Forum Activity for @macaodha

Excellent Strumelia.

Dusty's right.  In English there were no standardized way to spell anything until some years after the Oxford English Dictionary was completely published (1884-1928) and accepted as the standard (taught in school).   Basically between WWI and WWII. And the farther from mainstream society folks were, the more those spellings seem to have varied.  

For example, my Scottish Clan name -- Home -- dates back to 1225 -- has at least 28 ways to spell Home, and people with all those different surnames are genetically related!

The Appalachian dulcimer is a folk instrument that evolved in the US from various folk instruments familiar to immigrants, such as hummel, langelik, langspil, scheitholt, epinette, etc. The earliest currently known dated Appalachian dulcimer has a date from I believe the 1830s, but doubtless they were being made in the US somewhat earlier. There are some good dulcimer history books out there that should be read by anyone interested in the background of dulcimers, as currently known.

The fact is we will likely never know exactly when/where/bywhom the American lap dulcimer was precisely 'invented'. Such records were never officially kept by anyone, and folk instruments can be fragile or be stored in barns- many have not survived as long as instruments like violins or pianos that were considered more valuable and thus were better cared for over time. Compared to more widespread commercial instruments, the surviving documentation on mtn dulcimers is sparse.

As to names, like Dusty said there are regional variations in spelling and pronunciation, especially when it comes to informal folk culture. The 'dulcimer' in St James Bible likely refers to ancient instruments that were more like psalteries or hammered dulcimers, or perhaps even bagpipe-like.
There is no Official Rule Book that governs how mountain dulcimers should be called, played, or tuned. Instead, there are musicians, scholars, online fans, and builders who all have their own preferences and ideas on classification, tradition, and features of the instrument. The mtn dulcimer is definitely classified in the broad zither family as opposed to the necked 'lute' family, but beyond that people get into classification and feature preferences that can be relative according to their own ideas.

If I started posting regularly about distinct characteristics of the "Dulcimonium"... then after a few years everyone might well consider that to be a verified and distinct variety of mountain dulcimer, not to be confused with Dulcimores or Galax dulcimers or box dulcimers or modern dulcimers. I could go on about how this or that feature makes something a Dulcimonium or not a Dulcimonium... a dulcimonium must have gut strings, six of them, and have a long triangular body shape and must have wooden frets and zither tuning pins... or else it's not a true dulcimonium.
What I mean is that there is no actual official 'Bible' or rulebook of mountain dulcimers. With enough repetition and enthusiasm, anyone could make Dulcimoniums 'happen'.

BTW please excuse my evening ramblings, ..and know that i certainly don't intend to offend anyone!

I already own my dream dulcimer which is a Blue Lion Acoustic Jam dulcimer. Like Robin’s dulcimer, it is made with a western red cedar soundboard and walnut back and sides. The VSL is 26.25.” I play mostly fingerpicking chord style. The Blue Lion dulcimer is great for that. I guess having some beautiful inlay work would make it even more dreamy. Since acquiring the Blue Lion AJ dulcimer, my playing has greatly improved.

I'm fortunate to own a dream dulcimer, a Blue Lion Jean Ritchie model instrument.  Top is Western Red Cedar, sides & back are Walnut.  I can't tell you the VSL off the top of my head-- I only play with a noter so VSL isn't much of a factor.  

Tough question. If I could have just one, today, I think it would be a 1917 RT model, a replication of an older Thomas made for Bailis Ritchie in all walnut built by Dan Cox. Maybe tomorrow it would be something else.

I think Ken's correct.  It's pretty clear that all those different spellings of what we now refer to as a dulcimer -- delcymore, delcimer, dulcimer, dulcimore, dulcymore -- reflect local or regional pronunciations of the word.  Especially among people with low literacy rates, few people would have seen the word in print, so there was nothing like a "standard" pronunciation.  In the same way that folk songs varied from one region to another, so would the pronunciation of a word vary.

As for dulciwhacker or duckslammer?  

That's a good question Nate. I wish I had a good answer. I don't think it is a stylization. You may be closer with your second suspicion. Perhaps these various names came about by spelling out the name of the instrument spoken in different dialects. It would probably take a linguistic study to confirm this. I'm not a linguist and have idea how one would go about doing this.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Something I've wondered for a while is, if dulcimer is written in the Bible spelled 'dulcimer', are different spellings a stylization of the word done on purpose or just a product of limited literacy in the deep mountains? 

