Thanks Robert and Gail for your suggestion.
Robert, I may consider a MP3 player, might work not sure.
Gail, I put the Russell Family on my wish list, I love Galax dulcimer and it sounds like what I am looking for, I am wanting mostly dulcimer alone so I can hear the sweet sounds while I am doing dishes and what not.
Lexie, one of my favorite dulcimer CDs is Galax Style Dulcimer done by Bonnie Russell and the Russell family. I don't know if you are familiar with this style, but I think it's a great CD - done many years ago when Bonnie was only 14 years old, I believe. There is no singing, but the music is great!
What a wonderful resourse Ken, thank you.
I like it especially for the history of the folk songs and I am sure this will give me and others much enjoyment of gathering a verity of folk music I would like to listen too and learn about.
Not "dulcimer", but the best collection of traditional Anglo-American folk music I know is www.contemplator.com -- words and music.
Hi Folks, I am wanting to begin a collection of good Traditional Folk tunes, so I can saturate myself with Mountain Dulcimer music when I am doing house hold chores.
I would like your suggestions, Thanks!
Babs, I don't know Bonnie's book, though it seems like it would be really helpful.
I can tell you that I developed a technique (mainly from watching Linda Brockinton and Nina Zanetti) of brushing my finger across the strings of the dulcimer. It is like an inward strum, but much softer since it is done by the finger. If you do it quickly, the strings sound in unison, but if you do it slowly, then you get a more arpeggiated sound.
But without reading the discussions of technique in Bonnie's book, I don't know if that's what she means by drag or not.
I would agree with Strumelia. If you are enjoying some of the arrangements in the book you will probably benefit from the explanations and other arrangements there as well.
Babs, I might humbly suggest that if you already are liking some of the tunes from Bonnie's book, then by purchasing it you'd not only get more tunes you'll probably like, but you'd get the benefit of all of her teaching explanations...AND you'd be supporting her efforts in writing all those arrangements you enjoy playing. I have an old copy of Bonnie's Dust off that Dulcimer and Dance!...it's a great book as well!Bonnie is a talented and creative teacher and player. 
my story is a lot like Ken's except it happened around the same time when i visited silver dollar city in branson.
Lynn McSpadden had a booth there and Jean Simmons was demonstrating his dulcimers. like Ken i was enchanted
by the song that was coming from Jean's dulcimer. she was playing with a noter and it seemed to me to be
something i could learn. like Ken ....other intruments overwhelmed me and here was one that did not.
i bought a kit and put it together and learned to hack out a few tunes immediately. i was hooked. i built one
from scratch and it was'nt too bad. the dulcimers soon were all over the house and i could'nt afford a bigger
house so i started selling them........or giving them to friends.
i hung out at the shop of David (Buzz) Darby in branson and we became friends. he really inspired me and
helped me learn to make dulcimers. Peter Engler gave me a 10 x 10 corner in his woodcarving and gift shop.
and i was in business full time. before long i was making over 100 instruments per year.
from there i started exhibiting at arts and crafts shows all over the country along with a few music festivals
Back in the early-mid 70s I was wandering around Manitou Springs, CO, and heard this eerie string music. I'd tried guitar and hated it - couldn't see what my fingers were doing. I played a couple kinds of drum and pennywhistle.
But something in this string sound struck a chord (all puns intended). I followed my ears to a little shopcalled Cripple Creek Dulcimers, run by a 'long haired hippy chick' and her fella. Smelled like patchouli in there, and there were things besides dulcimers for sale... I fell in love with the music - a cassette tape by a guy named Kevin Roth and another by a duo called Force & d'Osche. Lon story, short, I eventually bought a kit and built a dulcimer because it was cheaper and I was a poor student on the GI Bill. Found a stick and taught myself to play from the only book available -- The Dulcimer Book-- by some lady named Jean Ritchie.
The rest, as they say, is history...
The hippy couple? Bud & Donna Ford. Became famous dulcimer builder and late prominent citizens in Manitou Springs city government and producers of an annual music festival over Labor Day weekend.
Thank you for sharing your dulcimer Journey Babs.
I too have damage to my joints, but it is wonderful that we can play our dulcimers. I play noter/drone and use a wooden spoon some of the time to add comfort to my fingers.
It is fun strumming along and hearing those sweet sounds and I am happy that it brings you happiness, I know it brings me peace, I use the sweet sounds and activity of playing such as I do for my therapy. And it works!
