Forum Activity for @brudar

Brudar
@brudar
06/29/25 02:14:40PM
5 posts

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic


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

I am going to put in a gratuitous plug for one of my favorite dulcimer authorities (I almost said “elders”, but she’s only a few years ahead of me!) - Joellen Lapidus. In her encyclopedic book “Lapidus on Dulcimer 2”, she says

The advantage of a chromatic dulcimer is you can play any note or chord in any tuning. The disadvantage is that it’s more difficult to play and you lose some of the melodic slipping and sliding between notes. The solution: have several dulcimers.

available at lapidusmusic.com

If you don’t know of Joellen, she was an early West Coast culture dulcimer maker, composer and performer. In the 60s and 70s, she introduced Joni Mitchell to the dulcimer. You can see and hear Joni playing Joellen’s instruments on her album Blue if you search YouTube. Joellen’s still an active maker and performer, and you should go out of your way to find her original music album Dulcimer Music for the Pelican Ballet on a streaming service - I found it through my Tidal subscription.Or you can buy it along with her book on her website.


updated by @brudar: 06/29/25 02:15:42PM
Brudar
@brudar
06/29/25 01:28:36PM
5 posts

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic


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

Alex_Lubet:

Happy Sunday, all.

May I respectfully and in friendship request more posts on chromatic vs. not chromatic?  There has been a great deal of interesting discussion of "what is a dulcimer?" and "is the duclimer on the verge of extinction?" here, but the original topic is, I hope, still of interest and deserving of your thoughtful contributions.

Thanks,

 

Alex, have you looked at the discussions for the Groups (not same as Forums)? In particular the Groups “Chromatic Dulcimers” and “I Have Extra Frets”?

If you are new to the Groups part of the site, be aware that you have to “join” a group to read the posts and replies.


updated by @brudar: 06/29/25 01:44:20PM
Brudar
@brudar
06/28/25 10:42:28AM
5 posts

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic


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

Randy Adams:

https://youtu.be/Ja9muThRASc?si=L8hi3ycSm_YUJY3S


I had a somewhat short romance with a chromofone and enjoyed the buzz. 


 

Randy, that Spanish Fandango of yours on YouTube is sweet!  A lovely example of what can be done with a chromatic dulcimer. Thanks for posting.

Brudar
@brudar
06/27/25 04:18:15PM
5 posts

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic


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

John Pettreemusic:

Perhaps "dulcimer" is a state of being........

 

I bow before thee. 

Brudar
@brudar
06/27/25 01:52:00PM
5 posts

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic


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

Wow, amazing this thread is still alive after 3 years! With all the discussion of what a “real” dulcimer is in the face of discontinuous fretboards and bridges, varieties of stringing patterns and varying number of frets, it seems the only characteristic that all share is that the melody string faces the player while the bass strings faces the audience. 

But then if your right-handed self puts a left-handed acoustic guitar in your lap, would that act make it a six-string chromatic dulcimer?