I looked at your dulcimer Kitty. I don't think the holes were enlarged as the shafts of the new tuners appear to be narrower than the holes. I can send you three rosewood violin pegs if you wan't to try them. If I lived closer to you, I'd do the work for you. You could remove on tuner and try the peg. It it works then you could remove the others. Email or PM me if you want to talk about this some more.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Hi Kitty. The answer is: it depends. If the original holes were enlarged, the pegs would have to be specially made to fit. If they were not enlarged it would be no problem at all. I can't recall if the Pickows used commercially available wood pegs or if they made their own. If they made their own, then someone would have to make copies of them. Didn't you post a picture of your dulcimer here somewhere? If so, I'll see if I can find and give a bette informed opinion. I'll look for some other pictures of dulcimer made by the Pickows.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
One of the biggie competitionsis Winfield, KS.
Get out of Rust Belt, Richard, and come down to the Sunshine State. We'll start that Old Fogies Dulcimer Championship and Grouper Eatin' Competition. Should be real successful, as most of the northeatern US and Canada migrates here between Thanksgiving and Easter. Literally 10% of the population of Canada comes to Florida annually....
One of the biggie competitionsis Winfield, KS.
Get out of Rust Belt, Richard, and come down to the Sunshine State. We'll start that Old Fogies Dulcimer Championship and Grouper Eatin' Competition. Should be real successful, as most of the northeatern US and Canada migrates here between Thanksgiving and Easter. Literally 10% of the population of Canada comes to Florida annually....
Looks perfect, Robin .. thanks.
Thanks Dusty. Sounds like someone needs to set up something for us seniors. You know, the first annual "over-the-hill mountain dulcimer and wheelchair shuffleboard jamboree."
Although I'm not in Hong Kong any more, I'm still in pretty isolated circumstances, at least when it comes to the dulcimer. No open mikes around here, just closed coal mines and factories mostly.
There are an enticing number of dulcimer festivals out there, and so far I've only been to one. But I haven't dug up much on competitions.
Richard, I have no experience with competitions personally, so I can't give you the specific advice you seem to be after. I can tell you that there are no age limits, but the dulcimer national champions of the last several years seem to all be pretty young. I think that is probably due to a couple of factors. One might be that some young folks out there are playing pretty darn good dulcimer. Another might be that once you win you lose the drive to do so again, so many of the best dulcimer players simply aren't interested in competing or no longer feel the need for such accolades. Another might be that judges like to pretend the demographic data for dulcimer players does not skew pretty old, so they are consciously or unconsciously biased towards young folks.
If you are serious about the competitions, you should look into the specific rules and prepare yourself to work for a year or so gearing up for one. Some might mandate that you play a traditional song, for example, or there might be specific categories in which you can compete. I personally enjoy your playing a lot, but you have a very unique style of play. I seem to remember what feels like a lot of original material (and a lot of bending on the middle string!) in your playing. That might work for some competitions and not others.
But if your reason for seeking a competition is only to give your playing a little kick in the pants, I might ask why it has to be a competition. Do you ever play open mics? It might be that preparing for a performance is all you need to get back in the proverbial saddle. Additionally, although initially developing material for a competition might involve some creative playing, you will also spend a lot of time just playing over and over the same arrangements. Even if those arrangements are really good, you are likely to feel bored by them after the second or third month of playing them ad infinitum.
Lots of FOTMD members have been national dulcimer champions: Linda Brockinton, Sarah Morgan, Aaron O'Rourke, Erin Rogers, Nina Zanetti, Larry Conger, and some others whom I am forgetting right now. You might consider contacting them directly and asking for advice.
Now that I'm back in the US for awhile, I find myself growing complacent with my dulcimer playing. Maybe its just because I'm getting older, but I haven't felt like I've made any progress in awhile, and I'm often disinclined to play.
The idea of participating in a dulcimer competition is appealing, not because I could possibly win anything, but I think it would sharpen up my focus and improve my playing.
Any suggestions on where I might throw my hat into the ring? I'm in Pa. Also, are there age limits? Are the contests only intended for young people?
Thanks Dusty and Maryann.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Q: How many dulcimer players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: We'll never know; they keep arguing about modes even in the dark.
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When tyrants tremble thick with fear
And hear their death knells ringing
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?
-- traditional American hymn
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"And when one person taps out a beat, while another leads into the melody, or when three people discover a harmony they never knew existed, or a crowd joins in on a chorus as though to raise the ceiling a few feet higher, then they also know there is hope for the world.
-- Pete Seeger
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And I have this one on my home page:
New arts shall bloom of loftier mould,
And mightier music thrill the skies,
And every life shall be a song,
When all the earth is paradise.
-- John Addington Symonds from "These Things Shall Be"
Reply by Cindy Stammich on
How many dulcimers does a dulcimer player need???
Just one more
Reply by Regina Bartlett on
Pluck it and strum sing and hum it's all good!
It has been said "We may live without music, but not so well"
There is so much truth in this!
Chris Stammich posted this in the Drifting Thread:
Just for fun.....
Once upon a time I wanted to start a collection of "favorite sayings" regarding the dulcimer, or music in general.
Tull Glazener was gracious enough to get me started with "String Side Up".
I loved it! However, I didn't keep at it, so I thought now would be a good time to see if anyone here has something fun to add
So, I decided to create a discussion just for this topic.
My favorite saying: "The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Another one I've seen on a poster is: "There ain't no notes on a dulcimer. You just play it."
I'll try to copy the other responses for the Drifting Thread and post them here.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Kevin ! From what I have seen of his work you will not be disappointed ! Enjoy your journey, and share it with us, this site is very accommodating to all
JohnH
Thanks for the advice. I have traded a few emails with Dave Lynch and ended up purchasing one of his student models today. Now this journey really begins!
Both are good instruments. With the Sweet Woods student you have the option of trading it in later for another model. On the other hand the custom Folkcraft will be a lifetime instrument. That's not to say that the Sweet Woods student can't be a lifetime instrument as well.
There are many places on the Internet where you can get free instructional material for learning mountain dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
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.
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:
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.
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 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."
