Forum Activity for @skip

The middle string s/b 'd' not 'D'. The big 'D' is the one below middle C, the lower case is the one just above middle C. You would be looking at Gdg, not GDg. The easiest way to remember is do the strings in order, either up or down.The Strothers calculator usually is a bit on the light side. 

The layout on the calculator popup is lower notes [larger strings] to the bottom and higher notes [small strings] to the top, all in the right order.

As far as the 'F' goes, try taping a 2" straightened paper clip or a toothpick in place as a temporary fret. If you have access to a micrometer/caliper, frets are about .040"-.043" high.

You can use just about any tuning you want going down [looser], DGdd, DAcc [or is it DACC?], DAAA, and CGcc are used. You run a really good chance of realizing your fear going up [tighter] to GDgg with the strings on there now. you can check http://www.strothers.com/string_choice.htm for string sizes.

They are all the same 'A', the 4th fret on the bass [which is the same as 'D' below middle 'C' in DAdd].

It seems to me you're trying to put 10 pounds of apples and bananas in a 4 pound bag, trying to get gigs mixed with billing. I don't do  gigs or try to arrange them but I would think arranging them is something like interviewing/applying for any kind of job. I suggest you develop a 'job description' you can use whenever wanted. A short 'demo cd' may also be relevant. Mary is trying to describe what she is doing in a few words, you want to get a job which will require more.

A representative song title with an explanatory subtitle.

"Barley Bread And Elder Wine - Traditionally Styled English And Scottish Songs by Mary MacGow"

I suggest you not use terms like "British Isles" etc., unless you include songs from the others, Wales, for example.

I usually bend the end 3/16 back 180* before making the 90* bend which puts the cut end back in the hole. I also try to leave about 1/16  (bent end) extended past the post surface and put 1 wrap on the open end of the post and the balance of the wraps on th inside ( nearest the knob).

The ball is a tube, it can be crushed. Pinch it with pliers or vicegrips across the diameter and break it, the pieces are then fairly easy to remove. Don't pinch the string though, just grab a side, you may have to try several times. 

I'v found nylon picks [I use Herdums] don't make as much of a click as plastic ones.

Sue Carpenter has some in her "Joined In Harmony' book.

Here's how I string: Put the loop[ball] on its pin, pull the string snug to the tuner, clip the string 2-2 1/2 inches past the tuner [longer], bend the string 90* about 1/4" from the cut end. You can then insert the bent end into the hole , apply a little tension and turn the tuner to tighten, maintaining a little tension on the string as needed.

I agree with John with a follow-on point, it may cost as much to get needed tools and fret wire, if you don't have them, as it would cost to have it done. The notes gained depends on the tuning, they are increased a 1/2 step from the 1 fret (eg.: E>F; B>C).

Joe, once you find the pdf's click on the one you want to print. Whatever program you use to display pdf files should display it. The pdf reader should have the capability to print to your printer. I don't have a printer handy at the moment but I was able to get all the way in the process up to actually printing. You may have to open the song folder to get to the actual pdf file.

And DON'T carry your MD using the strap over the shoulder. A friend did, the strap came off the button, resulting in a major [12"] and several minor [1-2"] cracks in the top. It also happened to me and my wife but without any damage.

You will probably have to connect to a pc with usb and use the file explorer to locate the files. Try looking at root>sdcard>myfiles>music>pdf's [this is on my nook hd] or root>storage>sdcard0>android>data>[com]zubersoft.mobilesheets>files then the song. 

 I wear bib overalls so I'm forcing myself to hold off on suspenders right now since I'm still in the process of paying of the new Folkcraft resonator dulcimer I  needed for Christmas. No Sheitholt yet.

salt-springs; Sounds reasonable to me. I'm a bit farther on the timeline [about 15 years] so the accessories have increased some. They now include a 38 foot top of the line RV and 1T truck to pull it down to the lot in south Texas. This is needed to reduce the stress on the MD's caused by excessive low humidity caused by cold weather, much better than a wet sponge in my opinion. This adds about 150 k plus annual fees, taxes and travel costs. So far the journey has been well worth it! 

