Forum Activity for @rob-n-lackey

As a beginner - which is better?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Kevin, without knowing anything about what makes the Folkcraft "custom," and having heard nothing but good things about David Lynch's beginner instrument I'd say go for the Sweetwoods. I got a great deal on my 1st one and, like your post above, I had plenty "left over" to invest in books, records (at the time) and instructional material. See some of Dusty Turtle's posts on this subject; he makes some of the best points I've read.

As a beginner - which is better?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions


updated by @kevin-nichols: 06/11/15 07:40:25AM

Matthew, where are you in North Carolina? There are 29 pages of members from NC here at FOTMD. There should be someone near you to get together with on dulcimer. You might not find any of the books mentioned above in a music store unless the store has an interested in folk and Appalachian music.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Matthew, I'll second the recommendation of "Larkin's Dulcimer Book." I had heard of it for 25 years (at least) but just got a copy of it. It's very good. Also, you can download from www.robertforce.com "In Search of the Wild Dulcimer." That is a great book as well! Others have told me they like McNeil's "You Can Teach Yourself Dulcimer," with a DVD. I've never used it myself. When you get a little more comfortable with the instrument, Jerry Rockwell's "Music Theory and Chord Construction for the Dulcimer," is invaluable. It's available from www.jcrmusic.com . If you're interested in noter play "The Dulcimer Book," by Jean Ritchie is wonderful. Indeed, you should probably get that, too. Shucks, I'm trying to load you down with books. LOL. Hey, you can't have too much music in your life!

Hi Matthew, I also was self taught on the dulcimer with no musical background. I bought a book by Larkin and feel like it gave me a pretty good introduction to the dulcimer (pre-internet days). However, it look like you have access to the internet and I highly recommend Stephen Seifert's Dulcimer School online:

https://dulcimerschool.com/

http://www.elderly.com/books/items/160-1.htm

Your friend is smart. When we have a specific task assigned to a specific day, it cuts through the mental clutter and is much more likely to happen. Many people change the battery in the smoke alarm in association with fall and spring clock changes -- a very healthy association.

- We have the right tools (hubby plays guitar) -- but I just need to get on the right rhythm for the year. It's great that the 12 month year is divisible by so many different units! Holiday String Changes? Jan 1, Apr1, July 4, Labor Day?

If you wipe down your strings before and after playing, you will get a lot of the grime and finger grease off and they'll last longer, as Cindy suggests. I find that as soon as strings start to feel at all hard or brittle I change them. New strings are much softer on the fingers. They also sound better, but since the sound deterioration is so slow, I never notice that my strings don't sound so hot until I change them and I realize how much better the new strings sound.

Since I like the feel, sound, and look of new strings, I think of it as a treat rather than a chore to change strings.

Ellen, if you wait until the cues that your strings need changing, you've probably waited too long. If you've waited a year, I bet you'll find new strings just feel much softer on your fingers and you'll want to start changing them more frequently. Professional musicians change strings at least every 2-3 months, as Guy does. I have a friend who plays gypsy jazz guitar in the SF Bay Area and has several regular gigs. One is the first Thursday of every month, and he changes strings before that gig, so he changes strings religiously once a month. I have more instruments than I play regularly, but on the dulcimers that I play regularly and on my six string guitar, I try to change strings every three months. The others I leave until I'm going to be playing one of them for a spell.

If you get the right tools, changing strings is easier. Make sure you have a string winder, a tuner, and a wire cutter handy.

Yikes! I've been playing the same set of strings all year. I can't say I've noticed grime on the strings or on my fingers. What cues are there that it is "time"?

Dusty,

I too play the autoharp. I send it to be restrung ;-)

Dusty Turtle said:

Dean, I change strings regularly, too, but not quite as often as Ken. I probably do it about every three months on the instruments I play regularly. Not only do dirt and oil from your hands accumulate on the strings, but the metal begins to oxidize too, and they become more rigid over time. I think if you change strings you will notice that they sound, look, and feel much better.

I even changed the strings on my autoharp once. Once!

I don't change them as often as others. As long as it sounds nice and they don't break I leave them alone. Most people don't recommend this though.

I replace them about every 6 to 8 weeks but I play a lot. It sounds much nicer with new strings IMO.

