Yes certainly,

John mentioned A aeolian in his post, which is probably the one A tuning it would be difficult to reach - but e,e,e,e A ionian, e,e,d,d A dorian and e,e,d,d A mixolidian (6+) should be fine with the 0.010s he has fitted.

Strumelia said:

Barbara, my response to your original question is that practically speaking, I myself only really 'need' two dulcimers- one for playing in A and G, and the other for playing in C and D. That's assuming I don't 'need' any other dulcimers due to aesthetic reasons like them sounding different or enjoying playing with different fret patterns or sizes.

Robin Clark said:

Hi John,

You don't need to tune down for A modal tunes - leave your strings at d,d,d,d (or d,d,d if it is a 3 string) and just place a reverse capo under the two drones near the first fret lifting them to e,e . This gives you a tuning of e,e,d,d, (or e,e,d for 3 strings). You now have key of A dorian starting atthe 4th fret

Hi John,

You don't need to tune down for A modal tunes - leave your strings at d,d,d,d (or d,d,d if it is a 3 string) and just place a reverse capo under the two drones near the first fret lifting them to e,e . This gives you a tuning of e,e,d,d, (or e,e,d for 3 strings). You now have key of A dorian starting atthe 4th fret The end of a chopstick makes a good reverse capo(the term 'false nut' is probably a better description).

Ahh... I see that you can tune up to e with your strings so simply tune to e,e,d,d. If you have a 6+ this tuning will also give you key of A mixolidian for tunes like Old Joe Clark, June Apple etc as well astunes in A minor such as Frosty Morning, Shady Grove, Cluck Old Hen etc

Galax players often play overtwo 5th drones rather than root drones.

John - most Galax set up players don'ty try for anything except Galax tunings: ddd or ggg etc. As you've discovered those thin strings just aren't suitable for more common Modal tunings. Now you know why so many of us have multiple dulcimers. If I were you. I think I'd opt for a second dulcimer in cardboard. Leave that one with conventional strings.

Check out whatever local hobby shops there are where you live - especially those dealing in model airplanes. They will have 1/8" Baltic Birch ply, which makes really good sounding dulcimers. Using the Fretboard from a cardboard dulcimer, you can surely make a box shaped dulcimer for under $25.

Barbara, I was playing strictly in a flatpicking style but then bought a used Blue Lion from another member of FOTMD. I played it a little bit and really liked it, but one day I stroked the strings gently with my finger and the instrument just rang true. It sounds good with a flatpick, but really special with a soft fingerstyle technique. I began learning to fingerpick simply to do right by that instrument. And of course trying to fingerpick my six-string baritone dulcimette would be like fingerpicking a mandolin. Oh, maybe you could kinda sorta do it a little, but why?

Some instruments might really be versatile, but others so obviously want to be in a particular tuning or played with a certain technique that it's nice to honor those ideosyncracies. I gave up trying to play bluegrass guitar and mandolin with the accompanying obsession with playing lots of notes as fast as possible, and now my philosophy with the dulcimer is that if you have a nice sounding instrument, highlight that instrument. Pick or strum a little, let the notes ring out, and get out of the way.

Barbara P said:

Mandy, Usually one develops DAD or DAA which are Dulcimer Acquisition Disease, or Dulcimer Acquisition Addiction. And if you develop DAD, buy two dulcimers and call me in the morning. Or if you end up with DAA, just feed your habit.

Mandy said:

All I know is, one is NOT enough. One of these days....

Oh, and I don't even have a baritone dulcimer, so I need to add just one more . . .

I have only one for now, but I have started building a I will end up number two. If I am not careful I will have as many as I have guitars, Ok I don't have a lot of Guitars just six.

Great point there Dusty. I didn't think about that and it's true. Uh oh now you've done it. I may need a few more........

Mandy, I know what you mean, and for that reason I have a guitar, a 12-string guitar, a mandolin, a ukulele, an autoharp, a fiddle, . . .

But, I now have several dulcimers and to me they are all different instruments. I have dulcimers in at least three tonal ranges, one a true octave dulcimer and another tuned a fourth of fifth above a standard dulcimer, the latter of which has six strings and is really good for fast-paced fiddle tunes in G or A. And even my standard dulcimers seem like different instruments. The Blue Lion is clearly intended for fingerpicking, not only because it just sounds great that way but also because the wider neck makes fingerpicking easier on the right hand.I use another dulcimer entirely for flatpicking, in part because it's neck is more narrow, but also because it has a 1-1/2 fret . . .

