Forum Activity for @robert-schuler

Mountain Dulcimer Cd's you like to listen too.

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Great idea. I keep a skinny smart phone in my shirt pocket loaded with old fiddle tunes. I let them play when I'm working... Bob

a question about Strings

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My dulcimers are 26" And .012 .014 and .022 are just right but I missed your mentioning a 28" scale. In that case .010 .012 and .022 are better IF your tuning DA dd. If your tuning Daa then the heavier set will be better... Take Linda's advise... Bob.

a question about Strings

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Those are common size guitar strings, they should have had them. Ask for guitar string's, if you ask for dulcimer they probably don't know what your talking about. I always use D'Adario j64. They are .012 .014 .022. They are loop end... Bob.

I build hourglass dulcimers for sale because that's what most folks like. But my personal playing dulcimers are mostly teardrop. Teardrop's have a distinctly different sound, a more focused bolder sound. That is why you see them more in baritone and bass instruments. The problem with most of the teardrop's on the market are made too skinny and unsubstantial. I found that building them with a wider bout they sit quite well on my lap. I also like the elliptical shaped Galex design. I built a very wide body model that plays best on a table top. Never played a box dulcimer, something to look forward to... All dulcimers are fun to play no matter what shape your dulcimer's in... Bob

I have a dulcimer for each of the tunings I play in. It's easier to pick up a dulcimer on a wim, rather than having to retune, which is a drag. On banjo I change tunings constantly from one song to the next. It's a mental challenge to "think" in a different tuning each time. But its fun just the same. ... Bob.

ginger or 26 vsl

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Monica, A 25-26" scale dulcimer is ideal for tuning Dadd. A 28-29" scale is great for Daa... 28-30" is best for a baritone. Learn to stretch your fingers, over time you will find it easy to play a longer scale..., Bob.

playing 3 strings versus 4 ,for finger picking

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Dulcimers were always three stringed. Some designs had weak sounding melody and a double string was added. That became the norm. I always play with one melody. You can remove either one and see how it feels. You can always move the single melody into the open slot on the nut, whatever works... Bob.

Dulcimer use in folk/rock bands

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Another band from around 1968 was.... A cid Symphony.. You can find there one and only album on you tube... Bob.

Dulcimer use in folk/rock bands

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I saw my first dulcimer in Steeleye Span, although I heard Brian Jones before them, I didn't make the dulcimer connection. I played in many a late 60s early 70s bands. I brought a dulcimer to a jam in 73 and nobody cared to listen to it. Back then it was all about power and feedback, I have the damaged hearing to remind me of those days. Today I have a great appreciation for ITM. No question about it, there is room for a dulcimer in a session. You just need folk's bringing dulcimers along... Bob

Which bridge compensation for A ginger

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Generally if the action is fast and frets set accurately you need no special compensation. Sometimes in DAdd, the A, will got out of tune a little when playing in the second octave. A proper dulcimer should be able to play in any tuning without changing the bridge.. Good luck on your new adventure... Bob.

I learned this song today. Like a lullaby. Plays in dgd and ddd. Thanks Chuck...

Chuck, I haven't played that song but I've never had a problem playing whistle songs on dulcimer. Often I learn a new song first on whistle then go to dulcimer. Try tuning DDd... Bob.

help me name that fiddle tune -- please!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

You nailed it Rob....

help me name that fiddle tune -- please!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Go to the tin whistle site Chiff&Fipple. Then go to clips and snips and you can hear tons of hornpipes... Bob.

help me name that fiddle tune -- please!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Definitely a hornpipe...possibly the boys from ballycastle... Bob.

If the builder used off the shelf fiddle pegs, then you could exchange them with Wittner fine tune violin pegs. They are geared pegs that fit in the same holes as fiddle pegs. No further work required. I have installed Peghed brand tuners and they work perfectly but require a skilled person to install properly... Either peg option will cost you near $100. Worm gear tuners are what 99% of dulcimers come with and are the lowest cost option. You will need to modify the peg holes to install them. No matter what you do nothing will look as nice as what you have now... Bob.

I have a dulcimer with wood pegs that are very hard to tune to dAD. But it tunes easily to cGC and cgD. So you might want to tune it lower as I did. Peg dope is great stuff. I make my own with bar soap mixed with blackboard chalk... Bob.

Pamela I'm only referring to dAD tuning. The high d string. If your tuning d aa its not an issue... Bob.

If your tuning to ddAD use .010 .010 .014 .020. Main thing is use light gauge since the tension at 28" often breaks heavier strings... Bob.

