Forum Activity for @john-rawlinson

Thanks Robin and John,

That is a helpful distinction so mineshould clearly be described as an 'inbuilt partial capo'!

I now understand that the 'reverse' of a reverse capo applies in the vertical plane i.e. under rather thanabovethe strings as opposed to the horizontal planeofi.e. coming from the reverse side of the dulcimer which was how I originally mistakenly interpreted it. I am very used to partially capoing a guitar but dulcimer capos of any sortare newer to me -I havea dulcimer capo proper as well but have not found that I use it very much.

I see that Peggy Seeger has a picture down the page at http://www.peggyseeger.com/about/whats-new/2007-2008 showing herTerry Hennessy Dulcimer with two capos; one of which, on the drones,("a movable capo the smaller of the two protrusions over the first fret") may besimilar to mine although you can't see the slide. The same picture also shows another sort ofpartial capo on the melody strings ("a latch capo, that stops the string at the first fret until you press it and then hey presto! you've released the string. Perfect for 'modal' tunes") I have never seen one like that either.

Best wishes,

John

Robin Clark said:

Hi John,

To my mind, the photo is not of a 'reverse capo' or 'false nut' but a 'partial capo'. The capo in the picture works the same as a normal capo - it holds down the strings behind a fret. A false nut/reverse capo is independant of any frets and will work on older dulcimers with no frets under the middle and bass strings.

The most useful positions to capo the dronesis the first fret on the bass string from 1-5-5 tuning to give 5-1-1 tuning. This enables a switch from key of D ionian tunes D-A-A to key of A mixolidian tunes E-A-A - lots of popular Appalachian tunes fall into these two keys/modes when played at sessions. The capo in the photo would facilitate this switch nicely. Also a retuning of the melody string from A to d would give E-A-d using the partial capo - so you would have key of A dorian - another very popular key/mode fo Appalachian tunes. Occasionally I will use a reverse nut at fret 3 from D-d-d tuning to give G-d-d (key of G ionian). I could stay in D-d-d (5-5-5) but lifting the bass to G (1-5-5) gives a very bright sound which suits a lot of the popular key of G Appalachian tunes.

Being able to have the partial capo in the photo work on the bass string at the frist fret and third fret would be an advantage for fast tuning changes at old time sessions. However, it looks like the rail is at a slope in the photo to increase the downforce as the capo arm is slid forward. This may cause a problem if trying to use this design over a span of 3 frets. I'm sure though that you could come up with a design that would work.

Robin

Hello John,

I see Robin has just covered most of this, but as I have it written ...

A normal capo usually refers to one that presses down on the string, a reverse capo pushes up on the string. In either case the object is to move the position of the nut.

With a normal capo this is done by pressing down behind one of the frets, in which case that fret becomes the new nut.
With a reverse capo (e.g. a toothpick) this is placed under the string at one of the frets and itself becomes a false nut.

Normal capos extend right across the fretboard and press down on all strings, this is not always what you want, in which case using a reverse capo allows you to create a new nut on just one or two of the strings, rather than all three.
The main difference is that a reverse capo only acts on the drone(s) and allows access to the whole of the melody string, something that you won't get with a normal capo.

So strictly speaking what you have is a normal capo acting on a single string. It doesn't really matter what you call it, it's getting the mechanics behind it that counts.

john

Hi John,

To my mind, the photo is not of a 'reverse capo' or 'false nut' but a 'partial capo'. The capo in the picture works the same as a normal capo - it holds down the strings behind a fret. A false nut/reverse capo is independant of any frets and will work on older dulcimers with no frets under the middle and bass strings.

The most useful positions to capo the dronesis the first fret on the bass string from 1-5-5 tuning to give 5-1-1 tuning. This enables a switch from key of D ionian tunes D-A-A to key of A mixolidian tunes E-A-A - lots of popular Appalachian tunes fall into these two keys/modes when played at sessions. The capo in the photo would facilitate this switch nicely. Also a retuning of the melody string from A to d would give E-A-d using the partial capo - so you would have key of A dorian - another very popular key/mode fo Appalachian tunes. Occasionally I will use a reverse nut at fret 3 from D-d-d tuning to give G-d-d (key of G ionian). I could stay in D-d-d (5-5-5) but lifting the bass to G (1-5-5) gives a very bright sound which suits a lot of the popular key of G Appalachian tunes.

