Forum Activity for @john-keane

Hello David, here's one that I am "pretty familiar" with:  http://www.folkcraft.com/1310182.html

I'm trying to get more into playing old style drone & noter players with a quill and with a dulcimer that only has the fret under the melody string.
I have some DAA tabs in my books but they have a lot of tunes that still require you move to the middle and base strings.
Are their any tab books or resources devoted to this style of playing?

Also. To match your fretwire you can exchange a little used fret like the 13.5 for the 1.5. With care you can make a fret slot with a box knife. Just an idea... Robert...

Simple way is to CA glue a piece of wire in the location. Find the location by ear or measure it using Stewart Macdonald fret calculator. Doing the job yourself even buying tools will be cheaper than a luthier... Robert.

I have to admit that I'm jealous of those of you who can attend week-long festivals in general and KMW in particular. Between work and family I just can't get away for that long.  Someday . . . when I retire . . .

'you can contact bonnie who would at least be able to reccomend someone if she don't care to do it

I'm not sure Bonnie's shop is set up for that sort of thing.  Give them a call, though. It can't hurt.  There are other dulcimer builders in the area.

Thank you, dulcinina. I, too, am headed to Kentucky music week and am a little confused about all the class choices and just what I should be concentrating on. So far, the information here has been very helpful to me. 

I agree with John with a follow-on point, it may cost as much to get needed tools and fret wire, if you don't have them, as it would cost to have it done. The notes gained depends on the tuning, they are increased a 1/2 step from the 1 fret (eg.: E>F; B>C).

Yes, definitely!         lol

So, pay someone to do it!! :)

George,

The issues involved are: Can you get the correct size of fret wire?

Do you know the exact position to place the new fret?

Can you accurately cut a new slot there, of the proper width?

Can you hammer it in, trim the ends, and level it to the other frets?

If you can answer "yes" to all of the above, go for it!

Owning a number of dulcimers, I have only one, a June Apple "Cello-Mer", that came with the 1 1/2 fret, and I really like it! So I was curious on opinion of how hard or can a 1 1/2 fret be added to one or two of my others. I do some minor repair and restoration to older vintage dulcimers I find around, but mostly fixing small cracks, broken head stocks etc. but am far from being a luthier. Would adding one be something I can do, how difficult would it be? Or, does anyone know anybody in the Denver, Boulder Colorado area able to do this?

 I am only an hours drive  away from Bonnie Carol and her shop and was considering asking if they could do it?

 Also what is the "note" that the 1 1/2 fret creates, I just love that extra, somewhat haunting, minor tone it gives.

 Thanks all!

Yep, Dusty, it was the spider exercise.  And I just looked on my cell and there is a voice recorder.  Who knew?  You all have been so helpful.  Thanks again.

Back before al the cellphones had digital recorders built in, I bought a small handheld DR for something like $30, and recorded every minute of every class.

You may want to record the instructor playing the pieces you are working on.  Usually, he or she will demonstrate each piece once before going over it section by section. It can be really helpful to know what things should sound like at full speed.

Did Aaron show you the spider exercise where he moves the fingers of his left hand two-at-a-time?  That's pretty tough at first.  The only person I've met who could do it perfectly the first time is my daughter's piano teacher, and she could do it with both hands.

Thanks for all your suggestions.  What do people record on a device?  I actu8llay took a workshop from Aaron at Pine Mountain where you gave us a funky finger exercise.  Still trying to do that.  I am going to get out of my comfort zone.  Thanks for the encouragement to do that. Nina

Ken, This is such good advice. I am going to 2 workshops within the next two weeks. I did exactly what you advise, but have been nervous that I 'overeached'. Your words have helped me. Thanks

Yup.  That's what I learned to call wires that plug into things at both ends -- a cable

Take the workshops that sound interesting to you, regardless of level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced).  Whether you can keep up, or do everything the others are doing is irrelevent.  You will learn something whether you use it immediately or not.  And the fun part is that six weeks or a year later you'll have these great Ah Ha! moments when something you learned sinks home or suddenly makes perfect sense.

