@derik-palmer Welcome to FOTMD!  Many of us here well past sell-by date and more than a few have experience with other instruments.  

Hello - I'm new!

Well to be more specific, the flesh is definitely past its sell-by date but although I play guitar, double bass, keyboards, autoharps and mandolin I'm very new to the dulcimer. I bought one this week and I'm still not entirely sure how it happened; it wasn't really by accident, probably because the lockdown here in the UK has got me looking for something new to do, and also because all my life (I'm 73) I have suffered from Oscar Wilde Syndrome - I can resist anything except temptation...

Anyway, I now have a very nice luthier-built dulcimer and straight away I've encountered a puzzle. Since there's a specific forum for discussing particular instruments I'll post the problem and some photos there. If you feel like heading over, taking a look and giving me the benefit of the hive mind I'd be awfully grateful...

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, you really make me feel like home.

Probably my questions will start soon.

Have a nice day!!

Hello, Andi, and welcome!  I know how it feels to be the only dulcimer player you know. 

If you're able to attend virtual groups or classes, that might help you with learning.  I've found virtual festivals to be a great help to me recently.  This weekend I've been taking classes at a festival based in Albany, New York, and there are people attending from Germany and Britain. 

But in any case, there are people here who will be happy to encourage you in any way we can. 

Hi Andi,

Welcome to the forum.  There are many friends here that will gladly help you along in your journey.  

“The dulcimer is an unknown instrument in Spain.”

That might be true, but in most places in the US The dulcimer is mostly unknown, too.  I live in the deep southern part of the state of Georgia.  If I had not learned to play this instrument & shared it with many people, it would still be unknown in these parts.  

So, Andi.  Challenge yourself to learn this wonderful instrument, and introduce it to the citizens of your great country, Spain.  Who knows, in 30 years they may build a statue of you, in your capital city, holding a mountain dulcimer.

Andi, your English is very good, and you write it well.  Welcome to our dulcimer site!  

We have something for everybody here, whether you like to play the dulcimer, want to learn to play it, or need help with dulcimer identification or wood identification.  There are modern dulcimer players here as well as noter/drone players.  And a few luthiers, as well!  I build more than I play, but I do both.  Have fun!

Welcome Andi. You are doing much better with English than I could do with Spanish. Go ahead and ask questions. We will try to help you along on your dulcimer journey.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hi!!

My name is Andi and I'm a beginner player of mountain dulcimer from Spain.

First of all excuse my bad english or my faults, english is not my first language. I think I'm doing ok according the fotmd forum rules (please forgive me and help me if not).

I have a lot of questions, because in Spain dulcimer are an absolute unknown instrument (since I bought mine I spend more time explaining what is than playing), and I don't know anyone who play it and can help me. Mine is an european made dulcimer, don't sound as well like american crafted dulcimers but I think that is a good way to learn.

Also, i never played before an string instrument (well, i played piano when I was child -so I can read the sheets- and now I try to play the lyre, but obviously are not the same).

Thanks for this forum, I've read lot of topics and it's a beautiful community, and I'm sure I would be proud of being a part of it.

Greetings from a spanish (wannabe) player :) 

Welcome to FOTMD, @deweylandrum! 

Hi. My name is Dewey.  I found this site doing some research on a dulcimer my dad gave me.  He's in his late 80s and doesn't hear well anymore, so he gave it up.

Awwww, we'd only get into a fight about Synods or closed versus open communion. This way we infiltrate all the groups.

Hmmm.  At the risk of becoming sectarian, maybe we need a group of " 'Luterans' Beyond the Lute" 

Hi Ken, good to meet you, Brother. Thanks, I will.

Welcome to FOTMD, Kevin, from another Lutheran pastor who has been retired since 2010. I built my first dulcimer, an hourglass, from scratch back in 1974. Let us know if we can help you along on your dulcimer journey.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hello, @winks!  How exciting to have a Blue Lion on the way! 

Welcome Wink!

Thanks for the welcome. I'm Kevin. Lutheran pastor for the past 45 years (I'm 70) and still fulltime pastor of a church. Been playing around with the dulcimer since I was 18 - built one from Hines' book. Decided that it is finally time to get serious about learning to really play.  Have a McSpadden teardrop, a Yocky that he built for me in '04 using wood I found in an old barn (chestnut) and a Blue Lion coming this next week. The Yocky is a wonderful instrument, too bad Tom quit building dulcimers. Looking forward to being a member here.

