Forum Activity for @shanonmilan

Good luck and I think you are right in raising the nut.

Thank you Dusty this is very helpful information and visual context. I used to think there was no wrong way to play the dulcimer until the way I was doing it started to hurt. Now I know of at least one wrong way lol. 

I am 6'3 with long legs that tend to cause my knees to be higher than my hips on most chairs and couches, which is something I was never cognizant about until Strumelia pointed it out. When I do sit on something that lets my legs dangle, it is very comfortable to use a strap and let the dulcimer rest across my legs at a downward angle.

In being more aware about my wrist position and posture, I'm already noticing an improvement in strain.

Thanks folks

I'm only a tad taller than Wally, but when I have to sit in a chair that doesn't allow my legs to make a perfectly flat support for the dulcimer, I position the dulcimer comfortably by using a strap.  The strap not only provides some flexibility in sitting positions, but also enables me to angle the dulcimer a little bit so that it is not sitting flat on my lap.

That slight angle of the dulcimer also helps create a more natural angle for both left and right hand. When I first started on the dulcimer I laid the instrument flat on my lap and developed pretty painful tendonitis in the elbow of my strumming hand. Using a strap and changing the angle of the dulcimer cleared that up right away.

For your fretting arm, your entire forearm and hand should make a straight line pointing slightly down, with no angle at the wrist.

Take a look at Aaron O'Rourke here and notice both the way the dulcimer is propped up a bit off his lap and also the straight line of his fretting arm: https://youtu.be/EPClQt6v0Z0?si=08QnvmAx6vM0v60-&t=118 .

They always say there is no wrong way to play the dulcimer, but when I first started and developed tendonitis, and when you found you were straining your wrist, well those are clear signs that we were doing something wrong (at least for us) and needed to alter our approach.

As to seating position, I'm only about 5' 6" tall, with short legs. My lap is horizontal when I sit in a 1950s vintage wooden folding chair, but on more modern chairs for table use my lap slopes down in the wrong direction. I carry a piece of hard urethane packing foam about 3" thick and 12" square to use as a foot rest. (That beats trying to find and carry a Sears catalog or city phone book, or hauling my own chair around.) My elbows are above the dulcimer in my lap and my forearms about horizontal.

Some short folks put their heels on the front cross bar of steel chairs and achieve about the same effect.

Time spent on working out your seating is a good long-term investment.

Thanks folks for these useful tips. Clearly I need to hold my arm at a better angle. I think also paying attention to the level my knees are at will also be very helpful. In general, should my wrist be flat with my forearm, or curved slightly downward?

Hello everyone,

Thank you all for the comments. I believe all of what has been said makes sense depending on where you're coming from and the hardware you're using (pc vs mobile). I indeed think like it's been written below (above ) that having the response at the top makes a lot of sense for a post that someone is following. It is so much convenient to have the latest reply at the top.

A nice thing would be to allow "followed conversation" or "post in which you replied" to have latest on top, and for the other post, a more traditional way from top to bottom.

Comparing it to the violin, which often requires years of dedicated practice to even begin to master, underscores the unique appeal of the dulcimer as an instrument that welcomes players of all skill levels with open arms.

Nate, I agree with the consensus here.  And I know you responded to my post elsewhere about exercises I'm doing to strengthen my fretting fingers.  Basically  the way you are fretting the strings, you are using your arm to push down on the strings rather than your fingers themselves. If you strengthen your fingers, you won't need your wrist or arm and can just have a relaxed hand, letting the fingers do all the work.  My daughter's old piano teacher (well, I mean ex-piano teacher; she's no older than I am ) used to tell her to imagine that a delicate egg was under her hand.  The hand should be curved to protect the egg while her fingers hit the keys. I think the same principle works on the dulcimer.

Contact me by PM and I'll send you a sticker that should help:

When you work on a song, you get better at that song. But when you work on your technique, you get better at every song you play.

I must agree with KenL. From watching your video here , your wrists are lower than your fretting fingers. It's actually the very same advice for computer ergonomics- elbows and wrists should not be lower than the hands/fingers when typing or mousing. This is to avoid wrist pain and carpal tunnel syndrome over time.
In that video, I see you are sitting on a couch that seems to put your seated hips lower than your knees. That positions the dulcimer on your knees higher up... which in turn causes you to have your wrists & forearms lower than the fretboard. I do recommend that wrists be higher than the fretting fingers, and elbows either at or higher than fretting fingers.
Perhaps this does not apply to your situation Nate, but I did a blog post that might have some useful thought in it about this. I wrote more about fingertip angles than arm or wrist angles, but they are related to each other.
If you are having wrist pain, you may want to examine your computer/device/phone ergonomics as well- they might be a contributing factor.

