Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

No worries, folkfan. Thank you so much for the kind words!!

Guy, I truly love your playing, and those wonderful photos of the waterfalls, but I don't facebook..but I really do like you.

Oh good. I just don't like to break any rules!

Thanks for noticing that Dusty. I fixed it!

I'm not on Facebook, Guy, so the only kind of liking that I can do doesn't involve a click.

I do like those waterfall photos.

I was going to comment that you should post the link to your Facebook page on your FOTMD homepage, but I checked to see that you tried to do that already. However, the link doesn't work. It appears that "http://" occurs twice at the beginning of the URL.

Hi! Don't know if this is legal or not. So if not, just delete it! I started a Facebook fan page a few minutes ago if anyone feels like giving it a "like."

www.facebook.com/dulcibard

Hi Ann,

That song is copywrited, so you'd either have to buy a dulcimer book with the tab in it (and I don't know of any), or get help with tabbing the song privately. Due to copyright laws and ethics that protect musician's created works, I can't encourage the sharing of tab of copyrighted material here on FOTMD. Thanks for understanding, and I'll be closing this thread to replies.

If anyone is in doubt about whether certain holiday songs are public doamin or copyrighted, there are some handy lists to check over on our "Public Domain...or Not?" Group here on the site- see the Groups section, thanks!

Hi Ruth, the bridge is the high one. It was my post, but I had put part of a song on it that is under copyright and had to remove it.

I still don't have mine set up right, but I can tell you what I did wrong: I sanded from the bottom. Now I would sand from the top instead. OK? Sorry that came down when you needed it!

Regarding strings, I had never put any on a dulcimer before, I just left some slack and yes that action is going to be high. You can still see that video on youtube under my name to see how high the action is, under my name Folkcraft Cardboard Kit dulcimer. Don't dare post actual link.

Ruth, you have been given good advice. I have no experience building the Folkcraft kit, but have made or helped make dozens of Backyard Instruments cardboard dulcimers. I am sticking my neck out here, but I think Folkcraft would appreciate knowing what problems people have with instructions. I know I would like to know. That way they can improve the instructions. For example, the instructions should say the shorter piece (5/16 ths) is the nut and the taller piece (7/16 ths) is the bridge and the side with the two slots closer together should be toward the player. On your comment on winding the strings, I was not clear on what you meant by "excess." That should be the slack in the string and not the part of the string that does not wind around the post which is what I would call the excess. That part gets cut off.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.

the extra slots are for different string configurations - 3 string, 4 string with double melody, 4 string equidistant ....) the shorter piece is probably the nut and the higher the bridge - try them that way but don't glue them - also the edges with the closer double slots usually goes toward the player - hopes this helps some.

Ruth, I put together a Backyard Music cardboard kit. I do believe the higher piece is the bridge...was on mine. Do what John Henry says. He gave me advice on my "build" and I've been very pleased with the results

Hello Ruth ! Never having seen/handled a cardboard dulcimer I am guessing the 7/16" high piece is the bridge, this coupled with your description of a 'high action' suggests to me that you may indeed have nut and bridge at the 'wrong ends'. As for your string problem, try reducing the amount that you are attempting to wind on by 1/2" or so, and try to keep 'tension' on that part of the string you are winding on.

JohnH

(OK all you expert builders, I did say that I had never seen one, lol)

Thanks for the link, Ken. That was great.

Mitchell did a great job on those. What you don't see is the many hours of "film" that got cut. He spent a lot of time in the field "on his own hook" and edited it down very nicely.

Thank you for posting these Ken. I enjoyed them.

You folks are welcome. I need to make one correction, It is Mitchell Grogg, not Michael. I was thinking of Mike Slone when I did the first post. I really enjoyed seeing the folks from Hindman again.

Ken,

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for passing on the links Ken.

Thanks for letting us know about those videos, Ken.

While at the Hindman Dulcimer Festival I met Michael Grogg, an anchor and reporter for WYMT television in Hazard, KY. He produced a series of videos on this topic. They can be found here: http://www.wkyt.com/searchresults?searchKeywords=dulcimer&group1=phrase&time=30&sort=score&sType=video

Our own, Mike Slone, appears in these videos.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks Lexie. You're right.

Beautiful dulcimer, I bet it has a sweet sound.

Thanks Dusty! Yes, it sounds great.

It sure looks beautiful, Susie. And if it sounds half as nice as you say, you've got a real treasure there.

Great looking instrument, I love the Walnut in that back !

JohnH

I'm a few months late in posting this, but I'm in love with my new Doug Berch dulcimer. Doug is a wonderful luthier and a National Champion (won both the hammered dulcimer and mountain dulcimer competitions in the same year). He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Anyway, I had him build me a custom 3-string dulcimer and I got it in July. It is fabulous. A really nice, warm tone with great sustain and intonation. The sound this thing puts out is beautiful. It has a curly sassafras top and walnut back and sides, with sapwood and figure. It has a bubinga rosewood fretboard overlay and a passive pick-up installed. Everything I wanted and needed. The pictures don't do it justice, but I tried my best. I just wanted to share this, as you don't see too many of his dulcimers here, but the dulcimers he builds are outstanding.

I'm a music geek. I own the DVD. Had I only known then that it would be available online for free. D'oh!

thanks a million jan for this wonderful collection of mtn music. i'll be busy

for a while with all the links on this site.

Jan, thank you for posting this!

Thank you Jan it is interesting to learn about these people.

I would love to visit these areas and talk to folks, maybe in the future I would even be able to play a tune with them.

I have watch several of these fetures.

I'm sure there are lots of dulcimer players on here who have never seen this video on the people and music of Appalachia. Excellent sound and visual quality with sub-titles for those who might not be accustomed to the various accents. History, music-appreciation, instrument know-how, dance instruction, and the "heart for arts" that's in the blood of these people--all with a real "meet your neighbors" feel to it! You will, no doubt see folks on here you've either heard of or have had the pleasure to meet and hear in person (like Sheila Kay Barnhill Adams) Enjoy!

Dusty,

The seller responded back and said it was a goof. For a while I thought maybe I'm missing some information about McSpadden