1985-03, Dulcimer Players News Vol. 11 No. 3

Page 1

Vol. 11, No.3

$2 .50

Summer 1985

Lost Valley Dulcimers

More 1985 Events

Lance Frodsham

Paul WYSlkowski

Marble Hammer Dulcimer

Wildwood Dulcimers

and much more ...

Lilah Gillett and Harvey Prinz


DuLCIMER PtAYERS NEWS

Vol. 11, No.3 CI 1985

Summer 1985

AU Rights Reserved

The DULC IMER PLAYERS NEWS is published four lilllC$cach )'car. I MU(Safe mailed (\'ja 3rd class) 10 5ubscribcn in January. April. July and October. Su\). SCriptiOIlS in the United Siaies arc $10 per year. S 18 for lWO ~·can. Canada: $12 per yea r. Other count riC$ (surface mail): $12, (air mail): S 16. Recent back issues arc: u$\iaIlYilvailablc:. Cost Ix:rbac\r: issue ill $3.2 1 in the USA. Advertising inrorm~­ lion is available: upon request.

Madeline MacNeil , Editor D ULC I!'oU;R PLAYERS NI>ws

1).0. Box 2164 Winchester, VA 22601 703/668-6 152

"''' 1..0:1:1 V.ller Dulcimers CAlli' BuTdid ......... .....

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Events Calcmdar . ... ....................... ...

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IntervlCW: Lance: Frodsham Njam; Morr ....• . . .

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In Searcb or the: Kansu Dulctrntr lIan'ry Pnn: _

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Binhday Tunt ror O. F. HIUldeI Qrr. S. Pontr, ..••••••• 16 Marble Dulcunt:r Bill Kuhltmm •............•... Reviews . Interview: Paul

11 ... 19

Wy~uowski Mar8uulllf 8/tJilfr • .....••• , 23

The Scholar Irish Rul . The Answer Column SDm Ri::f!//(J ... .• . . •••.••• . .

... 25 . ... 26

HIlITlO1oCr DulclO1oCr Tablature Curr;f Cromp/lM .... ......• ' 28 •• 29

Wildwood DulcimclS •••.•.••...••. What's New . . . Classified Ads . . .

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your favoritc mail-Ql'dcr shop charges through the catalogue? My policy is to givc the artist's address. If you want to writc to the publi sher/ label. that address is usually readily availablc. Also, shop addresses are available through their ads or catalogues which you probably already have . I know it involvcs e~tra correspondence on your pan. I jusl wam co help cveryone involved in the selling of these cn:ativc projects. [f you ha,·c a bencr i<ka. 1"11 be glad to hear it. As always, I havc problems gelling cveryone's letters and questions answered . The stacks get a little higher and I feel a linle more guilty as I takc out some lime 10 practice my music and enjoy my family . Butlhen my sislCT RUlh Anne comes over and wc chip away at one of the stacks. Trusl me. I'm 001 ignoring you . Some of your qUCSIio ns \Oo'e answer through the Duldmtr P/aytrsNt ....s. Othersju. t takc us time to take care of. r ve recently found that a big problem concerns the release date for certain aniclc$ in thc DPN. I tell someone that thdr intcrviewlaniclcJammgcment will appear in a panicu lar issue. Then somethinl happens 10 prevent this . Most often II eoocems a lacki ng bit ofi nfonnation eouplcd with Iypesening deadlines. I typeset the magazine al home . but the is proccssed elsewhere and returned to me by mail. [will do my utmost tOlet dated material (festival notices. clC.) in the proper issue. if the information reaches me within a reasonable time before lhe last typesetti ng traosmision . Thc magujne is sent to Michigan for prinling approximately ten days after the published deadlines. soYOllcln see thaI wc run on a tight $Chedule. From nowon.l"ll only be ablc to givc you appro~ lmatc issue relcase dates for undated malcrial. This happens 10 IIIC. also . I WlS intcrv1c\Oo'ed almost two ycars Igoand saw thcarticlc printcdjustlhis week . [ had forgotten about it. You are the reason for Dulcim ... Play"" NtWI. You and your music makc it III worthwhile. and I thank you .

