Forum Activity for @phil-myers

I use .012, .014, .024 on my Modern Mountain dulcimer. Here's a good place to order them.

http://prussiavalley.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=59_66&products_id=346

Or, if you have your old strings, just take it to a local music store and have them measure the gauges of strings used.  That way you get the exact gauge that was used.

William, you can order pre-packaged string sets from several different makers.  Martin and D'Addario make dulcimer specific sets which are available through Amazon.  You can also easily order sets from McSpadden and FolkCraft.

Be careful to order either  loop ends or ball ends depending on what your instrument needs.  Both are readily available.

I Googled her...lives in Michigan and is a dance caller and a freelance writer...among other things! She would probably get  kick out of being the topic of a current discussion based on an article she wrote 32 years ago!

If the strings are sitting properly in the nut and bridge notches, look at where you are fretting.  You can get a sort of whine if you are not fretting close to the appropriate fret but in the middle of the space.

There's nothing really magic about a MMD.  Strings are strings as we say.  Since you know the VSL, and know what tuning you want, you can use the Strothers String Gauge Calculator  to determine which strings will work.

 http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.htm

Since the calculator is notoriously "light" in its recommendations, add 2 to each recommendation -- instead of 12, use 14; instead of 22 use 24 gauge strings.  The MMD can certainly take the heavier gauges.

I suggest you go on the site and click on Contact Us to bring up the names of a couple people who distribute these dulcimers.  I know John Hawk and think he would be happy to answer any questions you might have--including string gauges!  His phone number is given, as well as his email contact information.

Thanks everyone!  

Lisa, that was incredible.   I don't know quite what I expected, but you exceeded my expectations. 

You have come so far so quickly.   Impressive. 

Congratulations on learning a new instrument.   Very proud of you.

Terry

Do you know if your dulcimer has a zero fret or a nut?  If it has a nut, I would check to see if the nut is properly adjusted.

The nice thing about the whistle is that you can spend under $20 for a Generation and it will perform just as well as the $200 whistles.... Robert

Can someone tell me the standard string diameters/"gauges" for Dave McKinney's Modern Mountain Dulcimers?  I have tried to contact MMD for info, but have gotten no response.

Just to add my 2 cents to this group. A friend of mine ( who built a dulcimer for me ) also builds ( Makes ) whistles. Have a Google at Shearwater whistles

I cannot remember the web address unfortunately. Nice whistles at a reasonable price ( well in the UK that is ) 

Really great Lisa, you seem to be getting into playing the songs you like and enjoying it. I liked the tone of your flute.

I have two high C a Bb and D. All are tweeked. Tweeking makes the whistle sound more even and predictable in the second octave. I have a Tony Dixon polymer low D which is a relatively inexpensive low D whistle that sounds great but takes a pipers grip to play. I don't recommend low whistles for people with small hands.... Robert...

I don't know who she is, but I have that issue of DPN. Ken Kesey and Paul Erhlich; pretty heady stuff in CoEvolution.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

People still do this dance today, so cool:  

Here is a little French tune I practice with, called Branle de L'ours (Dance of the Bears).  

 I've been now playing pennywhistle for about a month... still a rank beginner with almost no 'technique' as yet, but it's waaay fun.   I have compiled a bunch of simple very old tunes to practice with.  I'm typically practicing about 30 to 40 minutes per day...that's kind of a lot for me actually.  

Cool! 

I wonder who was Karen Missavage? 

 Alan Ginsberg...good times... lol   

From a 1984 edition of the "CoEvolution" magazine published by the Whole Earth Catalog...an ad for Dulcimer Players News.  We just happened upon it in some of my husband's old Whole Earth items he had stashed away, i thought I'd share it:

THANK Y'ALL!  Our church retreat starts tonight, and then I will work on a sound clip!  ~still SO HAPPY~  :)

Hugs; beautiful bag you have made. So happy you have your little dulci, enjoy!

OH MY MY MY....such a DARLING case for a DARLING dulcimer.  I'd love to hear her played...BY YOU.  On the airplane, they would think that was a long purse.  oh too cute to the MAX.  aloha, irene

Congratulations--what an honor!

HA!  ~love how I pictured the dulcimer upside down~  LOL!  That's how I put it in the bag so that the tuners are at the top.  *THANK Y'ALL!*  I am SO HAPPY!!!!!

Jennifer, I know that there were more Wrens being made for etsy, but they found new homes before they made it.  *I think* I read on the fb page that there was on bigger one (Sparrow) that was available....

Vlillik, I love the dress material!  ~we make cloth napkins out of all our old dressy things~  :)  I agree that dulcimer people are the very nicest on the whole planet!!!!!

It's a beautiful dulcimer 😀 gorgeous shape! And now it has a lively protective bag, good work!

Here is a pic of my completed bag and my beautiful Feather Dulcimer (a Wren) that I named Teagan.  It means "little poet".  Pictures could never do the artistry and craftmanship justice~she is the prettiest little thing I think I've ever seen!!!  

