Forum Activity for @ken-hulme

Welcome Syd;

The shape of the dulcimer isn't the problem. No shape, except a box, is any more stable than another. Chances are it's

A) the 'slippery' pants/shorts you wear. Use that rubbery shelf liner material as a mat across your lap.

or

2) your basic 'posture' with the instrument. Many beginners try to sit too prim and proper. Start with your knees wide apart - more than 18 inches! Sit upright, not laid back, not hunched over. Then don't put the dulcimer at right angles across your lap. Angle it so that the right end is tucked back by your right hip and the left end is out over your left knee - about the 1-3 frets over your knee. As you strum the right end will try to work its way out - on an instroke with your picking hand brucsh your little finger into the body, pushing it back against your hip.

If you practice good posture, you absol;utely do not need a strap or anything like that. If correct posture doesn't work, conside gettin/making a table of some sort on which you can put the dulcimer while you play.

don't give up ...check the search here for your answer ....I added a small towel to my left knee to cut the slippage ...welcome fellow newbie!... I have a tear shaped hondo . at first it drove me madd.........lol

Syd, I found a previous discussion on this topic. Here is the link: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/holding-the-dulcimer?commentId=3745489%3AComment%3A44996

I hope this helps

Syd, before you give up on your dulcimer you may want to talk with those who have a teardrop. Sam has one and Wayne does too. They can give you some advice. I had trouble at first keeping my dulcimer positioned on my legs until I used a makeshift footstool to keep my legs level and I have an hourglass. Some people use pads underneath to keep the dulcimer from sliding. Carrie uses a strap that she brings below her legs. She uses pads too. I also had strap buttons installed on my dulcimer thanks to Ken . I haven't used a strap yet but plan to and soon as I get one made. I'm a newbie too but have learned a lot from the discussion posts and watching videos.

Yes Patty, you already have your thumb or finger on 4 for the A so you just slide it on up to 3 and 2 on the melody to get the words... ain't right.

Dana, Thanks for the tab!!! One question: when you have 3 and 2, is that just fretting melody string and let drone? Just want to make sure....I'm still learning

We Just Aint Right D(2 on melody)G(3 mel 1 on mid) A(4 mel 1 bass

Well we sit and strum all day long

D D D D D D D D

Making videos and singing songs

G G GGG G G G G

Then the bee boopin starts

G G A A A A

And we chat all night

A A A A A

But some people say

A A A A A

We just aint right!

A A 3 2

We just aint right , thats what they all say

D D D D D D D D D

But we dont care, cause we like us this way

D G G G G G G G G G

So join the Bee boopers, were outa sight

G A A A A A A A A A

But some folks say We just aint right

A A A A A A 3 2

Were always happy and havin fun

D D D D D D D D D

So jump right in, so you can have some

D G G G G G G G G

Your toes will be tappin

A A A A A A

All through the night

A A A A

Then they will be sayin

A A A A A A

You just aint right!

A A 3 2

We Just aint right , thats what they all say

D D D D D D D D D

But we dont care, cause we like us this way

D G G G G G G G G G

So join the Bee boopers, were outa sight

G A A A A A A A A A

But some folks say We just aint right

A A A A A A 3 2

Will be posting a vid tomorrow!

Oh this just aint right But then neither am I

I'll see what I can do about that.

Stephanie Stuckwisch said:

Dana, how 'bout posting a video?

Like the words, Look forward to the video

Dana, how 'bout posting a video?

I'll get right on it. Thanks

Dana, this is awesome!!!

Now you have to send us the tab for it. Then we can all do a collaboration. The President of SpitValve Inc. will put it together in a video for us if we bribe him, LOL .

Seriously, that is a great song Dana and yes I would like to have the tab for it Better yet, I would love to see you sing this

Well done Dana!

... grinnin' like possum here Dana. NOBODY spins 'em like you do!

Thanks Cheryl

Dana.....that is PERFECT!!!

Updated:

We Just Aint Right

Well we sit and strum all day long

Making videos and singing songs

Then the bee boopin starts

And we chat all night

But some people say

We just aint right!

We just aint right , thats what they all say

But we dont care, cause we like us this way

So join the Bee booper, were outa sight

But some folks say We just aint right

Were always happy and havin fun

Jump right in, so you can have some

Your toes will be tappin

All through the night

Then they will be sayin

You just aint right!

We Just aint right , thats what they all say

But we dont care, cause we like us this way

So join the Bee booper, were outa sight

But some folks say We just aint right

We Just Ain't Right!