From your avatar photo you appear to be chording and your wrist is lower than the fret board. I find it much easier to chord if I raise my wrist and come down on the fret board with my fingers. I try to maintain contact with the strings using the tips of my fingers. I don't know if this will help you, but it works for me.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Given the wide variety of playing styles used on the dulcimer, I don't think there is any "proper form."

Noter-drone playing puts a very different stress on the wrist than any form of chording. Some people I have met who have hand issues find it the only way they can play. It is part of the reason I play almost exclusively in that style. I use a noter which is about 3/8 inch in diameter and about 6 inches long with my forefinger on top and the heal on the noter at my wrist.

You appear in your photo to be playing chords, so that probably won't helpyou at the present, but of your problem becomes severe, consider the noter-drone tradition before giving up.

Hey folks, can anyone recommend any good videos, articles, or just general advice on proper form for fretting a dulcimer. The way that I fret can put a lot of strain on my wrist at times, so I need to improve my technique, but I don't actually know the correct way to fret ergonomically. Can anyone offer advice or direct me toward content that will help me to learn how to practice good form that puts less stress on my fretting wrist.
I am hesitant to just trust whatever comes up from a google search since I know so little on the topic, so Id be grateful if anyone could share any good resources or tips.
Thanks,
Nate

Wow Dusty, that sounds rigorous. I'm sure it'll pay off to develop that, though. If I enjoyed doing drills like that, I'd probably have a lot sharper of skills than I get from just plunking around like I do.

I'm a total OCD dulcimer nerd right now. I tabbed out a few fiddle tunes that make for great finger exercises.  For 2-3 days I've just been playing " Harvest Home " over and over, forcing myself to use my pinky for anything on the first fret, middle finger on the second, and index on the third across all the strings. And that's the range of the arrangement, from open bass to third fret on the melody string. So the left hand never moves, requiring the muscles in individual fingers to do all the work.

Both A and B parts of the song have four consecutive triplets are really tough.  I'm forcing myself to use a metronome and play really slowly.  Maybe someday I'll speed up a little, but I'm not there yet.  Sometimes I only play that triplet measure over and over. 

My goal is not to play the song well (or event at all), but to use the song to strengthen my pinky and develop greater finger independence and flatpicking accuracy.

But I do feel like I'm getting a bit geeky and losing touch, like Jack Nicholson huddled over his typewriter in The Shining .

@shanonmilan I enjoy Wittner pegs on several traditional dulcimers. Wrist arthritis makes tuning wooden pegs difficult as much as I like them on the traditional instruments.

Only been playing for 5 months as a complete beginner but I am now exploring the sounds of CGC tuning. Luckily as it is still 1:5:8 I can still play all the stuff I was learning in DAD. To me CGC just sounds so much more pleasing.

I also discovered I like playing with harmonies and am working on a little ditty,  something along the lines of 023 - 034  - 045 - 023 -022 - 011 - 103 -113- 012 - 234 045 - 056 -045 - 056 and so on and trying different strumming patterns.

Just need to  learn to write what I play in musical notation now, for the fun of learning it.

Dusty is right, giving them a call is a good idea....it's what I did last year, when I ordered a music stand (it was taking longer than Steve stated and I was getting frustrated). I think, to continue, they need to figure out a better business plan, because communication is so important. Here's what he posted on Facebook in August:

MESSAGE from STEVE BINKLEY, 
THISTLEDEW ACRES (dulcimerbaglady.com):

I am writing this to let you know that Thistledew Acres 
aka dulcimerbaglady.com is alive and moving forward 
in this dulcimer world that we love.

There is no doubt that the ‘office’ side of the business 
including communications and filling orders in a timely 
manner is not what I want it to be at this time.  I sincerely
apologize for any frustration I have caused.

With the encouragement of some treasured music friends, 
plans are in the works for extra quality help on the office 
part of my business.  In moving forward, I will be able to 
spend my time in the wood shop and at the sewing machines.  
Making product is what I love!
Sincerely,
Steve

It's great that people appreciate the convenience they offer while maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the instrument. And trying out Wittner pegs sounds like an exciting experiment! Their reputation for quality and reliability suggests you're in for a treat.