I would like to add my 2 cents here regarding strings. I wipe my strings before I put my dulcimer away - I have been using "Dr Duck's Ax Wax and String Lube" for as long as I can remember. It's great alsofor polishingthe instrument, but seems to do a wonderful job of keeping strings clean and maybe I am crazy but I think they sound better longer. Slides andfancy things seem easier too. That's my story and I am sticking to it!

If they sound fine leave them alone! I've only recently got back into playing my dulcimer, actually after finding FOTMD a few months ago. So I opened my dulcimer case and pulled her out after shutting her away over 20 years ago. Not only did it sound fine but it was still in tune! And I'm still playing it with those strings though the spares I had, which were shut away in the case with the dulcimer had all oxidised to dust. I guess there's something to be said for greasy fingers!

Dean, I change strings regularly, too, but not quite as often as Ken. I probably do it about every three months on the instruments I play regularly. Not only do dirt and oil from your hands accumulate on the strings, but the metal begins to oxidize too, and they become more rigid over time. I think if you change strings you will notice that they sound, look, and feel much better.

I even changed the strings on my autoharp once. Once!

Over time strings stretch and get dirty from you fingers sliding over them. The oil your fingers leave attracts dirt. It would not hurt to change strings at this time. Much depends on how often you play. I the more you play, the more often you need to change strings. I try to play a little every day and change strings about once a month. You will probably notice a difference in the sound of your dulcimer when you change the strings. It will sound better.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Larry, you've received good advice so far. As you can see, one way of playing in G is to tune DGD.

I don't do that, but I don't have as much experience with different tunings as Robin and Rob do. I mostly tune to DAd for 90 percent of what I play. But that does allow me--with the aid of a capo--to play in most common keys.

I play semi-regularly in a multi-instrument jam. At most bluegrass, folk, and old-timey jams, the most common keys are C, D, G, and A.

To get the key of C, I just tune to CGc.

To get D, I tune DAd. And then in that tuning I use a capo at the 3rd fret for the key of G and a capo at the 4th fret for the key of A.

You can play in G and A out of a DAd tuning, but it takes a better understanding of the fretboard than I have. But using a capo enables me to play everything I know and forget about what key we're in.

Larry, my husband and I go to an acoustic jam dominated by guitars with maybe a banjo and mandolin thrown in and me on diatonic lap dulcimer. After experimentation over a period of months, here's what I tried at last month's jam:DdA- home base tuning for key of DDdG- key of GEeA- key of A- I made the quick tuning change from home base tuning by using a false nut under the drone strings at fret 1.My aim is to re- tune quickly because the guitar players will call any tune that pops in their heads, no matter the key.I'm playing in noter/ drone style so this may not be workable for a chord style player. The jury is still out on how well it worked for me. I think I liked it.

Most of the time, if I only have one instrument with me, I'd tune the middle string down to G. If it were just a few songs, I might try to barre the 3rd fret and leave it in DAd. I usually have a capo with me, though.

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

Sounds good. Hope you are enjoying it!

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

Very nice playing, Phil.

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

Beautiful, Phil. I know that pretty baritone will give you many enjoyable playing sessions. :)

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

yep. It's a carry over from playing guitar.

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

Phil , that sounded great. Didn't know you were a finger picker.

Nicely done.

An short Video of my Baritone Dulcimer

OFF TOPIC discussions

Sorry it took so long to get this posted. But we are still moving into our new home. This is something That seemed to write it's self It just came out the first time I played it. I been calling it "Butterfly Garden" sorry for the bad quality of the video and sound I used my laptop nothing fancy.

updated by @phil: 01/13/19 05:09:18PM

Yes, she does. I have it, and it's a good one. It also includes a helpful CD!

Dewey

Sue Carpenter has a new book out on Duets!

Very much agree, David. The acoustic dynamics (the method of making sound) is completely different in the dulcimer, the violin family and the guitar family. Making assumptions that what improves one type of instrument will hold in another is largely unfounded, though people sometimes get lucky...

Here's what I'm thinking...out loud....so every wood has sound characteristics....like....maple is hard so it probably has a bright sound. Mahogany is a soft hardwood right? So it supposedly has a darker sound huh? So if a bright sound is desired why not go with a harder type of wood? And if a darker sound is wanted why not go with a softer wood?

Yeah sure a builder can tweak the sound by moving the bridge closer starboard or aft....did I say that right?....or use a thicker bridge.....or stiffer bracing or other secret methods....

When you take a bright sounding wood and attempt to make it sound darker isn't a little something lost?...why go against the tone/sound a particular wood is best suited for?