Well we sit and strum all day long

Making videos and singing songs

Then the bee boopin starts

And we chat all night

But some people say

We just aint right

But we all say were just havin fun

Just jump right in

So you can have some

Soon your toes will be tappin

And youll be singing along

Join the bee boopers

Where going strong!

Then dont be surprised

If you hear one night

Someone say..

We just aint right

Hi Ken.

Nothing strange about it at all, most dulcimers made today have this fret pattern.
It's only 'old school' types like ourselves who insist on only having a single diatonic fret pattern('do' at the 3rd) rather than two diatonic fret patterns('do' at the 3rd AND 'do' at the open) that most folks use today.
That being said, having an instrument that only has the 'do' on the open string has definite disadvantages compared to one that only has 'do' on the 3rd fret. Choice of strings and having no leeway below the Ionian root being the main ones.

You could, of course, add a 6 fret, in the same way that old dulcimers have a 6+ added, to give you the style of dulcimer used by most people today

The only things stranger than his fret pattern is his spelling of "Appalachian". I wouldn't tune it, I would never have bought it.

Hi John,

Our normal dulcimer only needs a melody string capable of the range G > d to accommodate the four standard tunings.
On this instrument you would need a string capable of the range F > d. This is a bit of a stretch, and whilst the thicker string would help tune Aeolian, it would probably then break in Ionian.

It may be an unusual fret pattern for regular dulcimer players but it's not unknown elsewhere. The scheitholt depicted by Michael Praetorius in 1620 has the exact same pattern. And it's not farewell Old Joe Clark - the mixolydian scale starts on the 4th fret. So if you've gone for DAd tuning that'll give you the ionian scale in d, whereas DAG would give you mixolydian in d at the 4th fret. Guess you'd have to restring it with a thicker melody string for that though.

Here's another odd fret pattern. Same maker as the other.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MOUNTIAN-DULCIMER-KENTUCKEY-STYLE-/17089617...

John P. Your right about the first one being an Ionian tuning from the open position. So long "Old Joe Clark".

I have an old one from Michigan with the same fret pattern (no 6 but a 6+.) I haven't tuned it to anything because the strings are so high off the fingerboard I can't fret it. Neither can I lower the bridge because the strings would not touch them when tuned to pitch. I am taking it to my repairman as an engineering problem to see what he can do. All in all though I agree with John P. It's diatonic and ionic with the do note being on open instead of 3.

Rob

Same way you tune any other dulcimer really Dan. This is still a diatonic fretboard, the difference here being that it starts at 'do' ... not the 'so' we are familiar with.

The home fret would be tuned to the tonic, the bass drone tuned an octave below that, and the middle drone tuned a fifth above that.

john p

Dan Goad said:

... Don't know how I would tune that thing.

II notice he also lists Martian strings. Is this another one from the fella who go all peeved when we told him his instrument wasn't right???

ya got me on what they where thinking when they set it up.

That is an odd setup. Don't think I'll be bidding on that one. Don't know how I would tune that thing.

I wonder if anyone will ever tell this seller/maker that he has a very strange fret pattern.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/APPLICIAN-MOUNTIAN-DULCIMER-HAND-MADE-IN-THE-USA-/170895966191?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27ca317fef

As near as I can tell he goes 0,1,2,3,4,5,6+,7,8,9,10,11,12,13+,14. How would you tune it?

Ken I respect your views

Never heard of them. Looks like an average plywood dulcimer. Design-wise I don't care for the "neck" sticking out beyond the body. Just doesn't look 'right' to me; but that's me... Just based on looks, I'd rather have a Harpmaker Student.

anyone know of this company ?....saw a starter model on flea-bay ...it caught my interest...your view amigos and amigas

I've heard these two live a few times, always a treat. Thanks for posting.

I've heard these two live a few times, always a treat. Thanks for posting.

Oh, I love Lester's fiddle play! Lester's 90 or better and I believe he was at Clifftop this year.

According to the liner notes in Kim Johnson's cd, Linda McCumbers (Lester's late-wife) used to sing Cherry River Line.
Have fun learning this cool tune, Phil!

Love It.Now I want to learn it.

Robin T , that's a great tune to add to the dulcimer fiddler repertoire- nicely played!

I find it interesting to note that there is only one note that dips below the tonic in the Lester clip- and that note is really just a rhythm ornament that the banjo player put in, it's not actually part of the tune melody. This tells me that this tune really is in mixolydian mode (it actually doesn't seem to work in other modes), and could be played from the open string tonic position too, if one chose not to use the one banjo ornament note. That one note does add some interesting difference to the tune, though. Just mental meanderings on tunings, versions, and such!

Don't you just LOVE Lester's raw tone on that fiddle? Talk about yummy !

Does sound like a 'Reuben's Train family' tune.