Send them in my direction, I'd rather have brussel sprouts, which I love than wine which I can't drink. My hubby does the grocery shopping a lot and will come home with bags of sprouts, so proud that he was able to find them. hehehheeee Stephanie Stuckwisch said:

Brussels sprouts?! That guest isn't getting through the door. Mary Z. Cox said:

Well--this is not dulcimer related, but I just read a piece of real stinkaroo advice in today's local paper.It was a short article telling folks that instead of bringing flowers or wine to dinner as a guest--we should consider bringing a stalk of brussels sprouts instead of flowers. Evidently they are in season and can be put in a vase--then taken out and eaten the next day for dinner. (yuk!)Sure hope no one I know decides to take that advice--I'd mush rather have flowers and wine. :)

As a singing teacher myself, I consider giving children false ideas about their singing voice to be a form of "abuse." Strong word, maybe, but that's how I feel. BTW, I know Brett Manning. I, myself, have studied with his teacher, Seth Riggs for well over a decade. Foggers said:

I have only just realised in this year that the worst piece of musical misinformation EVER given to me in my teens was from the school music teacher. When I auditioned to join the school choir she told me I had a low pitched voice and that I should always since alto parts. (It was an all girls school and the choir usually sang 3 part arrangements for soprano, mezzo soprano and alto). She also told girls who appeared to naturally have a wide vocal range that they would damage their voices if they continued to do so and that they should choose the range they sang best and stick to that.So I always considered myself to have a lower vocal range and never ventured further up the scales. Then when my OH started to have singing lessons a couple of years ago, we also bought a voice training package on line (Brett Manning - a bit cheesy but good sound exercises and info). Doing the exercises made me realise that I do have a clear upper register too. I will never sing with a crystal clear soprano, but now have a 3 octave range and can cover a much more versatile collection of styles too, whilst still sounding like ME rather than some "X Factor wannabe". I think that is a result!I have several friends who were told as children that they "could not sing" and it has taken years to take the risk and overcome that big psychological hurdle to sing in public. My OH is one of them. Now when we sing in public he is overwhelmed by the warmth of response he receives (and flattered to be told he does Johnny Cash numbers really well because of his fine baritone voice!)So if you think you can't sing, think again about where you got that message.

Ayup! That would count as Stinkerooo advice in my book!"I was advised to put geared tuners on my Edd Presnell dulcimer."

Not sure if this counts, but I was advised to put geared tuners on my Edd Presnell dulcimer.And before anyone asks, I didn't do it.

Lois Hornbostel said:

Nowadays, it's "in" for old-time musicians to play very dronally, as Bruce Greene does - and it sounds good. Guitarists play their chord progressions along with his dronal style and have learned not to complain. One of the reasons he and Don sound so nice together (and authentic) on old-time music is they are dronal.

Oh my gosh Lois, can you imagine some guitar player complaining to Bruce about his playing? I can just picture it!... LOL!! =8-0


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

I'm so not bound to the DAA/DAd thing. I play in C which is better for my voice. If I want to play something like Old Joe Clark, I tune my C up one note to a D. DGG with any lower note played on the bass string. I also tune Aeolian and DorianAs for the speed bump of a 6+ fret, they don't bother me as I finger dance. Since I hop around on the melody line no fret ever gets in the way.But I really found it annoying to be told when I did play with a group that a person couldn't possibly play DAA Ionian with DAd Ionian. Never could convince one member that we were actually playing the same major pattern, WW 1/2 WWW 1/2 for certain songs. She'd just keep coming back to Old Joe Clark and I kept agreeing with her that yes I had to tune DAd for that one. Arrrggghhhhh And to err is human, to arrgghhhh is pirate. ;-) Roger L. Huffmaster said:

If mine didn't have a 6+ I would not have one, it's just a speed bump for me. Re: the bike shop, steel works just fine, always has, always will, so long as it isn't gaspipe. I just hope the three or four steel mills in the entire world that make bicycle-grade steel tubing continue to do so. Andy Huffman said:

Guy, you're right, they're wonderful but, I agree with you. My thumb is an integral part of my playing... perhaps it's because of playing keyboards... but, my thumb is my problem digit with callouses and blisters, and a nail that grows very weird now.

Well, so many of the techniques that work so well for many players don't work for me. David Schnauffer and Steven Seifert are legendary players obviously, but their no-thumb technique just doesn't work for me. I'm sure that if I kept at it I could eventually make it work, but my thumb just naturally wants to play, so I just gave up trying to play like Schnauffer and Seifert.

Barbara... Moms can be so insensitive, sometimes... I know, I am one. My daughters sometimes shock me with some of the remarks I've come up with. These are usually meant to be supportive but, get lost in the mother/daughter translation. I apologize for your Mom... she didn't mean anything ugly. barbara kelly said:

Someone should say to your mother- "If you keep listening you'll hear better." ;D


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Suzanne... this again gets around to the "right" way of playing dulcimer... seems there is no "right" way! Just find what works for you and enjoy!

OK, guess I'll jump in here too...How's about strumming? Many folks think that "bum-diddy" is the only way. UGH! With Don Pedi's DVD Workshop, I learned that almost anything goes, as long as you hold the beat/rhythm. He recommends (along with other things) to strum with the words. Sometimes tunes change length of words and syllables in each verse and playing (even without those words) with those inflections makes a really nice diversion in the overall sound.

<<I've been getting used to just nodding and smiling when confronted with much "helpful advice" from others. When I went to get the strings I'm using now I was told at the music store that four .010 banjo strings wouldn't work on a dulcimer. Nod and smile.'>>Me too. Same things happens at the bicycle store when they tell me 'nobody rides steel bikes anymore...nobody uses 9 speed anymore...nobody uses bar-end shifters anymore."....nod and smile, nod and smile... LOL


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

I agree also, use different tuning to get the sound you want... after all as I tell my students and anyone that asks... that's why they call'em tuners, not fine tuners.. to many people use them to just fine tune to DAd or DAA...

Roger;You DON'T HAVE to play in DAd to play with others! In DAA you play the same NOTES, just not on the same FRETS as a DAd. So a DAd player trying to follow you - or you trying to follow a DAd player won't work, that's all. Just ADD 3 to the DAd melody line tab numbers - 5 becomes eight, 6 1/2 becomes 9 (the exception) and 7 becomes 10, etc.

"That stick (noter) is no good for real dulcimer playing"."You can't play with us, because you can't play our music in DAA."

Ok, a fun thread now-Did you ever get a piece of dulcimer playing or music playing advice that totally STUNK, didn't work for you and actually messed you up in some way? (no naming names though please, this is all in fun!) =8-o ;D

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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 01/05/19 04:36:36AM