Forum Activity for @sam

I have one from 'Qwik Tune'. It doesn't clip to anything, it simply lays on the instrument. I've checked it with a couple of my Snark clip ons. It is as accurate ... but ... if you need/want one that clips on, this isn't it. Can you possible relocate the Snark? Maybe to a strap button or other place on the instrument?

All too true, Patty

Yes, a standard autoharp tuning wrench should work with those pins, although some earlier pins had smaller heads.  And yes, a psaltry bow should work, although a longer bow might give more sustain to notes.

Good grief, I rotated my tablet to vertical and..wala..I can see.its a miracle!

I have a neighbor who has a Violin Uke. Yes, that is what it's called. The original bow is damaged. I would like to get him a bow so he can play the instrument. Would a Psaltery bow be acceptable? Any suggestions you have would be appreciated. Also, it has zither pins. I'm guessing it may be out of tune. Would a modern zither tuning key work on it?

Here is a video of someone playing a Violin Uke:

I swore I'd only have two dulcimers. Now I have five! If had the money and the space I'd buy a dulcimer from each maker who is a member of FOTMD. I've seen pictures posted of some lovely instruments by these builders. I do have one made by Kevin Messinger and one made by Dan Cox. I think my friend Carrie said it best, we all eventually get DAD: Dulcimer Acquistion Disease, LOL 

Thanks Lexie! We'll be having a part 2 episode on the scheitholt. And much more to come ...

Patricia, I really enjoyed listening to both of your podcasts, they were both intertaining and interesting.

I really liked the interview with Ben Seymour, he is very educated on history of the MD, a great luthier and musician.

Thanks for the additional info, good to know!   (way out smiley)

Patricia, I forgot to mention that I really like that your podcasts are 30 minutes long. I subscribe to several excellent NPR podcasts that are an hour long, and I get behind on those because I rarely have an hour to listen. And when I listen to them in piecemeal, I lose interest. Good luck with your podcast, it seems you are off to a WAY OUT start.

Sheryl, Thanks so much for listening! We have more episodes in the works. Wayne and I are so excited about doing this podcast. We LOVE hearing from people who've listened. We're planning to share some listeners' comments in a future episode, so if anyone is interested in this, go to http://dulcimuse.com/podcast  to share your comments or suggestions.

Dusty, We've had the same experience as you ... while making our film, many people had a special story about the dulcimer. I have one too! What is it about the dulcimer that brings out these feelings and special experiences that other instruments just don't? The mountain dulcimer is truly a magical instrument ...

You're welcome, Jimmy.

Patricia, Just listended to your 2nd podcast: Joni Mitchell's Dulcimers. Very enjoyable! I am looking forward to more episodes. Thanks for these. 

The photos of Joellen Lapidus' dulcimers are well worth the trip on over to her website. Amazing craftmanship.

http://www.lapidusmusic.com/

Ken, thank you so much for posting these photos, that sure brings back memories.  

Thanks DT.  I've got well over a year's worth of good eating there.

I have thought about candied walnuts, and they would counter the bitterness, it's true.  And using a good amount of a contest sponsor's products is always a good thing.  That first go 'round I was using as much stuff as I could from what I had on hand, rather than buying all new ingredients.  All I needed to buy was the mandarin.  I guess some candied walnuts won't break the bank

Patricia, guitars were always there in my life.  I do not have a genesis story of the moment I discovered the guitar. Or the piano. Or almost any other instrument.  But the dulcimer is different. I can tell you when I first heard the dulcimer and how it affected (infected?) me.  Most dulcimer players have similar stories.  It might be nice if you began collecting those stories and shared them periodically on your Podcast.  You could ask people to send you emails that you could edit and recite, people could share audio files directly, or you could interview folks as you visit different dulcimer festivals.  It could be a recurring part of your podcasts.  Many people wax poetic when talking about their first exposure to the dulcimer. And for you guys it would be like crowdsourcing but for content instead of finances.

Ken, was just reading through some of the recipes you posted. Definitely made me hungry.  Lady Sally is lucky to have you catering (literally) to her desires.

One thought: if you find the walnuts in the Waldorf Failure to be too bitter, perhaps you could use candied walnuts. It might mean less apple or mandarin or other of the sweet stuff, but it would be a way to increase the use of one of the required ingredients. Just a thought.

Lady Sally wants to lose some weight (like most of us), and she's asked me to create 400 calorie or less, healthy, filling dinners for her, and then post them on my weekly food blog.  New posts every Monday:  http://foodingaround-kiltedcook.blogspot.com   This week there were three good choices.

Wow, June was so hot that for the first time ever, our backyard blueberry harvest is now overlapping with our garden tomato season. 

Today I made a big blueberry pie AND picked several gigantic ripe red and yellow tomatoes.  I think we may have another 10 days of blueberries or so.  Spent an hour and a half working my way along the rows pulling up weeds in the vegetable garden.  Probably three more days of the same to finish that round.  The bending is tough, but I find kneeling is worse.  sigh....then you blink and the weeds are all back again...lol.
For lunch I had two fresh thick sliced tomato sandwiches with mayo and onions.  Bought some bacon so we can start making BLTs tomorrow...

