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My third dulcimer, which I used for playing away from home for some time, is a Dusty Strings D45, supplied by Dizzi-Dulcimer. This is an American-made instrument with 16/15 two string courses which has something of the tone of the second dulcimer with less serious portability issues. For the kind of music that I play, the loss of quite a few strings at the top and bottom end is not a big problem (I still rarely use the notes at the top end, though there are times when it would be good to have more resonance at the bottom end). The 16/15 Dusty Strings is, for portability purposes, a great improvement on the previous instrument.
My third dulcimer, which I used for playing away from home for some time, is a Dusty Strings D45, supplied by Dizzi-Dulcimer. This is an American-made instrument with 16/15 two string courses which has something of the tone of the second dulcimer with less serious portability issues. For the kind of music that I play, the loss of quite a few strings at the top and bottom end is not a big problem (I still rarely use the notes at the top end, though there are times when it would be good to have more resonance at the bottom end). The 16/15 Dusty Strings is, for portability purposes, a great improvement on the previous instrument.
This is a picture of the third dulcimer taken from the Dusty Strings website (my dulcimer has rather more dusty and slightly rusty strings!).
This is a picture of the third dulcimer taken from the Dusty Strings website (my dulcimer has rather more dusty and slightly rusty strings!).
Adaptations
Adaptations
Over the years of playing it, I made a number of adaptations to the third instrument which might be of interest.
Over the years of playing it, I made a number of adaptations to the third instrument which might be of interest.
I. The instrument as supplied, had an inset bridge for the top two courses on the bass bridge to produce accidental notes. I found that I did not need these and a continuous bridge would be more useful. Dusty Strings were able to supply the (lower) bridge for the top two strings. I might put the original bridge back at some stage, but for the present the continuous bridge is more suitable for my tunes and suits my playing style.
I. The instrument as supplied, had an inset bridge for the top two courses on the bass bridge to produce accidental notes. I found that I did not need these and a continuous bridge would be more useful. Dusty Strings were able to supply the (lower) bridge for the top two strings. I might put the original bridge back at some stage, but for the present the continuous bridge is more suitable for my tunes and suits my playing style.
Looking at this picture below, I now see that the top bit of the bass bridge is not as closely in line as it should be!
Looking at this picture below, I now see that the top bit of the bass bridge is not as closely in line as it should be!
2. When I started playing the dulcimer, I found navigation a serious challenge and met this by putting pieces of coloured tape under the bridges of the tonic notes, most commonly D and G. I found that this helped greatly and used gold tape to mark all my Ds and silver tape to mark my G's. I appreciate that bridges are in different colours to mark the start of scales, but these do not always correspond with the Ds and Gs that I am looking for. I found that it helped anyway!
2. When I started playing the dulcimer, I found navigation a serious challenge and met this by putting pieces of coloured tape under the bridges of the tonic notes, most commonly D and G. I found that this helped greatly and used gold tape to mark all my Ds and silver tape to mark my G's. I appreciate that bridges are in different colours to mark the start of scales, but these do not always correspond with the Ds and Gs that I am looking for. I found that it helped anyway!
3. The block of wood that I have attached to the top of the dulcimer (using velcro) is for percussion. I once saw Sue Harris tapping out a tune with her sticks on the top of her dulcimer and thought that this was very effective, but I was unhappy about damaging my dulcimer by drumming on it directly - hence the removable wooden block!
3. The block of wood that I have attached to the top of the dulcimer (using velcro) is for percussion. I once saw Sue Harris tapping out a tune with her sticks on the top of her dulcimer and thought that this was very effective, but I was unhappy about damaging my dulcimer by drumming on it directly - hence the removable wooden block!
4. The piece of green chord that is would around the strings close to the fixed pins is a safety measure. My good friend, Nic Lucas tells a tale of a great uncle of his who, as a small boy between the Wars, was standing close to a busking dulcimer player when a string broke and caught him in the eye, almost causing a loss of his sight. Although the story may be about a unique occurrence, I know from experience that breaking dulcimer strings do fly off with considerable velocity. The twisted chord usefully prevents any broken strings from going in the direction of bystanders. You never know! See the entry on Nic Lucas above under Other Collaborations for the story as Nic told it.
4. The piece of green chord that is would around the strings close to the fixed pins is a safety measure. My good friend, Nic Lucas tells a tale of a great uncle of his who, as a small boy between the Wars, was standing close to a busking dulcimer player when a string broke and caught him in the eye, almost causing a loss of his sight. Although the story may be about a unique occurrence, I know from experience that breaking dulcimer strings do fly off with considerable velocity. The twisted chord usefully prevents any broken strings from going in the direction of bystanders. You never know! See the entry on Nic Lucas above under Other Collaborations for the story as Nic told it.
5. At the front of the instrument I have attached a laminated notice which says "This is a Dulcimer". I cannot remember how many times I have been asked the question, "What is that instrument?" but it must certainly be in the hundreds. It is great that people are interested enough to ask, but they do sometimes come up and ask the question when I am in the middle of playing a tune. I am happy to talk about dulcimers most times of the day or night, but I find that it is extraordinarily difficult to hold a sensible conversation whilst playing music at the same time. I have taken off the notice from time to time, when going to sessions where I think that everyone has seen the dulcimer before, but people come back with the same question, so the notice is reinstated!
5. At the front of the instrument I have attached a laminated notice which says "This is a Dulcimer". I cannot remember how many times I have been asked the question, "What is that instrument?" but it must certainly be in the hundreds. It is great that people are interested enough to ask, but they do sometimes come up and ask the question when I am in the middle of playing a tune. I am happy to talk about dulcimers most times of the day or night, but I find that it is extraordinarily difficult to hold a sensible conversation whilst playing music at the same time. I have taken off the notice from time to time, when going to sessions where I think that everyone has seen the dulcimer before, but people come back with the same question, so the notice is reinstated!
6. I have found that the dulcimer serves admirably as a music stand by putting music or song words on the top of the dulcimer to the right of the treble bridge. The difficulty with this, of course, is that the papers slide downwards off the dulcimer if there is nothing to hold then. The answer to this, I found, is to take a clear plastic folder and to attach this with blue tack. Papers can then be placed in the envelope and held in place with a paper clip at the bottom. I have found this really useful, particularly when I need prompting with song words, and I suspect the audience has no idea that I need to prompt myself! The problem with manuscript is that the strings in front of the paper give the impression that there are more horizontal lines than expected!
6. I have found that the dulcimer serves admirably as a music stand by putting music or song words on the top of the dulcimer to the right of the treble bridge. The difficulty with this, of course, is that the papers slide downwards off the dulcimer if there is nothing to hold then. The answer to this, I found, is to take a clear plastic folder and to attach this with blue tack. Papers can then be placed in the envelope and held in place with a paper clip at the bottom. I have found this really useful, particularly when I need prompting with song words, and I suspect the audience has no idea that I need to prompt myself! The problem with manuscript is that the strings in front of the paper give the impression that there are more horizontal lines than expected!
As you will see, at the time of this photograph I had been working on an accompaniment to 'Riding Down to Portsmouth' - but finding it quite tricky. Practice makes perfect, I remind myself!
As you will see, at the time of this photograph I had been working on an accompaniment to 'Riding Down to Portsmouth' - but finding it quite tricky. Practice makes perfect, I remind myself!
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Please feel free to email me at bill.howarth54@gmail.com with any comments on the website.
Please feel free to email me at bill.howarth54@gmail.com with any comments on the website.
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