My experience has been that a dulcimer builder who knows the woods they are using, knows how to test their vibrating characteristics, can definitely and specifically influence the voice of the instrument.

In fact, after doing so for a number of years and keeping careful notes of choices and the resulting voice, a builder can forecast what the instrument will sound like, and thus custom shape the voice for the client.

This all depends, of course, on having enough stock of each wood used so that one has a range of choices. And that the woods used are adequate for good voice quality.

And that depends on what the client wants from the dulcimer. That's why so many different dulcimer builders are at work: there are so many differences in what a musician is looking for in a dulcimer. In an instrument like the violin, there is such a long history of what works and what doesn't, there is far less variation in what a violin should sound like.

I build dulcimers and Uke's. Wood plays a huge role in sound.

The harder the wood, the more crisp the notes are.. the softer the wood, the "softer" the sound.

I like to use hardwood bodies and sides with a soft top.. I just like the way it sounds..

I made a couple of ukes out of Paduak and loved the way they sounded.. But I love the soft sweet melody of a spruce, cedar or redwood top.

Just my 2 cents!

My answer to your question is yes when choosing a dulcimer from one maker who has instruments available made of different woods. There are two things that determine my choice of an instrument: sound and looks. If the instrument does not sound pleasant to me nor is visually appealing, I'm not going to play it. I know you are a long way from WV, so I do not know if you have the opportunity to hear the instruments (over the phone?) or look at them. Of your four choices I am only familiar with poplar bodied instruments and like them very much. Not having heard instruments made from the other woods, I can't comment on them. Best wishes as you make your choice.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Rob, I totally agree. If one ever has the opportunity to sit and play several instruments by a single maker in a showroom or festival display setting (with construction methods being consistent by the maker), a player can discover a remarkable difference between the different tone woods and dulcimer shapes.

Rob N Lackey said:

Well, Ken, in this case all other things are equal except for the type of wood. Jim's instruments are the same size, same bracing, same vsl, etc. Therefore any difference in sound in any of his instruments must be related to the wood choices. I've played a lot of his instruments and, yes, there are differences in sound which can only be attributed to the type of wood used in the instrument. That's why I didn't bring up any of those things in my answer to Denise: it doesn't apply!

Well, Ken, in this case all other things are equal except for the type of wood. Jim's instruments are the same size, same bracing, same vsl, etc. Therefore any difference in sound in any of his instruments must be related to the wood choices. I've played a lot of his instruments and, yes, there are differences in sound which can only be attributed to the type of wood used in the instrument. That's why I didn't bring up any of those things in my answer to Denise: it doesn't apply!

I'm on the other side of the wooden fence My experience is that there are a huge number of variables which affect the sound of a dulcimer, and that the kind of wood is pretty far down the list. A competent luthier can make almost any wood (or even cardboard, plastic or Legos) sound the way you want by adjusting any of a number of variables such as bracing, cubic sound box area, VSL, break angle of strings, details of fretboard construction, etc., etc.

I buy dulcimers using two criteria -- what it sounds like, and what it looks like.

Well, Denise, getting a West Virginia instrument, eh? I have 2 Jim Good's: an old one that's all walnut, and a newer one that's butternut. They are great instruments.

Now, to your question. Some people will tell you the choice of wood won't make that much difference except in looks. I own a lot of instruments in various woods, and I think it does make a difference. So.... based on just what you told us, I'd go with the poplar. I have an all poplar instrument and have another with a poplar top and they both sound great. My 2nd choice would be the padauk. If I heard them and they sounded similar, I'd pick the one I thought was prettiest. I hope you enjoy your Mastertone! Jim & Brenda are nice folks, and you'll be getting a very well made instrument.

Rob

updated by @rob-n-lackey: 02/15/16 04:47:35PM

I have a Seiko SAT 501 that indicates octave. It is not a clip-on, though, so you have to either use it in a quiet room or plug into it directly.

Yes, D3 for bass and A3 for all of the 'A' strings [DAAA].

The small 'd' is used to show it's an octave higher [D4].

That's what it looks like to me. I don't have one but I would look at this one, or the Boss TU-80 which looks to have the same capability, for sure, since I like that feature. Presumably they are defining middle C as C4. This means you would tune your MD to D3 [base], A3, D4 for the DAdd tuning.

Oops, see the post right above yours. :>) Read it too fast, didn't ya! I do that also.