Gayle, I used to play recorder a bit but haven't given it a go in years. I look forward to hearing your mix with dulcimer and recorder!
Forum Activity for @robin-thompson
Welcome to the group, Gayle! I, too, think that dulcimer players are pretty special people. Most of us are just chock full of enthusiasm for this instrument and the music we play--and we play all kinds! We come from a variety of backgrounds and music experience and live all over the world. But we're all part of the dulcimer "family". Glad to have you aboard!
Gayle, welcome!!! I hope you find great friends and information about this incredible instrument. I agree with Rob...it's because we ain't right, LOL. I enjoyed your video. Like I said I'm still a newbie too. I have made wonderful friends and am learning lots of things about playing the dulcimer. You will be amazed at how versatile this instrument is. I'm sure you will enjoy the videos from the other members. I do
Hi Gayle and welcome aboard!
I agree that every website has its own "tone" and a lot of that is influenced by the approach taken by the moderator(s). Here on FOTMD there is a culture of welcoming everyone, regardless of identity or ability, and focusing on the thing we have in common, i.e. our love of and interest in the mountain dulcimer. So I really do find it to be the most friendly site I use on the whole World Wide Web!
Gayle, Robin is certainly right that different websites have different personalities, and Strumelia and the early members here certainly set a friendly and encouraging tone that is what has drawn so many of us to this little corner of the internet.
But I also think that something of the dulcimer's personality comes out in those who play the instrument. It is a humble folk instrument with no pretense at all. It can make very sophisticated music (not in my hands, of course) but is more at home on the porch being played by familiy and friends who care more about having fun than impressing anyone.
And no one can play something called a hogfiddle and take themselves too seriously.
Hogfiddle is one of the regional American names for the mountain or Appalachian Dulcimer; along with Indian Walking Stick, Dulcemore, Scantlin', and Tennessee Music Box. A Possum board is a detachable second back that gives your dulcimer more volume without electric amplification. Check out my article here in the Blog section called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms, plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, music, care and feeding of our favorite instrument.
Carrie you summed that up beautifully! The dulcimer brings everyone together. I was amazed to find out there are doctors, pilot,nurses, accountants, ministers,mountain climber, people in exotic places all over the world and the one thing they have in common is they play the dulcimer and have fun and enjoy it. It's such a simple instrument that has so much potential and fits in everywhere. So many people like me had a wish to be able to play a musical instrument but thought it not possible because of no musical education. But the dulcimer proves anyone with the want and love of music can play whether the simpilest tune like Bile Cabbage to Starry Night(Vincent) to Classical music and everything inbetween,depending on how far they want to take it. And right here is the only place I know of were you have a loving, encouraging, helpful audiance. Your own spotlight.Hope that speil made since.
Hi Gayle! I'm not sure if its all dulcimer players or just all FOTMD dulcimer players....I think the later! It is a great site with wonderful group of people. I started posting videos from the very first week I had my dulcimer and received so much encouragement! It was very uplifting and I think I'm getting better because folks are so generous in the praise and also with information regarding the nuts and bolts of playing dulcimer. Can't say enough about these folks and so glad you have found the site!!
Cheryl
I'm just jealous Sam because my Koi won't let me skinny dip in there water hole. LOL
Sam said:
Dana I enjoy my small pleasures ....... he he ........
Gayle ... simple answer to your question, for me ... I keep hoping somebody will show up that I play better than .... so far ... sigh ... nope .................. but they let me stay anyway
some evening.Welcome to FOTMD. Dana
Gayle ! I echo what Brian has said, particulary the bit about seeing some videos from you, from my experience they will be well received, those who post are very varied in ability and allow great learning potential !
JohnH
ps. I am afraid that there is at least one photo of me wearing a tuxedo posted here, please do not hold that against me 
Welcome to our little corner of musical Paradise.
Why? Maybe because we're fans of an unusual instrument with an interesting history. Maybe it's because we like 'rooting for an underdog'. Maybe it's because we like being 'different'. Somehow the dulcimer just isn't as pretentious a classical guitar or violin. Not as set in its ways as a banjo or mandolin.