Being able to have the partial capo in the photo work on the bass string at the frist fret and third fret would be an advantage for fast tuning changes at old time sessions. However, it looks like the rail is at a slope in the photo to increase the downforce as the capo arm is slid forward. This may cause a problem if trying to use this design over a span of 3 frets. I'm sure though that you could come up with a design that would work.

Robin

I had started this as personal messages to which John Shaw has helpfully responded, but I thought if I made it a discussion there might be others who are interested or might contribute.

Fitted to a dulcimer I recently bought on ebay, I found what I now know from John is an inbuilt 'reverse capo'- see my picture . I am finding I rather like it - it makes a very quick change from D Ionian to E dorian mode possible without fiddling around to add anything extra. It slides a bit like a banjo 5th string capo except that it is hardly noticeable - it wasn't visible or mentioned on the original ebay picture/description.

The internet references I can find to reverse capos mainly seem to be referring to a 'false nut' type, i.e. something going under the string at the fret lifting the string up (see Robin Clark's reply in an earlier discussion ) although I have also seen olderrefernces to onewith a spring clip which fits into a hole in the fingerboard. However I can't find any description of one like the one on this dulcimer and wonder if it was homemade or was indeed marketed for the purpose. If homemade it is very nicely done.

I may do some experimenting with a longer slide on the side, maybe to include the 3rd fret and/or maybe extending across the middle string too. However, is anyone aware of someone makes them?

John

I'm a complete beginner of a month as well. I enjoy noodling around. You'd be surprised at all the variations of that cabbage song!

Noodling around - it's my favorite past time. I particularly do it when I'm tuned DAc. Something about aeolian that just leads into improvising.

Messing around? It's the way to learn, compose and relax. Not having a "plan," just letting yourunconscious mind take you where it wants you to go. Sometimes it's a thing of beauty; sometimes it's something else. In either case it's what I need at the moment.

I learned the guitar the same way when I was a kid. Just sat around playing notes seeing where they lead, how they sound and if they can be made to fit together.

Love it!

yep same here ....my guitars gather dust very well

every time I play. I after playing a fewsongs I tend to just noodle around. same thing with my other instrument.

Yep-all the time. Watch TV with it on my lap and mute/play during commercial breaks. Get hours of noodling in this way. Unless I happen to be watching PBS. Also, the captions are very nice; mute, watch, play, repeat. Drives the Mrs. crazy.

Every time I pick up a dulcimer! That's how a person becomes intimately familiar with the instrument and where the sounds are coming from relative to each other.

Oh how I've missed my dulcimer these last few weeks. I've been real busy with other stuff, but last night I probably spent a good 2 hours with it.

So I played a few of my regulars and then I just started messing around. I do most everything on dulcimer just by ear so I don't think about chord names, note names or anything like that. I just sort of let my fingers do the walking and my pick do the talking. It was really fun and I found some neat sounding things happening.

Does anyone else find themselves doing this? I probably do this more on dulcimer than with any other instrument I play. Most times on banjo I'm trying to pick some phrase or song out, same with guitar, and now mando. But with the dulcimer I find myself just sort of wandering around and it's fun.

I know what you're talking about, Robin. I don't, as a rule, play Stinson's #2 by myself-- usually play it with someone who adds those changes in part B and the two styles blend nicely.

Robin Clark said:

I was looking at the music for thistune last week as a potential one for playing in noter drone. I thought it was a little 'plain' without the modern Celtic chord changes in Part B, which seem to be the#2 tunes signature. I think I may have a go at adding back some ornamentation to Part B to make it a little more of a 'tune' for noter drone- If it works out perhaps I'll record it and post it here as John Stinson #3

I was looking at the music for thistune last week as a potential one for playing in noter drone. I thought it was a little 'plain' without the modern Celtic chord changes in Part B, which seem to be the#2 tunes signature. I think I may have a go at adding back some ornamentation to Part B to make it a little more of a 'tune' for noter drone- If it works out perhaps I'll record it and post it here as John Stinson #3

That's an interesting link. I've often wondered about that myself.

Thanks Robin!

Dave, there might be a lead or two in the following link in which some history could be tracked down:

http://www.bartonpara.com/discog/missouri/stinson2.htm

Does anyone know of any history behind the tune John Stinson #2?

Wow great! I could only find Musicks Delite. Guess I have to keep hunting.

