Forum Activity for @john-p

Rob - you should be able to attach a .pdf to a post.

Update(cog wheel) your original post, look for the attach file selector at the bottom.

I only have one. It is a Dulcimer Factory. It has ivy sound holes so I named her Ivy Pearl.  Pearl is for Elma Pearl my mat. grandmother. If I ever get another one I will name her Jewel after my pat. Grandmother.  Kind cool both my grannies have gemstones for names.

K,  Thanks Stumelia.  I thought I could fill my calendar with the cool stuff that comes up.  Guess I will have to keep my little green notebook and I mean old fashion iwth pages of paper in it and no stylus but just a good old fasion pencil.

TW

Hi Rob, Dave in Sallisaw, Ok.  Sure would like tab for Battle of the Somme.

ANYONE who would like a copy of "Battle of the Somme" follow the above instructions, since there seems to be no way to post it here on a discussion.

Battle of the Somme.pdf - 73KB

Lois, thanks for your photos of these practical instrument haulers!  I love to see things being repurposed!

Thanks, also, Ken, for the photo of the Wonder Wheeler, which I also own.  People who are hauling hammer dulcimers especially like these because you can slide it in one side and then use the mesh bag for the rest of your instruments.  I like this one, too, because you can push it and because the big wheels handle curbs and steps pretty well.  If I'm not hauling my hammer dulcimer, though, I prefer to go with something smaller.  Something like a trash bin with swivel castors and storage on the outside.  With a push handle!

You're a good man, Rob N. Lackey.

Well, here you go. I finished the  "Battle of the Somme" Tab in Dad.  3 pages.  Page 1 - melody low register; Page 2 - melody high register; page 3 - adding chords.

I just followed you; now you need to follow me and send me a private message with your email so I can send you the pdf

Hi Shiela,

This is one of those Mixalydian tunes that have an awkward range for N/D players. You either have to borrow a couple of notes off the bass string, or play up the top end.

The fret order is for the top end, and keeps all the notes available on the melody string. If you want to use the bass string then reduce everything by 7.

Probably the best option if you have a 6+ fret is to shift to the Dorian and reduce everything by 3. (except 9 => 6+)

The clip is A'AA for 1st part, key of A Mixalydian ... but use Ddd or DAd if you like, key of D Mixalydian.

2nd part is DAG, key of D Dorian

Re  " The Battle Of The Somme "   First off it was one of the first tunes I learnt on the dulcimer . I learnt it by ear from the playing on a Fairport Convention album . I originally understood that it was written by an unamed piper who was killed in the battle ( the battle went on from july to very nearly October 1916.) However i later found out it was wriiten by a known  piper ( the name evades me  ) who indeed died as a reult of wounds recieved in the battle , probably on the first day 1st July 1916 .being evacuated , died later in hopital in the U.K. It is  a slow march, I am told that it qualifies as a " Retreat March " which means the music played as the soldiers prepared for the nights rest when in camp. A beutiful tune with a real kilt swing to it 

my pup, saint is right with me when I'm playing. If I go to long (way over an hour) he will come around in front, look at me than put his head on the strings. He is sweet and as soon as I pick up the dulcimer he goes right to our spot. He is a good companian.

Hey rwarren.

Over the years I've used several items from the Happy Traum and the folks at Homespun.  They are all really good.  I used a couple of bluegrass packages (including the 4-hour bluegrass workout, which I highly recommend) and one harmony singing course (by Robin and Linda Williams) as well.

I don't know the Lorrain Lee Hammond dulcimer course, but she was a pioneer in the modern dulcimer and if you are a beginner, that is probably a good product.

I have a copy of the David Schnaufer DVD and can say that it's very good, but he doesn't teach a general approach to the dulcimer as much as teach a series of songs.  I think the only general information he provides is some stuff on playing the major scale both up the fretboard and across the strings. But then he just goes into the songs.  So the Schnaufer DVD would be good only if you want to learn those songs, whereas the Hammond CD set is probably a more coherent introduction to the dulcimer.

Those are the only two dulcimer items I know of offered by Happy Traum.

I purchased a used McSpadden on ebay. It was and is still in very good shape. My McSpadden has the scroll head. It came with the Grover Sta-Tite metal friction tuners. They are okay but I had the geared tuners McSpadden now uses retro-fitted on it...a big thank you to Ken Longfield and Kevin Messinger. I sent an email to Jim Woods. I gave him the serial number and he told me when it was made and the material used. He also told me that they went to the geared tuners in the 1990s. If you purchase a used McSpadden before that you will have the Sta-Tite metal friction tuners if you get a scroll head.

I have one from 2002 that is plywood, if that helps narrow it down.

Hi Shiela,

There are a few candidates for Erin's Green Shore that come to mind.

Most likely it's a tune often known as Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore.

Or There's Lough Erne's Shore, a great slip jig.

Or maybe The Wee Weaver -that mentions Lough Erin's shore.

