Forum Activity for @ken-hulme

I believe that the key shift occurred during the Revivial of the 1960s and early 70s, and the reason for the change was that lots of people wanted to play scots/irish fiddle tunes, for which D is a more common key. You'd have to go back to early editions of DPN to find any possible hard information. Or you could question some of the folks who were there -- like Howard Rugg, Robert Force, Bonnie Carol, Lois Hornbostle, etc.

IMHO most of today's D diehards are that way simply because that's the way they were taught and they were (unfortunately) taught that DAd is the only 'right' way to do things . They have little or no desire to dig into the background of the instrument, and no desire to learn to re-tune to become more involved with the instrument, because it takes them out of their 'comfort zone'.

Most of the books today are in D for those same reasons. For those of us who use different keys and understand that the key makes no difference, it's all good. Personally I've been playing in B a lot lately as it's easier on my voice than D or falsettoG. For instrumentals in a high noise environment I personally love Gdd or Ggg as that note seems to cut through a lot of background buzz.

DAA is the proper notation, also DAC (you tune down to the C not up to c from A), and Ddd or ddd, but not DDD which would be all bass strings.

Because the key note doesn't particularly matter, many people today simply refer to 1-5-5 or 1-5-7 or 1-5-8 or 1-8-8 tunings to indicate they they are note-independent.

I've tried to tilt my dulcimer up as described here. The instrument does resonate much better that way but certain fingerings are also more challenging. Just have to stick with it I guess. Somewhere between the angle of the tilt and how much you point the dulcimer away from you seems to be the key.

Someone mentioned putting it on a hard surface like a table top. I'll have to try that. I'm a telephone tech of 30 years. Putting the phone (an old phone with REAL bells) on a hard surface was a good cure for customers who were hard of hearing and often made the difference in hearing the phone or not hearing the phone when it rang.

Thanks again.

Maybe I am getting the angle wrong. I play banjo and Guitar and possibly that is why I try to hold it at the wrong angle. When I chord it seems harder also. Will have to chat with you one day. If you can message me or e-mail me your skype name and the best time to contact you.

Have a great day.

Hi Gary,

Too hard in what way? It takes some "fiddling" to get the angle right - too great an angle from the horizontal of the lap, and the left hand has a hard time with fretting. Was that the problem you had? This has worked for all my students, though the angle varies, depending on the person and the style/size/shape of their dulcimer. If you want to Skype sometime, I'll talk you through it.

Linda

Gary Major said:

Thanks Linda.

I tried that and found it too hard for me to play. Great idea though and I think it may work for others also.

Thanks Linda.

I tried that and found it too hard for me to play. Great idea though and I think it may work for others also.

Gary, The increased resonance of a dulcimer tilted up off the lap is one more reason that I, like many others including Steve Seifert and Aaron O'Rourke, play with my dulcimer strap around my back and the dulcimer tilted away from the body. The scroll end is out on the left knee and the bridge end is tucked close on the right side. Though I made this choice mainly for ergonomic reasons, the improved sound is very noticeable and welcome.

Linda

www.cabinhillmusic.com

Pam -- a possum board is simply a rectangle of 3/8" or thicker plywood or board that is a bit wider and longer than the body of your dulcimer (tuning head doesn't count). To that board you glue two short lengths of square dowel about 1/4" to 3/8" square and as long as the board is wide. Glue the dowels so they will be a few inches in from the ends of the dulcimer as it sits on them. Don't pad the sticks -- it will negate the effect of freeing up the back. If you find you need to hold the dulcimer in place, drill holes near the ends on either side of the instrument and use small bungees or rubber bands.

Thank you all for the quick response. I have the plans for a Possum Board and I think that would work.

What a great place FOTMD. You are all truly good friends.

Hi Gary, Have you tried playing your dulcimer setting it on top of a table?

This may give you a different sound and maybe similar to having a possum board.

Hello all:

As I am playing my Dulcimer I have it on my knees with a strap for support. However as I played a chord then tilted the dulcimer I got a more richer sound and more vibration. When I returned to the regular position on my knees it went a bit dulled again.

Would this be because of the wood the dulcimer is made up with? Am I stopping the vibration by it on my knee support? Is there a apparatus or some way to keep the sustain when the Dulcimer is on my knees as the same if I tilted it? I play through a pic up and amp also and one can really see the difference in the sound when resting on the knees and off the knees.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Sherrie. There is no really definitive answer. Some dulcimers in the late or mid-1800s had a 6 1/2 fret, but no seventh fret. Regular use of the 6 1/2 fret probably began in the mid-to-late 1960s. The 1 1/2 fret has been around for quite a while as well. It has gained more popularity in recent years. I think we have discussed this in the History of the Dulcimer forum. You can look in that forum or do a search.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Although not dulcimer specific, County Sales is having a sale on all of their 3500 series of old-time music CDs. The CDs are just $7.00 each. For fans of old-time music there are some great gems here.

http://www.countysales.com/categories.php?category=SPECIAL-SALE-ON-COUNTY-3500-SERIES-CDs

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hi Dusty,

"I'll Tell Me Ma".

