Forum Activity for @strumelia

When recommending tune/tab books for jamming, personally I think it's always a good idea the specify whether the book is intended for dulcimer-only jams ...where most all tunes are played in the key of D and most often in DAd tuning (with or without capos), and presented in dulcimer TAB form.

Many dulcimer players tend to congregate with other dulcimer players for club meetings and festival jamming....but we should keep in mind that in the music scene in general, jams typically include various instruments and jamming is in various keys.

There are many great jamming books out there- like the 'Fake book" series, or "Sing Out" for example.  Those books are standard resources in folk jamming and can actually be used by people on various instruments, since they contain the simple melody in standard notation, the lyrics, and chord change indications of popular standard jamming songs, in the keys they might typically be played in by folk musicians.

It's always good to specify the format of the music in a music jam book, so one isn't surprised when it arrives in the mail and doesn't meet the intended need.  

Stephen Seifert's book 'The Early Years' has it, and heaps of other good stuff, as well as a CD to go with it, or you can download... http://www.stephenseifert.com/download-store/the-early-years

I like Stephen Seiferts Join the Jam 1 for a beginning player...    It is written well, the tab is easy to read, and we use it in our group... It has worked very well.  

Start with the easier songs like Bile them Cabbage down, and others...  Also if you can catch one of Stephen's 3 day intensive workshops for beginners it will help immensely.  

Secondly there is dulcimer school on the web.      www.dulcimerschool.com     this website is how I began my mountain dulcimer journey.  I was working full time, and did not have a lot of extra time and/or energy.  I subscribed for about 3 months and at 5 am I was on this website with my dulcimer learning all the basics!    It is very reasonable to subscribe for a month and there is no obligation to continue at any time..   He will get you started right with strumming and developing good habits, not bad habits!    You can take lessons on this site 24 hours a day as it is a series of teaching video's.   It 's the best deal out there for mountain dulcimer.

His workmanship is absolutely beautiful.  I have one and I love it...It is especially clear in sound and I love to play it in the evening... It is a good fingerpicking 

dulcimer, and sounds good strummed too.   

Loved hearing the original fiddler play it...He looks like a nice fellow too!

Stephen Seifert has thumb drives with all his books on it for a reasonable price!!!    I assume the songs are split up,  but you could ask...   It's really a good deal to have all his books too!

I'd like to add a song to this list....Goin' To Boston...

Anne, people will certainly post lists of their favorite tunes, and there is indeed a value in that. But I would like to point out that the three songs you mentioned are all traditional fiddle tunes.  Maybe you just like fiddle tunes (and guess, what: I do, too)!  If that is the case, you are in luck because there are thousands of them out there.

You might peruse some of the online catalogues of fiddle tunes such as the Fiddle Tune Archive of the Old Towne School of Folk Music  or Hetzler's Fakebook .   I will sometimes look through lists of fiddle tunes and examine either those that I've heard mentioned in dulcimer conversations or just those with a funny name and give 'em a listen. If one sounds like it's not too hard and its fun, I'll try to learn it.  Hetzler's Fakebook separates tunes in different keys, so you can just concentrate on tunes that are traditionally played in D.

When I find a fiddle tune I want to learn I start out just googling its name followed by "dulcimer tab."  Sometimes you get lucky and find the tab.  And if not, you might be able to learn it by ear.  But you can always find standard music notation and work that route if you can. The next step is to find renditions of it on YouTube and listen long enough to get the basic melody in your head.  It's a lot easier to play a song on the dulcimer that you have already memorized in your head.

By the way, one tune that is common in dulcimer circles now but is perhaps not as well known is Elk River Blues.  It is not really a blues but a "crooked" fiddle tune by Ernie Carpenter.  If you search the videos and music here you will find a half-dozen versions or so, some noter drone and some with chords (like mine).  The song sounds more complicated than it is and just has this easy-going roll to it, like the flow of a river.  To me it is much easier to play than Turkey in the Straw, though I like that tune, too.