I can do you a fret order and sound clip for any of them if that's any help.

I found the music to "Battle of the Somme."  It's not in copyrite so, I can do a tab of it.  I can do it in DAd, but being composed for the pipes and have a lot of drones, what about DAA?  Ah..... maybe I'll do both just to see which sounds better.

Wow,  "Battle of the Somme."  I haven't heard any one other than Alan Freeman play that one.  I'll look around for it.  "Cavantino" I'm not familiar with it.  There is a dance form called Cavatina.  Do you know of an author for it?

What kinds of tunes are these?   Traditional irish maybe?

Fascinating site! 

Here's another neat site for early recordings.  

  http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/

Lot of old minstrel tunes, the pop music of the day, was recorded on cylinders.

i used to buy scraps of the plywood from lynn to make door harps and various craft items.  this plywood was a very high quality veneer core

product about 3/32 inches thick.  lynn told me it was specially made to his specs.  i still have quite a stack of the material in the shop.  the  backs were a big time saver as they needed little or no sanding....or braceing. 

I call them by their makers name mostly, ie the Yocky,or my Berg. I do have 2 McSpaddens so I call the walnut one "Stripe" because of the light stripe on the back.

John   knopff named my Thomas   replica   but otherwise no names.  I did name a jackhammer   once    ...  jack ! 

Barbara, I've been naming the dulcimers I build for the past couple of years.  

They're usually Bible names, taken from the Psalms.  Each one is different, kinda like those Cabbage Patch Kids.

Mine is named Lark, short for Meadowlark, because the lovely joyful song means spring has arrived on the prairie. 

Thanks Rob! I couldn't remember where I found it on the Web.

I think the only one I ever named was an all cherry build I did for a friend in CT. 'Lady Barbara'. 

Here you are Dusty. During the time that Lynn McSpadden owned the company some of the dulcimers were made from solid wood. These were the higher priced models. From my converstations with Lynn, the reason he gave for using plywood for back and sides was to insure a consistent quality of sound and construction as the plywood would be more stable than solid wood. This also accounted for there being only two types of wood offered; cherry and walnut. When Jim Woods acquired McSpadden all solid wood became the standard. I do not know the reason for this, but it may be due to discontinued production of the plywood used to make the dulcimers. I understand that the David Schnauffer model was discontinued because McSpadden could no longer get the cherry plywood that David specified for his signature model. Maybe this is more than you wanted to know. Now back to our regularly scheduled discussion.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I guess I spend too much time in the fantasy world, My walnut redwood is called Lady Morgana with her rich dark and delicate voice, and the cherry is Guinevere, she is bright and strong.

Nice names Barbra, and yep you need another MD for sure.

Pretty Cool Sheryl, I like that idea.

Mine is named Birdie. And she has her name tattooed on her neck. 

I think Stephen made the important points, eli.  McSpaddens are consistently good instruments and hold their value well.

At some point in the past--perhaps Ken could tell us when--they stopped using plywood for the backs and started making all solid wood dulcimers.

They also sell kits, and I would not suggest buying one made from a kit unless you could hold it and play it first.  Just ask what the label inside the dulcimer says; it will indicate if it were made in the shop or was a kit that someone bought and made for themselves.

What about a tear drop?

Lots of folks name their dulcimers.  I never named any of my guitars or mandolins, but most of my dulcimers have names. The first one I ever bought has rosebud soundholes and I named her Rosita.  Later I obtained a baritone teardrop with rose soundholes and named that one Tia Rosa.  I got my Blue Lion from FOTMD member Jeannie in Paradise and named it Queenie, partly in honor of Jeannie and partly because my daughter insisted that since female lions do the hunting they should be considered the queens of the jungle.  I have another named Lucinda and my daughter named her octave dulcimer with dolphin soundholes Splash.  But oddly, the the dulcimer I play most often is just my dulcimer.  No name.  

And I mean no offense, but dulcimers have such beautiful curves, they have to have female names.  I guess Lexie and I just don't agree on that.  Maybe a Tennessee music box could be called Fred or Barney, but an hourglass has to be female, especially if its voice is as alluring as the sirens' song.

My models have names, but no I don't give names to any one in particular.

Barbra, What are your names for you dulcimers?

Yes, I name my dulcimers, my first is "Ho-Hum", my favorites and new this year is "Lil' ButterNut", made by Robert Schuler modaled after A. J. Jefferies.

And the one I just purchased not long ago is, "Thommy", made by  Kevin Messanger copied after Edward Thomas. I play N & D style and my 2 new ones are very sweet to play and have that old time silvery sound....Love It!

Probably the one thing you should know about McSpadden instruments is that they are high quality instruments that hold up well. The usual cautions about used instruments certainly apply. You want to make sure that there is no damage or bad repairs. Check to make sure the frets are smooth and level. If you can not see the instrument in person, make sure you can return it if not satisfied. McSpadden dulcimers hold up very well.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."