I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Just because I have several instruments that are all called dulcimers, does not mean they are all identical. In fact, they are as different as a guitar and mandolin. And even among those of us without the disposable income to buy dulcimers just for fun, the differences among dulcimers become more obvious the more you play and you come to see them as genuinely different instruments intended for different tunings, styles of play, etc.

Mandy said:

Hey Barbara,

My take on this is a little different actually. I want one of everything! By that I mean lots of different instruments. After I got my first banjo I realized within a year that it was going to stick and I needed to upgrade. So I upgraded when i could and sold off my first one to help pay for my new dulcimer. I'm getting my very own guitar as an anniversary present from my husband . Now I figure all I need is an upright bass, fiddle, and maybe a mando and I'll be all set!

I've seen this affliction you speak of called BAS (banjo acquisition syndrome) in banjo circles, MAS (mandolin acquisition syndrome) in mando circles and I suppose it's the same here DAS (dulcimer acquisition syndrome). But mine would be called IAS I guess (instrument acquisition syndrome). LOL. The great thing about any of them is that once you start playing a musical instrument you have so much fun you want MORE.

I've only ever posted two videos here - BanksoftheBann and RosintheBeau. I didn't like them... the viddedo/audio sync was terrible. Got a better way to do it now, using my digital camera's video mode, but just haven't taken the time. I'll have to post some more one of these days.

Where do we find your playing Ken.

Do you record at all ?

john p

N ah, Jim... I'm still playin' Noter & Drone. I've always been a bit shifty - willin' to re-tune that is

Ken, You're correct as to Bagpipe tuning allowing for Mixolydian and Ionian playing without worrying about the key. I just used the key of C for an example since that's how I learned to tune all modes way back when. Glad you're enjoying playing in Bagpipe. Have you tried barring across all the strings with the noter? One book I have suggests this style of play to "bang out the melody good and loud". Doesn't sound like it would be good for all songs, but might suit "Bonnie Dundee" very well and other tunes of that ilk.

Ken Hulme said:

Regardless of key (C, D, A, G) Bagpipe tuning does - for those of us without 6+ frets - what DAd tuning does for those with the 6+. It lets us play both Mixolydian and Ionian tunes without re-tuning, and sounds pretty darn good with both.

I've been a DAA/Ionian Modal tuning player for darn near 40 years. Just recently I've taken to exploring Bagpipe tuning, and I must say I'm really hooked.

Jim,

Since I've a dulcimer strung for Ccc, I don't have problems with retuning. Talk about lazy. Also with Ccc, I can play Mixolydian starting from the open (c) or Ionian from 3 (f). The Cc drones sound ok with both since CGc has a C drone and the key of F also has a C drone with FCC. With F there just isn't a tonic drone in F.

Just a thought on Bagpipe is that Ccc must have been popular at one time since the very oldest or earliest printed books I borrowed from the library usually discussed Bagpipe tuning in the key of C. Of course, all tunings were discussed in C, with Ionian mentioned first. Unison drones weren't mentioned. I learned about Galax tuning from the internet forums.

Jim Edwards said:

Even Careful !! sorry

Now, now, Jim, carefu , Barbara may still be with us ! And Johnp,the fish are rising well tonight, no need to make a big stink about iT LOL

JohnH

I'm told that the Epinette des Camembert makes a good cheese grater

john p

Just an associated thought ? Jim, have you tried slicing cucumber with the 'other' ? (and it makes a great camping 'breakfast' table when turned upside down? )

JohnH

Folkfan's right Barbara - Bagpipe tuning has the same bass string D as DAA or DAd. The other strings are tuned tuned to the d of DAd - that is Ddd, not DDD. We most often use the lowercase d or c or whatever to indicate that it is an octave higher in pitch than the bass string, which is why you see us write DAd not DAD.

Barbara, There are two tunings that use a single note across the strings. One is called "Unison" as in dddd and is also used for the Galax style of playing. I've heard the tuning also called "Galax". I've never tried this tuning, but have used the Bagpipe tuning which has an octave difference in the drones. The bass string being tuned one octave below the middle and melody strings. On my instrument I have it tuned Bass C below middle c and middle and melody at middle c.

Barbara P said:

All of my dulcimers get tuned to readily to a variety of tunings - Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian. Sometimes in the key of D, other times in C or G. I have 3 single instruments and a courting dulcimer that I built close to ten years ago.

None of my instruments have 6+ frets. I prefer pure diatonic arrangements for the kinds of music I prefer to play - Scots Border Ballads and Corries type folk tunes, Irish folk music not fiddle tunes, American popular music from the 1890s to 1940s and '60s Folk Revival tunes.

