I read once about how some of the words, phrases, sentence structures, and pronunciations of what today might be considered to be a "mountain hillbilly" way of speaking... evolved directly from old Gaelic language.
Cecil Sharpe, who traveled through Appalachia over a century ago, was also struck by the number of old English ballads being sung in the region. I do not find it surprising.
People tell stories. Perhaps not all people, but all peoples. Nowadays, we read books, watch TV or movies, or listen to the radio or podcasts or whatever. But before modern mass media, stories were oral, and some of those stories came in the form of songs. A ballad is just a song that tells a story. I don't find it surprising either that Jean Ritchie's family sang so many ballads or that so many of those ballads were ancient ones from the old world. Old stories still have something to teach us, even stories from distant lands long ago. Even if only implicitly, they tell us who we are and where we came from. We still read and tell stories from the Bible, from the ancient world, from Elizabethan England, and so forth. The ballads the Ritchie family sung were just part of the cultural repertoire they inherited, shared, and passed on.
What makes American folk music so rich, I think, is that those English ballads mixed here with other traditions: African-American field hollers and blues, work songs, native American chanting, Caribbean syncopation, spirituals, sea shanties, railroad songs, cowboy songs, etc. And the music was not merely replicated, but expanded upon and rendered "modern" through new lyrics, new chords, new rhythms and tempos. The Irish ballad The Wexford Girl was given new lyrics as the Knoxville Girl to tell the story of an American murder. The Scottish song about migration to North America, The Bold Princess Royal, was given new lyrics as Sweet Betsy from Pike, the story of westward migration in the United States. Rosin the Beau was used for the campaign song Lincoln and Liberty, the abolitionist Roll on Liberty Ball, and the song about settling in the Pacific Northwest, Acres and Acres of Clams. But even when we add modern lyrics and chords to an old ballad, we still, as is the case with Rosin the Beau, sometimes sing the original versions as well. Just because Bob Dylan wrote great lyrics to Fare Thee Well doesn't mean no one sings The Leaving of Liverpool anymore. Just because Elvis made lots of cash with Love Me Tender doesn't mean people don't sing Aura Lee from time to time.
Ballads served as "entertainment," as @john-c-knopf says, but they were also news, biographies, moral fables, histories, and so much more.
I'm sure there are lots of reasons people might be drawn to older music and stories, but it is not surprising to me at all. We still find Barbara Allen to be a compelling ballad, just as we find Antony and Cleopatra to be a compelling tragedy.
Jill, Unfortunately I don’t have a Warren May dulcimer, but you got my curiosity up about your boat. Just wondering what you have and do you live onboard?
We have an old sailboat that is a “project”. We are nearing the end of items that we needed to finish, We don’t live onboard - we are mainly afternoon sailors. I have thought it would be fun to take a dulcimer along and play out n the water. Will see 🎶 😉.
If memory serves, many songs in the Ritchie family came from "Uncle Jason" and Jean wrote of this in Singing Family of the Cumberlands .
https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2015/06/jean-ritchie-1922-2015/
Here is a link for the Jean Ritchie group here at FOTMD:
https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group/24/fans-of-jean-ritchie
Thanks, John, very insightful.
I listened to her rendition of Barbry Allan this morning and was taken by her ending every verse on scale step 2. I kept thinking that perhaps she might resolve it in the final verse, but she did not, which was perhaps fitting, given the lyrics.
Alex, I think it was for family continuity and for entertainment in a time where computers, TVs and to some extent radio was non-existent. Folks had to have entertainment of SOME kind, and this was an enjoyable way to spend some family time.
One thing I've noticed is how many of these songs dealt with disasters, death, sickness, loss of dear ones, etc. Theirs was a hard existence in a hilly country that made farming and life in general very difficult. The tunes often were in minor keys as well.
Hi,
A good week to you all.
I've been doing a deep dive into Jean Ritchie lately, for the dulcimer of course, but also for the words of the ballads. What has struck me is that so many of these songs were even centuries old and from distant lands. You all know this, of course. But I find it so interesting that Kentucky folk would preserve lyrics that were so far removed from their day to day life. We're all glad they did, but one must also wonder why. (Needless to say, new songs were being composed as well.)
Does anyone who knows more about this than me have any insights they'd like to share? That would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance and have a great week.
Well I'm an old dulcimer player, and I like to party! 
