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Location:

Location: Morgantown WV
Country: USA

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images: 3

events: 4

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

I am active in the production of PattyFest and the Gardner Winter Music Festival and attend many events in North Central West Virginia.

Latest Activity

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@wally-venable • 5 days ago • comments: 8
Posted a new Comment on The Plectrum: Picking Our Way Through Dulcimer History:

"Excellent collection of historical information."

@wally-venable • 6 days ago • comments: 30
Posted a new Comment on If you could buy your first dulcimer over again.....?:

"Your instrument isn't "a noter." A noter is a stick used instead of a finger. Your dulcimer is intended for DAA tuning since it doesn't have the 6 1/2 (6+)..."

@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Stoney End Dulcimers - any good?":

"I can't tell you anything about Stoney End dulcimers. There does not appear to be any prior mention of them on this forum. According to their website, the..."

@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Amp Question":

"If there is no hum when the cable is plugged into the instrument and the amplifier, there is no problem. Without the instrument, the cable is acting as an..."

@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Does anyone know what kind of pick this is?":

"It appears that punches for the Fender 355 shape are no longer readily available. The only things I see on eBay are for "normal" picks. I don't find them..."

@wally-venable • 3 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Does anyone know what kind of pick this is?":

"I can't answer the question directly. I don't use soft picks and I prefer one about 2 inches long. Looking at eBay, it seems that the readily available..."

@wally-venable • 3 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer History and Tradition":

"While the term Pennsylvania Dutch (from Deutsch or German) is primarily used to describe the Amish today, the term has broader traditional meaning. It..."

@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer History and Tradition":

"On the membership application: "I first saw/heard a mountain dulcimer: ______ " Would you expect an adult to remember when they first saw a keyboard, violin,..."

@wally-venable • 4 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer History and Tradition":

"I suspect that we spend more time on “history” than the players of most other instruments. How much time do modern guitars players spend on Les Paul or C.F...."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "In the days before picks.....":

""... corset stays.. " Typically whale bone between say 1700 and 1900."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "In the days before picks.....":

"One might imagine Viennese, or other urban European musicians, using scraps of ivory from the shops of harpsichord builders on their zithers. Google sez:..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0

Is attending an Event:
Traditional Music Day at Pricketts Fort

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0

Created a new Event:
Traditional Music Day at Pricketts Fort

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer-Ukulele WHAT":

">>> I think where I'm getting all messed up with this trying to blend in with the ukuleles is that they're chromatic and we're diatonic..... You are..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer-Ukulele WHAT":

">>> just playing the tunes root chord will work when you can't figure out the other chords That is essentially what you are doing if you only..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Dulcimer-Ukulele WHAT":

"Yes, an A chord is just an A chord, no mater what the instrument, but ...... Unless you have a chromatic dulcimer, there will be lots of times when you can't..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Traditional dulcimer makers":

"Re Prichard: >>> John C. Knopf>>> Wally, I don't know about Prichard's sales methods, but I haven't heard of him using a push-cart like Ed..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Traditional dulcimer makers":

"Origin of the Hour Glass Shape I would like to offer a bit of speculation about the Hour Glass shape most commonly used for lap dulcimers. I know of no..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 13
Posted a new Comment on UK and European Mountain Dulcimers:

"Nonsuch also publishes a quarterly newsletter. It runs about 40 pages, and is split about equally between club news, Mountain/Fretted/Appalachian Dulcimers,..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 13
Posted a new Comment on UK and European Mountain Dulcimers:

"I use a wooden dowel about 1 cm in diameter and about 20 cm long. I can cut several from a single length costing less than about 2 pounds. I'm in the USA and..."

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0

Is attending an Event:
Fort New Salem Dulcimer Fest (WV)

@wally-venable • 2 months ago • comments: 0

Created a new Event:
Fort New Salem Dulcimer Fest (WV)

Latest Group Discussions

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Latest Audio

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Latest Videos

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Latest Photos

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Latest Forum Discussions

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Gardner Dulcimers - Grafton, Ohio

Posted: Sunday June 7 2026, 10:03 AM
By: @Wally Venable

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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06/14/26 02:09:32PM @strumelia:

@Wally-Venable , 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."