Can't post them if they're copyrighted...

I like Spotted Pony, Columbus Stockade Blues, Rock the Cradle, Joe, Rosin the Beau, Old Yellow Dog...I'm sure there is tab for some of these on Everything Dulcimer (which has a HUGE archive of tab for public domain tunes.)

Hey Guys, Have you posted a version of you playing "Going Fishin'.. or "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing"?

Thanks Guys... Now, just for the tabs ....

Very nice. Thanks for letting us know how you made out with this project.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It looks brand-new!  Great job!  Now let's hear you play it!

I'm a Pepsi fan, too. I prefer it to Coke. Now, back to the topic. My fun song is "Going Fishin'" which is best know as the theme to The Andy Griffith show.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

NO! lol I'm a Pepsi man lol But you are right the song was for Coca-Cola  yuck lol

I believe "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was the COKE song, Ken.  Everyone loves a cok-ola now and then, right? 

Fun and bouncy, I like I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, the Pepsi song.  It's a good teching song for fingerdancing from fret to fret on the melody string.

John Ryan's Polka is a good one to add to your list.

Pieces like 'Turkey in the Straw', 'Hangman's Reel' and 'John Stinson's no.2', are such fun to play, and not too hard, (at a basic level). I was wondering what else, in this vein, people particularly like. They don't get a lot of exposure 'down' here in Oz ...

 That is cool!!! Congrats to Randy and Dave. I miss Dave posting videos here. 

Way cool, Randy!  

Dave Rogers is featured bowing a Tennessee Music Boc built by John Knopf here:

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/beautiful-sounds-playing-a-tennessee-music-box-dulcimer-with-a-vi

Thanks for letting us know about this feature at Cigar Box Nation, Dusty!  

Congratulations to FOTMD member Randy Adams who is the featured video artist at Cigar Box nation's dulcimer week.

Check it out here .

Go, Randy, Go!  

 Better than Shark Week!

Hey Everyone!

July is Americana Music Month at Cigar Box Nation, and this week is dulcimer week !

Pretty cool, huh?

Need to click on the ones (Ed Stilley & Workshop) above on the right, http: didn't show up as I typed it but still can see the videos

Interesting story, thanks Robin.

I agree.  Beautifil.

Here's my two-sided 9" head Tabor drum.  I used chamois to cover the strap where it hangs over the arm, since the knotted rope is uncomfortable as is.  I also used a bit of chamois to pad the tip of the drumstick so it wouldn't be quite so loud when practicing in the house.      It's a great little drum for the money, very nicely made.  It could also be used for non-tabor music situations and festivities as well.

Fascinating. Thanks Robin.

Hi Stephanie!

@sheryl-st-clare There is video embedded in this piece:

http://www.cigarboxguitar.com/the-fascinating-world-of-ed-stilleys-guitars/

Thanks to Stephanie Muschlitz for bringing this to my attention!  

Where there's will, there's a way. If only we could hear one of Stilley's creations.

go to any music shop and ask for ball end guitar strings.  the sizes ken suggests should be fine

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. 

http://hyperallergic.com/272977/the-wild-handmade-guitars-of-a-man-on-a-mission-from-god/

Where in the UK?  Our good friend Robin Clark of Bird Rock Dulcimers is up in Snowdonia.  Here's his website:

http://www.dulcimers.co.uk/    You can contact him through his site.  If the string pin is the problem, he may be able to help.

Will do. I had the privilege of talking with Karen at Evart last week. Nice folks.

 Hey Susie, you may want to listen to some or all of John and Karen Keane"s videos they have posted, using the NAF and dulcimer.    If you search, you will find many, and I believe the dulcimer is most always played in DAd.   The Keane's are also keen on answering any questions you might need answering.  

Thanks for your responses to my question, Caleb and Terry. Good info also shared by the others.

from your pics i see no problem with the hitch pins