The dulcimer is so versatile and unique to each person's creativity, I shall look forward to hearing your musical choices.
Have FUN creating those sweet sounds!
Vicki, since you have a simple version of the song, I would suggest listening or watching other versions of the song to see if you can steal an idea or two.
Larry Conger, for example, does a really nice job of using some minor chords to add some "color" to the tune.And most of the filler he adds is just quick arpeggios.
For the record, I've been working on this tune for a while myself. I think it's one of most under-rated American melodies. And don't limit yourself to dulcimer versions. Again, since you already have a simple version, try to add a little spice little by little. One of my favorites is this bluesy soulful version by Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt. You can tell from Nora's gospel-inspired organ at the beginning, that this is something special. Maybe you can steal a melodic variation, a short chord progression, or whatever.
Vicki, I find what happens for me is first I learn a simple version of a melody of a song, then I learn to play some other songs and I get a little better on those....then when i go back to the first simply song melody i seem better able to add a little flourish or variety to it that I couldn't do before. It's a part of the slow learning process process that brings me delight in my own playing, however simply i might play something. Sometimes all it takes is an extra note or two, a full brush across the strings to fill out key moments, or just playing with a touch more expressiveness ...such do-able things will often turn a plain bare bones version into a lovely version. You might be surprised at your own ability to add easy but pretty touches and make your own unique version. Do try playing around with it!
Thanks for letting me know. I guess I'll just work on it myself and see if I can make improvements.
Just a note that this is a copyrighted song, so you may have to purchase a published arrangement (if there is one) Vicki...and to caution folks from distributing arrangements or tabs of it here on this site without permission. Thanks!
Does anyone have a particularly nice arrangement for this beloved and seemingly timeless waltz? I have a simple version, but know that it could sound much, much better. Thanks!
DAA, Robin, and EAA for mixolydian. In fact, I believe I've gone up to DAc for a little minor action
DAA, Robin, and EAA for mixolydian. In fact, I believe I've gone up to DAc for a little minor action
I would think they'd be fine, Robin. I've used similar gauges and the instruments have been fine.
I would think they'd be fine, Robin. I've used similar gauges and the instruments have been fine.
What is the vibrating string length of your dulcimer? I useheavier strings on my shorter dulcimers, because they tune up to pitch at lower tension.Ibuy strings in bulk and experiment, but my usualsfor DAA these days:
25.5" VSL -- .024/.014/.014
27.5" VSL -- .022/.013/.013
28.5" VSL -- .020/.012/.012
Hello Babs, it was only after looking at the youtube link that I realised the reason for at least some of the confusion. Whereas we in the UK and other English -speaking nations use do-re-mi-fa etc to indicate the note positions and relationships of a scalein any key, in most of continental Europe they mean specific pitches (notes or keys). So for Fabio:
Do meansC
Re meansD
Mi means E
Fa meansF
Sol meansG
LameansA
TimeansB.
In the video he is playing the song in the key of G, (orSol, as he would call it), and the Fa# is simply an F#, the seventh note of the major scale in that key. There is no need to bend a string to get the note: if you wanted to play the tune in the same key as him one way would be to tune DGdd - the F sharp would be at the second fret, just below the tonic note of G at the third fret. If you wanted to be one octave higher, these two notes would be at the 9th and 10th frets respectively.
If you wanted to stick to your original plan of transposing the piece to the key of D, using DAdd tuning, the equivalent note in that key would be C# (the seventh note in a D major scale). In this tuning C# would be at the second fret of the middle string or at the 6+ fret of the melody string(s), depending on which octave you wanted.
Wonderful news Dana, I am very happy you now have this option.
Take care of yourself, you are in my prayers.
Glad to hear it Dana. May it continue to go well...and continued prayers.
Dana R. McCall said:
I got GREAT news yesterday! I had the first of three radioactive implants this week and the doctor told me my tumor has shrunk a lot, it really has surprised them also. It has shrunk enough that I can have surgery. Surgery was not an option before and was thought I might not be able to have it at all so this was wonderful news. I can banish this alien from my body. I'm one happy camper.
Dana, I only now just noticed this thread, so I have just learned of your situation. I am so sorry to hear of what you've been going through. But I can tell you are facing things head on. And how wonderful is it that dulcimer music can be part of your treatment! You are spreading the joy of dulcimer music even while fighting cancer! I'll keep you in my thoughts, Dana.