Each instrument that I own tunes most comfortably in a particular keynote and sometimes tuning. My Nik Hambas custom prefers D in particular the Bagpipe tuning - Ddd. My vintage Ebay find sounds like crap in D but is sweet, high and silvery in Gdd. My slightly custom Harpmaker Student model loves D but prefers D Ionian - DAA, and the courting dulcimer likes any Modal tuning in the key of C.

Carrie, You do know don't you that any tab you have in a DAd tabbing can be played in the same note relationship in another key. So tab for DAd is CGc, or AEa. It's the same for DAA tab played CGG, or AEE etc. Since I can't sing high, I don't even have a dulcimer tuned in D, but use DAd or DAA tab all the time as everyone seems to automatically tab in it.

Carrie Barnes said:

How many dulcimers does one need?

Easy: just one more!

Since I don't like to tune my strings more than one step north or south of home base, I keep instruments set-up for specific home base tunings. For example, from the home base DAA (1-5-5), I'll re-tune to EAA (1-4-4) for the key of A or DGG (1-4-4) for the key of G.

-Prussia Valley Music Box is tuned ddd. You'll often hear this unison tuning referred to as Galax tuning. With the 6.5 fret on this instrument, in this tuning one can play out of D and G without re-tuning. And to get a more haunting sound, I'll use a false nut under the drone strings at the first fret to raise the drones to E.

-Rod Hensley hourglass is tuned Ddd. You'll often hear this 1-8-8 tuning referred to as Bagpipe tuning. This instrument also has a 6.5 fret so one can play out of D and G without re-tuning. As with the PVMB, I'll use a false nut under the drone strings at the first fret to raise the drones to Ee.

-And the other 5 dulcimers, 4 of which are purely diatonic (no "extra frets"), are set-up for some 1-5-5 home base tuning.

I did take a chance one time one a young guy that built one for his self and then sold it to buy another instrument. It was a 6 string and I wanted one. I got it for just 120 dollars and it played and sounded great. But it could have just as easily been a dud. I usually don't buy from anyone that says no returns. I don't spend real big money on a dulcimer I can't see or play.

Well Barbara, I lucky in that I live really close to Warren Mays shop and I own 3 of his dulcimers. I go to festivals, where I bought my Papaws dulcimer and my Modern Mountain. I bought my banjammer from Clemmer so I knew it would sound good. My Homer Ledfords I bought all three off the internet but Homer made wonderful instruments so I knew I couldn't go wrong. I have only bought one through ebay that was total JUNK and I sent it back to the seller telling them so. They totally misrepresented it on purpose to which made it even worse. They relisted it still saying what a wonderful, great sounding instrument it was. LOL It couldn't even be tuned because of the way it was made. I just have learned what to look for in a dulcimer and I don't buy from builders that I don't know without playing them first. I know most of the builders that I have dulcimers from.

Well I say there like Lays potato chips, no one can have just one. Or at least I can't have just one. I am addictied to collecting dulcimer. I have 13 at the moment, and most of them are tuned dad. I don't have a prop. retuning as I play. Oh 2 are baritones and are tuned AEA and one of those is the one I play more than any here at home. When I play with the group I play one of the others. I have 3 Homer Ledfords that are the pride of my collection and if I find another for the right price it will join them. I have dulcimers hung up all over my walls. I just love them and can't help my self. But I have found out over the time is not to buy because they are pretty, buy them for there voice. Sometimes the ugliest dulcimer can sing the prettiest.

Well, well, how many indeed? I have 2 3 strings tuned DAd, neither of which has any 1/2 frets. I have 2 with 4 equidistant strings one tuned DAAd one tuned DADD. I have a 3 string and 4 string with paired melody string tuned DAA. I have a 5 string which I had in Jim Good's tuning bDGGG but which is now tuned dDAdd (both the bass and melody are paired.) And lastly the Heatherwood is in DAdd but with geared tuners it gets changed to DGdd or DAcc or DGcc (again paired melody string.) When I finish fixing up the other 3 we'll see what tunings they want to be in. The one in my avatar will not sound correct if tuned to DAd and the other one tuned DAA came that way with heavier strings on it, so I just left it like that. I'll be using it on one of my next videos, I hope. Oh and the Capritarus is CGcc (again paired melody string.) I don't like to retune to DAA from DAD. I use heavier strings on the ones tuned to DAA and lighter strings on the ones tuned DAd. The Capritarus just sounded better in C tuning to my ear. I may change the Mastertone 5 string to DGd. In fact I'm going to do that now. So many of mine have pegs instead of gears, it just makes it easier.

Oh and I played for over 20 years and had only one. These others have been acquired in the last year.

Rob

Standard answer: Just one more!!!!!!!!

Though at this point with 14 I probably have enough.