I strongly advise bringing some kind of recording device. If your phone can do it, great! You don't need anything too fancy. I recommend this not just for workshops but for the jams as well... which can be just as educational as the workshops.

Also, don't feel too overwhelmed by classes! Workshop based festivals, especially weeklong festivals, are not intended for you to show up with the ability to play everything that's presented to you by the end of the week. I think a good workshop is one that sheds new light on musical ideas you can explore for weeks and months. And if something is not making sense, most teachers like when students ask questions. So don't be too shy...

See you there!

Me, too, Ken. How about pickup cable?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

a spare set of strings might be handy if needed.

A tuner and a capo.  Maybe some clothespins or something to clip music onto your stand.  And bring some kind of recording device; a smartphone will do.  I would also bring something to write with and on in case you want to take notes.  

Bring some cash so you can buy CDs and books and stuff.

And I would agree with your dulcimer group leader. Challenge yourself. I lead a free beginner's workshop every month and too many people have been coming for a long time, refusing to accept the fact that they are really intermediate players now. The beginner material is comfortable to them but no longer challenges them.  A good workshop should be just beyond your reach, so that you have to go home and work on the stuff for a while.

I need advice from veterans of instructional festivals.  This is my first time at a long music week and I wonder what I should bring with me besides my dulcimer, music stand and picks.  Are there things you always take or wish you had brought? I'm already feeling overwhelmed by the classes.  I've been playing a year and my dulcimer group leader said I need to start taking intermediate classes. Dulcinina

I've gotta laugh.  Everytime I see the subject of this thread I think "Pick Up Cord -- that should be "pick up NOTE", not "CHORD".

Yes -- at least go tune it and play it.  If you like the sound, it is a good value for the money.

Jessica, I was the one that inquired about this MD and thanks to everyone for their help and info. I just got an email from the people having the estate sale and they said this was on the instrument: "The dulcimer is from the Dulcimer Company in Fredericksburg, Texas. It is priced $125.00 and appears to be in excellent condition."

So I suppose I should go buy it?

Yes, it does look very similar to a "The Dulcimer Factory" (Fredericksburg, TX) instrument that I own. It looks like this...

 IMG_1804.JPG.jpg - 198KB

john and shirley naylor did work for cripple creek.  they left there and started the dulcimer factory in friedricksburg texas.  they built a lot

of instruments selling them in their own shop and in arts and crafts festivals.  they wholesaled as well.  for a while they supplied dulcimers

to the autoharp company of oscar schmidt.  this instrument could be one of thiers or maybe a cripple creek although i think both of these

would have identifying lables

You're right Ken H. They are said to have learned from Bud Ford. I think I read the Dulcimer factory produced close to 30,000 dulcimer's . that's a lot of building.

Yeah -- yer right.  Probably Ducimer Factory.  Didn't they study on the Fords, or work for them, or something like that?

Ken you beat me to it, I thought that same thing. Great minds.lol

From Texas, I would think it is a Dulcimer Factory dulcimer from the Naylors. The owned and operated the Dulcimer Factory in Fredericksburg, TX.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I don't know if the output jack on your dulcimer is on the end piece, but if it is, I like to use a right angle 1/4 inch plug at one end of the cable and a straight plug at the amp end. Here is a link to one I found at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/KIRLIN-IWB-202BFGL-10-CA-10-Feet-Instrument/dp/B00Y4S67OM/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1460511789&sr=8-5&keywords=guitar+cable

Like with anything else, you get what you pay for. Get the best quality cable you can afford to preserve the quality of your sound.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Go to any Guitar Center or Radio Shack or Best Buy store, and they will have something you can use.

I thought of Cripple Creek too, because of the soundholes.  But they would have marked it, I'm sure.

This was spotted at an estate sale in Texas. No maker's mark anywhere. Not sure of the age.

No maker's mark inside....  Any idea how old it is?    It reminds me of the Cripple Creek dulcimers from Bud & Donna Ford.

We (Pensacola Mountain Dulcimer Wildflowers) have had an inquiry about the builder of this dulcimer. Does anyone recognize it?

 12963420_929117897215361_6922285783508596273_n.jpg - 29KB