Thanks.  I actually fashioned one using some brown paracord I had hanging around.  It connects at the head with a bow knot  that stays there, and attaches at the tail using a Marlin hitch knot, which is adjustable.

@nateprentice, I liked listening to your Soundcloud link!  Welcome to FOTMD!

Welcome Nate!   As Dusty says there are ways to keep the dulcimer more stationary.  Another option besides a strap is a stand or lap-height table like a TV tray that supports the dulcimer so that you do not have to.

Welcome to FOTMD, @nateprentice.  You might try using a strap on your dulcimer. If you keep the strap tight enough, you have a lot more control over the positioning of the instrument on your lap and don't rely on your lap as much.

Hi all!  I’m Nate Prentice from the Philly suburbs.

I’ve been playing Dulcimer for about 2-3 months so far.  I play multiple instruments, but am no expert.  For now I’m learning the keyboard and trying to get the hang of the angle of my hand on the lower frets when playing chords.  I have a short lap, so it is work.  I’m trying to create a small Xmas album as a gift to friends.  Here’s a sample:

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/hgoZWw8ZWLrvNSSd8

Nice to meet you all. 

Nate

Oh I can see that! Love it!

I'm going to need to see a photo of that cardboard dulcimer, I think. And the shell pink Strat! 

Oh, the zoo is overflowing. I recently added up all the instruments I have and it's embarrassing. Time to prune. Thank you for the welcome!

See how infectious the folk instrument world can be?!?

Hi Shelley!  

I did things in the opposite direction.  Made a cardboard dulcimer as an art project a couple of years ago, fell in love with playing it.  Then I "had" to build a black walnut one from a kit (a little over a year ago).  Then I got tempted by a Fender acoustic guitar bundle on Amazon last December.  Fell in love with that, too.  And got a shell pink Fender Strat in April.  Love my dulcimers (well, I rarely play the cardboard one now--it sounds really good, but no 6+ fret, alas) and my guitars, but in different ways and for different reasons!  It is starting to look like a musical instrument zoo around here.  They all have little stands.  Some day when I retire, I want to get back into the recorder...I have several of those...

Hi Shelley!

Like you, my introduction to folk music was guitar & I still sometimes go that way, but really am delighted to have found the MD.  Since you're currently pretty much stuck indoors, you'll find lots to learn through prowling FOTMD.  Be warned though, you show traces of the disease I have . . . developing a musical petting zoo.  Even being stuck inside can't protect you.  I blame my infection all the way back to Girl Scout days when I earned the Dabbler badge.  For those with a specialized form of the disease, it's Dulcimer Acquisition Disease to match the common tuning of DAd.  My husband has been fighting his own form of this with banjos.  It's not fatal and is fun whether you succumb to it or not.

@shelley1 Great to have you here!  There's lots to see on the site-- enjoy poking around!  

Welcome to the family, Shelley!  

Hi! My name is Shelley and I'm new to the dulcimer world and this site. I started playing about two weeks ago and love it! I'm played guitar since I was 13, and am learning to play a couple of other instruments, but nothing has grabbed my interest the way the dulcimer has. (With the exception of the guitar—LOVE my guitars.) I'm looking forward to learning what I can and hanging out with you!

Welcome back, @Wendell-G (artist formerly known as Geckostar).

Hi everyone.  I am Wendell G. and was formerly a member here under the name Geckostar97.  An extremely busy work schedule, working from home due to Covid-19 pandemic, a couple of small other things and well...all of my instruments went unplayed for too long.  I am so happy to be back as a member of FOTMD.  I look forward to many discussions and getting my calluses back on my finger tips for guitar and mountain dulcimer playing!  Thank you for so many kind welcome messages.

Thanks for your post, DoC!  Sorry things are gloomy across The Pond.  Things are somewhat gloomy here as well, what with the pesky COVID virus preparation shutting things down and generally making a nuisance of itself.  We need to rise above it, and dulcimers sure help re-focus us on nicer things!  I'm confident that you'll make the McSpadden modifications with no trouble at all.  Best wishes for a successful outcome.

