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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 • 2 weeks ago • comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on Wartz-n-All Gathering:

"I never saw Gainer, although I became aware of his presence on campus soon after I arrived here in 1964. He played an important part in Mountaineer Week..."

@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on Wartz-n-All Gathering:

"Morgantown and West Virginia University (WVU) are only abut 15 miles from Fairmont. Dr. Patrick W. Gainer was associated with WVU from the early 1920s..."

@wally-venable • 2 weeks ago • comments: 6
Posted a new Comment on Wartz-n-All Gathering:

"Fairmont is part of North Central West Virginia. We haven't had anyone who has developed a distinctive style or produced a large number of high quality..."

@wally-venable • 3 weeks ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "Anyone have experience with a Black Mountain dulcimer?":

"You should consider taking your current instrument to the shop and playing both side by side. The important thing is which one suits your ear better."

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

"If a bridge is simply too high, you can lower it by taking it out and sanding or filing the bottom a bit. Do it a little at a time and tune and play it after..."

@wally-venable • one month ago • 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 • one month 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 • one month 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 • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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 • 2 months 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"..."

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Latest Forum Discussions

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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."