Hey from Mississippi

[proffitt]

Hey CJS welcome!

I am waiting on my dulcimer (christmas present) however, I do have experience with a similar controversy in the banjo world. To play in C or G... or the many capoed variants.

I just started playing in C and by learning those fingerings G came along with no time at all. I assume the dulcimer will be similar.

Also, play the songs ultra slow making sure each beat is right on. Then move up in speed. Soon you will be ripping through them... at least that is how it is on the banjo. Patience and perserverance (which it sounds like you have both) is the key.

Enjoy the music for what it is worth.... not for what you perceive your playing is worth.

[cjs]

Jak and Lee, I just might come to those festivals or groups if I ever get to where I don't totally sound horrible. Lee, I'm in Clinton, so we're only 30 min apart, maybe we can get together sometime, again if I ever get better.

Right now my main problem seems to be hand strength, or lack thereof. I've been playing a few weeks and don't think I'm getting better. Unless I totally bear down with my left hand, I can't fret well enough to get a decent sound. It buzzes or plinks if I relax at all and only sounds OK if I practically stand on it. Does this come with time? Of course, my left hand is not my predominant hand, but at some point you'd think I'd make a little progress on this.

[folkfan]

Jak and Lee, I just might come to those festivals or groups if I ever get to where I don't totally sound horrible. Lee, I'm in Clinton, so we're only 30 min apart, maybe we can get together sometime, again if I ever get better.

Right now my main problem seems to be hand strength, or lack thereof. I've been playing a few weeks and don't think I'm getting better. Unless I totally bear down with my left hand, I can't fret well enough to get a decent sound. It buzzes or plinks if I relax at all and only sounds OK if I practically stand on it. Does this come with time? Of course, my left hand is not my predominant hand, but at some point you'd think I'd make a little progress on this.

If you are having that much difficulty pressing on the strings, you might have the wrong gauge string for the note you are trying to tune too. Are your strings very tight and high off the fretboard. When you tune to a note is it hard to get to as in the string beginning to lose it ease of vibration, that would make for a tight string and a hard action.

Also when you place your fingers are they directly to the left of the fret, not on it, just by it. If you are too far away from the fret your note won't be as true as the string won't be hitting the fret properly and pressing harder doesn't help with that.

[cjs]

Hi Folk Fan, I don't think it's the instrument as I have tried a couple of different ones. They came with the right strings, and I'm using the standard DAD tuning, nothing strange or too tight for the strings since they're standard strings. I'll try getting nearer the fret--that's not something I've been doing well. Thanks for the advice.

[cjs]

OK, the fret thing helped a lot, thanks!

[southernmiss]

Hi again, cjs. I'd love to get together with you sometime. I won't be much help, though, since I've been playing only a year. The group I play with tunes in DAA, so I'm not familiar with DAD yet. Some of us in our group will be going to Hattiesburg on Saturday of the festival. I play with a group of seniors in Vicksburg called Dante's Dulcimers. Forrest Smith (who will be teaching beginner MD in Hattiesburg) says we're not the best dulcimer players in the world, but we definitely have more fun than most. Don't feel you have to wait until you can play better before you attend a festival. Many of the workshops are geared for the beginner, and I found them really helpful although I'd been playing only a few months went I went to my first one. Lee

[cjs]

Ha! The whole not-the-best-but-have-the-most-fun deal sounds right up my alley. I just might accompany y'all to that festival and may get some DAA stuff under my belt and we can get together. Let me get some DAD stuff down, then I'll get some skill with DAA. Great to have like-minded folks nearby!

[cjs]

Just for kicks and giggles, I tuned the melody strings down to A for DAA, and this is much easier. So the suggestion on the string gauge is right. I'm guessing these are 0.013. I may experiment with some lighter ones for DAD so I won't kill my hands. Thanks for the advice--this is the kind of stuff you can't always find in books or learn on your own (at least as quickly since you kind folks are willing to help us newbies).

[southernmiss]

Just for kicks and giggles, I tuned the melody strings down to A for DAA, and this is much easier. So the suggestion on the string gauge is right. I'm guessing these are 0.013. I may experiment with some lighter ones for DAD so I won't kill my hands. Thanks for the advice--this is the kind of stuff you can't always find in books or learn on your own (at least as quickly since you kind folks are willing to help us newbies).

Great! You'll find the folks here at ED are the best about finding solutions for the problems we newbies have. By the way, are you starting with drone or melody/chord style? I play mostly drone since that's the way my group plays, but I'm trying to learn melody/chord. I also do a bit (very small bit) of fingerpicking, which I love. I recently bought a baritone dulcimer (from Harp, Sweetwoods.com), and I'm devoting it to melody/chord. It has a soothing tone to it.

Have fun playing! The dulcimer is a wonderful instrument. Lee

[southernmiss]

It's me again. I looked back at your posts and noticed that you're learning Wildwood Flower and Old Joe Clark (both great tunes). Some other good starter songs are Boil Them Cabbage Down and Freight Train. Let me know if you'd like to hop over to Vicksburg one day, and I'll arrange a jam with some of our players. Don't expect any fancy playing, but I warn you, it'll be fast. We're all senior citizens, but some of our ladies know how to put their feet on the pedal. They're speed demons. I'm more the slow type (I like to think I'm being expressive ). Just want you to know that my door is always open. Lee

[cjs]

Hi Lee, thanks for the invite. Maybe once I get a few tunes under my belt, I will head over that way, but right now, you and the speed demons would leave me in the dust! I'm slow but not even expressive yet, so I'd just hold everybody back until I get better. Plus your group plays in DAA, and I've been doing DAD. However, with the string issue, I might be learning in DAA quicker than planned so as not to kill my left hand! I did order some lighter strings and will try those out because I do love DAD playing so far.

I've been doing chord/melody. I tried a few times to use a noter, but it sounds like a sick animal, but I know there's an art to it, and it's not as easy at it would seem at first.

[cjs]

I forgot to add that GHS strings makes a set for dulcimer called Mixolydian, and its lightest string is 0.010 gauge. This is what I'm going to try next for DAD playing.