Forum Activity for @susie

Thanks Jan!

I think it's GREAT!  I'd pay for one!

My dulcimers weren't working without altering the top "neck support", even fully extended. So, that's why my husband worked on that part for me. As far as the cradle part, I wanted to do a support that didn't have any stretch. Plus, I don't mind sewing projects. Thanks for the compliment on my project. I wanted a stand that would look nice and work with all my dulcimers. I have had people ask if it was bought that way (specifically for dulcimers). So, it must appear to be nicely converted, to some degree.

Thanks for the post. I had forgotten that the song is a slow one. Maybe my favorite version (this week) is the one by Martin Simpson.

Good advice. I tell all of my students to "learn slow to play fast".

Helen--what a clever idea!  I read what you wrote to my husband and he added, "And the wool is probably good for the wood", since he knows you have to be careful about what is touching the dulcimer when you are storing it or displaying it.

Thanks for the thoughts, Wout.  There was a jug bass there, but the guy who brought it is a beginner musician and isn't very good.   He doesn't really understand the role of a bass and was just kind of mimicking the melody line.

When I played bass I did a version of what you describe, just moving from the tonic to the third, the fifth, and then back to the tonic, for example. But that was getting tedious, I think.  I was able to throw in some bass runs when the chords were changing, but I got a little stuck on those tunes that sit on the same chord for a while.

By the way, I was using the tapewound strings you recommended. I love the tone.

I always thought the jug has to play the bass, by definition

In most music groups the bass tells the other musicians what the tempo is and 'where are we in the song'. Riffs and breaks are used to communicate. If the chord is in 'hold', mostly a kind of improvisation mode, play just the notes of the chord or partial, like tonica-third-fifth-third-etc or tonica-fifth-octave-fifth. Create a nice rhythm with these tones.

In your old avatar you hold a guitar, so record a chord progression and try to create bass lines for yourself. You will find a repertoir for yourself. There will be a moment a descending bass line in triplets will blow yourslf and the others away  

I joined a jug band group last night and played this acoustic bass for about 1/3 of the tunes. It was fun, but I still have a ways to go.  I just don't have enough ideas of bass riffs to play when the melody sits on one chord for a while.

Just updated the pdf of the tab.  Thank you John P for pointing out the error!

Bob, I watched that whole thing and still don't quite understand how it works. It sounds pretty cool, though, like magical bells.

 Great!  Now I have got Stephen Seifert and Dusty running around in my head!  I think I'm going to give up dulcimer and switch to glass armonica. 

I don't have an answer to this question, not because I nail every tune I attempt, but just the opposite. I try to play a lot of tunes on the dulcimer, and most don't work out. Some I have never gotten (at least not yet) and others were put on the shelf for a while only to be resurrected successfully later on. 

There was one tune that I worked on really hard and could not get it at all.  I got frustrated and just threw the tablature off my desk.  But about a year later I was cleaning up and found that tab behind a bookcase.  I sat down and tried to play it, and lo and behold I was able to do it!  What had seemed impossible was now easily approachable.  The lesson for me was to never give up, but also not to get frustrated. If something is not working, put it away for a while and come back to it later on.

I also want to comment on Bob's remarks at the beginning of this conversation. I first discovered the mountain dulcimer from Stephen Seifert's video of Whiskey Before Breakfast, which had long been one of my favorite fiddle tunes.   I was entranced by Stephen's soft but quick fingering and the beautiful woody sound of the dulcimer.  Of course, I wanted to play that song and worked on it for a while.  Eventually I posted a version on Stephen's Dulcimer School, expecting to get some tips from him.  And he did offer some helpful comments. But others commented at how good it was, a couple suggesting it was ready for public performance.  That experience taught me not to measure my playing by the abilities of someone else, but only by my own desire to present my own musical ideas.  Nowadays, I only play the song a little better than I did three years ago when I posted this video , but I don't let the fact that Stephen blows me away to stop me from offering my own version of the tune.  

There are a lot of ways of being musically expressive, and even if you can't play as fast as someone else or with as many notes as someone else doesn't mean you can't find a way to say something with a song.  One cool lick might say more than a whole verse of virtuoso improvisation.  I have learned to play within my limits and to still find ways of inserting my own musical sensibilities into the tunes I play. As I've said elsewhere, if you start with a pretty tune and play it on a beautiful instrument, the real trick is to stay out of the way and not mess things up.  If I tried to play as fast as Stephen Seifert, I would mess things up for sure.

Hi Sean,

Here's a somewhat eccentric performance, but it's all good :)

Thanks to all for the responses so far.

John, I'll have to look up "The Green Linnet". I remember hearing it years ago, but can't call it to mind. 

We visited them this summer. Got the same treatment. Richard converted my FolkRoots to a baritone. And after trying his galax Folkcraft Custom, I will be placing an order for one next month. Wonderful folks and quality dulcimers. 

There are a few tunes I'd thought I'd never play. . . Black Mountain Rag was one of them.  Surprisingly, when Mark and I were just jamming over the weekend, BMR just started to fall into place.  

St. Ann's Reel is a tune I've never gotten worked out to my satisfaction.  Maybe someday! 

