Forum Activity for @mandy

Mandy
@mandy
01/11/12 08:09:36PM
140 posts

What's up with the headless vids?????


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Haha in all seriousness, I do understand why people only show the hands I just wish I could see the heads.

I just feel more of a connection with people I guess when I can clearly see your smiling (not smiling, hats, funny ties, handlebar mustache's, funny faces, etc).

Me likes heads!

John Henry - I was not meaning you, really most people on here seem to do this. It was just something I had never really encountered before looking into playing dulcimer. I like seeing people who smile from the joy that playing brings them. Or maybe they laugh because they screw up a part (like me a TON).

So bring on the heads I say, pretty, pretty please.

Mandy
@mandy
01/11/12 12:26:36PM
140 posts

What's up with the headless vids?????


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Interesting points. I view videos as both entertainment and learning aids also, with a majority being viewed as entertainment for me. I've been in the banjo community for awhile and watched lots of those vids and 90% or more of them show the head. This is the first time really I'm encountering more of the "headless" vids. I was guessing that the purpose was to feature the hands. But if I could have everything the way I wanted I'd much prefer seeing heads. I like seeing people's smiles or lack of or just facial expressions and so forth. Plus if you are going to talk at all in your vids I would like to see your face.

Just wondering what others think about it. I guess I'll just have to get over it, but I was wondering what the deal was with it since I've not seen it with other instruments. I've seen piano vids too and they show the heads also usually.

Thanks for the replies.

Mandy
@mandy
01/11/12 09:49:20AM
140 posts

What's up with the headless vids?????


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Ok I just want to say that this is partially a joke but there really is some truth to it also from my standpoint.

Why do most people not show their heads in their vids? I really want to see your head people. It's part of the whole experience IMO. I like seeing the dulcimer and all, but I really like seeing your head too. So please let me see some heads.

That's one of the main reasons I like youtube, I get to see heads and hands and instruments most times. Though it may be a challenge to get your camera to pan out that far or whatever I hope you'll try to show me your head in the future.

Hope I'm not being to demanding, but I just want some heads


updated by @mandy: 03/04/19 03:42:58PM
Mandy
@mandy
01/11/12 09:38:13AM
140 posts



First, this is a great topic!

I have really mixed feelings about this subject. I started out playing a banjo several years back with absolutely NO CLUE how to make music. Learning in the online environment only I relied solely on tab to learn tunes. I knew maybe one or two old-time banjo tunes and that's it. Everything else I had never even heard before basically. So tab's helped me learn. I became a whiz at reading tab and could get a brand new tune memorized in no time flat. So I learned to completely copy and basically "puke-up" tab. This helped me to actually hit strings and make notes come out in some semblance of order. So in that way it helped me. I have nothing against tab and still use it as a helpful tool in learning tunes, but I do not rely on it at all.

So on the other hand I think me relying solely on tab also hindered my progress. After about 2 years of just TAB-puking (LOL), I started to see people online (youtube and elsewhere) who were taking a different approach. Right at about the same time I really started wanting to try and sing while playing. So these people were playing the chords to the song while singing (using very few of the actual melody notes of the song) and then they'd take breaks where they'd play the melody notes. I found this arrangement really pleasing and knew that this was the way for me to go if I wanted to sing along with playing. So I put tab to the side and would think of a song I wanted to do and I'd look up the guitar chords for that song. Then I'd start a basic bum-ditty (on banjo) using those chords and sing along. I'd also pick out (by ear) a simple break (solo, whatever it's called) of the melody notes of the song. Adding all that in together and transitioning from playing bum-ditty to just the melody notes and singing is all very challenging and TOTALLY FUN to me. So now I feel like in the past 6 months or so my musical journey has really advanced light years ahead of where I would be if I was still relying on tab.

So if I had it all to do over again I think I would start without tab at all basically. I can't hardly believe I'm saying that but in my personal experience I feel that the tab held me back and that I would have a better understanding of music theory if I would have started using that second approach I mentioned.

The wonderful thing IMO is that it is YOUR OWN JOURNEY. You get to choose how to go about it all. You can rely on tab just a bit, a bunch, or not at all. You can take many different approaches and all of them are correct IMO. The problem I would see is if someone after a couple years of playing did not want to advance beyond tab. I understand SOOOOO much more now that I can relatively easily pick out tunes once I hear them enough to know them. The freedom playing by ear gives is unimaginable IMO. I really wish I would have started that way, BUT and here's a big BUTT (LOL).

If I would have started without tab I may have gotten quickly discouraged and QUIT playing. So I really do feel like tab has a place, I just personally hope that people try later on to get beyond tab. The music world has just exploded for me once I started stepping out beyond tab and I would want that to happen for everyone.

Now I'm sure that there will be folks who think I'm wrong (and it would not be the first or last time on that) but my main point is that it's your own personal journey and NO ONE should have that much power over you to influence you and how you want to learn something. I spent several years on another site that shall remain nameless being stifled and told that most of what I was doing was wrong. Well BLAH is what I say to all that, there are no rules IMO. I was told I would hurt myself because of bad form playing banjo and that just makes me chuckle right now. That was just one of many things I was told.

Some great ideas have already been expressed here and it really is interesting to learn how other folks have gotten to where they are today. Like many wise folks have said in the past - there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Mandy
@mandy
04/24/12 08:36:42AM
140 posts

Show us your sound holes!


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Cool, thanks!

Barbara P said:

Mandy, take a look at this paper written on the Huntington dulcimer. The inverted hearts have a meaning (or more than one meaning). Here's the link:

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/huntington-dulcimer-r...

Mandy
@mandy
04/23/12 09:23:34AM
140 posts

Show us your sound holes!


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hmm ok thanks Strumelia. Guess it's just me, I also wonder about why lots of banjo's have stars on them. They sure are nice no matter what the holes are. LOL

Mandy
@mandy
04/20/12 07:50:55PM
140 posts

Show us your sound holes!


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Great thread here! Can someone tell my why traditional dulcimers seem to all have the heart sound holes? Mine does and most I've seen do as well. Someone enlighten me please. Thanks in advance.

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