Ok, after some very diligent searching I managed to find and purchase "Nonesuch," "Musick's Delight," and "The Dulcimer Archive;" this last one from 1997, an autographed 1st edition (one has to wonder if they sold enough for a 2nd edition.) They weren't cheap, but, hey, it's only money. I have received "Nonesuch" and "Archives" and it's interesting to see the changes in the arrangements over the 20 years between them. I've been having fun trying to get them halfway right (maybe.) His original pieces are quite the lesson in both composition and arrangement as well as in playing.

Jon, that's the album I have. Glad you got a book. I haven't been able to find one. Not only Ionian tuning but no 6 1/2 fret either. Love his arrangements as well as his playing.

I see what you mean on his tabs. Seems to be all there except for actual notes. Well just have to pick up the melody from his albums or another source. He is definitely a good excuse to get back into Ionian tuning though. I found a copy ofMusicks Delight on the Dulcimer online and ordered. I have his album Gentle sound of the Dulcimer. It really impressed me.

John Henry, that's the way his early tabs in DPN were as well. Some of them are very hard to read

A point of minor interest re 'Nonsuch for Dulcimer'. It was produced showing only tab, abeit a complex tab , showing hammer ons , pulls, slurs and slides, and with a detailed explaination of how to use same.

JohnH

Jon, there was one more in the 90's which was sold by Moore, who wrote the "Eurotunes" column. I've been trying to find an email address for him, so far without success.

Yes I checked the old DPN issues and found 2 books mentioned:

Nonsuch for Dulcimer and Musicks Delites on the Dulcimer Stratchwood Music 1974. I saw these in Vol 1 number 7 November December 1975.

R N Lackey said:

Jon, there were also at least 2 songbooks published. You'll find ads for them in some of the old DPN issues which Ken referenced, but I've never seen them. Would love to get my hands on them, too.

Rob

Jon, there were also at least 2 songbooks published. You'll find ads for them in some of the old DPN issues which Ken referenced, but I've never seen them. Would love to get my hands on them, too.

Rob

Thanks Ken ! I have learnt something today ( and found a pic of my son and I from way back!!!)

John

Roger had a lot of things published in the early years of Dulcimer Players News. You can browse the Archives here:

http://www.dpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=544&Itemid=106

When the Archive was part of Everything Dulcimer, there was a better Index of the early years, but that has gone away since the files reverted to DPN.

There are several tab books of medieval/renn music for dulcimer.

Hello Jon, I have a copy of Roger's 'Nonesuch for Dulcimer', Scratchwood Music, dist. by EMI Music publishing Ltd, 138/140 Charing Cross Road, Lindon WC2H OLD All that info is NEARLY AS OLD AS I AM, SO CANNOT VOUCH FOR IT !!! I personally know of no other published stuff, but there are at least a couple of members on this site who may know more, ie John Shaw and Dave Kirpatrick (sp?)

come back to me if you get absolutely stuck

JohnH

Does anyone know if the late Roger Nicholson's dulcimer pieces were published in sheet music or tab form? Would really like to get my hands on some. Big fan of medieval/renaissance pieces on both fretted and hammered dulcimer.

That is a lovely instrument!

I'm not that surprised by the staples being full width. I've seen that before on early dulcimers that were only ever played in noter drone style. The width of the staples would depend on the tool that they were shaped around. Also there are lots of other little features on that dulcimer that are very neat and tidy. The full width frets look very tidy too and I expect they were installed to make the instrument look symetrical and very smart.

It's a beauty

just to say thats a beauty

I have no technical or cultural input ... but my what a treasure.

I agree with strumelia. It is very interresting that it has full frets, bt, set up to play noter drone.

Interestingly, even though they are full width staple frets, the dulcimer appears to be set up with the melody string set far from the two drones, as a noter player would like, and the two drones look to be too close together to do any practical fretting. Looks like the original bone bridge that was set up that way. Looks like it was set up for traditional playing and not for chord playing.

If you look at the frets , they look to be full staples, as opposed to newer frets. I hope to get a look at this dulcimer soon.

I, too, am interested to know if there had ever been half frets on this instrument. I need to go back and look at all my pictures of Prichard dulcimers. I can't recall ever seeing one with frets all the way across the fret board. Also the feet on the back do not look like anything I have ever seen on a Prichard. It is a great looking dulcimer.

The strings not staying in tune can be remedied with a little "peg dope" from a violin shop. Save the old strings, but replace them, one by one, with new strings of similar gauges (a luthier or even a mechanic with a micrometer can tell you the existing gauges of the strings).

What is the VSL? Other dimensions of the instrument?