Forum Activity for @ken-hulme

John Calkin Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I see John commenting and showing his builds on the FB page Let's Make Dulcimers (an Psalteries and Mandolins, etc.).  He's actually a member here, but not a big contributor.  I've not played one of his but it's obvious he has very high level skills as a builder, and his designs are r4ally nice.  I'm sure you'll really appreciate your purchase. 

I'd go to FB and contact him there.  He has a personal Page and a Dulcimer Page as well, I believe...  

John Calkin Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

John Calkin, former President of the American Guild of Luthiers.........100's of articles by him available online.  He is on facebook too.

https://www.facebook.com/john.calkin.92

That is going to be an outstanding for you....since JC's retirement from H&D (Huss and Dalton guitars  in Staunton, Va.) John tells of  building 4,000 instruments.  BTW, H&D Guitars are mucho bucks and top of the line.........like 4-5 grand used and way upwards of that new. 

updated by @salt-springs: 09/08/23 03:16:30AM

John Calkin Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I just purchased a John Calkin Dulcimer from a local shop here in Lexington, Virginia. I have been trying to find information about Calkin and the Dulcimer I purchased but his website is dead and I can't find any contact information other that he is located in Greenville, Virginia. I live in Natural Bridge, Virginia. The label inside the Dulcimer has Calkin's name, Greenville, Virginia,  and a serial number.

Photos of the Dulcimer in question are attached. TIA

Bill Haegele

updated by @bluesky636: 09/08/23 01:01:09AM

April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel)

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

What poetic lyrics. And what a nice reminder of the purity of Garfunkel's voice. 

Frank Bond Dulcimer

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Thanks Ken... I fixed Rob's link.  :)

Frank Bond Dulcimer

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The link Rob posted didn't work for me. It is missing the "l" at the end. This one works: https://www.orpingtonfolkclub.org.uk/Interviews_&_Articles/Interviews/001.html

Good article and interview.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Frank Bond Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

https://www.orpingtonfolkclub.org.uk/Interviews_&_Articles/Interviews/001.html

Here’s an interesting article about the most famous player of Frank Bond dulcimers. If you haven’t listened to him, you should!

April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel)

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

One of my favorite S&G tunes as well.  

April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel)

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Well, young lady, that was a popular song in of the college coffeehouses I frequented back in those days. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again. The folks who sang it did not do it as well as Art and Paul, but it was lovely nevertheless.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

April Come She Will (Simon & Garfunkel)

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

One of my favorite songs of my youth- April Come She Will. From Simon & Garfunkel's Sounds of Silence Album, 1966. I loved the song then when I was 12, but it's even more meaningful to me now that I'm older.

Written by Paul Simon, usually sung by Art Garfunkel.

Lyrics:

Truly a timeless song.
Here is Art Garfunkel singing it in 1966:

...and here he is singing it 55 years later, at age 80 , in 2021...Incredibly beautiful.

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I know I'm bringing up an old thread, but - oh well.  I play guitar, clawhammer banjo and am now learning dulcimer.  When I learn a mountain instrument, such as clawhammer banjo or dulcimer, I want to learn and play it the way the the original players played it.  I guess I want to learn the tradition, keep it, and maybe add a personal touch here and there.  But "old school" tradition is very important to me.  So, if I want chromatic, guitar or banjo is the way to go for me. With clawhammer banjo, I thought of transferring it to guitar - but why?  It was made for banjo. With a dulcimer I want that lovely sweet sound of the mountains and to keep the tradition alive as best I can.  I don't want to make them into something modern and into something they are not.  There are plenty of hybrids instruments - banjo dulcimers, guitar banjos, etc. out there if you want to come into the up to date modern world.

So, in my mind, let a guitar be a guitar, let a banjo be a banjo and let a dulcime be a dulcimer.

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

How serious can you get with a recorder? See the following:

J.S. Bach Toccata & Fuge d-Moll BWV 565 arr. for recorder orchestra
Berliner Blockflöten Orch

Dietrich Schnabel - Symphony 1, mvmt 4

Three Irish traditional - Quinta Essentia Recorder Quartet & Paul Leenhouts I Quarteto Flauta Doce
Quinta Essentia Quarteto

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I suspect that the recorder over tin whistle choice is often snob-ism. The American Recorder Society says

"Rather than a mere toy, an educational aid, or a simple musical instrument suitable only for amateurs, the recorder is a vehicle for serious musical expression demanding years of dedicated study. It has a long and interesting history and can lay claim to an extensive and highly varied repertoire spanning eight centuries. It has always enjoyed a particularly rich representation in literature, drama, painting and sculpture."
https://americanrecorder.org/about_the_recorder.php

Similarly, four year olds should be given lessons on the violin or piano, not the dulcimer.

IT'S NOT ABOUT HAVING FUN OR ENJOYING MUSIC! (Or learning to count.)

