*WELCOME SHERRI!*

I'm new as well, have just bought my first MD after thinking about it for ages, having tinkered with a Strumstick type device. At the moment still at the "Go and tell Aunt Nancy" (what you folks across the water call "Go tell Aunt Rhody" ... we have an extra half-beat on you there ....)

It's a small world, I'm from Norfolk, England as well. I'm semi retired now ; I used to teach children with Special Needs (of varying types .....) and I now write Computer Software occasionally, contract work. 

I'm currently working on a (free definitely open source probably) visual TAB player for Dulcimers to help me learn, basically you feed TAB and/or Chords into it plus some timing data and it plays it back at you showing the TAB,  you can change the speed etc. If you've ever used Yousician, a bit like that, except there's no audio detection of what you're playing. 

We also have a dedicated Group here on FOTMD where UK members can stay updated on local events and make new friend and local jamming connections! :   http://fotmd.com/john-henry/group/41/uk-and-european-mountain-dulcimers          

Alison -- being on that side of The Pond, you'll want to get to know Robin Clark, who is a member here. He lives up in Snowdonia, Wales, and has a company called Bird Rock Dulcimers.  Robin is extremely knowledgeable about dulcimers as well as guitars.   He is importing dulcimers made here, some built specifically to his design.  His website is

http://www.dulcimers.co.uk  or you can call him on   +44 (0)1654 712671

HI y'all!  I am sandi, and I was very active on dulcimer sites while learning after I first got my dulcimer in 2003.  The help and companionship of dulcimer friends online has always been AMAZING.  I have a Walnut Creek from Craggy Mountain Music that I bought sight unseen after learning about the mountain dulcimer, all because of the very kind Beverly who was so wonderful on the phone when I called.  :)  My goal was to have hymn sings with visitors to my home, as I so loved our Pastor's wife getting us around the piano whenever we visited her.  :)

I am a homeschooling mama with six children, so I had some years in there where my dulcimer was tucked away.  I have always wanted to play more but didn't know how to fit it in.  Now maybe I'm needing it?  LOL!  My current plan is to purchase a custom (Wren?) from Feather Dulcimers, and I am very excited.  I always wanted BIGGER and LOUDER to play in groups, but the practicality of a small instrument to store and pull out and travel with is now very, very appealing.  

That's it, I think!  I'm so happy to be back among you!

ETA that I'm dying to master this instrument.  It's simplicity has always appealed to me, but there is also much to master and grow with for the rest of your life should you want to.

Welcome to our corner of musical Paradise.  You may be interested in the article I wrote several years ago and recently updated, called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?  It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms plus answers to many of the beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new friend.  Here's the revised edition.

I Just Got A Dulcimer 2016.pdf  •  1.1MB

I too have a Cedar Creek Dulcimer kit. I love it. It was so much fun building it. I wish I could build them all the time.

Hey, Boo!  (Sorry....I couldn't resist).  It's great having you join us and I hope you'll find us a fun, helpful bunch.  I have a Ginger that I really like. It was especially helpful when I was first learning chords.  I've never been to Mountain View, but I hope I can go some day.

 Well, Linda, I used to live in Salisbury, and if I still did I'd volunteer to re-string it for you.  Pegs aren't as bad as some folks make 'em out to be.  I wouldn't change a thing on the Tignor.  In his later period he used store-bought violin pegs, but he still carved pegs for some of them.  I've never used peg dope on a dulcimer.  I either spit on 'em or use chalk  ROFL.  Moistening them lightly will make them swell a little and stop most slipping; chalk is a great lubricant if they are sticky.  

There are  number of Youtube vids on how to use wooden tuners that you can follow.  IIRC DanC has posted one or more.  There are products called Peg Drops which will help with slipping tuners.  Old time remedies included a few strokes with a piece of chalk or a bar of soap on the shaft.

My article I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?  has a section on stringing/re-stringing.  You want to remove/replace one string at a time.

Yeah, Linda, get than Tignor down and re-string her.  As the proud owner of 2 Tignor's I think they are really underrated by a lot of folks.  They are great players, at least mine are, for whatever style you like to play.  

Hi Linda, welcome!

Hey you might want to re-evaluate that Tignor- some folks collect them and if it's in decent shape it could be a good player!

I hear you about the too-many-hobbies/interests thing.  

Say howdy here to us all, and tell us a little about yourself!