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Location:

Location: Morgantown WV
Country: USA

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images: 3

events: 1

My wife, Norma has been playing and acquiring dulcimers for about ten years. I make musical instruments as a creative activity, and play DAA Noter Drone, ukulele, U-Bass and concert and hand percussion.

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@wally-venable • yesterday • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Tuning down a half step":

"If you are a "DAA" player, you tune the Bass string down the half note, then use the same "4th fret" on the Bass to get the others. (Relative tuning works..."

@wally-venable • 3 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "No grooves on bridge revisited":

""Kit" can mean a lot of things. For example, an fine instrument plus case plus a ukulele pick, a 3 inch "noter" plus a CD and book can be described as a kit...."

@wally-venable • 3 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "No grooves on bridge revisited":

"If you have not studied the Folkcraft website, a visit is in order...."

@wally-venable • 3 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Tuning my new Dulcimer ":

"I don't use tuning apps, I use clip-on tuners of various makes and models. For a dulcimer, you want/need one with a CHROMATIC setting. Some have settings for..."

@wally-venable • 3 weeks ago • comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on @pghmatt:

"I like a 7/16 inch dowel about 6 inches long as a noter. It really doesn't matter to me whether the dowel comes from a lumber yard or a craft department."

@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "What to Look For When Buying a Dulcimer Secondhand":

"Rule #1 for purchasing a dulcimer: If possible, PLAY IT. Dulcimers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you need one which fits YOU. Even if you can..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 8
Posted a new Comment on Old Motel:

"After posting the "definition" of a mute, it occurred to me that the added weight is reducing the magnitude of the high frequency components of the note...."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 8
Posted a new Comment on Old Motel:

"A mute for a string instrument is a small weight clipped on to the bridge of the instrument. It lowers the volume and changes the tone. Google "violin mute"..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 15
Posted a new Comment on Northern WV Dulcimer Doings:

"PattyFest Music Festival Saturday, June 7, 2025 9 a.m. — 8 p.m.East Fairmont High School Fairmont, WV The stage schedule and workshop lists are now on the..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "storing an instrument":

"You can make a stable, playable dulcimer which is only a stick. You just won't hear much without adding a sound box or putting it on a table top resonator...."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "storing an instrument":

"I taught engineering mechanics (Statics, Dynamics, and Strength of Materials - the courses which drove students out of Engineering) for a quarter of a..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "storing an instrument":

"String instruments which are played regularly are typically "kept in tune" for many decades on end. Strings may be damaged by age or environmental factors,..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 10
Posted a new Comment on Dulcimer for Travelling:

"I decided to explore this further. The 26 inch length I mentioned in an earlier post is for a custom built box. The handle, feet, wheels, etc. have to be..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "six string Dulcimer":

"Except that mine is Dd-Aa-aa (or maybe dD-aA-aa, or aa-Aa-Dd if you prefer the reverse order)"

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "six string Dulcimer":

"Or like an "unreal Dulcimer." On my 6-string dulcimer, tuned in DAA with 6+ fret, I have a wound string in the middle pair tuned an octave below normal and a..."

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Liquid Electrical Tape

Posted: Saturday November 25 2023, 9:30 PM
By: @John C. Knopf

Looking for a Small Dulcimer

Posted: Wednesday October 26 2022, 11:06 AM
By: @Tom McShane

Comments

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01/15/22 11:49:34AM @strumelia:

Wally, thank you SO much for your very thoughtful donation to FOTMD! It is deeply appreciated. sun -Strumelia

11/25/19 02:27:14PM @wally-venable:

The photo shows my first dulcimer project and my third.

The design of the first was based on a cardboard body instrument Norma borrowed for her first dulcimer class.

The third is an octave dulcimer tuned DAA, but an octave above the usual set of notes. It is short enough to fit in an airline carry-on bag.

Both have fingerboards made from 1x2 lumber, with most of the body constructed from 1/8" and 3/32" birch plywood.

02/19/19 08:26:15PM @richard-streib:

Welcome Wallyvenable to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. Glad you joined. Sounds like a great event you will be attending. Best wishes on your musical journey.

02/18/19 02:08:20PM @wally-venable:

I'll be at the Gardner Winter Music Fest this Saturday. http://www.gwmf.org

I'm playing with the DAA Strummers and OLLI Orchestra.

The GWMF has a lot of room for mountain dulcimer player or wanna be's. We enjoyed it last year. You can't beat the registration fee - FREE if you bring an instrument.

02/18/19 05:43:39AM @benjamin-w-barr-jr:

Hi Wally, and welcome to the wonderful world of the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. It's a good place to come, spend some time, learn about the dulcimer, and to meet some good people.

Ben

02/17/19 08:54:20PM @jim-fawcett:

Hey Wally, welcome aboard. Glad ya found us.

02/17/19 07:37:53PM @ken-longfield:

Welcome to FOTMD, Wally Venable. It is good to have you aboard. Look for West Virginia players under Groups and join that group.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."