I also needed to get additional instruments; keyboard, bodhran [adds interest to the celtic diet], pennywhistles, a HD, a TMB, and an electric bass, so I could produce backup accompaniment for the cd I was going to make for my family and friends. 

I never made any rookie mistakes [tongue in cheek!], but I have had a bunch of educational opportunities caused by a 'hold my -------, I'm going to' attitude I get sometimes. Most worked out ok though, can't think of any I actually regret. Looks like that's what some of y'all did. As far as the extra picks, find a hard up guitar/mandolin/uke player. :)

There may be some appropriate suggestions here.

http://fotmd.com/forums/forum/my_posts/18882/i-have-had-a-stroke-and-need-help-with-my-right-hand

I've finally graduated to Planxty Eleanor Plunket, Steel Guitar Rag, Country Garden, and playing around with blues scales/riffs, or pieces of these.

That's not as easily answered as it appears. I've had many varied interests and most of them have turned into boring activities which I eventually dropped. I was never very interested in music until well after I retired when I was exposed to building MDs and HDs. That led me to discovering music was open ended as far as what could be accomplished and learned, from instrument construction/repair to music theory, playing, recording, equipment, etc. It was an epiphany. I'm a very private person with little desire to socialize [my wife's the opposite], but I have taught a MD class for beginners, participate in several dulcimer groups, have arranged a few pieces and in the last few years performed in public with my groups [and now doing a few solo's], none of which I would have done before becoming interested in music. Most everything considered, I think my primary goal is to stay mentally active, learning and trying new things, and have some social activities for us. As for the future, it's wide open, there's still a lot to try.

VSL = nut to bridge, which most folks would understand in the case of the Folk Craft. To me a scale is a specific, defined series of step/half step musical note progressions [think key/mode/chromatic, not song], not the length of a fret board. 

I think you s/b using C [chromatic] mode with that tuner. V is for violin, G, guitar and B, Bass.

I'v found a lot of MD tab/smn is written an octave higher than it is played. Many new folks miss the fact the melody string(s) tuning [DAdd] is D4, the D one whole step above middle C [C4].

I suspect  ellozz  has a rather long VSL, maybe 30" or more, and probably needs to use .009/.010 on the melody string. If this is true, smaller gauges on the other strings may be in order also.

DAA#d is another. It effectively gives you a chromatic capability This tuning can be retuned to DAAd, DGA#d, and DAA#c. Janita Baker, Mark Biggs and John Sackenheim are some folks using these tunings for fingerpicked arrangements. I have messed with DF#AA and DF#Ad, they allows bar chords, some 7ths and some minors.

I built my own banjimer. It's fine to play, and not a particular bother to others. If it does bother someone, just play softer. :)  You may end up not wanting to play it like a regular MD, there's something about them that leads you to expand your horizons. You don't have to get a 'custom' MD, most all makers have standard models you can choose from. 

As far as your current MD, a piece of credit card under the nut [1st] will probably help and let it be more or less playable. Ken gave the fix/trouble shooting on them. It being that old does not necessarily mean it's cheap or poorly made, especially if built by a recognized early builder.

DT: I removed the cup just like the instructions given. The only slight problem was moving the innards enough to get to the screw. I'm still working on finding a good way to mount it on my MD's.

I would add that the confusing part would be why the 1+ [1 1/2] is not 2 when the MD is purchased with it already installed. The same 'numerical order' problem exists with the 6+and 13+ as well as any other additional frets in 'dulcimer speak. :) You may want to consider some sort of handout and/or recommend a good beginners book explaining this when selling an MD with additional frets to new dulcimer players, especially those who [will] depend on TAB.

I have 4 of his books. He also has a lot of retuning and some 4 equidistant choices. 

I do some light work on MD's when I come south for the winter, mostly restringing and adding 1+ and 6+ frets. I think at least 1/2 -3/4 of our bunch here [at least 35 in the group] have the 1+ fret. All of my MDs have the 1+. I also build my own. It is probably the 'new 6+' of mods/fads. You probably should have the capability to easily add it.

