"The Zoo"

Cover of a 1980 song by The Scorpions, a German hard rock group. The song is about the band's first visit to New York City and checking out the seamy side of Times Square (though nothing seamy actually happens in the song).

Played on a Folkcraft chromatic tuned CGC. The playing doesn't require any frets more exotic than a 1+, though I used the 0+ in the outro. However, using this dulcimer allowed me to make the high vocal notes better.

The playing is interesting, because I'm imitating the band as closely as possible: There's an iambic hearbeat on the lower strings, while I'm doubling the melody. Here's the thing: The melody almost always falls in between the accented notes of the heartbeat, creating the impression of two-instruments.

Effects on the dulcimer are overdrives and reverb on both channels, plus an octave pedal on channel A.

Enjoy .. and feel the heat!

Sam