Then again, one of my favorite jokes to say between tunes when we play in public is:Great thread here. This reminds me of playing at my parent's house. Can't remember if it was harmonica or dulcimer that day.Me: "Any requests?" (I really should have known better).My mom: "Could you play somewhere over the hill and far away?Me: "Let me look and see if I have ... hey!"
"We've had a request from the audience......but we're going to keep playing anyway."
Always gets a good laugh! ;D
Glad you called my attention back to this thread, actually, there is a great little routine that Long John Baldry used to do about busking in London ... Don't Try to Lay no Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll .Does anyone play strictly instrumentals when busking? This is something I would love to do when I get good enough but I am afraid my singing will never um, actually be singing. I'd rather just let the instrument talk for me.
There's a story out there from another musical experiment wherein Joshua Bell went busking in DC with his $2,000,000 strad violin.Here's a version of the Joshua Bell story that ran in the Washington Post (Sunday Magazine): http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html Another thing you learn is that Metro stations get a big volume and turnover of pedestrian traffic -- but almost all of the people are rushing somewhere.Dick
Well most people in the northeast here have never even seen a dulcimer and wouldn't know what is played on it. I'm usually playing OT with my fiddler and sometimes I play banjo or dulcimer. Usually the audience doesn't know any OT or fiddle tunes, which is what we play. Invariably we get requests for bluegrass stuff, Dueling Banjos, Dixie Chicks, pop tunes.....none of which we play at all. We play what we play and are good at, and most of the time people just listen and seem to enjoy that it's 'different' from what they're used to.One tip I *can* give- and that is don't sit and scowl at your fingerboard while playing. Musicians have a tendency to screw their faces into weird expressions while lost in the playing process. Instead, look around and smile at people and look like you are having a good time for goodness sake- it's infectious!One of the reasons I posted this thread is to learn about what's requested though. Different genres get different requests but some are almost 'must know' if you're out there. When we do string-band stuff, we expect at least one request from Oh Brother Where art Thou . Playing an Irish or Celtic style on whistle I always expect to hear requests for Danny Boy, Scotland the Brave, Irish Washerwoman, etc... the tunes people associate with and know. The old-time religion people always seem to wanna hear Old Rugged Cross, I'll Fly Away, and the like. Dixieland: When the Saints... and Just a Closer Walk. Even mimes get requests - "do the thing where you're in a box". So one key to success is finding out what it is people want to hear and playing that.
I was out once with a bluegrass quartet and, being at the beach, someone asked if we knew any beach music. We did Under the Boardwalk and Blue Moon in bluegrass - it was hilarious. You just have to make a list of what people might expect a dulcimer to be playing and be ready to play some. I just don't know what goes on such a list for dulcimer.
Hi Sally, I never take requests, because I only play tunes I know I can do ok. When people ask me to do something, I'll just say "Well I'm afraid I don't play that one, but I can play this one...."Then again, one of my favorite jokes to say between tunes when we play in public is: "We've had a request from the audience......but we're going to keep playing anyway." Always gets a good laugh! ;DGreat stories, folks! Keep 'em coming... maybe I'll get brave enough, yet! So, do you just play whatever you want to or, do you know enough tunes to do requests? I think that scares me a lot!
The people to email is the police department - or stop by and ask. Let 'em know you're not panhandling or begging (but accept tips) and that you won't be amplified. I use the line that it's "for advancement of the art form...."; most will tell you it's fine as long as business owners or the public don't complain.
Myrtle Beach SC requires a permit inside the city limits that costs $100 per musician per year. The other towns here don't have permits but have varying laws about where and what you can do. Most towns require permission of property owners (if you're not on public property), no blocking traffic (foot or vehicle), no panhandling (but you can leave a hat out if you don't beg), and have noise ordinance provisions that ten dulcimers couldn't break - but an old time string band can.
You won't make a bunch of money (with some exceptions - I made $100 in less than an hour once with impromptu singing of old time church music in Gatlinburg Tn) but it's a cool way to try out new material on a live audience that won't fire you.
I've found that downtown merchants seem to like it - it draws attention to their stores. Museums and living history type places too. And antique stores. These are easy to get permission from. Malls and big-box retailers are the hard spots - sadly; that's where some money could be made. If you're on private property with permission of the owner then most city panhandling ordinances don't apply.
Public parks are usually free-game. It's that whole 'peaceably assemble' and 'free speech' thing there.
Every musician should give it a shot some time - it's a dying art in itself. The 3rd and 4th of each month is officially International Busking Day . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking_Day
Wow! Here I was feeling like a traitor because I stumbled across the kantele this fall (2013) and fell in love with it. There was a Finnish music concert at a summer camp out here. I had no idea what a kantele was - I went because "Finlandia" was listed as a tune they would be playing, and I play that on my mountain dulcimer. They played all kinds of wonderful stuff - polkas, songs, waltzes. Now I see that other MD players have found the same instrument. I have the Music Makers kantele with 10 strings. The sound is really nice. (I do divide my time with my mountain dulcimers, too, so that they don't get jealous.) There are some good books out there with Finnish tunes, they are by Lani K. Thompson. Also Gerry Henkel has a pdf book at his site listed on a post above. Ms. Thompson's book is not 'numbered' for the non-music reader. Mr. Henkel's is numbered. I found that by focusing on learning to read the 5 string tunes real notes first that I could then learn the rest of the notes. I suggest that since there are some other numbered tunes and everyone seems to number the strings differently. Also you can just noodle around and ignore reading notes all together which I love to do on a snowy day except that I almost drift off to sleep. (You can get more volume by placing your kantele on a hard surface - a counter or table. There's a nice ring, but sometimes I have to dampen notes because they sustain too long and sound discordant with the remaining tune.)
I find that intriguing as well, Cathie... the making of early-era music using very limited scales...something appealing about it.
And did you see these kantele videos on fotmd?:
http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/video/search?q=kantele
I got my first Kantele from Gerry Henkel at www.kantele.com , looks like the site is under construction right now. It's a five string and I have learned to play about 8 songs on it since 2010. Not many, but I know them by heart and I practice my dulcimer more. I bought my twin and I kits of the 10 string from HarpKits.com for our birthday,and I'm looking forward to putting them together. We're scheduling that for September and I'm excited to finally have a playmate for my Kantele.
I'm pretty much sticking to zithers for my music obsession. I loved finding the kantele, because I'm half Finnish on my mother's side, and it's opened up a whole new world for me with Finnish folk music. And it's such a beautiful little instrument! Mine has a Pine body and a birch Ponsi. There's some pictures on my page here, and I have a page on my blog talking about the Kantele . There is also a video which features Diane Jarvi on there which is worth a look and listen.
This Sunday I started composing my first tune! I love my Kantele, and I'm looking forward to learning the 10 string this fall and winter. 
Hello John! That would be nice to do. I will have to see if i canmanage to take a boat to England next year, so i can bring multiple instruments (because if i fly over, i can only bring one dulcimer :) ). The harpkit kantele has a mahogany soundboard and walnut frame. I would love to see your kantele one day!
I've been talking with my husband about building this, he has built me a dulcimer and a violin, so, has experience, but he's been sick and cannot build at this time. He thinks that he can maybe guide me through building one.
Best part is, he has all the things you listed that I would need!
Now another question, I like a more mellow but loud sound as opposed to a bright sound, what type of wood would you suggest to get that sound. I know some woods have a brighter sound, but not sure if I would want that. We are thinking possibly a spruce top.
Judy
