Forum Activity for @sheryl-st-clare

Bob, thanks for your input. I'll "borrow" a few of my sons guitar picks and play around with this angle method, and see what works for me.

Also, what you wrote about pick noise being louder for me because of being so close to the instrument makes me realize I need to back up my little recorder that I use to record myself, so that I can see where my issues are when I am learning a song. Maybe my recording quality will improve too.

Sheryl, I have to answer your question in two parts. 

1. The video is actually by randy adams: @randy-adams 

2. I  strum in a similar way to what Randy shows.  The return stroke is just the reverse of the out stroke.  Nothing fancy.  I hold the pick a little more loosely or tightly depending on the effect I want.  

For general use, I prefer a thinner (softer) pick, but I also switch to different weights for different purposes.  I even use a pick cut from a plastic butter tub lid when I want something really soft.  Pick choice for me also varies from isntrument to instrument.

Probably 90% of the time I use these picks, at least right now I do:  http://www.amazon.com/Tortex-Guitar-Pick-Pack-418P-50/dp/B0002D0CEO .  I also like the old standby fender thin plastic tortoise shell type.  I got used to them playing guitar.

This is such a personal choice I suggest trying different things until you find something you are comfortable with.  Also, remember that when you play, you are sitting pretty much on top of your instrument, so you hear things (like pick slap) that other people don't.  Even those just a few feet away.

Oh, oops, I see Randy Adams made the video. Thanks for correcting me Ken. 

Bob, thanks for sharing Randy's video. It addresses this question well.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Bob, This is a timely video for me. I’ve been pretty unhappy with my pick noise. Glad you decided to address this for us. Quick question, you mentioned in your video to angle 20-25 degrees on the out strum, what is happening on your in strum? And do you prefer a softer or harder pick for reducing pick noise? Thanks for the video. 

D, I'm glad you asked this question!  

Here is one way described by fellow FOTMD member Randy Adams:

I've ordered all of my stands from the DivergentLutherie shop on Etsy.  They're made for student dulcimers, but if you contact him and send the measurements that he requests he can make a custom one for you.  Of course, now that I have four stands I'm thinking about wall hangers, just to free up the floor space.

I just read Dusty Turtle's posting on this exact topic on that 'other' ducimer site and it's some good advice. I'm still curious how yall hold your pick. 

...if I hold my pick different than you...LOL! Actually...I want to know what is the most preferred way to hold a pick to lessen pick noise. I've been holding mine, that the best way I can describe would be....my right pointing finger and my thumb are both leaving partial fingerprints on the pick.

So how do YOU hold your pick and which style is mostly seen as best? I want to practice various holding methods today. Thank you!

Thanks for your help Ken, to let you all know I took all the strings off, but replaced them one at a time, I began with bass, then outer melody so the bridge would be held in place on either side, then I added the other melody and middle string.

It all worked out and I mark it to something wonderful about this dulcimer, new to learn and I will get used to it. 

Thanks to all who helped me work it out, it is terrific that it helped others also. That's what we are hear for.

Marg, keep us updated and let us know how it sounds when you get it fixed up. That red stain is kind of cool.

Thanks Ken.

This seems to be a pretty good explanation of what it means to "play by ear".  There are folks who think that the term means a person has a "good ear for music" and has memorized hundreds of songs. 

Memorized?  I can't even remember a phone number!  But nearly everyone has tunes that they hum or whistle....tunes they never set out to memorize.  I have never, yet, observed a person start to whistle and then stop and look up the music for whatever it was they were going to whistle...........

Mine is a 1943 Wm. Kratt Co. "Mello-Chromatic Professional Harmonica" 10 hole that I got from my father.  Still works just great!

I do the same -- use a knife to cut a thin line on either side of the bridge.  Biggest thing to remember is never take all the strings off at once.  Replace them one string at a time and you won't lose the bridge or mess up the intonation.

I use a 6" tube for narrow old style dulcimers, or 8" for wider instruments.  I have trouble finding 6" tubes, but they do exist.

 I know what you mean Robert, I used to soak my Marine Band in a glass of water before I'd play.

