My cousin built one in the early 70's. I tried it but I wasn't crazy about it. I went back to it about 10 or 12 years ago after a car accident & I could't play the guitar anymore. I was able to take a workshop with Aubrey Atwater. I am a singer first & use my instrument as a bsck-up to my voice. During her workshop I found out I can play chords on the dulcimer! I was off & running! I'm now with a Cavil War Living History group and I sing and play period correct songs.
How did you first discover the mountain dulcimer?
Bucko Futreal
@bucko-futreal
7 years ago
8 posts
My family took vacations in the North Carolina mountains when I was young, and we'd sometimes see them in shops in places like Black Mountain and Maggie Valley, as well as at places like the Folk Art Center outside of Asheville. I don't recall ever seeing anyone playing the instruments; they'd just be there -- mysterious and inviting. In the summer of 1989, my folks moved to Asheville and I stayed the summer with them before leaving for college. I spent a lot of time that summer investigating dulcimers and I purchased a Folkcraft teardrop from a store near Pigeon Forge, TN. At my school, NC State, I got involved with the annual "Madrigal Dinner" production, playing that dulcimer as a roving musician.
Richard Streib
@richard-streib
7 years ago
245 posts
I saw and heard the mountain dulcimer in the fall of 1991 at Epcot Center in front of the America Pavilion. They were being shown and sold by a young man from a cart-like vendor space. He was from the Walnut Valley Dulcimer company in Burns, KS. I took a brochure home with me and after debating with myself and studying about it a bit I ordered the Wildwood Mountain model custom made for me in Feb 1993. I now have others but this is the one I play the most. It has been a great joy.
Lucky Dave
@dulcimer-dave
7 years ago
19 posts
At Merlefest in 2004, heard an old fella playing what he referred to as his "Hog Fiddle". Fell in love with the sound and spent six months looking for a "Hog Fiddle". Finally rescued an old (number 3) Folkways from 1973 that someone had hanging on their wall. Used to belong to their Dad but it'd hung there for ten years, no one played it and would I like it. We negotiated a good price and I am still playing that instrument today. It needs refinishing, and lately I've gotten the idea that I'd like to build them as well. I also love to hand the instrument to kids too and watch their faces light up when they can make "music" without having to learn complicated chord forms.
I'm not really sure what my first meeting with a Mountain Dulcimer was ... I was probably researching some of the old "Child" ballads and found either a video or recording that I liked the sound of, then spent some little while both convincing myself I really wanted one and then finding one at a price I wanted to pay ... they're a bit thin on the ground on the east side of the Atlantic, and, as everywhere, what might be considered a novelty item often commands a high price!
With instrument found and purchased I ended up with a "no-name" 4-string that needed a drop of glue and a new string ... the glue glued and the string got knotted (I didn't have a spare string long enough) and it gives me a great deal of pleasure :)
lexie
(" Mountain dulcimers are my therapy and solace for both my mental and physical well being.")
I think anyone of us could say this and probably have and also the part about how helpful everyone is on this site and how sweet our dulcimers are.
What calls to our heart will make our heart sing, very true - happy we are to have answer the call.
All the best to everyone and thank you for the help on my dulcimer journey.
Lexie R Oakley
@lexie-r-oakley
8 years ago
229 posts
Bernuk1, what a fine story and I guess the MD was calling to your heart. Enjoy your Dulci Journey and if you can get in touch with Robin Clark as Ken H. suggested, I bet he would answer any questions and get you strumming. I also know folks on this site will answer questions and help you along also.
The beginning of my Dulci Journey began with a MD that wasn't up to snuff, but I learned the basics on it until I bought 2 dulcimers which really fit my style of the old time sound and noter playing. They are both just fun to play with that silvery old time sound that I love.
I began my journey because of some challenged times with severe aggressive Rheumatoid Arthritis, my MD's became my therapy and challenged distraction of finding ways to play with painful hands.
If I remember correctly I accidentally found this site along with Strumelia's Noter/Drone Blog and took lessons from her videos, it was amazing to not have musical experience and be able to learn from her wonderful lessons. Thank you so much Lisa..
Along with this wonderful woman, I then found many very helpful folks who guided and suggested and taught me along my journey, very wonderful friends from this site who are able to explain and answer my questions to help me understand what to do with my wooden instruments with sweet strings. I am very grateful and fond of this site.
I can't remember but I actually began 4 yrs ago and had to pull away due to illness of my parents for a couple years and I came back a year ago again for emotional and physical recovery. My Mountain dulcimers are my therapy and solace for both my mental and physical well being. I am very grateful to have the ability to play my mountain dulcimers, they are beautiful!
Jan Potts
@jan-potts
8 years ago
401 posts
John and Karen--love your video! You make lots of good points. Buy an instrument that calls to your heart...and if you do that it will make your heart sing!
Great advice!
