6-1/2 Fret

[Km5er]

Hi,

I am learning the fretboard and I think I do not have the famous 6-1/2 fret.  This dulcimer is pushing about 17 years young.  Am I correct and any additional info related to this subject is appreciated.  

 

[KWL]

No 6 1/2 fret that I can see.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

[NoterMan]

Correct -- no 6+ fret.  All this means is that you can't tune to DAd and follow DAd tabbed songs if the tab was written to include a 6+ or 13+ note. If you tune to DAd, you can play true DAd songs because they do not include the 6+ fret.  That 6+ fret is NOT part of the traditional diatonic fret scheme, which is why we refer to it as a + or plus fret -- it has been added to the lineup.  It was added so that people didn't have to change tunings to play two different scales.  

If you are tuned DAA, on the melody string, if you fret 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  you will hear a pure do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do Octave of notes
If you are tuned DAd, on the melody string, if you fret  Open, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 you will also hear a pure do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do Octave of notes
If you are tuned DAd, on the melody string, if you fret 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 you will hear that the 7th fret note sounds flat, not a pure note.
If you are tuned DAd and have the 6+ fret, you can play both of the first two scales by using the 6+ fret for one 7th note and the 7th fret for the other 7th note of the scales.

\Many people find it easiest to tune a dulcimer such as yours to DAA and either play Noter & Drone or Fingeredance style rather than Chord Melody across all three courses of strings.  Another option is to learn the chord positions for the DAA tuning, which are just as rich and varied as DAd chords, just not the same fingers in the same places.

Edited October 30, 2022 by NoterMan

[Km5er]

On 10/29/2022 at 10:49 PM, NoterMan said:

Correct -- no 6+ fret.  All this means is that you can't tune to DAd and follow DAd tabbed songs if the tab was written to include a 6+ or 13+ note. If you tune to DAd, you can play true DAd songs because they do not include the 6+ fret.  That 6+ fret is NOT part of the traditional diatonic fret scheme, which is why we refer to it as a + or plus fret -- it has been added to the lineup.  It was added so that people didn't have to change tunings to play two different scales.  

If you are tuned DAA, on the melody string, if you fret 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8  you will hear a pure do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do Octave of notes
If you are tuned DAd, on the melody string, if you fret  Open, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 you will also hear a pure do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do Octave of notes
If you are tuned DAd, on the melody string, if you fret 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 you will hear that the 7th fret note sounds flat, not a pure note.
If you are tuned DAd and have the 6+ fret, you can play both of the first two scales by using the 6+ fret for one 7th note and the 7th fret for the other 7th note of the scales.

\Many people find it easiest to tune a dulcimer such as yours to DAA and either play Noter & Drone or Fingeredance style rather than Chord Melody across all three courses of strings.  Another option is to learn the chord positions for the DAA tuning, which are just as rich and varied as DAd chords, just not the same fingers in the same places.

Thank you....So if tuned to DAd and the tab does not include beyond the the 6 fret then it does not matter?  It is all the same with respect to cords till I get to the 7th fret?  All notes on fretboard are the same till 7th fret??  (I suspect your going to tell me no).?

An hour after I wrote the above I came back.  I did not delete my comment above as it shows how confused I am.  After thinking about it I realize how wrong my comment about beyond the 7th fret.  It seems the fretboards are the same except the 6.5 fret allows additional notes and if the music does not include the 6.5 fret it is the same when played on an instrument with or without the 6.5 fret.  (Same for 1.5 fret and 13? fret).  Am I inching closer to understanding??

Edited October 31, 2022 by Km5er

[NoterMan]

7 hours ago, Km5er said:

... After thinking about it I realize how wrong my comment about beyond the 7th fret.  It seems the fretboards are the same except the 6.5 fret allows additional notes and if the music does not include the 6.5 fret it is the same when played on an instrument with or without the 6.5 fret.  (Same for 1.5 fret and 13? fret).  Am I inching closer to understanding??

Bingo!  Those plus frets allow additional notes within a given tuning.  The note at any given fret will be different with different tunings (DAA, DAC, DAd, CGG, CGc etc.).   

My suggestion to you, particularly with this dulcimer,  is to NOT start out learning to play chords. Rather, tune to DAA and learn to pick out songs on the melody string while the other two strings drone along.  This is how the dulcimer was originally designed to be played, and playing this way will give you a much better understanding of how the instrument works  in regards to changing tunings rather than changing songs to fit a single tuning.  There are two playing methods where the tune is sounded on the melody string with drones.  One is called Fingerdancing, where, after some experience, your fingers 'dance' from fret to fret up and down the melody string as you play the song.  Don Pedi is a well known practitioner of this style.  The other technique is called Noter and Drone, which I use. A finger-sized stick is used to fret the melody string rather than your natural finger (no need to develop calluses!).  I'm pretty good, but my friend Bobby Ratliff is a master of this style.

[Km5er]

57 minutes ago, NoterMan said:

  

My suggestion to you, particularly with this dulcimer,  is to NOT start out learning to play chords. Rather, tune to DAA and learn to pick out songs on the melody string while the other two strings drone along.  

Thank you for the excellent suggestion.  I am learning a lot from this adventure!

[AppyFarm]

Thank you very much for that noter explanation.  I was started with chords, and put the 6+ across all strings, but the 1+ only under the middle string for what I was playing.  No one explained the DAA tuning and all the music I have is DAd.  How do I tune the side A string--an octave below the middle?

[NoterMan]

DAA CGG and similar tunings are what we call 1-5-5 tunings.  The middle and melody strings are a music 5th higher in pitch the bass string.   Tune BOTH A string to the A above the bass D.  Fret the D string at fre 4 and play that note.  THAT is the A you want to tune the middle and bass strings to.

 

[AppyFarm]

Got it--Thank you very much!  I can tune my very old John Goodman dulcimer, with only the traditional frets, DAA,  keep the newer one DAd, and make use of the dual carrier that a friend bought me.