That's a fun question. I've always wanted a Homer Ledford dulcibro. The craftsmanship is gorgeous, I love the metal sound, and it's a piece of dulcimer history. Unfortunately, but justifiably, they are quite expensive so that one might be a while for me lol.

What type of music do you play now and/or wish to learn in the future?

If you could have your dream dulcimer, or have it already, what would it be?  Woods? VSL? Maker?

I'm thinking of getting a new dulcimer and wish to explore options.  Thanks!  Jazz

Three years ago this was asked by @shannonmilan  "Do you mean to say they also differ on their tuning?"    
"They"  being dulcemores and dulcimers.

Yes and no..   What I said was  " The most common tunings <for traditional dulcemores> seem to have been Unison (all strings the same gauge and same high note -- d-d-d) or Bagpipe (middle and melody strings an octave higher than the bass string D-d-d), with 1-5-5 tunings a close third."

So Yes, they do differ
-- traditional dulcemores  are/were most commonly tuned to ddd or Ddd and other key equivalents
--modern dulcimers are most commonly tuned to DAA, DAd and other Modal tunings (DAG, DAC, etc) and their key equivalents 

and No
-- in that dulcemores and dulcimers can be tuned to exactly the same tunings

.  

I can't speak for what Ken Hulme meant, but I would say that the popularity of tunings differed by regions. What was popular in southwestern Virginia (bagpipe or unison) may not have been what was popular in Kentucky or North Carolina. Tunings were selected to suit the voice of the player if she/he was singing with the dulcimer. In a 1-5-5 tuning the bass string was set to "a good note" and the other strings a fifth above it. A good note being one that suited the singer's voice. Tunings also depended upon what suited the song, e.g., major or minor scales. Accepting a "standard" tuning allows folks to play together. When I first started playing it was CGG and moved to DAA and then to DAd. If you listen to other dulcimers players today, you will find many playing in other tunings when the perform solo.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Do you mean to say they also differ on their tuning?

I'm coming in late to this discussion Linda, but let me add a thought or two. First, I think the tuners are banjo friction tuners ( probably Champion) and the plastic buttons were replaced by walnut buttons. I don't know if this was done by the manufacturer (Grover) or by McSpadden. Second, wood is subject to changes in humidity and temperature. After taking the dulcimer out of the closet, there may have been some swelling or shrinking of the wood in the peg head. Sometimes when the screw bottoms out another washer, which is thicker than the original, can be used to thicken the side wall of the peg head allowing more space for the screw to tighten. There really isn't anything to malfunction on those pegs as they are a friction fit, but unlike violin pegs where the friction is within the peg hole, the friction on these pegs is against the wall of the peg head.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Dear Richard, thank you, thank you! Your suggestion is much appreciated because I finally got the courage to take it apart--your advice to take note of the washer order saved me. As it turns out, they have two metal washers sandwiched between a plastic ring.  By taking them apart, and putting them back together, for some mysterious reason they then worked. I've attached a photo of the innards. I'm very grateful to you! Linda

 IMG_7131.jpg - 161KB

Hiya again, Wally, see the response I just wrote. Merci, Linda

Dear Wally, and you are a dear!  I am amazed by all the learning I have gotten from your email and those of others who have replied.  I never dreamed I would have the courage to take apart the tuners on a musical instrument because, in the past, I have had a 98% failure rate on putting things together that I have taken apart.   I didn't even have the language to describe those pegs because I knew they weren't the violin friction type, nor the geared type. So, thank you. As it turns out, they have two metal washers sandwiched between a plastic ring.  By taking them apart, and putting them back together, voila, now they work--not sure why except maybe the dulcimer was happier that someone was paying attention to it. So again, many thanks. Linda

 IMG_7131.jpg - 161KB

You asked "what type of tuner?" I just looked at your photo, and you tuners are interesting in their own right due to the way the wood is held between metal fingers. I can't find any match on the Elderly Instrument tuners web page, and there are a lot of designs there.
https://www.elderly.com/pages/search-results?offset=456&q=tuners

Friction pegs (non-violin type) are common on banjos and ukuleles. Looking at the following web pages I identified about five basic types. Some use fiber washers while others use plastic. Yours appear to be fiber since some are more compressed than others.

