Ive been playing in JI for over 40 years. All tunings work. It all comes down to how fussey your hearing is. I dislike tempered scales , even when they are in tune they have a coldness about them... Robert.
I've just listened to your video Terry. Lovely playing!!!
...The chords are so pretty, but the tinny or ringing sound of the strings mentioned ruins the whole process. It's kind of funny, when I play this song I don't hear the bad sounds, and my wife says the same thing. But when I record, it's very obvious....
What I hear Terry is a awful lot of compression on your recording and a loss of highs and lows - plus some unintended reverb. It sounds like your mic'/camera has an automatic volume system that is levelling off all the dynamics and perhaps messing up the timing between the channels. So basically the little noises the strings make are being amplified and the loud noises squashed. If the instrument sounds OK to you when you are playing it then the problem lays with your recording system. All sound recording systems have their own 'voice' as do all playback systems (headphones or speakers). Add to that the fact that the dulcimer is very difficult to record due to its timbre and lack of acoustic volume and you have quite a few problems to overcome. It just isn't that easy to get good recordings of a dulcimer - and when you do you have to make choices about how you want it to sound. For example: Here is a recording of a McSpadden that's pretty much the same as yours. I actually recorded it on a small hand held recorder balanced on the end of my bed - but then mastered it afterwards in audacity.
Now that McSpadden doesn't sound like the recording and if you were sitting next to me when I recorded that track what you hear in the recording is not what you'd have heard live.
When we hear a dulcimer played live it will sound a certain way but as soon as that instrument is recorded the sound we hear is coloured by the recording device, the processing and the playback device. Basically it is your recording device and (unwanted) processing of the recording that is effecting what you hear when you record your instrument. The instrument itself, when listened to live and acoustically, may be perfectly OK.
Robin
I agree, Robin. It's no surprise that those tunings work in JI.
Regarding bagpipe tuning - this never works well for me in Mixolydian mode in JI. I need to be playing out of the 3rd fret when I'm in bagpipe tuning on a JI instrument.
Re your last point above - I'm sure that each of the modes does need its own JI to sound at its best.
Ken,
If you had children, why would you deny them access to a harmonica? Open mine eyes, please.
Hello,
I am hoping someone can offer me some help on this subject, a tinny sound or perhaps a ringing sound, on the middle and melody string on my McSpadden dulcimer. I've tried different tunings, strumming and picking up and down the fret board, and not stroking the strings (or string) as hard.
I just made a video this morning that I am waiting to finish posting on You Tube, then I plan to post it on the forum under videos. The song is Shenandoah. The chords are so pretty, but the tinny or ringing sound of the strings mentioned ruins the whole process. It's kind of funny, when I play this song I don't hear the bad sounds, and my wife says the same thing. But when I record, it's very obvious.
Perhaps I should change strings? Strings are about a year old, with lots of playing. If it makes a difference, the strings are the same kind that McSpadden installed when new.
I would appreciate any suggestions. Maybe when the video posts this will help.
Merry Christmas,
Terry
Here is one made from a dowel. Takes five minutes to make... Robert.
Willie was one of Canada's best roots singer/songwriters. He loved the music side of the music business, but not the business side. He spent most of his career as a sideman, but released some fine solo albums along the way.
Hi John,
Those other tunings also working in JI is not a surprise. The only 'problem' with just intonation (well it is a problem for DAd players) is changing the first fret from being the 6th of the scale, which is how it is set for DAA, to it being the second of the scale in DAd. That's because the pitch between the nut and first fret is 182 cents but it would need to be 204 (200 in ET) for DAd to work. For a similar reason DAG dorian will not work but DAC Aeolian is fine. DGD simply reverses the drones but leaves the Ionian scale starting at the 3rd fret. And bagpipe tuning still is Ionian starting at the 3rd fret but with 5th drones. Mixolidian in bagpipe tuning is quite interesting because it doesn't sound 'bad' but the intervals are very different from Ionian.