As a result, where I live you can buy a recorder in a "dollar store" for $1.25 whereas you have to go to a music store to buy a tin whistle for $9.95.

Confused about Sharps and Flats

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

To give a specific example of how key and temperament affect notes on the dulcimer, if you had 3 dulcimers built to be tuned (EBE) and
one was "equal temperament"
one was "mean tone temperament"
one was "just intonated"
G# would be flatter on the "just intonated" dulcimer than it is on the equal temperament dulcimer
G# would be sharper on the "meantone" dulcimer than it would on the equal temperament dulcimer.
That is not a common tuning, but it is an example of one where G# is quite different for each temperament, since you mentioned G#.

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 
I think a tin whistle can be a really abrasive sound in the hands of a new player. When I started on tin whistle, I didnt have any breath control and would always waver in and out of pitch or blow too hard and hit the higher octave. Luckily it was just my cats who had to be there for that learning experience, but they made it very clear that they were worried about me xD

At least a plastic recorder, as much as I don't like the sound, is a bit quieter and less sharp of a tone. I can imagine that children who are genuinely interested could benefit a lot from learning tin whistle, but that the average 3rd grader, if given a tin whistle, would be a true menace xD

Confused about Sharps and Flats

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It depends on what temperament is being used, as Skip also mentioned. In equal temperament, G# is the same as Ab. There are other temperaments (systems of tuning used at different points of history and/or in different cultures) where G# may not be the same as Ab.

In addition to that, players of fretless or other instruments capable of microtones may choose to inflect notes depending on what follows them. For example, leading tones (like G# in the key of A) might be pushed sharper in order to accentuate that leading to the tonic.

To complicate things further, due to acoustical physics of various instruments, there are often tuning peculiarities regardless of what temperament the instrument maker was going for. Clarinets, for example, overblow an interval of a 12th- but some fingerings end up producing wider or narrower 12ths, even on high end instruments. It's up to the player to be able to compensate for that. And of course some ears are more sensitive than others to even notice.

More than you probably wanted to know for your question!

Confused about Sharps and Flats

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It boils down to the fact that the frequencies of the notes are not exact/even and do not double [times 2] as is commonly accepted. This is the basic reason the frets are not evenly spaced and results in the 'Rule of 18' and '12th root of 2' for fret placement. I think 'wolf notes' are also part of this.

When the "G#" frequency approximately doubles, the frequency is not the same as the doubled frequency of the Ab. This difference is/can be audible.

When 'equal temperment' was developed, this difference was, essentially, eleminated.

Most of the other 'temperments' are attempts to modify this difference.

updated by @skip: 09/01/23 04:02:23PM

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

You can purchase a plastic recorder or tin whistle for less than $3.00. A plastic ukulele can be had for $5.00 or less. The least expensive dulcimer kit in a quantity lot of 12 is $52 each and then you need to factor in the cost of building (labor, glue, paint or other finish, tools, etc.). Given tight budgets for the arts in education, which would you choose.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

updated by @ken-longfield: 09/01/23 01:25:04PM

Confused about Sharps and Flats

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I though I understood the whole sharp/flat thing but now I'm confused. I have always heard for example a G sharp was the same as a A flat. But now I hear that pitch wise they are different at least on a string instrument but not on a keyboard. Can someone help me understand? Thank you! 

updated by @homer-ross: 09/02/23 12:49:28AM

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Cheap school instruments= plastic recorders, plastic ukeleles, cardboard dulcimers, plastic or metal p.whistles.

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I've always wondered why schools don't use penny whistles instead of recorders. They are cheaper and are based on a simpler counted-hole method of scales, like the dulcimer is. I've noticed a distinct similarity between dulcimers and p.whistles in terms of playing different modes- both are based upon the ionian mode, with aeolian being quite accessible as well. (ionian home on 3rd fret dulcimer, 3rd hole whistle) Both are easily played in the most common keys as well. P.whistles would certainly be much more portable and durable for kids to take for practicing at home.

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 
I find the idea of associating counting with musical notes to be fascinating for a developing mind, since they have different number bases (demical system being base 10, dulcimer base 7, 12 tone, well...12) 

It's my opinion that 'music' is just a series of numbers or 'frequencies' that can be combined into equations or 'melodies/progressions' that our mind finds engaging. I've always been fascinated with research on how early exposure to music affects both math and language skills. 

To me, it is very interesting that many mathematicians have suggested over time that a base 7 number system is more useful than a base 10 for some purposes, but we rely on base 10 simply because that is how many fingers we have. Well if a dulcimer is base 7 (with 7 notes to an octave) and they learn base 10 with counting, this might encourage children to have a more naturally elastic view of maths!

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Haha, well while I'm definitely no expert in the standard behavior of woodworkers, but I do know that a lot of people have a grandfather who built a handful of dulcimers for friends and family, and when those get sold, it can be almost impossible to find info about them. 

