Forum Activity for @skip

10ashus;

Don't give up on guitar oriented music, most all of it can be used, music, lyrics, and chords. they all can be used one way or another. It's just the tab that is essentially unusable. The music can be entered in a music editing program to generate MD tab if you really want it.

Most tab is not transferable between instruments because it is designed to tell the player where a note is on that instrument. If you were given tab for a chromatic MD, 4 equidistant strings, tuned to CEGBb, like I have, you would not be able to use it unless you had a similar setup.

Sure would have a wide fingerboard! There is one [almost], it's called a dobro and I guess a lap steel would be along the same lines, probably a few more kinds around. You could also just play a guitar in your lap, might be a bit clumsy because of size. Maybe a small or child's guitar in the lap?

Then the question is, are you playing a MD or guitar.

The biggest problem is that guitar tab is for 6 strings vs 3 for a MD. I've taken tab for guitar, in TablEdit, and transposed it, didn't work very well. I haven't tried with a chromatic MD, all the notes would be there but not the string count. A melody line would be playable on a chromatic if you used the music notation [smn] but most likely not the tab unless you can transpose the guitar tab numbers of the MD plus locations in your head, eg., a 3 [guitar] = 1+[MD], or 12 = 7[MD] or you are using the guitar counting with your MD already.

You would probably be held to flatpicking/fingerpickinh also, even if the rest of the differences were worked out.

Then there is the added problem of what guitar tuning is the tab set up for, same as MD.

There are different styles of picking. Some people use a pick in the manner of a galax player, where the pick (like the quill) sticks way out past the fingers and is strummed incessantly and vigorously. I do not play in that style, so I can't explain how to protect your instrument in that case.

I strum in the manner of a guitarist (no surprise after 40 years of playing the guitar). That means a couple of things. First, a homemade pick would never work for me because I want every pick to be exactly the same, the same shape, the same thickness, the same grippiness, etc. I like the idea of homemade picks but I just can't believe each milk bottle or margarine top is the same as every other one, and the inconsistencies would drive me nuts.

My other advice is very similar to that offered by Ken H. First, don't hold your pick tight. The pick should be loose in your hand and your fingers should be relaxed. Second, only the very tip of the pick should stick out past your finger. The bulk of the pick should sit squarely between your thumb and finger. Third, angle the pick so that the tip is toward you when strumming out and away from you when strumming in. And finally, the pick does not have to get down in between the strings. Think of the pick as gently gliding over the top of the strings rather than actually plucking them from below.

Hopefully those tips will help. At the very beginning of my video on flatpicking guitar techniques for modern dulcimer I go over how I hold, strum, and pick with a pick. Maybe it will help you. Maybe not.

And when you get your dream dulcimer, you might consider an ebony overlay on the fretboard. Ebony is so hard that your pick won't likely dent it.

Good luck. And have fun!

I like the T.K. O'Brien picks. I haven't tried the Herdim picks, but they may be softer and less likely to scratch.

Another cause can be holding the pick too rigidly upright. When I strum, I angle the pick nearly flat to the plane of the strings, rotating my wrist like this ///// and \\\\\\\\\ not this ||||||||. No deep digs, no scratches, and almost no pick clic.

I don't have a problem with scratches from a pick and I play over the fret board all the time. I think it is a matter of learning. Some people pick their guitars to death. Look at Willie Nelson's Trigger. Others never get a scratch on them. It is all a matter of technique.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Not scratching the fretboard is a matter of control of your pick hand and the pick. If you have more than say 1/4" of pick sticking out, and you have not so good control of your pick hand, the result can be scratching of the fretboard. I've been playing nearly 40 years and never significantly scratched a fretboard. Others play 6 months and it looks like a spastic beaver has been chewing on things.

Playing over the Strum Hollow (what John Gribble calls the "scoop') is the easy solution. Learning to control your hand properly takes practice and determination.

I agree with Robert. I rarely even glance at a commercial pick anymore. A few fretboard scratches just add a bit of charm to the dulcimer IMHO.

I would also suggest you adjust your technique and not play over the fingerboard. Play in the scoop.You may need to adjust your playing position.

I never met Rod in person. We met online over at EveryThing Dulcimer.com. He was a welcoming presence and very encouraging of the new players. His death diminished our fellowship, but remembering him enriches us. Thanks for initiating this discussion CD.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Rod "Deputy Mo" Westerfield will always be missed and remembered.

Here is his FOTMD profile page, still up:

mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profile/RodWesterfield

While you are visiting his page, do have a listen to his sweet music player clips in the left hand column.

P.S. I was wondering just the other day about YOU, CD, and why we hadn't heard from you in a while. ;) Glad to see you post today.

Okay, thanks. I appreciate your advise.

So, Rolla, that means tuning to DAA, right?

Thanks, Dan.

I know how you feel. Information overload can be daunting sometimes. I actually prefer pure diatonic dulcimers to the ones with the extra frets. Robert Force and Albert d'Ossche' uaed to remove the 6+ from their dulcimers.

Thanks, Dan. I appreciate your response. I've been reading so much the last couple of days that it's getting confusing!

Welcome to our happy family, Melanie. You should have no problem learning to play without the 6+ fret. Most of the tunes don't require it at all, esp the old tunes like Aunt Rhodie, Cabbage, Old Joe Clark, Mississippi Sawyer or Grey Cat on a Tennessee Farm. When I started learning 4 years ago, the 6+ actually got in my way until I learned to ignore it.

I wanted to thank everyone for the warm welcome here! So many friendly people and good information.