One thing I've still to work out is if each of the modes has its own just intonation with only Ionian and Aeolian correctly 'fitting' the same fret intonation, or if they all should sound as they play from Ionian just intonation?
Love the pen-cap reverse capo for the bass string! Now where did I leave that pen.....
Jim
Your friend Willie Bennett is a heckuva good harmonica player and singer.
Thanks for the feedback everybody!! I had been seeing a lot of positive comments, but always nice to hear from people thgat know far more about dulcimers than I.
Either way I'm going for it, only question I have at this point is, does anyone know what year the fret scale changed? the one I'm looking at is 1982, but based on tuning really doesn't matter, I've not been a DD A D player for some time now.
Thanks again everyone.
I'd like to add my voice to those praising Warren May dulcimers. I bought a 1990 one (all poplar) just over a year ago. Mine is also in just intonation (very similar, though not identical, to the fret spacing on my Homer Ledford), and has the most glorious, rich sound - mellow, but fairly loud by dulcimer standards. It's also, by some distance, the lightest dulcimer I have - 1lb 2oz! Like Robin says, it's really made for DAA or other 1-5-5 tuning, though it also likes unison "bagpipe" tuning, DAC and DGD.
I love it - dulcimers just don't come better than this!
I have one from 1980, which has the 'old' scale. The frets are set in just intonation (like older Homer Ledford dulcimers) and so the scale is just beautiful in DAA tuning for either melody drone or some DAA chord playing. It is my very favourite fret intonation. Beyond that, the whole instrument is wonderful. A lovely light built, great workmanship and a rich, resonant tone - truly a musician's delight to play. Some folks don't like wooden tuners, the generally higher actions on these instruments and the intonation of the earlier May's which will not play in DAd. Consequently, the prices are often lower than they should be for a musical instrument of this quality.
Whether the instrument has the older or more contemporary fret scale it is worth having one in your collection - just tune and play it accordingly.
very cool Jim!! Practical and works! perfect!
Maria
The Bic pen cap with the tail cut short and a string groove put in it fits over the fret to capo the bass string for playing in different modes without re-tuning. It works well for DAA tuning. I got the idea from a 5-string banjo player who uses one of these for a fifth string capo.
I love the low D Special 20. It lets me play in the same range as a fiddle and sounds good for "twin fiddle" tunes. I find I get the most use out of my A and C, played cross for E and G blues and my G, low D and A played straight for folkier tunes and Irish fiddle tunes.
I often play on a rack. My favourite rack player was the late Willie P. Bennett. He was a good friend and mentor to both of my sons and I enjoyed jamming with him many times. I inherited a few of his Lee Oskar harps and hope they still have some of Willie's mojo on 'em.
What John said! Warren May makes top of the line dulcimers at affordable prices. Have played a number of his and loved every one of them...
George, you can't go wrong with a Warren May dulcimer. They are high-quality from a man who's made thousands of them now.
Just added a Warren May to my collection! The nicest dulcimer I have played to date.
I believe the 82's were on the new scale and play quite nice.
I'm eyeing a used, 1982 Warren May, Just looking for feed back from anyone who has had or currently has one, playability etc.
Thanks folks!
Charles, the second photo looks to be from the mid 1920's to the 30's and the third photo looks like it was taken in the 1860's. Don't know if that helps, any!
Thanks, Dan, I plan to do that.
...and then you could always write a letter to Ron. He would be an incredibly informative "Pen" pal!! lol
ron.pen (at) uky.edu
This is Robert Owen. He was my great-grandmother's Uncle. This photo was taken in Scotland. Judging by his apparent age, I'm guessing in the 1870's or 80's.
Well, thank you kindly, Jan.
I work for our local C/S agency. Thought I had heard all the excuses until this one. Made me smile. As a dulcimer redneck I probably would have to excuse the interest on the arrears. After all we talking McSpadden!