@Randy I like Dwight Diller's story and tune version. He called it Dead Man's Piece i think. At least i think it was the same piece, a very old banjo tune, almost just a repeated phrase. Best teacher I ever had. Never in a rush, knew the power of silences between the notes.

Ah but Lisa a good old time banjo picker playing a just right old time banjo in that good shaving a dead man tuning...transcends the mortal world...and I know you know that ❤️

@bing-futch just shared his lesson on Shaving a Dead Man here at FOTMD . What timing!

Sorry to hear that, @greg-gunner.  The website lists a phone number; have you tried calling?

The last couple of years the Dulcimer Bag Lady has not done a good job of communicating and responding to orders.  My most recent order was submitted in December 2023.  I'm still waiting for the order to be acknowledged.  A follow-up e-mail has also received no response.

The dulcimer bags are of exceptional quality, but the business end needs to be addressed if they want to continue selling dulcimer bags.  

Newest on top is very convenient when you are an active participant in an ongoing conversation.  That way you can join and see quickly the comments added since your last visit. Easy peasy!

@strumelia just shy of 50° here in Peru, NY, but warm enough to wash my truck without it turning into a truckcicle!

One thing I find really cool about that is that speeding up music doesn't change the pitch of the notes so you can speed up or slow down backing tracks or "play alongs" and they will still be in the original key

Wow, the weird weather- mid february and it was a gorgeous 55F and sunny in NY here today. I went down into town and sat out at a sidewalk table at my favorite Mexican cafe. I sat basking in the sun and enjoyed super yummy fresh grilled tilapia tacos with a Mexican mocha coffee.  

Often when I'm watching a YT tutorial video on some subject, it drives me nuts when the person is talking slooooowly and I wish they'd just get to the point.  🐌  That's when I click the gear and speed it up to 1.25 speed... what a Godsend! 

@wildcat, you click or tap the gear icon and then choose "playback speed." 

YouTube added this feature a couple of years ago. It slows things down but keeps the same pitch, so you can learn tunes really easily. 

On a PC, that gear icon is on the bottom of the YouTube screen, but on a cell phone it appears on the top right.

Edit: Woops!  It looks like @salt-springs types faster than I. 

Simple........on the youtube video.......start it.........go to the settings on the video (that gear thing).........hit playback speed and speed it up or slow it down.

@lilley-pad How does one go about slowing YouTube down? Can this be done on a cell and a pc?

@strumelia It took me a bit, but I navigate things pretty well now using my phone and yes, it's nice with newest on top. 😊 

Yes strumelia, playing with a very nice bow that came with the psaltery and assumed to be original to the piece. Learning bow technique now, experimenting with bow positions, chops and drawing speeds. I pluck when tuning as recommended by Jean Schilling. Have not yet tried to play it with plucking, but the thought has crossed my mind. I'm really not very fond of using picks and have grown very comfortable as a strummer when playing autoharp and uke.Thanks for the link, will take a look.

@motormike - are you bowing your bowed psaltery, or plucking the notes like a plucked psaltery? (do you have a bow for it?) Yours is intended to be bowed (it produces an incredible haunting sound when bowed, bow it on the outer sides of the instrument, right next to the pin to sound each string), but there's no law saying you can't pluck it if you like!

Bowed psalteries are made for various keys and scales, they are not all tuned or strung alike.

There are some wonderful bowed psaltery videos here on FOTMD, btw:
https://fotmd.com/search/results/jrVimeo,jrYouTube,jrVideo/1/25/search_string=bowed%20psaltery

So true, Robin!  -and if the noter tends to sharpen your notes too much for your liking, I find that changing the gauge of the string can help lessen the effect. 

Tuning from the tuner is one thing.  Sharpening a note when I use a noter is another-- noter pressure can do that. (me with my noter)   

Thanks you guys are the best. I'll keep my eyes open for Bing's episode.  The beauty of YouTube is that one can slow it down.

Just got a real instrument a Folk roots. My first one was a cheap import, waste of money oh well live and learn. Thanks again all for the good input. stay dry.😁

It's amazing how innovations can arise from the need to address specific challenges, like encouraging proper bow technique in students. And it's great to hear that you've had the opportunity to explore playing the BP with custom-made bows using alternative materials.

I guess when talking about tuning precisely it's two kind of separate questions. Not only the question of "how close to dead on do you get it" but also "what do you count as dead on" since as folks mention, the 'sweetest' pitch might not be exactly where the 12 tone equal tempered note is. I was more curious about how meticulously people are about getting the instrument to their desired pitch, but the topic of choosing to tune slightly sharp of flat is also really fascinating
Nate