Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Paula, Garry just celebrated his 77th birthday on January 29th. I don't if he is still building. Have you tried contacting him through his website? www.dulcimercentral.com ?

Rick Probst died in 2024 I'm sad to say.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I agree with John. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Garage Band is an app that comes with Apple computers, iPads, and iPhones. As far as I know Clean AMP is a way to process your recording in the app. I use Garage Band to record (using a microphone) but haven't used any of the amp modeling for processing the signal. There are so many different settings in Garage Band it is often difficult to decide how to proceed. I took a course in Garage Band many years ago offered by our Guitar Center. That was a 130 mile round trip for six weeks. Luckily a friend and I shared the driving and cost of gas. The course was free. Garage Band has gone through so many changes since then that I hardly recognize it anymore.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The single string monochord with which I am most familiar is the psalmodikon. It is a Swedish instrument. Here is a website: http://www.psalmodikon.org/nap_items/index.htm . Here is the Wikipedia site on Diddley bow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diddley_bow#:~:text=The%20diddley%20bow%20is%20a,single%20string%20of%20baling%20wire . Probably more than you want to know about either instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It appears that the instrument in the photo with the woman is resting on a stool. She appears to be holding a pick of some sort in her right hand. I think it would fall in to the humle or langleik family of zithers.

Wally, I agree with you regarding the distinction between fret board and fingerboard.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

If you look at some of the old dulcimers by J.E. Thomas and Charles N. Prichard you will see that they only had frets under the first string.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I think the fret board is the most important part of a mountain dulcimer. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I never met Ron, but I do know that he was a tremendous asset to the dulcimer community. He will be sorely missed as a builder, player, and innovator. RIP, Ron.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks, Dusty. That link allows you to download the article which I have had for quite some time. It is easier than having people send me a PM to receive it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I searched for the article here but didn't find. I'm probably not entering the right search criteria to narrow it down. I have a pdf of the article that Wally talks about if any one is interested. PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you. The file is too large to post here. Maybe that's why I didn't find it. Something to note about Seeger's article is that in photos from the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA, he identifies them as Pennsylvania zitters.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I just received word that the article is posted to this website. https://dulcimerhistory.com/2026/01/24/lets-bury-the-term-scheitholt/ Check it out there if you like.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You're welcome, Strumelia and thank you for the compliment.

Here is the article that was to appear in Dulcimer Players News. Originally it was scheduled for November, 2025 but postponed until February, 2026. I heard that the "Traditons" themed issue in which it was to appear is now postponed until May, 2026. I have also included a bibliography for the article.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Scheitholtnomorev5.b.pdf - 252KB

I created a thread about this in the Groups area, but I have the feeling that not too many people explore the Groups section. So I am recreating it here in hopes that more folks will see it.

In 1619 Michael Praetorius published the second volume of Syntagma Musicum . In it tried to list all of the instruments known in his world. He described the instruments and included illustrations of some of them. One plate included an illustration of an instrument he called a scheitholt. I remarked to my daughter and her husband that I have never seen a scheitholt. I looked all over the internet for one and found many instruments called scheitholts, but none fit the description provided by Praetorius. They challenged me to make one. After a couple of months of research I was able to put together specifications to build one. A helpful site at a German museum gave numbers for length, width, height, VSL, and number of frets. I contributed a little imagination in creating the sound hole rosette and the peg head. Here is a photo of the recently created scheitholt. I, along with some assistance from Ken Hulme, wrote an article on why we should not apply the term "scheitholt" to all those PA German zitters or hummels that are misnamed here in the USA. 

 IMG_0891.jpeg - 93KB

The "ei" in scheitholt is pronounced as an "i" like in sight. The "ie" in German is pronounced as an "e" as in see. In Chcknj's post below "schiet" would be pronounced sheet.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I put "scheit" into three translation websites, Google Translate, Reverso, and DeepL. Google comes up with "fails" or "failure" and under noun it says "Log" and "piece of wood." Reverso and DeepL translate it as "log." I'm sorry but I just have not been able to find evidence to support the translating it to mean "sh*t." In two years of high school and two years of college German, I never encountered the word "scheit," but I was familiar with the word "scheiße."

BTW, the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club will contain the article in their summer newsletter.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The Story of the Hummel book by Wilfried Ulrich is available again in United States. Check out this website: https://dulcimerhistory.com/book/

Ken Longfield

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Wally, thanks for your comments. I found no evidence of shops making musical instruments in Pennsylvania making zitters. There were some violin makers and of course by 1839 C.F. Martin was making guitars in Nazareth, PA. Of course, the absence of evidence doesn't mean it didn't happen, only that there was evidence that it did. Henry Mercer mentions one builder, but he made bowed zitters.

As to the linguistic issue, scheiße is the German word for sh*t. Scheit in the 16th century was log or piece of wood. I think that is still the translation today according to my German friends.

You are in good company in thinking scheitholt "has been established in dulcimer history too long to just kill off." That was Ralph Lee Smith's attitude as well. I argued with him that we should be precise and correct in identifying these instruments that are not scheitholts as what they were called "back in the day," namely zitters.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A comment I received via email suggested a better way of saying:  In German, scheit means log or piece of wood, while holt or holz means wood. I like the suggestion below and have replaced this sentence in the original with the two sentences below.

In German, scheit means log or piece of wood, while adding holt or holz means firewood. This is a way of something is garbage; i.e., something to be burned.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Here is a bibliography for the article.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song." 

Bibliography - Scheitholt No More.pdf - 60KB

I learned today that theme of February, 2026 issue of Dulcimer Players News will not be "tradition." I submitted an article in 2024 and was asked if it could be held until the December, 2025 issue originally scheduled to have the "tradition" theme. I agreed. It was postponed from November, 2025 until February, 2026 and now postponed again. I decided to wait no more and share this pdf of the article. I hope you enjoy it and it causes you think about the mountain dulcimers ancestors.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Scheitholtnomorev5.b.pdf - 252KB

Oh my, Strumelia, that poor guitar!