TW
Well, if you have a free weekend, come on! You can sleep on my couch!
Thank you all for your replies. I may need to go visit Dr Pen. "Santa Claus wearing flip flops," eh? Sounds like a long-lost cousin. Lexington is a little off the beaten track for me, nowhere close to Fuji Machi, Nishi Tokyo, but I've made similar journeys in the past.
And no matter what time of year you visit Ron, it will be like meeting Santa Claus wearing flip flops!
Never pass up an opportunity to jam with him--it's quite an experience!
Jan
The are in a familie with the Indian Bulbul Tarang, wich is in the same lay out.
The keys stop the strings on a fret board underneath the hood by levers like on an old typewriter. You can find video's on YouTube.
Since I wrote my post earlier this year, I made another couple trips across country. On one of those smaller airplanes, even my very small soft-sided carryon wouldn't fit in the overhead bin, so on the next trip, I selected a 14 x 14 "under the seat" soft-sided bag for my medications, electronics, etc.....all those things they say should NOT be checked. Well.....I ended up on a new airplane, and unbelievably to me, this brand new plane had downsized everything, and that tiny case (with no spinning wheels) would NOT fit in the overhead bin, nor would it fit under the seat in front of me. The attendant finally took it up to First Class and stowed it somewhere. I'm usually one of the first to board, so I have my pick of where to put it--but I was certainly surprised that my small bag didn't seem to fit anywhere! Actually, even I didn't seem to fit...not only were the seats narrower, but my seat belt wouldn't fasten! I had never encountered that problem before! The little old lady next to the window offered to change seats with me--which I thought would accomplish nothing, but we did and --lo and behold-- her seatbelt was at least 8 inches longer than mine, so I had no problem fastening it. I guess there must have been a "child's belt" or something in that first seat!
To date, I've only brought aboard a Ginger and a Ewing Dulcimette in their soft cases. The Ginger was my only allowable carry on other than my coat and purse. The Dulcimette I was able to mostly contain within the large tote I was using for a purse and was able to sneak it on that way, without it being counted as a separate carryon item. I've wondered if a bakery bag for long loaves might be helpful in certain cases! I have been on only one flight over the years where nothing was allowed to be under the seat in front of you--except for your feet. Luckily there was enough bin space on that trip (from Indy to Dallas). That was a case where the flight attendant was just making and enforcing her own rules...and I think she'd had a bad day or something. All I had was a very small purse, which I'd taken to a funeral service, but even that had to go in the overhead bin. You just never know what you're going to encounter when you fly......
Some dulcimer players use those hard travel cases made for golf bags and check them as luggage. I know Aaron O'Rourke does that. He packs his Banjammer and David Beede in a soft double case and then surrounds that with clothes and stuff in the golf case. Since airlines are used to handling those golf bags they don't present as much of a problem as odd-sized instrument cases. And once you get to your destination, you can leave the golf case in your hotel room or wherever and just travel around with the soft case.
I'll probably invest in a sturdy golf bag case when work and family allow me to travel more.
You could always plan a trip to University of Kentucky and visit Ron. He has many of the instruments there and a boat load of stories about JJ!
I wrote a review of a JJNiles reissue cd for the Oldtime Herald magazine a few years ago (they paid reviewers the princely sum of $20). I did a lot of reading before I wrote the review, because I wanted to be fair and not listen to his music out of context. It was an interesting adventure.
JJNiles is an acquired taste, I think. ;)
The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles only contains a single mention of both dulcimers and the Ritchie family, according to a quick check of the index.
I have long been something of a Niles fan, although I realize he is not to everyone's taste. I recently read "I Wonder As I Wander," a biography of him by Ron Pen and there was some interesting information about how he came to use dulcimer for accompaniment, including his encounter with the Richie family when Jean was a child. But there wasn't much specific about his instruments, technique, or tuning. Does anyone know of any articles or book chapters with details about these topics? Or have I found a new research project for myself?