For me its Angeline the Baker or Angelina Baker (see I can't even work out whats its called!!)

I just never seem able to get it bouncing along the way it should do - even on those rare occassions when I actually play the right notes in the right order!

But I am not defeated yet!!

Great folks and great products!

Thanks Terry, Yes, I've gigged a lot in the past. Had to slow it down to take care of my elderly parents. Sadly my mom passed away on Valentines Day this year.  I will definitely post a video. In fact I wrote a song on it the day after I got it!! 

Take care

Maria

OHHHHHH that makes sense Dusty...thanks so much I wasn't looking at it quite right. I was thinking that you needed to describe it in "order of appearance on the fret board but the way you said make more sense....thanks so much...and yeah that reversible thing is very cool...can't do that on a guitar lol...

Maria

Maria, it's obvious you've performed more than once.  I enjoyed your video.

I've often wondered about the Rooseback

 dulcimers.  Please post a video after you've had it awhile.  Never held or seen one in person,  but always thought they looked really nice .  But reviews are not positive for the most part.  Of course, because of our nature, folks would rather post bad than good.

I know you will enjoy your journey. 

Terry 

The Folkcraft factory and shop is also the venue for the Indiana Dulcimer Festival in mid-September--put it on your calendar!

I've been trying to get down out of the mountains a bit more lately and take up some of the old stuff I used to play from the British/Irish tradition.

'The Green Linnet' is an old bete noir , and one I still haven't got completely to grips with.

However, there are some I thought would never work N/D style that I can handle pretty well now.

So, some progress

The short answer is yes, that is an A7.  

It is standard, however, in the dulcimer world to refer to chords beginning with the bass string and then moving towards you, so the chord you describe would simply be 324.  Another easy A7 is 123. And remember that in DAd tuning, all the chords are reversible, so 324 can also be 423.  123 can also be 321.  Easy, isn't it?

Okay cool so I'm glad I'm on the right track!! thanks so much for the added information!

Maria

Kandee, I am glad you enjoyed your visit to Folkcraft. Richard, Steve, and the rest of the staff are first class folks. They work very hard to make excellent dulcimers and other instruments. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Since a 7th chord actually consists of 4 notes both of them are abbreviated 7ths. We, as MD players, use short chords quite alot. With that in mind both can be considered dominant 7th inversions, D7/A7, as you say. An easy way to figure a 7th [dominant] is to add the note name 2 half [1 whole] steps before the root note of the basic chord triad; ie., D= DF#A; 7th = DF#AC. A major 7th is formed if the 4th note is the same note name a half step before the chord root. The player has to determine which combination of the 4 notes works the best for them in each case. 

Whiskey Before Breakfast.  My mind gets totally wrapped around the Stephen Seiffert version and I just can't face it because I'll never get it that good.

Thanks so much. So far so good!!

Maria

and would 2-(a string) 3 (low d) and 4 (High d) be an A7?

What is the one tune or song that eludes you? The one you always think, "I'd like to work that one out some day" but somehow you never get around to it, or when you do it doesn't quite come out right.

For me, it's "The Lost Girl" a tune in G from Emmett Lundy, though I think I first heard it played by Geoff Seitz here in St. Louis. It's a beautiful, circular kind of tune that I never can manage to make as smooth as I hear it in my head.

Thanks, John P, for the history.  I forgot about Jamie MacPherson's song going to the gallows.  This one is different.  I don't know if Skinner was the author or collector of the tunes he published.  At this late date we may never know.  Yes, you're right about the 3rd measure, 1st note; should definately be a 5.  I'll put up a correction later today.

Hi Rob,

Was expecting something quite different from the tune you posted.

One of the more well known of the Scottish ballads is variously called : MacPherson's Lament / MacPherson's Farewell / MacPherson's Rant.

This tells the story of Jamie MacPherson's trecherous hanging and includes the famous episode where he breaks his fiddle across a stone so no other could play it. His brother was called Donald, but no idea if this is the same.

AFAIK Donald MacPherson's Lament was written later and is not related to your usuall McPherson's Lament.

An interesting little tune nonetheless

p.s. check your fret for the 1st note of the 3rd bar - s/b 5 ?

Hope it's works for you Maria.  That video sure looked professional. 

Over the years I've seen this discussion come up a couple of times. The views are always split. In each instance, as this one, I seek out some videos before posting. I followed your link this time ... thanks that made it easy. The dulcimer in the video link sounded pretty darn good to me. As in other videos, it played well. I truly hope that yours is even exceptional. Though I haven't seen these dulcimers other than photos and videos, they appear to be put together pretty good. Hope you have years of happy strumming with your new instrument. 

THanks Jan, Yes, I'm becoming obsessed with the dulcimer lol....I'm so happy to have found something that is taking my mind off not playing guitar and is quickly becoming very rewarding!!

Maria

Sounds like a nice dulcimer, Maria!  And the main thing is that it pleases you!  Happy strumming!

Please follow the link here to check the public domain status of the Christmas carol you're thinking of posting on Fotmd...  Thanks!   

http://fotmd.com/strumelia/group_discuss/833/common-christmas-carols-are-they-copyrighted-or-public-domain