I've added this to Val's "A New Tune to Learn" thread in the Irish Group.

Learn a New Tune

(bottom of the page)

Thanks, Martha. I don't know that one but it looks approachable enough from the tab. Thanks for the suggestion.

Martha E said:

One of my favorites is Keel Row:

http://threeriversdulcimersociety.net/Music/Keel%20Row.pdf

Thanks, James. I play all three of those with my regular dulcimer group, so they were among the first I put on the list.

James Phillips said:

Dusty, a couple I'd suggest are already on that list - Water Is Wide, Southwind, Morning Has Broken. Good luck with this!

I have to admit, John, that I didn't know that one. But I just gave it a listen and it sure is fun! I'll put some tab together, maybe even some lyrics and chords, and add that to the list. Thanks for the suggestion!

john p said:

You have to include 'I'll Tell Me Ma' as well.

You have to include 'I'll Tell Me Ma' as well.

Ken,as two songs (different in lyrics and tune) in the Irish folk canon are routinely called "Banks of the Bann," I prefer "Be Thou My Vision" tospecify the tune commonly called"Slane."

Ken Hulme said:

William -- Be Thou My Vision is the "churchified" version of the old Irish tune called Banks of the Bann. Be Thou is much slower and the emphasis is completely different, although the notes are the same.

One of my favorites is Keel Row:

http://threeriversdulcimersociety.net/Music/Keel%20Row.pdf

Dusty, a couple I'd suggest are already on that list - Water Is Wide, Southwind, Morning Has Broken. Good luck with this!

William -- Be Thou My Vision is the "churchified" version of the old Irish tune called Banks of the Bann. Be Thou is much slower and the emphasis is completely different, although the notes are the same.

Thanks, William. The Minstrel Boy was the first fingerpicking tune I ever tried, and I'll definitely add that to the list. I also learned Annie Laurie from some tab Nina Zanetti posted on her website, so I'll definitely add at least those two. the list of songs I have to learn, though, is getting pretty long, so I'm not sure how many of the others will make it to the list before the event itslef. Thanks for the suggestions.

William Craig Mann said:

Consider:

Scotland the Brave, The Minstrel Boy, The Green Hills of Tyroll (The Scottish Soldier), The Battle's O'er

and a little more complex:

Mo Guile Mear, Be Thou My Vision, McLeod's Reel, Annie Laurie, Endearing Young Charms

I think that history is accurate, Peter. And I just paid for another year of the website. As long as the website is up, the list will be, too, although it may evolve over time.

Peter W. said:

I read that Irish emigrants went to Liverpool first to escape from unemployment. From there the big ships to America departed, and many of them decided to give it a try.

Please keep your list online - I guess I'll like to try out some of them during the summer...

Consider:

Scotland the Brave, The Minstrel Boy, The Green Hills of Tyroll (The Scottish Soldier), The Battle's O'er

All of the above are commonly played on the bagpipes and are fairly simple dulcimer pieces.

Not common bagpipe tunes, and a little more complex:

Mo Guile Mear, Be Thou My Vision, McLeod's Reel, Annie Laurie, Endearing Young Charms

Scotland the Brave is a good suggestion, Babs. Thanks.

Babs Greene said:

That's one of the reasons I didn't mention tunes by title but gave the book information instead, Dusty, I know it has Scotland the Brave and other familiar tunes in it but they may only be familiar more so to people in the UK

... I always thought of it as English rather than Irish since it mentions Liverpool. Now that I think about it, though, it was always sung by those Irish groups like the Clancy Brothers, the Pogues, and Tommy Makem, wasn't it?

In several sources (like here in German: http://www.grapeviners.de/Main/Lyrics/Leaving%20of%20Liverpool.html ) I read that Irish emigrants went to Liverpool first to escape from unemployment. From there the big ships to America departed, and many of them decided to give it a try. So there's at least a chance that the song's roots are Irish... But I can't proof. It is a beautiful song anyway...

Please keep your list online - I guess I'll like to try out some of them during the summer...

I guess it's fair to say, Guy, that you are an uncommon musician in many ways. Peter mentioned Down by the Sally Gardens as well, so I'll be learning that one and adding it for sure. Thanks!

Guy Babusek said:

Looks like a great list to me. I tend to do a lot of so called "Celtic" music, but I don't think most of mine is very common LOL. Down By The Sally Gardens might be a nice addition to your list.