I have a question and I hope I'm not going to have a problem. My grandson has my better dulcimer and I will be getting it back in the next few months. Meanwhile, I bought a handmade one off E Bay simply so I could begin learning and practicing. I found out that this one is 15 years old and does not have the 6 1/2 fret on it. Will that be a problem in learning to play? I know that for many, many years, people have played on dulcimers without this extra fret but I've been reading that this extra fret is important. I'm new enough to all this to not even be able to ask intelligent questions yet.

Am I going to have a problem?

Since it was written in 1675/76, I would say that it is not under copyright. I don't have tab for it. If I find the music written out, I will see what I can do. Don't hold your breath.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Uff da! I thought I saw th 1+ on the melody string....

Ken - the 1+ is on the middle string, not the melody string. Tuning to DAA and adding 3 will just move it to the 1+ fret on the melody string(not the 4th fret). You will also need the 8+ to cover the 6's.

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This is something that crops up in a fairly large number of tunes where the root note falls on the open string, so maybe it's worth spending a bit of time looking at ways of working around it if you're playing Drone style.

The problem.
============

When the root note is on the open string(mixalydian) there is no leeway to go any lower on the melody string. In the case of SMTTF the tune calls for the note below the root, so you have to find some other way of getting this.

With no extra frets.

1) 'Fudge' it or leave it out. This works well for some tunes, but unfortunately, the note we're looking for here is the most important for this mode( a minor 7th), and it's not so easy to leave it out without changing the character of the song.

2) Move to the higher register(octave) i.e. move the root note to the 7th fret by adding 7 to the TAB (1+ on the middle becomes 6 on the melody).
Give this a try first. It may not sound particularly good, many dulcimers tend to lose something up the dusty end, but it will give you a good view of what the problem is when you go back down to the lower register with the root on the open string.

3) Borrow the note you want from one of the other strings.
If you're in DAD (key of D) then the note you want is a 'C' which can be found at the 6th fret on the bass. This is a bit of a stretch and probably not a very good solution.
Or you can take Cynthia's approach and move the melody on to the middle string (key of A) then the note you want is a 'G' which can be found at the 3rd fret on the bass.

With a 1+ fret.

4) Tune to DAA and add 3 to the TAB. (1+ on the middle becomes a 1+ on the melody).

5) Play as TABed in DAD, borrowing the note you want from the 1+ on the middle.

With a 6+ fret.

6) I've left this to last as it is often the most practical solution.
Tune to DAG(Dorian) and add 4 to the TAB. (The 1+ becomes a 3, and the 3 becomes a 6+)

Advanced technique.

7) Make any extra notes you need using an angled noter.

I don't know how to tab this and post it, but I will get you playing this tune even if we go one note at a time - promise!

If you play the 1 fret and the 2 fret in the same time as called for that 1+ note, it will work. Or just skip the 1+ note entirely....

If you add 3 to the fret numbers to convert from DAd to DAA, as Cynhia suggests, you convert the 1+ to a 4 and won't need to bother. I've played the tune a time or two in DAA, noter & drone style, and it works just fine.

Lynn, I am really new but heard this haunting air many years ago sung a cappella. I just put up the video I did for it. I did it DAA tuning, with the melody starting on the A string 0123 2 3 4 4 31, then on the low D string 3 4 4 4. I think you can get the rest. I didn't tab it out. The best thing about it is that it only needs the drone strings, no chords as it is sung a cappella (just the voice alone). Hope this is helpful to you, I've always loved this tune.

There is a version on Everything Dulcimer in the Tabulature collection, but it's a .TEF (TableEdit) file. There's a free TEF Viewer available if you don't have TablEdit.

I have been very pleased with this pickup that attaches to the sound holes or on the end: Cherub guitar pickup WCP-60G. You can find it on the internet for approx $8.00. There are lots of great reviews. I have tried a couple of others, but this one stays attached wonderfully.

If you are considering having a built in pickup built into your present dulcimer, then be prepared to spend a lot more money. You could contact McSpadden Dulcimers about installing one at a cost of from $125.00 to $150.00, plus shipping there and back.

Good luck.

You can buy an original mcspadden dulcimer case at Martin Oesterles dulcimershop in germany.

http://www.dulcimershop.de

Hi Derek,

I just noticed your post from last month. Perhaps you have already found an answer to your situation. I'll give my input, just in case you are still looking for an answer.

Hard cases, being heavy, would be quite expensive to ship from the US to the UK. Have you considered a high-quality soft dulcimer case? I use cases from Blue Heron. I have used one of mine for 14 years and have taken it from Florida to Ireland, and to a few US destinations by air, plus taken it around by car. It is still in excellent condition. Being lightweight, shipping would not be such an issue for you. You can check them out here: http://www.blueheroncases.com/

When traveling by air, I pack soft clothing such as socks, underwear, T-shirts, etc. around it for additional padding; then I use it as my carry-on. I would never put it in the cargo hold!! However, I have not had any trouble bringing it onboard; though the shape is longer than the norm, it fits even in small overhead bins just fine.

Hope this helps!

Linda

www.cabinhillmusic.com

I well recall just trying to do open strums to keep up with jams myself, on various instruments at various times in my life. It's all part of beginning playing, and all practice is goodgoodgood- even open strums!

Hi,

I just saw your post & live in N. Houston area. I keep trying to get to the NHCG Jam's but the only time I made it there, they were having a reunion party. The Jam was yes, very fast. It was great listening to all the different instruments but no way was I ready to try & do anything but open strum. There is a group that meets in Copperfield on Tuesday evenings, if that would work for you. I practice up in the Woodlands, we just finished our Christmas performances, so are not meeting till Janurary.

I wish you luck with the dulcimer