Forum Activity for @nate

With the loss of such a positive support beam in the dulcimer community, it reminds me to express my gratitude to y'all. I am very grateful to have found this community of kind, helpful, non-judgmental, encouraging, and inviting folks who I can share the dulcimer with. You have all had a tremendously positive impact on me, and I'm grateful to be able to interface with all you great folks.
I love you all,
God bless all,
Nate

"It may be true that there are no wrong notes on the dulcimer, but that doesn't mean that all the right ones are there" 

Dusty, that deserves a place in the fun sayings about dulcimer chat. 

I think of diatonic and chromatic dulcimers as two roads that lead to different kinds of attractions along the way. One will mainly take you to traditional music, both modal and pentatonic, and the other leads you to pop, blues, and jazz.  Both can cross over a little bit, but they have different emphases.

Of course, I mainly play a dulcimer with 6+ and 1+ frets, so I've chosen a kind of middle path.  I play mostly diatonic music but can occasionally add blue notes or switch keys in ways that would be much more difficult on a truly diatonic instrument.

I would like to caution us all not to assume generalizations hold for everyone.  I played the guitar, mandolin, and ukulele before discovering the dulcimer, and the diatonic fretboard did not make the instrument easier to learn.  On the contrary, the fact that I could not play so many of the songs in my head was very frustrating. It took about 2 years of playing everyday for me to get a sense of what melodies could be found on the diatonic fretboard and what couldn't.  (It may be true that there are no wrong notes on the dulcimer, but that doesn't mean that all the right ones are there!) 

And chording on the diatonic fretboard is more complex.  On a chromatic fretboard, a chord shape will be the same type of chord as you move up and down the fretboard, but on a diatonic dulcimer, that chord shape changes between major and minor.  That fact significantly slows down the development of dulcimer players who wish to play chords.

Never heard it put that way or thought about it that way Nate you're right on the money.

I will miss him. He did a soundtrack for Carrie and me as a spoof of Where O Where Are You Tonight. He did a bit of a rework on Where O Where Has My Little Dog Gone for me as well. He taught us so much. He organized the Wartz gatherings every Spring and Fall. I've got video of him at the Wartz gatherings on my page. Carrie used to say he would make a washboard sound good. He was that good of a musician. He could take any dulcimer and make it sound great. I just found out about this from Jim yesterday. It made me cry. I will be keeping his family and friends in prayer. I surely will miss him. I'm so glad I have two of his cds. I can still hear him play. 

https://spicermullikin.com/robert-neil-lackey/?fbclid=IwAR37K4AGHLNxW4nEqm1lxTcoiKd7Z_6M3ymarh7o6_Gmaos5LWHjlzQMfWc

Peg fitting is indeed a delicate process, and your journey from watching to doing resonates with my own learning on the violin.

It's funny that you mention this. My experience with chromatic dulcimer is that it enhances my perspective of diatonic dulcimer. The cultural place of chromatic and diatonic dulcimers might be different, but to me, as a self taught dulcimer player, chromatic dulcimer provides me with useful contextual information that I can apply to diatonic.Specifically, hearing the ways that the same chords that I play in diatonic can fit into other keys helps me to think of them with a more open mind. 
Nate

Autoharp seem to find their way to me, although don't play. I usually either give them away or sell them. My sister has an autoharp which I completely repadded at one time. I've replaced pads on other autoharps as well. Also replaced string, repaired tuning pegs, etc. Partly, this is because I have friends who play and also having been friends with George Orthey and a friend of Greg Schreiber. I also hosted and emcee autoharp concerts for about 20 years, so I know a lot of professional players and builders. I enjoy listening to autoharp music.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I got the opportunity to play an autoharp once. It belonged to a family friend who would play it and sing when my father was a kid. A couple of the pads had been damaged over time, and it took QUITE a while to tune up, but the ethereal brightness of the sound is unlike any other instrument I've heard. Such a beautiful sound.
Nate

Whenever I take up a new instrument, it gives me a fresh perspective on the other instruments I play. Somehow, it took me a lifetime to realize that the A minor scale is the same as the C major scale, just starting in a different spot. And it's called "Aeolian Mode". Suddenly I'm a music theory genius!  (Many thanks to Strumelia!) The diatonic dulcimer locks in the pattern that opens up all the modes for you. I feel like the chromatic dulcimer promises more but delivers less as a creative tool.

My dulcimer hung on the wall for years and years because of how frustrated I would get with those "dreaded" friction banjo tuners.  I committed to replacing them with a set of 5-star planetary tuners as a present to myself last Christmas. They were spendy, and took some modification to install, but what a joy it is to be able to finally play and try different tunings. I don't miss the money at all!

I built my first three dulcimers under the tutelage of a violin maker, so I had good instruction on fitting pegs. While I can describe the process, watching it is probably better. There are some good videos on YouTube that deal with peg fitting. Anyone can check them out if they want to the job. For me the process was watch one, do one with my teacher watching over the process, and do another on my own.  Of course, like any task it gets easier with practice. You develop a feel for your tools and the process. It would have been easier for Curt if the original owner kept the original pegs. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken, if you're certain on giving Curt this advice on setting his own wooden pegs without professional help, please also include how to fine-fit the taper, and how dress the pegs for the proper fit and proper amount of sticking friction to ensure easy and sseure tuning.

You're way beyond me if you can describe that without giving a hands-on lesson.

Ken,

I am pretty sure that the existing holes have not been modified since they held the original pegs.  Would not some off-the-shelf pegs fit.  If so, what size?   

I am more than willing to take the dulcimer to a string shop, if that is needed.