--
Jan Potts, Lexington, KY
Site Moderator
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
8 years ago
2,157 posts
Welcome Bernuk!! You'll want to contact Robin Clark, a memeber here, who lives up in Snowdonia, and runs a business called Birdrock Dulcimers: www.dulcimers.co.uk I hope you find your Seagull sounding true scales... there have been a number of posts about how mis-fretted some folks have found them....
John Keane
@john-keane
8 years ago
182 posts
Wow...this thread was originally started right after Karen and I discovered the mountain dulcimer. Like so many, we first saw it at Silver Dollar City. It's nice to read this thread and remember some of the posters who have come and gone over the years, and to take a moment to really miss a couple of folks who are no longer with us. We made a little mini-documentary about our dulcimer discovery that pretty much tells it all.
Jan Potts
@jan-potts
8 years ago
401 posts
In the mid-70's a couple came to the elementary school where I worked and performed at a school assembly. I was familiar with folks songs and various instruments, but had never seen a dulcimer before (not that I could remember, anyway) and I loved the lively songs they were singing, like "Groundhog". Sometime in the next decade I got to hear Jean Ritchie perform in person, and in another 5 or 6 years I was making a cardboard dulcimer from a kit and trying out tunes on the melody string. I wish I knew who the couple was who performed....I've wondered if our paths have crossed again in the past 40 years. Could be...
--
Jan Potts, Lexington, KY
Site Moderator
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
Sean Ruprecht-Belt
@sean-belt
8 years ago
31 posts
I think the first time I ever heard a mountain dulcimer was on a Richard and Mimi Farina record back in the late 1960's. A couple of years later, when I was about 15, I had a big crush on a girl who went to school with me. She played the dulcimer and I played the guitar. So, of course, I got real interested in the dulcimer. Unfortunately, Barbara wasn't as interested in me or my guitar as I was in her and we remained acquaintances. I ever after did like the sound of the dulcimer, though.
Terry Wilson
@terry-wilson
8 years ago
297 posts
Sometime in late Spring, 2011, at a Casita travel trailer rally.
Terry and Pam Lewis were playing for the campers by a camp fire. Terry and Pam and their music made a huge impression on my wife and I.
I waited awhile to purchase one, 04/2012, but I never forgot the music. I would imagine that this wonderful couple has influenced hundreds of new dulcimer players.
Strumelia
@strumelia
8 years ago
2,311 posts
Thought I'd revive this old thread in case some of our newer members wanted to add their own stories of how they first discovered the mountain dulcimer!
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
14 years ago
1,461 posts
Paul Rappell
@paul-rappell
14 years ago
31 posts
Paul Rappell said:
Scotty Lee Shuffield
@scotty-lee-shuffield
14 years ago
2 posts
Paul Rappell
@paul-rappell
14 years ago
31 posts
Strumelia
@strumelia
14 years ago
2,311 posts
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
14 years ago
1,461 posts
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
14 years ago
1,461 posts
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
14 years ago
1,461 posts
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
14 years ago
2,157 posts
Paul Rappell
@paul-rappell
14 years ago
31 posts
Paul Certo
@paul-certo
14 years ago
242 posts
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
14 years ago
1,461 posts
Scotty Lee Shuffield
@scotty-lee-shuffield
14 years ago
2 posts
John Henry
@john-henry
14 years ago
258 posts
B. Ross Ashley
@b-ross-ashley
15 years ago
59 posts
Bill Lewis
@bill-lewis
15 years ago
48 posts
Dale McCubbins
@dale-mccubbins
15 years ago
1 posts
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
15 years ago
109 posts
Strumelia
@strumelia
15 years ago
2,311 posts
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Randy S. Bretz
@randy-s-bretz
15 years ago
8 posts
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
15 years ago
1,461 posts
only it was slimer and he played it with a bow but he dident recall what he called it.This would a been about 1924 or so.I'd kinda like to know where in WV his home place was. A bunch of O'Briens and their kin are in Gerald Milnes' book "Play of a Fiddle," but as your dad said, they were playing fiddles and other stuff besides dulcimers. Milnes does discuss (p. 139) bowed zitters or "scheitholts" that were played in WV.Dick
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
15 years ago
35 posts
Sally Pena
@sally-pena
15 years ago
35 posts
John Shaw
@john-shaw
15 years ago
60 posts
John Henry
@john-henry
15 years ago
258 posts
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
15 years ago
109 posts
Strumelia
@strumelia
15 years ago
2,311 posts
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Strumelia
@strumelia
15 years ago
2,311 posts
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
Rod Westerfield
@rod-westerfield
15 years ago
109 posts
Cheryl Forget
@cheryl-e-forget
15 years ago
2 posts
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
15 years ago
2,157 posts
Robin Thompson
@robin-thompson
15 years ago
1,461 posts
Dennis Waldrop
@dennis-waldrop
15 years ago
16 posts
Bill Lewis
@bill-lewis
15 years ago
48 posts
Strumelia
@strumelia
15 years ago
2,311 posts
--
Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 08/01/23 07:08:16AM