My oldest dulcimer is from 1931. It doesn't party. I don't take it out on camping trips or to parties. I do take it to mountain dulcimer events and allow others to play it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I don't know a good way to find out about this. I have a 1976 McSpadden kit dulcimer. The guy I got it from was happy because he knew I'd play it. I swear this dulcimer has been out on camping trips and to parties. Everytime I play it, it's like "Let's jam!!!"
my question is, do you notice this with old dulcimers? I'm thinking about the really old ones now. Do certain ones just feel like it should be party time?
P.S. I'm in NY through August (2025) then driving back to San Diego
Good to know, thanks so much. I think much of what I do is grounded in being entirely self taught (on dulcimer), at some distance from the mainstream dulcimer community. It's great to have so many really knowledgeable people like you from whom to learn.
When my vocalist friend Victoria and I were planning to do a set of songs together, I shared some Jean Ritchie recordings with her. I've thought we might do some of her songs together. Victoria has an operatic voice, but she's done musical theater, too, and she has great diction, expression, and rhythm. Not all classical singers have her diction and rhythm.
I'm glad I asked and appreciate your response lots! A fan of drones here!
Though Jean learned on a 3-string dulcimer, for her second instructional recording (Homespun), she played 4 equidistant strings and noted one string. For accompanying her vocals, she often strummed with her thumb instead of a turkey quill or plectrum fashioned from a plastic coffee can lid.
Hello friends,
Looking to buy a pre-owned/pre-loved Warren May dulcimer. I'm traveling on my boat all summer, every summer, and don't want to bring my 'fancy' dulcimers made by Warren and Blue Lion as I leave them at home :-) Warren's dulcimers are so easy to play - would like to have one with me every summer! Thanks in advance! PS I live in San Diego
I usually play with four equidistant strings these days and use many different tunings. But I really enjoy tuning three or even all four strings to low D. That's great for droning, obviously, but also great for bending, as the strings have different tensions.
I would say Jean Ritchie. It's more obvious in other pieces.
But I would say it's really the drone and not the noter that has been the influence, as I don't use a plectrum of any kind. And, to be honest, I've been interested in drones forever. My parents were progressives and brought me to see Ravi Shankar when I was quite young. They (and my older brother) were folkies, so I'm pretty sure I heard Jean Ritchie even before I started guitar, about 1966.
I was also a fan of the one-chord jams that 60's rockers like Cream, the Dead, and Santana played, and still love the modal jazz of John Coltrane and others. And I love medieval music, which only rarely has actual drones, but often has long held bass notes (which were called "tenor").
I'm a very left-handed lefty who plays right handed (was never given the opportunity to play left-handed, as I started on my brother's guitar), so no one should ever look at my right hand technique, especally young people. I have a couple of noters, but I really struggled with them.
Thanks so much for asking.
Very nice of you to listen to my music!
Ah, it's curious noter-drone style has been an influence on what you do! I'm wondering whether a particular style(s) of play in the noter tradition influenced you to some greater degree (for example, was Jean Ritchie a big influence or field recordings of players in the Galax tradition, etc.)?
Hi All,
A medieval instrument that looks a lot like a dulcimer but serves a very different role as accompaniment only to melodic instruments, sort of like a drone without a noter. I think you'll enjoy this.
Have a great weekend.
I enjoy your work, too. I really appreciate the noter-drone style. It's been an influence.
Best,
That's so kind of you to say. I really appreciate it. I also appreciate the great contributions you make to this community. This is not just a great place for music but for kindness and sharing.
Have a great weekend, Robin and all.
Way to go! That will be a great help with your restoration.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
http://jugtones.com/images/blog/12.Vintage%20Plans/1955%20Rebec%20Fiddle.pdf
I found it. Original plans from 1955 magazine.
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Oh, so uncommonly good, Alex! I've ordered a couple of your cds and look forward to hearing them!
Hi All,
I hope everyone is well and enjoying life.
This is, A Farewell , a song I composed for my friend and colleague, mezzo soprano Victoria Vargas. The poem is by Amy Levy, a Victoria era Anglo-Jewish writer, well known in her brief life (she died by suicide at 27) and admired by Oscar Wilde.
https://soundcloud.com/user-356765105/07-a-prayer-7
I'm on dulcimer, of course. I'm unaware of any other dulcimer recordings or performances that feature an opera singer. Please check it out if you have the time and inclination.
Have a great weekend and thanks.
This is brilliant, Dusty! Thanks ever so much.
Kathreen
Hi Kathreen,
Your question is a good one, and one that has a simple mathematical answer. If you know the alphabet from A to G and can count to 7, you can transpose from one key to another.