 DSC00323.JPG.jpg - 161KB

Very pretty. Nice job!

Just a little update on my penny whistle adventure, which I started about a month ago now.

I've been progressing pretty well lately, and am actually enjoying it more and more.    I can't wait to steal some time to practice every day, and I have a few favorite simple tunes under my belt now- though I can rarely play any tune without a note mistake or two still.  Will try to make a little 'practice time' video and post it here soon.

Finding I like both the polymer whistles and the brass whistles- they have two different sounds and both are real nice.  In general, the polymer plastic ones sound more warm and breath-y a bit like a recorder (great for haunting or ethereal melodies, or for playing while alone), while the brass ones sound more clear and sweet- more useful for playing with other instruments and fiddles for sure.  

Additionally, the lower/larger the whistle, the more mellow and breathy it sounds no matter what it's made from.  I think the lowest/largest whistle is usually a low C, which is an octave plus one note below the standard high D whistle.  I don't see many whistles higher then high E - a note above the standard D whistle.  I do have a high E whistle (rather than Eflat) because it will enable me to play in A ionian on it easily. The lowest whistle I now have is a low G.  Lower than that and the finger stretches get quite difficult, even if using the "piper's grip" as they refer to it.

I can really envision playing the whistle as one of my standard go-to instruments, for several reasons:

1) It seems it's quite do-able for me to play and I'm progressing fairly quickly (when you're over 60 this is a big thing, lol)

2) Is not a huge investment, money wise  -Yay for that!

3) Like the Bones, whistles are easy to take along and carry, especially when having to haul around a large minstrel banjo.

4) The whistle is well adapted to play ALL the genres of music I happen to like playing: old-time/Appalachian music, traditional early/minstrel American, traditional European folk/dance tunes, and medieval/renaissance. This is a huge plus.

Terry, I like to think of you carrying a harmonica with you everywhere you go.  I know how you love to play music for people and spread the happiness music brings to us all.  

Jennifer- the colors you chose for that woven flute bag are just beautiful- and perfect now for the coming Autumn.  Did you make a drawstring closure? or so other closure system?

A toothpick, I can do that. I have already changed the strings back to the size that came with the dulcimer, I had gone from a 14 to an 11 so I could tune higher. I am back to DAdd & the 14 for an A, for a performance . The next time I want to go up to key of F or G (The tuning I did for 'This is My Father's World' - with chopstick as a hammer and a wine stopper as a noter ;-) will give all these ideas a try. I have several slots and only when I changed to one of the extra slots did the string ring. 

Below is the ring, prepare for horrible: 

Thanks so much,

m.

https://youtu.be/yj_pi8tjAzk

Maria, if you think stealing some time with a flute is more convenient than stringed instruments, and I agee, try the ultimate convenient instrument:

HARMONICA!!!  I live approximately 14 miles from anywhere, so anytime I go anywhere, alone of course, I practice harp while driving.  I love it.  😊  

Love going Anywhere,  USA.

Jennifer, your bag is beautiful.  Glad you are happy with your choice of flute.

  Terry

Nice. Congrats. And how about a pic of the flute top!! Cool bag 

enjoy the journey 

it's true what you said about even a few minutes. Last night I had to work and I didn't get a chance to play my flutes or do anything musical all day. I had literally 5 minutes before I had to leave and I grabbed my Em flute and I played two songs and I felt really happy and peaceful. Even though it was for only a short time 

I felt like my night was better because of it and I felt like I taught my students better as well!!

have fun

Maria 

Hugssandi I can hear how thrilled you were yesterday, it's such a wonderful instrument! I've never come across such lovely people it seems to bring together :)

Jan-potts thank you! (Very quietly: the material used to be a summer dress. Can't throw some material away!)

xx

BTW, Marge you can also use a flat toothpick to keep that string from flopping a bit in the slot.  Just loosen that string and put the flat side against the string and down in the slot and tighten it.  If it is too thick a bit of sand paper will thin the toothpick down.  I should have also said, with regard to the red tube on the wd40 can, you can take a razor blade and carefully split it so as to slide it on the string and down into the slot.  If it is too stiff warm it up and soften it a bit or roll it or stretch it and then go for it.    If it is too thick, the sand paper trick should make it workable if you mess with it a bit.

Yep, can see your pics just fine!  One of the prettiest bags I've ever seen!

Thank you, Vlillik!  My Wren came today, and it is so amazing that I cried when I saw it!  OH I was too busy to enjoy it today, and that was a stinker!!!  LOL!  I also finished my bag (save a button) during my son's PT appointment and at church this evening (SSHHH!  Don't tell!).  The lining is two layers of fleece.  Will try to get some pics tomorrow.  :) 

I was thinking your straps would go all the way around...  Can't wait to see what you come up with!