Folkfan, your example of Brother John may be EXACTLY where I need to start. Really, I'm pretty happy with DAA, might should leave well enough alone. Sure appreciate the help from you folks.

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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!

Hey, I neglected to make clear in my earliest response that I assumed Sam's intent is to play the melody on the string closest to his body!

Yup, what folkfan said!

Someone needs to put mittens on me before I ever attempt to answer a music question! :)

If you've got your instrument now tuned in DAd, then the tunes you played in DAA can be played by subtracting 3. If I play Brother John (in DAA) as 3453, 3453, 567, 567, 787653, 787653, 303, 303. In DAd it's 0120, 0120, 234, 234, 454320 454320, 0 0middle 0, 0 0middle 0. The one advantage to staying in DAA for noter/drone or melody/drone style is that you have notes below the starting note of the scale (3) to play on the melody string, but in DAd you have to hop over to the middle string for the lower notes as in the ding, dong, ding in Brother John. I find hopping over to the middle string awkward. If DAd strikes the right note with you, though, then play on. Oh, and one more item, the 9th fret note in DAA becomes the 6+ in DAd.

Glad to see you on again, Sam! Robin's told you about all you'd need to know to start.

You're welcome, Sam! Just know that even I wouldn't take anything I say about music as gospel. ;)Hugs to you and yours!

Well you just told my what I needed to know. Straight, simple and my head doesn't hurt from pages and pages of (well meant) explanation that I would not have a clue about.

Thanks Robin ... you da cats!

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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!

In DAd, you start open. So, to play notes below that d melody note, you catch them on the middle and bass strings (as opposed to beginning at fret 3 out of DAA, a tuning which has a bit of real estate under the melody string below the third fret.)DAC is a great tuning, too, for that haunting sound.I shouldn't even be trying to answer any music questions, Sam-- I'm no good at all at explaining music!

Love DAC, just don't know that many simple tunes to strum out. A lot of tunes in DAA start out on the first or third fret ... where do I commence in DAd ... heh, heh ... never thought of that did ya :)

Oh, an' I have one of them little bitty Mac's tuned at CGGG (ggg?) ... talk about wound tight!

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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!

Yup, Sam, one octave above your bass D. Go for it, with a light enough string gauge and eye protection. There are plenty of ways to play out of D and it's fun to try- out any of them you think you might want to try. :)

... well ... maybe a little. Finally getting up enough nerve to try DAd ... so, which d? One octave above the D? I have Snark tuners.

Any tips on making the transition from DAA? I thump stuff out noter/drone. Should I leave well enough alone? I have more than one dulcimer and am mostly just interested in trying that tuning.

Sam

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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!
updated by @sam: 06/11/15 07:40:48AM