Thanks,

Curt

Curt, you can buy the pegs and install them yourself. Bear in mind that the pegs are tapered and the hole into which they go must be tapered as well. A viola size hole reamer is the tool you will need to do this. Also, if the holes were enlarged for the banjo tuners, they will need to be plugged, drilled, and reamed. It depends upon how much time and money you want to spend. Pegs are inexpensive, reamers are not although since you are only doing this one job you can probably get away with an inexpensive one.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That's great to know that the original pegs were rosewood viola pegs, Dwain. And you would have that first-hand knowledge, for sure!  

My own experience with Grover Stay-tite tuners is that they cannot hold a high tension very well, especially on a longer scale length dulcimer. My vote is for either wooden viola pegs (well fit by a violin repairperson), or the Wittner or Perfection pegs which are terrific though a bit expensive. Those two also have the benefit of 'looking' just like trad wood pegs, yet you can turn them smooth as butter and they fine-tune too.. 

Then again, you got that Sunhearth for a bargain price, so maybe you can justify investing in worthy pegs for it!

Thanks to everyone who responded.  It appears that the tuners were replacements.  I removed them and happily there was no damage done in their installation.  So, I will put the dulcimer back to the way it was originally.  It was mentioned that the original pegs were viola rosewood pegs, and from all of the illustrations that I have seen, they seem to have been mass produced pegs, although hand-carved pegs were offered as an upgrade.

Any chance that I could fit these myself?  It was mentioned that I should take the dulcimer to a string shop and have them fitted there.

Thanks to all,

Curt DeBaun III

I don't play autoharps, but i like to hear and watch others play them! Seems to me they are perfect for singing along with. Mike, who first taught you about autoharp when you were a kid?

My dogs love the snow, but not the rain.

Gonna make a big pot of 'whatever's in the kitchen' soup for dinner!

My cats don't care about torrential rain. They just sit all cozy by the window and watch the drops running down the panes. What a life.  

Hey, @motormike.  I have an autoharp as well, a diatonic G/D that my uncle made for me. I should play it more often. The autoharp is such a magical instrument.

Since I've joined this board, discussion has ensued regarding a dulcimer and a psaltery. True passion, however, is my Autoharp. Having been introduced to them age 10, about 20 years passed before I bought one in tobacco sunburst. The VERY first time I remember seeing anyone play autoharp professionally was on TV when John Sebastian and the Lovin' Spoonful appeared on Ed Sullivan show playing "Do You Believe in Magic". Fast forward to 2010, and I replaced the first with a stunning red finish harp. I play strictly for my own enjoyment, gospel, folk, rock, and whatever sings to me in the moment.

 autoharp.jpg - 93KB

Sorry, I didn't read the whole thread before responding. Somehow I got a private message and just responded to that. I didn't know Stay-Tites came in two sizes! Yes, they do appear to be the banjo size I see on dulcimers from time to time.

Hi, Nate, I'm the other Ken. Here is a link to an NPR segment on the Lego dulcimer made by Peter Alway: https://www.npr.org/2005/02/06/4487244/lego-my-dulcimer As far as I know Peter was the first person to build a mountain dulcimer out of Lego blocks.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.:

The original pegs were rosewood viola pegs, by the way. If you prefer them, the pegs need to be hand-fitted to the peghead. A violin string shop could supply the pegs and fit them properly. If you do not have the fine tuners I can supply them.

Yep,  build and play psalteries of several kinds.

Sure, it promises to please, adorned with inlays of wood, pewter, and mother of pearl.

Hi Dwain, I didn't say that the tuners were mechanical. They are, as you noted, Grover Stay-Tites which are friction tuners. I think they came in banjo and ukulele sizes. Those on Curt's dulcimer appear to be banjo size.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A slight correction, Ken, Backyard Instruments began selling cardboard dulcimers in 1980. I don't know if they were the first, but that's 44 years of cardboard dulcimers.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

We'd enjoy seeing a couple of pix!

Those are not banjo mechanical tuners at all. They are the dreaded Grover Stay-Tites. They weren't fitted them with the grace of  fitted small end peg hole plugs properly made cross-grain to make a good finish for such a fine instrument.

I would recommend having them replaced at a string shop (not a guitar repair shop!) with Pegheds or Witmer mechanical pegs. I prefer Pegheds for their adjustable holding friction.

Walt Martin occasionally-fitted Schaller banjo pegs. But they were customized, cut down to match the pegbox wall thickness. He also re-sculpted and crpss-drilled the stem's string-hole to match, so the strings weren't pulling on the pegs unsupported and destructive to the planetary gears.

Cardboard dulcimers have been around close to 20 years, I'd guess.  They sound remarkably good and are a great inexpensive choice as an entry level dulcimer for folks who aren't sure whether the dulcimer is right for them...  The important thing is that the frets are set true, the body material is of secondary consideration.  In fact the fretboards can be easily transferred to an 'after-market' wooden body which almost anyone can easily construct.   I've played plexiglass and Lego(tm) dulcimers that sound good as well.  

How do you play the dulcimer?   String side up.

I'll need to check my files on Sunhearth later today to be certain, but I don't think Walt Martin was offering those Grover banjo pegs as an upgrade in 1975.  If you send me a private message with your email address I will send you pdfs of the 1974 Sunhearth flyer. I also have two magazine articles on Walt Martin and Sunhearth that I can send as well if you are interested.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That makes 3 of us.  A basic dulcimer but it might have a good sound.  I too have not encountered this maker.

Like my brother Ken, I have never heard of this maker. I agree with his assessment.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."