It's good to have you be a part of FOTMD, Gayle!
Websites tend to have, for lack of a better word, personalities. I have met many wonderful folks both here at FOTMD and at another site where I'm a member, Everything Dulcimer. I think there's an indescribable something about the mountain dulcimer that draws many folks to it who just happen to be friendly.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
It's been some time since you posted yourvintage 1995 dulcimer. I was wondering if you still like it, I came across one much like it, 1996 one. I'm not sure I like the bright sound, hope I will like you after a few days.
I am new to this web site and to trying to play the dulcimer, I would like to send you a photo of the DF dulcimer I have. It is very much like yours but different wood and where you have leaves like a heart, mine are all leaves.
Wait, maybe I just figured out how to send a photo.
I'm open to info you have learn in playing your DF dulcimer.
thanks,
marg.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi Mary ... I actually did 'sniff' it :). There is no discernible aroma of sassafras or root beer ... sadly. There's really not much smell at all so I guess the previous owner was not a smoker. The dulcimer was bought by a son and his wife for their mother. She never played it. Story is that they are now helping her dispose of quite a bit of her personal things because of the economy. The dulcimer was made in 1995 but looks in new condition. The wood's color is just amazing and I'm very happy with it. Sounds good too.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
But does it smell like root beer ? :)
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
In the books that came with the dulcimer I found the original generic sales pamplet that came with the dulcimer when it was originally sold. This model was only offered in sassafrass/walnut or one other combo that I don't remember ... it's not the other, so it's sassafrass.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Sassafrass usually only smells until it is aged. My cherry/ sassafras dulcimer smelled like root beer for about 5 years -- wonderful. :) my walnut/ sassafras never had the smell, but suspect it was older aged wood. Have a Spanish curly cedar/figured mahogany that kept the Spanish cedar smell for several years-- it was kind of a peppery wood smell-- but so many folks smelled it-- they finally just sucked all the smell out of it :)Really loved the root beer smell on the sassafras, though :)
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
You have a good point Paul. I haven't noticed any smell when I open the case. I remember the sassafras smell really well from the hayloft in the barn. It smelled so good. I still make tea real often.
The back has more 'birds eye' or tiny, tiny knots than the photo shows and they all have a pronounced reddish tint. I don't know what the wood is, but it's very nice.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Don't scratch it, just sniff close to the sound holes. My sassafras dulcimer still smells of root beer after 22 years, though not as strong as when it was new. As soon as I open the case I get a whiff of it. It looks a little pale for sassafras, though.
Paul
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi Wayne ... the dulcimer looks very good and I'm ecstatic about it's being solid wood instead of a veneer. I think I am most impressed with the construction though. It is put together VERY well. All glue joints are tight and even. The fit and finish are really good.
Ken ... good idea on the scratch n sniff. I looked at pictures of all their dulcimers and it looks most like the ones they did from sassafras. What I meant was that I'm totally ignorant about sweet gum (there's lots one state away, but not here), so I thought that it might be a possibility as they (the Naylors) did use some of that. The family that bought it originally for their mother were very kind and gave me all the info that they could when I contacted them but they did not remember the kind of wood that was used.
Carrie ... the back is bookmatched and both front and back have more color and character than the pics show. At first tuning and strumming the strings ... I hated it ... but that was my ear. I had nothing to compare it to but my home made dulcimers. After just a short time though, I recognized what a lovely sound it has. I like it very much now.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Could be Sweetgum, but if so, it haslots of character. You could always "scratch & sniff" on an out of the ay place inside, and see if you get the characteristic Sassafras aroma. That's what it looks most like, to me - flat sawn Sassafras.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thanks guys, I'm very happy with this dulcimer. I wish the pics showed it as pretty as it really is. They don't.