Hello to y'all from a gloomy United Kingdom.  I tend to go by the name DoC, reside in Derbyshire.  I recently acquired a '84 or '86 McSpadden that was originally intended as a 4 string dulcimer but was finished off as 3 string.  Whilst I love it as it is, I find it lacks something that 4 strings add - so I've ordered a few extra bits and am going to revert it back to being a 4 string.  Fingers crossed I don't mess it up in the meantime, but I have worked on and built guitars before so am hoping for the best.

Just want to say thanks to all those who have already welcomed me to the forum, even though this is my first post here.

Buckeye67,

You are indeed very fortunate!  The Dayton dulcimer club is probably one of the best clubs in the US.  They have many events during the year.  I have contacts that are leaders of the group and have other information about the club.  If you want to send a PRIVATE MESSAGE to me, I will send information to you.

Since both of you are military,  I am posting some pictures of one instrument that I recently built.  A mother here in Ohio had me build this instrument to honor her son as he retired from the USAF. She was having a hard time deciding on sound holes. She decided on the "stars", since they are a prominent part of the USAF insignia.

Please see attached images.

Jim Phillips

Sapele3.JPG  •  210KB

Sapele2.jpg  •  6.5MB

Sapele1.jpg  •  6.9MB

@Appalachiandreamer -- We've talked quite a few new builders through their first dulcimer in that Group.  We can get you going with designs, materials, hand-holding help... whatever you want/need.

I see you're from North Carolina.   You might be interested too see  that I build a pretty rare North Carolina dulcimer style called a Holly Leaf shape.  The original was built in Burnsville, NC around the time of the "recent unpleasantness" -- 1860s.  It's a traditional dulcemore  -- that is it's not suited for playing modern three-finger chord-melody style, but rather for traditional noter & drone style playing.  

My Burnsville.JPG  •  95KB

At the top of the Home Page click on "Groups".  Then scroll down to the "Dulcimer Making" group and click on that.  You can join that group by clicking the "Join" button.  Once you are a member of the group, you can post your questions to other members of the dulcimer making group for discussion by clicking on the "+ sign" in the upper right-hand corner and creating a topic for discussion.

If you want to discuss deceased dulcimer makers, you can join the "Dulcimer History" group in the same manner and post your questions there.

Buckeye67,

Many thanks to you and your wife for serving and protecting us.

I am also a “Buckeye”.  I live in central Ohio - play and build dulcimers.  I am also from Appalachia.  Family was from Buchanan County, VA - maybe 50 miles from Pikeville.  I have a son that lives in Cincinnati and I would be glad to send you information about playing.  I know players who are involved in string clubs in southern Ohio.  I think playing with a club is a great way to learn.

Jim Phillips

Hey everyone,

I'm originally from SW Ohio, served in the US Army and worked in law enforcement nearly all my adult life.  My wife is still in the USAF, which has had us move from Ohio to Texas and to Michigan where we currently live.  This summer, we'll be moving back to SW Ohio and this September we'll be welcoming our first baby!  My mom's side of the family is from Pike County, KY (she was born in Hardy), and having roots in Appalachia, I have an avid interest in the people, culture, history and music of the mountains.

I mostly play traditional Irish music (whistle and flute), but also throw in some Breton, Scottish and Galician tunes as well (Breton tunes would sit very well on the Dulcimer, I think).

I don't own a dulcimer yet, but plan on getting one and getting started learning to play soon.  Doing research on them is what led me to the forums here. 

Thanks for having me, and I look forward to starting this journey. :)

@Appalachiandreamer Yes, please post your Amburgey photo!  Also, I misread your comment about MJAmburgey-- my mistake.  

Welcome, @scott-collier & @Appalachiandreamer!  

Scott, Bob G makes beautiful instruments-- enjoy your visit!  

AD, A Jethro Amburgey and  MJethro Amburgey-- wow!  Enjoy them!  

Hi there Marc, and welcome!

To answer your question- yes any videos or audios of the playing of non-public domain tunes/songs must be added to posts in the Rockin Free World group.  That is to keep our site's Video and Audio collections free of copyrighted materials that are part of our hosted collections.  Doesn't matter if you arranged the version or not in this case. 
(And of course if you composed your own material you can post it even if you copyrighted it..you own the copyright.)

Hope you enjoy it here.. 

Hello!  My name's Marc, and I'm currently living in northern Virginia.  2020 is going to be my year for diving headfirst into all things dulcimer.  Thanks everyone who's already sent their kind welcome messages. :)

One quick question, if that's permissible here: seems like if I want to share any videos of myself playing non-public domain or non-traditional music (i.e. covers of licensed songs) then they need to go in the "Rockin in the Free World" group.  Is this important even if the arrangement is my own?