The Roland Micro Cube and Orange Crush Micro are a bit smaller, size and power, and both have pretty good reviews. I've been considering them and the Danelectro Honeytone, a really inexpensive and small amp. I have a Crate 15 watt, but it is larger and, heavier, than your Mini.

I have similar tuners. Can you tell if the tuner is slipping in the wood or the shaft turning in the housing. Put a piece of masking tape on the body and a separate piece on the wood and a pencil reference mark on both, tighten and check the reference mark. If it's the body turning, the nut may be loose or the pin anchor protrusion on the body/wood interface may be damaged [which probably cannot be fixed]. Not sure what can be done if the shaft is slipping in the body or the adjusting screw or the gears inside are stripped except replace the tuner. The only other thing I can think of is to remove the button and see if there is a friction washer that is wear polished. 

Since a 7th chord actually consists of 4 notes both of them are abbreviated 7ths. We, as MD players, use short chords quite alot. With that in mind both can be considered dominant 7th inversions, D7/A7, as you say. An easy way to figure a 7th [dominant] is to add the note name 2 half [1 whole] steps before the root note of the basic chord triad; ie., D= DF#A; 7th = DF#AC. A major 7th is formed if the 4th note is the same note name a half step before the chord root. The player has to determine which combination of the 4 notes works the best for them in each case. 

From what I'e seen doing a search on 'dulcimer capo' $18-20 is about normal for a wood capo. I do suggest you don't get one of the plastic ones, I did for my first one and it broke fairly quickly. I would assume that most MD dealers/luthiers would have them available.

There should be no problem using bass strings as long as you accept the nut and bridge need bigger slots. the fretboard can be considered a big brace and, if the anchor points are in the tailblock, the body acts like a big, hollow, square tube which is also very strong. If the anchor points are on the fret board the system, fretboard/body, is somewhat weaker, but probably not enough to matter. I would suggest you check with a string calculator for the sizes to use for your [its] VSL. The ones you propose may not be good [apply too much tension]. I also suggest you not use a double melody as it will be pretty stiff to use. As an aside, I've installed bass strings on my regular dulcimer [home built] with no problem. Dan-goad has a valid point on the effect changing to a bass may have on potential value in the future, although you could replace the modified nut/bridge with new replacements if necessary.

This is probably heresy but I play a drum in our group. It allows the new/not as fast/proficient players to set the speed, helps all players to get used to playing, adjusting to a metronome, helps tremendously in learning those songs with out of the ordinary, difficult, timing and every one usually starts/finishes at the same time.

A bass or guitar could do the same thing.

My first is a McSpadden kit dulcimer which I still have although I don't play it much anymore, I have others I've built since.

I had retired and become involved in fly tying. I was at a show and my wife and I were invited to go to the area semi-final fiddle contest at Mt View. We had to drive by the Dulcimer Shoppe to get to the center where the contest was held. I remembered I had seen an article in one of the Foxfire books when I was in my 20's and thought it would be interesting to try building one. We went to the shop and I bought the kit and wad hooked. Getting that 1st one ignited a desire to learn more about music, in which I had no interest until then, and gave me my second major hobby.

I'm the complete opposite of Ken, I went chromatic [the big change], no singing, prefer to fingerpick/flatpick/chord [backup] and settling into DAd as my primary tuning. I use my bass and what I call my 'Arkansas bass' [a big TMB an octave lower than the bass] about as much as a standard MD. It seemed to me that everyone was playing the lead melody and few, if any, supported the melody.

I've have one of the wonder wheels carts. I used it for several years. I just figured out how to use it as a stand up playing station with a homemade music/tablet holder and it carries a small amp also. Ya gottaa be a bit on the taller side though [I'm ~ 5'11"]. :)

The box moves up automatically on my p900. on the nook hd+ I just drag the text box up to clear the keyboard.

And, in DAd, E/C#m at fret 1 [since the modes are not being considered] . Also I would suggest 2 MD's, one in CGc and one in DAd because of possible tuning time constraints.

What about a tear drop?