You do make a very good point. Dulcimers can come in different intonations (such as meantone or Just-intonated), or have a bridge setup for a tuning with a specific gauge of strings such as DAA, or AEA, so buying from an obscure luthier increases those risks.

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

 

Being pretty clueless about the standard behavior of woodworkers , I didn't even think of that, but it does sound Very Plausible from a purely logical standpoint.

It also sounds like I could end up with a specific variant of DAD involving dulcimers of obscure origin, so I should probably be careful about that...

updated by @sea-strings: 08/30/23 04:10:51PM

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

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After trying to dig a bit, I came across several woodworkers with the name Larry Wilson, but couldn't find anything specifically about dulcimers from any of them. Whoever he is, he doesn't seem to have much online presence. I think it's somewhat common for skilled woodworkers to build a couple of dulcimers for fun, which then end up in circulation with very little info about their builder. I wonder if this may be like that.

updated by @nate: 08/30/23 03:08:49PM

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

@john-c-knopf Those Wilsons did pop up in my futile searching, and the inlay and pretty sound holes on their instruments do look lovely!

The only other leads I found on Googling are that there's a Larry Wilson Band (looks like a guitarist, but I suppose he could make dulcimers in his spare time), and this list of musical Larry Wilsons on last.fm , but that's it. The mysterious dulcimer-making Larry Wilson may yet remain mysterious...

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Sorry, the only dulcimer luthiers I've come across named "Wilson" are Richard and Denise Wilson of Manitou Beach, MI.  They did phenomenal work.  He built the critters, then she did the beautiful inlay work.  Don't think they're doing this any more.

Information on luthier Larry Wilson?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Hello, dulcimerians!

Recently I've been poking around at the used dulcimer selection online, and I came across some dulcimers signed by Larry Wilson. There's not a lot of information on the listings, and Googling and searching the forums here hasn't revealed much either, so I thought I'd go ahead and ask: Anyone know of a luthier named Larry Wilson or anything about his instruments?

Thanks in advance for any help!

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

Nate's the only person in the world who can play Bile Dem Cabbage and make a jello mold with the same instrument.

How does your pet react to your Dulcimer playing?

OFF TOPIC discussions

They must played that accordion really bad.

 

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thank you for your kind words everyone.  I think this would make a great noter dulcimer and will look more into that style.  Right now I am going through Patterns and Patchwork fingerpicking.  I really like this book, as besides the picking she starts out simply using simple songs getting used to the I, IV, and V chords going up and down the fretboard with the IIm and VIm thrown in.  I feel like I'm getting basic building blocks for the future.  I will say, the 28.5 is a bit of a stretch for me.  I see a 26 VSL in my future and that's a good thing!

Kurt Vonnegut quote...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I am not really a Vonnegut fan, but this story inspired me years ago. It is so true that some things are worth doing because they are inherently interesting and fun. It doesn’t matter whether I am ever able to play like my idols (or willing to play in public at all).  I can and should do them because I want to do them. 

I have far more hobbies than most people. And some of them I do very well. People have asked me why I don’t turn them into a business (glass beads and carving tools).  The answer is because the doing is the purpose. When I make someone else’s beads or blades, I lose the joy of making them. 

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

What a beautiful dulcimer Nightingale. I know it must be special to you. I like a long scale dulcimer for playing noter drone.

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

@ken-longfield , consider yourself enrolled!  And wait-- there's more:  you're the outstanding member for the year of 2023!  

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

Well, Robin, I've done both, perform weddings and played music at them. The latter is a lot easier. Now, can I enroll in this fan club?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Nightingale, that's a nice looking dulcimer. It certainly cleaned up well. Those long scales (28.5") make for nice noter style playing. Have fun making that dulcimer sing again.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Ken, I have downloaded you article and will read shortly - Strumelia, thanks for pointing it out to me.

Nate, it was great reburbing it.  After 51 years in the basement it was dusty, dried out, grimy, etc.  I'll post some pics of it cleaned and ready to go.  Since its a 70 or 71 or so I have no idea who made it.  Once it was cleaned up and oiled and I strung it up - I held my breath - will it sound good or no?  Well it sounds lovely.  Action is high, no 6.5 fret but I'll have the action fixed, I'm still having fun with it.

Here are a couple of pics all cleaned up with a new lustrous finish.

I have a feeling this won't be my only one as time goes on!

updated by @nightingale: 08/27/23 11:47:16AM

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

Hey, since you've made me a minister, maybe I can perform weddings and you can play music at them-- how would that be!?!

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

Okay backup plan. You are the minister of propaganda, all you have to do is comment under my songs that you enjoyed them. So far your service has been admirable!

FANS OF NATE

OFF TOPIC discussions

I have a bad hip and poor balance.  So, perhaps I'll just fall into the undesirables before any actual shin kicking takes place.