it's only once, I would have to find a tune that sounds as good fast as it does slow.  Something with words but whose melody is meaningful without the words.

I'm gonna have to percolate on this one for a spell.

Yeah this is a very tough question Terry!  

I almost picked Shady Grove. But then I had to choose a song I learned many years ago from the great Aubrey Atwater...

Wedding Dress, also sometimes called My Little Doney Gal.  I learned it at a workshop Aubrey gave, on dulcimer... but I think I actually play & sing it better on the banjo.
Anyway, I think that's the one I'd pick.  

I slept on it-- it's Shady Grove.  

If you could hie to Kolob (I'll post the words to this some other time)...but any one song would become boring after too many times a playing it....We all have many.  I've loved the answers....who will watch the home place....amazing grace...Music is in all our souls else we'd not be doing it daily and posting and reading here in.  Thank you all for your posts.  aloha, irene

Golly, I gotta sleep on this one!  :)

Ditto!!!

Too tough for me. I have no answer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Shipwrecked and for all eternity are two separate things. If I have to pick one song for all eternity, I'll assume I traveled down and not up.  

Interesting, does for all eternity mean until I find the next favorite? My choice is "Who Will Watch The Home Place" written by West Virginia song writer Kate Long. This song really struck a chord with me (pun intended). It makes me think of the many folks who have had to leave the land either because of external forces or of their own volition. I find it both sweet to play and sweet to sing.

Lisa, that's an IMPOSSIBLE question for me to answer.  I love so many songs and hymns!

"Next to the Word of God, MUSIC deserves the highest praise..."  (Martin Luther)

Ohhhh… that's TOUGH!!

After much consideration.....   Leonard Cohen's Suzanne a.k.a Suzanne Takes You Down

Mine would be Amazing Grace.  I can never get over how amazing God's grace is.

Here's a challenging 'shipwrecked on an island' type of question for all you Friends...

If you were somehow only allowed to play ONE song or tune on your dulcimer forever more, and it could only be one that your currently have already in your list of songs you play... which piece would you choose as the dulcimer ONLY tune you could play?  

no cheating now, don't name multiple songs... just name your ONE choice.  

Thanks for the responses!

With my poor attempts to learn to play them, most of the ones I've built THINK their name is 'dammit' ........  :(

The one I'm playing,  the other one, the black one, the one Bobby made, the one Til made, the Gross replica...

For years I did not name mine but have been more recently.

 Yes i have one I call Superstar built by Bill Berg and another I call Baby Huey because its so big! Lorania built out of wood from an old mill built during the Civil War.   

saras

custom designs, beautiful & so personal

Here is mine I designed them 

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Lovey is my yocky's name 

Hey Craig good to meet you!

Wow - a Capritaurus AND a D-00. What a great pair.

I played guitar for many years before I started the dulcimer. The main draw for me was exactly as you say: diatonic forced me to rethink composing and experimenting with different tuning and string configurations.

As a result, I've now gone back to playing guitar again and started noodling in CGCFCD - what an amazing find courtesy of Martin Simpson! 

Hi, I'm Craig and I'm new around here. I discovered the site the other day while searching for info about my dulcimers.

I first got interested in the mountain dulcimer in the 1980s; I forget why, exactly, but Dave Cousins' use of the instrument on "Witchwood" by the Strawbs may have had something to do with it. I was already a guitar player at that point who could also find his way around a piano. I bought a Rugg & Jackel (the teardrop-shaped one in the photo) along with an LP by Michael Rugg ( Rugg's Celtic Collection for Dulcimer  -- charming album) and a couple of instructional books and started playing. The D-00 is quite small (22" VSL), so it's easy to play, though the tone is a bit boxy. More recently, I bought a vintage 1973 Capritaurus (the hourglass-shaped one), which at 29" VSL is the opposite -- great tone, but kind of hard to reach chords, and easier to play when tuned down to C. I may have to split the difference and buy a 26" model...

I'm not really a great dulcimer player; I'm better at guitar, but I like to play and I find that different instruments make me think differently. On guitar, mandolin, or dulcimer, I come up with different things. The modal nature of the dulcimer, in particular, forces me away from my natural tendency toward chromaticism.

That is a nice looking dulcimer. How does it sound?

Well, 3 minuts with Google tells me that he lives in Claremont, NC, apparently does not have a website or blog, and sells through Ebay and a couple of NC dulcimer shops.

Newest addition to the collection! It is all cherry, so I couldn't resist... Any info on the builder would be appreciated! Thank you in advance!

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Our last cat (of the four we adopted 20 years ago) sleeps quite peacefully on our bed most days, but when I tune up, she yells to beat the band and gets up.  She is a sweet girl, but at over 100 in human years, a bit of a crank...