One and One Half Fret

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Although I built four dulcimers with 1.5 fret years ago to fill a need. Today I never play them and I dont miss the fret. Whenever Im playing a lightning fast fiddle tune that fits into the traditional diatonic scale, I use my traditional diatonic model without any + frets and don't worry about fumbling on the + frets... Bob.

One and One Half Fret

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I built four dulcimers with 1.5 fret. In DAD it gives you added range for many Appalachian minor key tunes. I call it the mountain minor fret. Think, kitchen girl, cold frosty morning, yew piney mountain...Bob

I have a small teardrop model with a walnut fingerboard. It's my everyday messin around dulcimer. I've been playing it with a very agressive picking style now for three years. I held it up to the light and there was not a single scratch. Thanks to my home made soft floppy plastic picks... Bob

Try making picks from plastic food containers. Or soft plastic coffee can lids. These make the best picks and barely scratch the fingerboard... Bob.

I downloaded a freebee called pitch pipe on my smart phone. It will play all 12 notes like a real pitch pipe. I find it remarkably accurate. I tune all my toys with it. There are tons of tuning apps to choose from... BTW a plain old pitch pipe or harmonica is good too... Bob.

updated by @robert-schuler: 02/17/16 04:09:35AM

Before and After

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I agree Pamela. I grew up in a time before computers when every girl and boy was expected to have a hobby and work with your hands. I would be less than half the person today without those hand skills I learned in childhood. I fear its a lesson lost today on our children... Bob.

Before and After

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Every year I make my annual trek to the saw mill to get a load of poplar. 90% gets cut up for making grave blankets. I select the nicer boards for dulcimers and bluebird boxes. Building dulcimers is no big deal once you get the knack. But its still amazing to me that a pile of rough lumber can be turned into a musical instrument. In our world today we place value on so much that is fake. Working with wood and playing wooden instruments helps keep it real... Bob.

updated by @robert-schuler: 07/31/23 11:45:57PM

Welcome Mark, Im certain you will find as I have that mountain dulcimer players are the nicest bunch of musical folks you'll ever meet... Bob.

Frame Drums

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Looks like the head of one of those giant single string African banjos... Bob.

Noter works in all the common tunings. I prefer DAd most of the time... Bob.
updated by @robert-schuler: 02/16/16 11:29:58AM

Search Appalachian music. The bounty is endless... Bob.

I learn by ear. Its easier if the song has words. Helpful from the start to know if its major or minor modal. I get the tune in my mind and with a dulcimer or tin whistle, I chase notes randomly until I link a note to a word or note in the song. After that the rest of the song or tune falls into place... Bob

I make my picks slightly larger than my sound holes, and I make my sound holes slightly smaller than my picks. Problem solved... Bob

Loop vs. ball end strings

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

Whenever I change strings I save the ball ends. I always find uses for them. Keep some and use them as bushings when using loopend strings... Bob.

Loop vs. ball end strings

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

I never had a ballend string break at the ball. Loop end strings need a larger pin to support them. I use 1/8" brass as loop string anchors which has the same support as a ball. You should be able to tune to any of the common pitches without string breakage. Check for string pinching and binding... Bob

Tuners with bushings leave a 3/8" hole more or less... You might have to fill the holes with wood plugs and redrill and taper new holes. If holes are not to large you might get by with thick shaft viola pegs that are used in restoration work... Bob

When all strings have the same number

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

You might try light gauge strings they are easier to barr... Bob

Installing Question~Perfection Planetary Violin Pegs Set For Violin, 4/4

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Before I bought a reamer I filed a screwdriver blade to match the taper. If you only want to make one dulcimer it should work, especially since pegheds are primarily held by glue not friction. The tricky part is getting the hole sized to allow the treaded portion to self tap itself. Another is making sure you check for tread direction. Two will be left handed, two will be right handed. As tuners go they are worth every penny and have that oldtimey look... Bob

Installing Question~Perfection Planetary Violin Pegs Set For Violin, 4/4

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I have installed them in banjos. They are really nice. I haven't installed the fiddle type. Which style are you using ?. You will need a tapered reamer just like you would use with wood pegs. Check out Pohaku ukelele company, their tech page has a great tutorial on installing peghed tuners.... Bob

A lesson I learned from building fretless banjos that applies to dulcimers. A hard, dense fingerboard makes a cleaner brighter sound. Ebony is the best, rosewood is great. Kile Creed used Formica tabletop material on his fretless banjos which are in big demand today. Anyway something to ponder if you go the fretless route... Bob

It doesn't matter. Nobody will judge you by where you look. It's how you play the music. Dulcimers are beautiful to look at. When I play, people don't look at my sorry old face, they look at my beautiful dulcimer... Bob