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sometimes it is best to start with what type of music do you want to play? You mentioned that you played noter style. It is easier to play in a 1 5 5 tuning (DAA, CGG, etc.) because for most tunes you will only play on the first (melody) string. In that tuning a 6.5 fret is nice to have, but not necessary. If you plan to play in chord/melody style you really should have that 6.5 and its octave 13.5. If you choose to play more modern songs or choose to play in a cross fret board style you might add the 1.5 and 8.5 frets. In general most folks play in DAd in those styles. Another question to ask yourself is do you want 3 or 4 strings. Four strings seems to be the most popular with the ability to turn it into three strings by removing one and you can have the nut notched to play four equidistant strings which opens up other possibilities. I hope I'm not confusing you with too much information.

Your profile lists you as being in Stillwater. You might call or drive down to Redwing and visit Stoney End Music. They usually have some mountain dulcimers in stock. Stoney End is associated with Hobgoblin Music in Great Britain so they also have instruments associated with British folk music.

In addition to the makers you mentioned I would encourage you to look at Folkcraft as well.

Ebony fretboards are nice, but add to the cost of the instrument. The first dulcimer I made in 1974 has a walnut fretboard and has held up very well. For myself I would not bother with an ebony fretboard on my dulcimer. Some folks feel that ebony helps your fingers slide better. It's really a matter of personal preference and how much you want to spend as fretboard overlays add to the expense of the instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It certainly would be nice to be able to download a copy of Chet Hines recording. There seems to be several of us interested in hearing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our mountain dulcimer friends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You are welcome, Sandi. Let me know how it works out. If you need any help along the way I can give you my phone # or we could Zoom.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sandi, yes you can fix it yourself. You will need to replace the nut (correct name, it is not a bridge). You will need a piece of hardwood the same length, height, and thickness as the broken nut. You will then need to cut slots in the nut for the string. If I were closer, I'd do it for you. You could remove the old nut and send it to me and I could make a new one and send it back to you. It might take a couple of weeks to work it out sending between VA and PA. If you tackle it yourself, first take the old nut off of the instrument. Hold on to it as it will serve as guide for where you should cut the slots for the strings. You will need a way to cut a piece of hardwood to the size of the old nut. You might be able to take it in to a guitar store and see if they have a nut blank of the same dimensions. If the old nut is glued in you may need to knock it out. A sharp rap with a hammer may dislodge it. If that doesn't do it, try a little heat directed on the nut with a hair dryer. That may help soften the glue. Once it is out you will need to clean the slot of any glue residue using a file, chisel, or sandpaper. The next step is fitting the new nut. Then hold the nut up to the new one and mark the spaces for the string slots. Use a narrow blade saw or v shaped needle file to make the slots. Don't cut too deep or the strings will buzz from touching the frets. Put the nut back in the slot and restring the dulcimer. I don't know how clear these instructions will be to you. It is easier for me to tell it someone than it is to write it out. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you are able to get the dulcimer into playing shape.

Oh, and I forgot to say that I think it is worth giving to someone to start learning to play mountain dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Steve, thanks for the clarification. I wondered because I remembered re-subscribing recently due to the loss of your database. I appreciate all the work you do to create the tabs and share them. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Steve, I'm already a subscriber. Are you saying I should subscribe again?

Thanks,

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I think you found a very nice way to display them. They really fit well together on the walls. Good job. I wish I had the wall space to do something like that. Thanks for sharing the photo of your collection.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here at FOTMD. And thank you, Strumelia, for linking to The Welcome Table. Gotta go and start peeling potatoes.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Another cause of buzzing is the fit of the strings in the slots in the nut and the bridge if it has slots. Too tight and the strings bind. Too loose and the strings buzz. Also make sure you are using the correct strings for the VSL and tunings your are using. Thanks for the photos of the dulcimer. You really did a great job on the eagle.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A rule of thumb for good string height is to place a dime next to the first fret on the second fret side and have the string just touch the top of the dime. Then place a nickel on the top of the seventh fret and the string should touch that. If you get buzzing after that then you need to level and dress your frets. Now this is good for general playing and finger picking. If you are playing noter style you can increase the height of the strings a little bit. Oh, and you will be adjusting the height of the slots in the nut and bridge if it has slots otherwise you adjusting the height of the bridge.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I am saddened by your loss. Pets, especially dogs, are wonderful friends and family. They endear themselves to us right from the start. Please know that I share your grief.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Nate, you're welcome. I like having a visual reference.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Here is a photo of fret placements for different intonations on a mountain dulcimer fretboard. It is from Bobby Ratliff over at TTMD.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

 TuahWCv.jpg - 53KB

Yes. Happy Halloween

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The disadvantage of a floating bridge is that it is easily moved as John pointed out. I've known folks to lose them when changing strings because they took all the strings off rather than doing it one at a time. Also changing strings may move the bridge a little and throw everything off which requires a little time and effort to correct. I've built dulcimers; some with fixed as some with floating bridges. As I builder I prefer the fixed bridge.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song." 

John has provided all the information you need. I purchased a similar one recently except it was the model D50S, a grade up, for $100. In an auction, like eBay, you may get more. While your dulcimer has a 6 1/2 fret, it doesn't have the octave 13 1/2 fret. It would not be that attractive to modern players who want more frets (1 1/2, 8 1/2, etc.). Whoever buys it will get a nice dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm glad to hear that you contacted Warren and the he is helping you. There is nothing like going directly to the builder for help.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."