All About Ukulele Friction Tuners - Got A Ukulele Beginners Tips

Banjo Tuner Tips & Tricks

Some really old high quality instruments used tapered tuning pegs, apparently designed to fit in the holes used for violin pegs. A video dealing with these is:
1920’s Martin Ukulele- What to do about the friction pegs?

One of the videos mentions screws bottoming out. That might be your problem if the wood has shrunk over the past 40 years. That could explain the left-right difference.

It sounds like you have a solid plan for maintaining and improving your dulcimer! Using peg dope for lubrication and Murphy's Oil Soap for cleaning are great practices to keep your instrument in good condition. Sanding out scratches and refinishing areas as needed can also help restore its appearance. Best wishes with your project, and I hope your dulcimer continues to bring you joy and beautiful music!

1 week from today is International Appalachian Dulcimer Day!    

Feel free to share any work you create (music, photography, embroidery, jewelry, poetry, etc.) which celebrates the Appalachian dulcimer and its spread around the world!  

Richard said " If you ever disassemble one all the way take note of the order of the metal and the fiber washers on the shaft."

Perhaps at some time in the past someone took one or more of them apart and incorrectly reassembled them. If one is better than another, you might have a model to check against.

There is a small fiber washer in the mechanism if my memory is still good. Sometimes that can be the culprit. I have had some success loosening them a lot and then slowly tightening them back down. If you ever disassemble one all the way take note of the order of the metal and the fiber washers on the shaft. Sometimes just using them will get them holding again. After all no exercise for 40 + years and we all forget how to do things.

Hi Ken, Thank you so much for the tip. That was the first thing I tried, and they were a little loose, but now the pegs on the right keep slipping. I appreciate the thought, though!

Yes

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

 I'll take note of that, you are very fortunate that you have a group session that caters to both newbie and advance players.

Making progress! For clarification @ken-longfield, to set up the action, you put the dime on the fret board, and the nickel on top of the fret?

Those tuners should have a tiny screw in the end of each knob, which adjust how 'firmly' they stay in tune.  Start with a 1/4 turn tighter and see how that works.  Need more turn a little more...  Too tight and they won't adjust.

Greetings!  A friend recently gave me a 1979 McSpadden dulcimer that has been sitting in her closet since 1980, and she is moving so didn't want to take it with her. It's signed by Larry McSpadden! The first couple of days I couldn't get it to stay in tune; one of the tuning pegs kept slipping; I finally got it to stay in CGC, much to my surprise and lots of tries. Then, after playing it a day or two I got it to DAD.  I am ASTONISHED at the resonance and sustain on this instrument, not to mention the drone. Just amazing!  So, I cleaned it up and restrung it, and now both pegs on the left keep slipping. 

Does anyone know what kind of tuners these are and if they are fixable? The two on the right still grab, but neither on the left. Thank you for any suggestions.

 '79 McSpadden Peghead.jpg - 248KB

The Pocono Dulcimer Festival now has my workshop listed: Workshop descriptions, pg 4: "Laparoscopic Crack Repair"

Here is the registration and schedule page

She will be missed . I sold literally hundreds of her book Larkin's Dulcimer Book which I still consider the best dulcimer primer out there. I used to include a copy with my dulcimers . Lovely woman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_xP2QDs

 Sounds good!  Do you have the youtube link you can share?

I just discovered this on youtube, and thought others might enjoy it.  It's a scratchy old record, but the authenticity and simplicity make it truly wonderful.

Would be great to see you there, Ken.  I can't remember whether we've met before.

And Marg, thanks so much for mentioning the workshop and letting me know a player is interested in it. I was raised in East Texas, and always glad to see a Texan.

I talked about how we should handle our dulcimers in class (that you mention Dwain) & your workshop. We are just  north of Houston and it seems one of our players was planning on going to the Pocono Festival and will look for when your workshop is posted to registrar. 

Thanks, that will be great

marg.

I like the sound of the wound bass drone with the doubled high drones a lot!