Babs, I have a couple of books of Celtic tunes but I don't really know which ones are the more common ones, so rather than just choosing tunes at random, I'm looking for those that a lot of players would either know or at least be interested in learning. I'll definitely check out the book you mention, though.

Babs Greene said:

The Complete Book of Celtic Music for Appalachian Dulcimer has a few that you might be interested in.

Linda, the list is obviously a personal one. I included what I thought to be common tunes as well as tunes that I happen to know. I'll check out Red is the Rose. And we might play Wild Mountain Thyme, but I won't put it on the list with tablature since it's still under copyright. Thanks for the suggestions!

Linda W. Collins said:

This is quite a varied list. How about adding:

Red Is the Rose

Will Ye Go, Lassie Go? (Wild Mountain Thyme)

Thanks, Ken. I could probably add Lock Lomond and Auld Lang Syne right away. The others I'll have to learn first. But thanks for the suggestions.

Ken Hulme said:

Loch Lomond

Banks of the Bann

Maire's Wedding

Auld Lang Syne

Tramps and Hawkers

Thanks, Peter. I'll check out Down By the Sally Gardens. And its funny, but I just arranged a version of Leaving of Liverpool for my regular dulcimer group, but I always thought of it as English rather than Irish since it mentions Liverpool. Now that I think about it, though, it was always sung by those Irish groups like the Clancy Brothers, the Pogues, and Tommy Makem, wasn't it?

Peter W. said:

you could add

... Down by the Sall[e]y Gardens

and perhaps...

... Leaving of Liverpool

Looks like a great list to me. I tend to do a lot of so called "Celtic" music, but I don't think most of mine is very common LOL. Down By The Sally Gardens might be a nice addition to your list.

This is quite a varied list. How about adding:

Red Is the Rose

Will Ye Go, Lassie Go? (Wild Mountain Thyme)

If you need it, TAB for each of these is in my book Beyond the Basics .

Best of luck with the jam!

Linda

www.cabinhillmusic.com

Scottish folk tunes are what I particularly love, Dusty. Here's a few common, simple ones that aren't on the list

Loch Lomond

Banks of the Bann

Maire's Wedding

Auld Lang Syne

Tramps and Hawkers

You're list is perfect, Dusty!

Just to make it a little more perfect , you could add

... Down by the Sall[e]y Gardens

(one of the first dulcimer pieces I ever played; I recorded this just a few weeks after I started to play the MD)

and perhaps...

... Leaving of Liverpool

Hello good people of FOTMD. I have been asked to lead a Celtic jam at this spring's Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering . I agreed to do it only after making it clear that this would not be an Irish or Celtic "session" but would more resemble a song circle in which we focused on Celtic tunes, including many slower tunes.

The way this jam is being publicized, people are invited to bring a song to play or to learn one from the jam leader (me). And I was asked to put together a list of tunes, ideally with tab, that people could examine ahead of time. I have started that process, and added a page of Celtic Tunes Commonly Played on the Dulcimer on my website.

Please take a look at that list and let me know if I have left out any obvious tunes. I am not necessarily looking for your favorite Irish polka or Scottish lament, but rather tunes that are commonly played on the dulcimer. For example, just yesterday someone suggested that I add "Farewell to Tarwathie" and "All Through the Night." To be honest, I am not looking for anything too complicated, either, for I have to be able to play and perhaps teach any song on the list.

And just for the record, I am fully aware that the very term "Celtic" might be offensive to some in that it glosses over the differences among Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx, and Breton musical cultures. No offense is intended. But from the perspective of the vast immigrant land of the U.S. of A., music from the various Celtic cultures does exhibit some shared characteristics that differentiates it from, for example, Afro-Caribbean music or Baltic music or klezmer or whatever. As a further confessional, I think so far I only have Irish, Scottish, and Welsh tunes on the list. (I ask particular forgiveness from the Breton family I lived with for 6 months in the late 1980s. Pardonnez-moi.)

I welcome any suggestions you have. And if you have none because my list is so wonderful, well I'd love to hear that too.

Well, since you're not leaving until September, we'll see you at the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering on May 30 and the Redwood Dulcimer Day in Santa Cruz on August 1, correct?

Thanks, Ken - actually we're driving across country from CA to TN and back to attend the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough TN which happens the first weekend of October each year. We've always flown, but will be retired this time! So we get to take two months + for this trip. Got to make the best of it, but will not be making it to Florida this time.

Ken Hulme said:

Actually the list here is pretty good. Also the list at EverythingDulcimer: http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/event_display.php

Not a lot going on in the Fall - Sept-Nov but you're always welcome to snowbird down here to Florida where there's almost always something happening!

Actually the list here is pretty good. Also the list at EverythingDulcimer: http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/event_display.php

Not a lot going on in the Fall - Sept-Nov but you're always welcome to snowbird down here to Florida where there's almost always something happening!