Thanks! I'm a bit confused though Gregg- I see you are using the 6.5 fret, not the 6 fret in this melody... so I would think you are playing in dAD (DAd) ionian mode, not mixolydian? Or is it just that you are calling DAd a 'mixolydian tuning' even though you are actually playing in ionian using the 6.5 fret?  Or maybe I'm not figuring this right?

Thank you for asking Strumelia, I've tried stringing its lowest bass string thicker to get a lower octave D but the zither pin tuners into walnut wouldn't hold the tension, so on the fret board I'm tuned dAD mixolydian followed by dADD for drone stings.

Gregg, I see three strings over the fretboard, and four unfretted drone strings. Can you tell how you chose to tune the 7 strings for palying this carol?  (hopefully you can remember, it's not easy I know!)  I too have a 7 string hummel with 3 over the frets, so I'm interested in how you tuned... especially because I see that you are playing the (ionian) melody mostly on the second string over. What was your reason for doing this for this tune?

Oh, my apologies-  I misread the description Gregg- what a lovely Czech carol then!   :D

Thank for enjoying my humble efforts to give people a chance to hear and see this wonderful instrument Strumella, however, the tune is Czech in origin, and although the Hummel is closely associated with Sweden and Scandinavia dulcimer like instruments with extra drone strings were wide spread over all of Europe. This particular one was built by my friend Terry L. Watson in Pasadena CA in 1973.

What a wonderful holiday carol from Sweden for us Greg! Thank you for posting it... so delightful.

Hi Irene, this Hummel was made by my friend Terry L. Watson in 1973. He only built about 50 musical instruments.

i SO ENJOYED the book on the Hummel and this is such a beautiful instrument that I think you made.   Thank you for sharing it with us all.  aloha, irene

Bravo!

Wow.....that was pretty.  Beautiful instrument.  I mean , like, real pretty.