If we start with D as 1, count to A. D = 1, E = 2, F# = 3, G = 4, and A = 5. So to move from a chord in D to a chord in A, you just count up that same amount, starting with 1 and counting up to 5.
For the main I, IV, and V chords . . .
Your chords for D in the key of D will be A in the key of A.
Your chords for G in the key of D will be D in the key of A.
Your chords for A in the key of D will be E in the key of A.
And for the relative minor chords . . .
Bm in the key of D will be F#m in the key of A.
Em in the key of D will be Bm in the key of A.
F#m in the key of D will be C# minor in the key of A.
Does that help? There is no reason to seek a chord chart. The chord positions are all the same ones you already know.
Some years ago I made the chart below for the most common keys in folk and old timey music. Perhaps you'll find it helpful.
You might enjoy this short article:
https://www.cincinnatiearlymusic.com/rebec_rebuild.html
Hello, All --
I'm not exactly sure how to ask my question, but here goes.
I learned to play in the key of D, DAA. I now have my dulcimer tuned to AEE. I use the chord shapes for DAA (for instance, a G), but, being in the key of A, the resulting chord is not a G but something else - and I don't know how to make that translation, how to determine what chord it is in A.
I have the opportunity to jam this weekend and am concerned that when prompted to play a certain chord, I'll have no idea what it corresponds to in D to be able to play it.
Does any of this make sense? I haven't been able to find any chord charts that include the key of A.
I'd appreciate any guidance at all!
Thanks,
Kathreen
The local fiddlers faire has said he will give me some ebony pegs and a tailpiece that I can use. Gut strings will be next then make a bow. How many horsehairs will be sufficient? 3/8” bundle? What wood works best for a bow? Bridge?
thanks for resizing, I was at a loss to explain.
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Thank you, Strumelia.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
In the meantime, i downsized that photo to make things easier. ;)
Thanks for the photo, XLIV. As you can see it is too large to show the entire instrument. You might try resizing your photo and reposting it. I usually post my mine at 8 x 10 inches or 5 by 7, but sometimes my mind slips and I post them at 8 1/2 by 11.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
it needs pegs, nut, tailpiece and bridge (they were broken). Finger board unglued. The top is cracked and coming unglued from body possibly from sound post being a little too tall. Someone put a lot of time hollowing body from one piece. I hope to repair using hide glue and making a horse hair bow. Winter project.
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Please post some photos of the unfinished rebec project. I assume you want to finish the project. I'll offer what advice I can after I see what you have. Sounds like an interesting undertaking.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Hi folks, new to hobby. I found an unfinished rebec project at a yard sale. I realize this is an old thread but thought I might glean some advice from those more familiar with this instrument. If it gets some hits I’ll post some pics.
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Alex, I read with interest the description of your album in the link you provided- the combination of dulcimer player, singer, and Victorian era woman writer in your album seems like it would be a very unique and compelling interplay.
Sorry, I've been traveling all day. The discoloration at the 6.5 fret is exactly that. Either Dad or my older brother (I blame Tom) took a thin wire and held it down with some electrical tape and used that as a 6.5. I just haven't gotten around to deciding how to clean the residue yet.
As for the slot, it doesn't bother me but it's definitely a curiosity. It was definitely cut with precision. The side profile shows a squared channel, identical in profile, width and depth to the other frets, so that's what piqued my interest. To be fair, I don't know who the luthier was and there's no label inside the soundbox that I can find, but it was definitely ordered in Townsend, TN around 1980 or 1982. I know Sam Carrell was still making instruments at that time and was overwhelmed with orders, so he enlisted some help. Maybe an apprentice cut the slot? I also think that was about the time when Mike Clemmer was getting started. Maybe it was an early build and a mistake was made? Either way, It never seemed to affect the sound or the playability, so I'll just call it "character."
There may have been more luthiers in Townsend at that time, but I don't recall any others. All I can say for sure is that we picked it up in the little dulcimer shop next to "Nawger Nob" if that means anything to anyone.
Jonathan
(Also, thanks to everyone for all the positive responses and words of encouragement. Sometimes "enthusiasts" can be snobs, but not in the dulcimer world it seems!)
*Edit: I just took a macro photo of the side profile. I couldn't see this with my reading glasses, but it seems as if the slot actually was filled. it looks like its just worn away a bit.
Could what appears to be a slot near the 6.5 just be discoloration of the wood? In the close up photo it doesnt look like those 'slots' go all the way across the width of the fingerboard. The dulcimer looks great, so it's hard to believe the original builder just left the slot unfilled. You could always put a fret in it and call it "microtonal" lol.