Welcome to the group, Rain Dog!  This is a great resource for dulcimer new-bies.  Ask a lot of questions if you like.  One of us (at least) should be able to help you out.  Have a good day!

Hi Patrick, I think you will find that a great many bagpipe tunes (particularly Scotts and Irish) lend perfectly to the mountain dulcimer (though you probably already know that!)  I play the cauld wind Scottish Smallpipes (somewhat) and love to try my pipe tunes on the mountain dulcimer; seems a perfect combination.  Best wishes!

I had the great honor and pleasure of doing a minor repair on one of Merv's personal instruments for him, a year or so before he passed away.  He was a great builder and promoter of chord-melody in DAAS as well as the 1-3-5 tuning...

My name is Tom Campbell. I first played a dulcimer in summer of 1983. Merv and Jo Rowley introduced me to the mountain dulcimer.  I met them at the Rockford Folk Festival in Rockford, Illinois. Merv and Jo were like parents to me. Merv was a master luthier and Jo a very talented artist.  I love Merv's dulcimers. I look forward to getting know some new folks who share the same love that I have for the dulcimer and old time music. 

Merry Christmas

 RB

Good to have you folks here!  

@vicki-moore There is a rich mountain dulcimer history in the Smokies.  The last time I was in that neck of the woods was several years ago so I'm of no help on being able to offer specific suggestions.  Perhaps you would like to post a thread in this section:  https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/off-topic-discussions

@garyinwyoming How neat you were able to find a couple other players out your way!  Happy strumming! 

Hi, my name is Gary and I just recently joined.  I live in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Not exactly dulcimer country but, I did manage to find a couple of other people here that play mountain dulcimer.  I'll post a picture of my mountain dulcimer when I get a chance.

Hello from northern VT!  Even though I really am not much of a traveler at all, I am considering a road (or air) trip to the Smokey Mountains - there, I have said it and maybe that will help me to follow through with it. Any suggestions or advice from anyone out there in MD land?

Hi there @sal-monella !  I posted a response to your beginner book discussion in the General Forum, where I mention some of the factors you'll encounter if playing your stick dulcimers with mountain dulcimer tab books, here:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/general-mountain-dulcimer-or-music-discussions/36238/beginners-dulcimer-book#r36239

Welcome to the site! 

Welcome Sal-Monella!     Interesting handle you have there.

There really is no consensus as to  best book to learn any aspect of dulcimer. 

Realize, of course that there is a big difference between playing one of those stick instruments and playing a true dulcimer.  For starters the strings are 'backwards'.  Also unless you lay that stick flat on your lap, no dulcimer playing instructions are going to make any sense.  

Howdy,

As you can see by my profile, I'm new to the dulcimer. I have made a couple stick dulcimers and a Strumbly, but really haven't learned to play one. That is what I am commencing to do by joining FOTMD. The thing I was wondering was how can I search, or is the info already out there, about the memberships idea of the "BEST" beginners book for learning dulcimer. I believe that I will want to take a stab at finger picking at some point in time as well. So maybe a book that has some sort of progression in that direction is what I'm looking for.

Thank you in advance for any help with this topic.

-Sal

Ron, welcome to fotmd!  i suggest you start a new discussion in our general Forums area for your guitar tuning question, rather than asking about it in this "Introduce Yourself" discussion.

Go to the general forum area and use the plus button+ to start a new discussion.  :)

(When you, be sure to give us the scale length (length in inches between nut and bridge) of your guitar. You'll likely have to change some strings and maybe remove other strings from your guitar. Remember too when you ask about a '4 string dulcimer'...that a guitar does not have a pair of closely set strings like most 4 string dulcimers have on the melody string.)

Please do start your new separate discussion in the forums, so we can help you further there in it.  :)

Hello,  Thank You for the welcome.

I cannot get a dulcimer until late winter,  in the meanwhile, is there a way to tune a guitar to at least a three string dulcimer

preferrably four in the usual aadd?

Thanks, Ronald

Matthew, happy to hear you're making music again!

Matthew, I'm glad you're playing again!  

Matthew, good to see you back. By the way, we're usually in the chat room in the morning. Just to let you know.