Hello Jimmy. We visited McSpadden and the Ozark Folk Center in 1974. My wife and I camped at Blanchard Springs Campground. We visited with Lynn McSpadden and also took in an evening concert at the Folk Center. I remember Jimmy Driftwood as part of the concert and some other folks from Mt. View. I'm not sure, but I think Elliot Hancock played the dulcimer during the concert. Most of the photos from that trip are on paper and I haven't scanned them in the computer. I do have these two photos of the Dulcimer Shoppe.

Does anyone have stories, memories, or photos from Mt View and the Ozark Folk Center from the 1970s?  I spent many summers going to Mt View right after the Folk Center opened.  I only lived about an hour and half away and my family and I spent a good amount of time there on vacation. I remember the first dulcimer shop McSpadden opened before he moved into the current location.  Those memories from that period are still so vivid to me, but I don't have a single photo from that era.  I heard Jimmy Driftwood, Bookmiller Shannon, Aunt Ollie Gilbert, Floyd Holland...those original performers were so fascinating.  And, of course, the dulcimer came into my life because of those trips.  Can't find a thing on youtube from those early years, and it would sure make a great documentary.   Anyway, I would love to hear any experiences you folks might have had way back then.

The date of Clifford's death is July 18, 2015 in case anyone is interested.

Blueberries are anti-oxidants. 

Does blueberry pie count as healthy?   lol

Thank you Ken for clearing the fingerdancing up....I play Noter/drone with a stick and have heard others say they play with fingers but refer to it as noter/drone. I know it makes a difference to my ears, I like the sound when playing with a stick best. I think these people play this way cause they also say the haven't got the hang of playing with a noter so they use their finger.

 Kimberly, I responded earlier today to your identical question in the Ask the Moderators forum, where I posted a link to the DPN article.  Check it out here .

Another legendary builder has passed from our scene.  May God comfort his family.

Thanks for passing this along Ken. Heaven is gaining a wonderful Dulcimer legend. My prayers are with his family. 

Lexie -- it can't be Noter & Drone style if you don't use a noter -- a separate stick, not your finger or thumb.  Playing with finger/thumb fretting the melody string, but not playing chords, is usually called Fingerdancing or Melody-Drone style.

Yes Marg, we will never have just one and always want another! I am really into the history of the mountain dulcimer and enjoy the sounds of the early players and the early lutheriers and so admire the folks who build the replicas and the sweet sounds.

Some folks play noter with their fingers/thumb and guess it works, as long as you enjoy playing this is what is important. Thanks for posting this topic, I have enjoyed reading all the comments.

Lexie,

I can see we will never be finished. I was listening to some sound clips on a few dulcimers for sale, I couldn't pick the one I liked best but 3. I will try again and see if I still pick the same ones. I don't play noter so I like the tones more mellow but I do slide my thrumb a lot and like the silvery sweet slide sounds that can make. All too funny thinking one will ever do.

Let us know how you like playing with the peacock feathers. Hope you find them fun to play with.

Early in my "Dulci Journey" I chose to play Noter/Drone and purchase my Dulcimers from FOTMD friend's who build copy's from the ole' time builders and players.

My first dulcimer is an Apple Creek, it was an ok dulcimer to learn the basics from and then I purchased from Robert Schuler a butternut dulcimer based on A. W. Jefferies and then a copy of "Uncle Ed Thomas, made of walnut with a mean tone fret board setup by Kevin Messanger. Both these dulcimers are exceptional for playing noter/drone, they both have the silvery sweet old time sound and are beautifully made and really my dream dulcimers.

Uh no, I am not finished with purchasing other dulcimers, my wish list is to in the future buy a Virginia Hogfiddle by Bobby Ratliff, but I am not sure he is building again. Also I would love a TMB and a Just Intonation again by Robert Schuler. If I think on it the list would become too long so I will stop there.

Nice shot.  We get some White Pelicans here too, but not this far inland (15 miles upriver).  They're out on the ponds and bays of Pine Island.

I just read at Banjo Hangout that dulcimer and banjo maker, Clifford Glenn, has died. He was 79 years old and has been in failing health. I have not been able to indepently verify this at the present time. Just want to let folks know. Clifford's family and friends are in my prayers. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken,

    I am from new orleans so I am not surprise to see a brown pelican but when several white ones landed on the pond, I was like a kid running around trying to get a shot of them. It's just with the phone but will enclose the pic. I love playing outside, it's the reason I got the dulciborn, to be hear over the pond and up past the sunsets.

AH! thanks for that Ken!

Marg -  yes I built and sold/gave away pretty close to 300 dulcimers over the years.  I don't have any pix of my dulcimers here at the boat (too many other things to take pix of).  I'll post some later. 

We have spoonbills over at the Ding Darling Refuge on Sanibel island, not here on the Caloosahatchee.  But we do have eagles, ospreys, night herons, GB herons, and two species of egrets, plus ibis, brown pelican and assorted gulls/terns that hang around the marina where I live.

Just don't get caught with an eagle feather.  Technically it's illeagle (yep -- sick bird) to own real eagle feathers.

I picked a variety of sizes because I wasn't sure what size I will like. Now that it's on my mind, maybe I will spot a turkey feather on the ground. Although now that I think about it, we have a lot of bald eagles out at the lake. It would be cool to find one of their feathers!