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Aw Sam, that is a nice lookin dulcimer. Beautiful! Nice find for sure. Jury's still out as to what kind of wood it is.
updated by @jim-fawcett: 01/24/16 12:57:21AM
Photos Dulcimer Factory c. 1995 DF-4
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I hadn't taken pics of the DF-4 I recently purchased.
I was satisfied at $150.00 for the veneer utility model I thought I would get. When it came, it is a vintage 1995 that is SOLID wood and absolutely beautiful. It had never been played and looks brand new. It came in a hard case with books, papers, a big book of tab, pics, strings and a noter. There is not a scratch on it anywhere. The label does carryJohn and Shirley Naylor's name.
I'm not sure on the wood. In research they used a lot of sassafrass during the time this dulcimer was built. I'm not familiar with sweet gum so it could be that. Any help in positively identifying it would be most appreciated. The sides and fretboard are walnut. It is a dream to note and sounds as good as it looks.
updated by @sam: 08/03/23 03:34:34PM
Mixed, compatible tunings.
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Robin, you are correct that the modal songs are almost all in G or A. Except when dulcimer players get together sans fiddle and banjo players. I have known a number of dulcimer players to play Old Joe Clark, Shady Grove, Cluck Old Hen and other tunes in D. Fiddler and banjo players cringe at this, as some of these songs are uncomfortable in the wrong key. I used Old Joe as an example simply because I have seen it played in D in a number of dulcimer jams.
Skip, your 646 chord is a C major, but the melody note for Old Joe at this point requires a C on the melody string. 646 in DAA gives you CGG, with a G on the melody note. You can play a chord backup to someone else playing the melody, but you can't get your melody unless you play the whole melody on the bass string. If you practice this, it can be done. It's an incomplete chord, missing the 3rd, E, but with only 3 notes available, we use partial chords a lot. If we intend to use one of our strings for melody, the 2 that are left end up playing partial chords pretty often. Any time the melody uses a note that isn't part of the chord we have a partial chord playing with that note.
Paul
Mixed, compatible tunings.
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
The root is the first note of the scale and is usually tuned on the bass as in DAA, DAd, CGG or CGc, GDD or GDg. These tunings would be shown numerically as 1-5-5 for DAA, CGG or 1-5-8 for DAd or CGc. The middle string is then tuned to the 5th note of the scale.
However, people do use other tunings to play in certain keys as they are easier to tune with the string gauges that are on their dulcimers. Since I normally tune to the key of C Ionian or CGG/ 1-5-5, it is easier for me to tune my C bass string up one note to a D if I want to play in the key of G, instead of having to change string gauges to get GDD. I leave the middle and melody alone so I still have G drone and a D drone, but my beginning scale note is now on the open melody string. I can play 1-5-8 tab by playing the lower notes on the bass string rather than the middle. Some people play A by doing the same thing but by going from DAA to EAA.
If someone is in DAd then going down on the middle string one note to G gives them G in what is known as reverse Ionian or DGd. You'll see this tuning frequently in tab as it's becoming more popular.
Mixed, compatible tunings.
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thanks everyone! I reallyappreciate all of the input.
Mixed, compatible tunings.
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Modal Tuning, may be my phrase.
Historically the word Mode goes back to the Greeks and the Monochord (one string) instrument. A Mode is a scale on a single string - the Melody string. The dulcimer has two drones which accompany the Melody. Those drones are almost always in a 1-5 relationship. A Modal Tuning would be the combination of drones and melody string notes for playing in a particular Mode - DAA or CGG or GDD are all Ionian Modal tunings where the scale (in D, C or G) starts on the 3rd fret and walks up to the 10th. DAd, CGc, GDg are Mixolydian Modal tunings where the scale starts on the Open note and goes to fret 7. Thus I can write "All Ionian Modal tunings share common tabulature."
Mixed, compatible tunings.
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thanks Robin;
Adefinitionthat is in non-music terms clears up a lot for me. I can work out the best way for me to backup/harmonize.
'the root and/or 5th of the scale being played' is the key of the tune, or open bass string, or????