KEN:  Thanks for this idea.  I see these tubes come in different widths.  I'll take my dulcimer to Lowe's to check it out, but what do you usually use?   

Haha..a knife !!

Thank you

Monica, if it sounds and plays great. I would mark the bridge with a knife edge... Best of luck with your new dulcimer... Robert.

It is a blue lion..the store clerk recommended that i mark the spot with a pencil...I guess i will find out in a couple of days,hasn't shipped yet

Monica. I inlay a wood stripe where the bridge is centered, so the owner can always start off right. I'm sure your dulcimer has something similar... Robert.

Thanks for posting the video Dusty..I am a bit nervous about the floating bridge, though I am sure it won't be half as complicated as I imagine..or that I might lost it!!

Some folks thought it too complicated to adjust the bridge, so now I  only use fixed bridges unless requested movable. I cut a 5/16" saddle slot and install a 5/16" rosewood bridge. Then I have 5/32" north or south to carve in compensation if any is needed. The bridge is still removable so it can be changed out or raised for N/D playing... Robert.

Ken I play some of the same instruments (not guitar however) and I do have a problem with fret spacings and different instruments.  I guess it's what you are most use to?  When I started wanting to teach myself bowed instruments I started with the violin and had nothing but trouble.  I then found that my fingers were wider than the spacings between frets if the violin had any.  In other words I had to move my finger before placing my adjacent finger on the fingerboard.  This made it very inconvenient to say the least.  Then after a measure or two, I found that my mandolin VSL if you will was 13 3/4", which happened to be identical to a viola I'd been looking at.  Sure enough I picked it up and immediately started whipping out tune after tune.  I didn't have to look at the fingerboard any longer, just place my fingers and play.  Made it so much easier.  Kevin.

D, think about resizing your pic to large so we can see without downloading it.  we wouldn't want to miss a cute pet shot!

 I still play the old wood and brass Marine Band models. Never tried the new fangled plastic models. The old wood models would swell up from playing and gave them that distinct sound you hear on old recordings from the 50's and 60's.... Robert.

I'm very fond of the made-in-the-USA Bushman Harmonicas

I only held my first dulcimer on January 20th, 2015 and I already caught the DAD bug. As I learn new peices amd become better aquainted with the current 2 dulcimers I have. I do prefer certain songs played on each. Also the more dulcimers , you won't ever get bored of playing when you can just reach for a different sound. 

wow, amazing cabinet lora. Montreal is quite humid in the summer and damp in the winter. I already feel like I am in a temperature controlled cabinet..but brilliant idea.

Oh my, that is beautiful. Your dulcimers look like they are on display in a museum. Thanks for sharing.

Ken, you crack me up!

I made a double dulcimer stand for the two dulcimers I play all the time. it's out of the way of the grand kids, right by my computer table...

Playing guitar, banjo, and (occasionally) mandolin besides my dulcimers, I am always dealing with different size (length) fret boards. It's never been a problem.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Some folks need a belt and suspenders.  Some just a belt.  Personally I've never had much trouble keeping my dulcimer in my lap.

I hope every one who is displaying their instruments is also keeping track of indoor humidity. I read on another thread of someone's Rockwell "developing" cracks. That is what happens when wood gets too dry. Also the fretboard shrinks and the fret wires start to stick out. To make sure my dulcimers have the proper condition year round but can also be easily accessed for playing, I had a custom made display cabinet created by Case Sensitive. They make beautiful guitar cabinets for guitars, but this is the first one made for dulcimers.

 image.jpg - 112KB

That's the idea!

"Your brain keys your fingers"

I hear coffee is good for the brain, I should always have plenty on hand 

Marg -- in reality, once you have some experience,  it's not much of a problem -- as long as you're not swapping from shortest to longest with each song! 

With experience, you aren't really playing 'fret position', so much as you 'know' where the next sound needs to come from and your fingers just go there.  When you pick up a different instrument, you just "run the scales" a couple times, or play your favorite tune, and your brain keys your fingers into the correct spacings.

"In having a collection of dulcimers if they are not all the same size, how much of a problem is it for your fingers to land on the desire fret?"

Try going from a 29" baritone to playing a 17" octave dulcimer and you'll be landing all over the place.