GClling tMn: is half thc fun . wt August when I typese t and puttogctherthe fall issuc ofDuldmrr Plll)"us Nt ....l, [ ~straincd mysclffrom glowing poetically about fesliva[ and concen UlIvcling via Amlr.k . This year. with all the din: words aboul passenger lrains, I can no longer keep silent. Besides. this April I traveled 10 Lima. Ohio for the Gn:at Black Swamp Dulcimer Festival on the train and OI\te more fell in love .... ith Ihis means of transportal ion. Nevermind that Anna Selfridge and her mother met me and the Capital Limited al 6 I .m . in Lima while Susan Porter kindly took me 10 the train station at I I p.m . on Sunday nighl . They didn't look 100 sleepy to me! I was able 10 transport a hammc:r dulcimer and stand. clothes and a box of albums and UlJICS safely and without problems. rye had memorablc moments with in MrunlCnlS at airports. I caught the Capital Limiu:d at Harper's Fcrry. WV. ten miles from home. and a few minutes after the conductor left, moved to the dome car for spectacular views of the PoIomac Riverand the mountain countryside. Even at night. hearing the distant Ullin whi stle brought an inten:sting kind of peace without deadlines and office worries . In June of 1984. I I()()I\ the Ullin for a fcstival{oollCCTt lOUr from Harper's Feny 10 DenvcT; from Benson. Arizona to Los Angeles and from Los Angeles to Harper's Fcrry. I could have included anothc:r stop (Ncw Orleans? Portland'!). but perform· ing oommitlmenlS back easl didn't pennit the time . All of this ct)§1 only $300 on an All Aboard America pass. I belicvc this year's cost is$32~ for UlIvd ICroM the country. Last year I saw the Painted Dcscn in mid-morning and gorgeous countryside al dusk . Do you know. the VCf)' early s.ummc:rmoming light 011 the California descn looks like snow? I Still occasionally corre· spond with I teenagc girl from Wi!iCOllSin who played Heans and Double Solitaire with me in the club car. As we approached Chicago, the first major stop iioccour Los Angcles depanure. I WIS asked by several passe.gers, who by then were curious lbout the inSlJUment in the skinny case, to play and sing $OITIC. I did, very quietly SO I wouldn' t disturb anyone . But. all of a s.uddcn. people were asking q~Stion5 and sharing musical cxperiences With each other. As I relfl(mber and enjoy my memories of the Colorado Statc Dulcimer Festival, the South""est Dulcimer Days and the SumIfl(r Solstice Festival , the getting.there is cenainly • large pan of the wholc . I cncouragc you tOCOllSi<kr the train when planning your festival uavcls . Yes , it \VIS on time (within I~ minutes) cverywhere except OIl the last Icg of my journey fn 19&4. No. I havc not recently been appointed 10 the Board of Directors of Amtrak . I'vc rcccn lly had several rtqUC$tS to include prices for books and records mentioned in the What's Ncw column and in revicws. I'vc considered your Jequests and must OffCTthe followingcxplanatiOllofwhy I don't wlnt 10do this . Fi~lof .11. books and records received here usnlly don't givc price informalion. meaning I must write: to someone concerning this . Those of you whoso paticnt ly wli t for me 10 answcr your leiters know whal a problem this is. (More about Ihis later). Also. whal price do I live? What the aniSl is chaJ"ging at conceru? The mail order price plus shipping? What the label/publisher charges'! What

won.

Dulcimerily.

Madeline MacNeil. Editor Ou/ci",~r Pllly~rl N~wl

The summer is still young . If YOll'o:: looking for festi val s and gathen nls to attend . .sec page 7.

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CONTENTS • 103 PlIes, spirIJ bou nd • 23 Inldi1ional sonp

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duels • Step by s1ep inslJ'Uclions • 48 ulmplcs and chlrts • Over 40 ilIustralions • 74 minut e Companion Cuselle with III lOngs and uerciKI.

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IVORY PALACES MUSIC )14 1 SpolUWood A~nuc McmphiJ. TN nI l! (901) J2BS,"

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Dear OPN. On January 13th of tillS )'ear CI)'SIII RIVcr Strin,s burned to the ground With I 10111 loss of the romplete ..u.xt-,,·orlun, NIop and 20 il\S1Tl1mrnlS. We sa"ed 2 dul clmen. 2 lIarps , a lIurdy-gun.ly and I harpSIChord .. lIicll "'CR: m the houst It the ume . It will be st"eral months before ""'C arc back in production again. but wc an: workin, on i1. Mcanwllilc our files an: gooc and ..c would like names and addresstS of Mlpplicrs Interesled In our business. We would cspet: ially like to ha~c the names and addresses of those .... 1'10 sent the ir copies ofChtt H,OC 'S MOI<nI(lin Dwkimtr 10 me I couple of ycm ago. I still o ..·c you lOIllCthing , Thank you for all oolmdcfluons Bob Hange Crystal RI\'er Stnngs IS9S NighlShadc Dr CI)'Slal R,ver, fL 32629

Dear DPN: Somc.. here between the second dl'1lfl and the firllll copy. I los! an "c~ In Anoc Gnrncs' name [Vol. 11. No. I • Winle( 1985 1. 1do apologize fill" this and UUSI you Ifill enJO)'ed til,S &rIlCIe .bc:M I renwtablc folk linger, collcttor and dulcimer cnthu· liag. B)' the wly ... lIy OOIchcCTher .. uh. un;! or OOIe 1S!ohe is ha~ln, some health probleM: Anne Grimes. 337 W, Bro.Jd, way . Gran~ille, OH 43023. Erik IUomstedl Jollct. IL Dear OPN: StOl'y1ellcrDavid Holl has lIisowncable television series Fin 011 ,II~ Moun/(lin. It reaches ludie~ of 350-500,000 pc<lplc Icron Ilic counlry . VQgu~ M(Jga:in~ called it .. the bCSI of the Nlshville Netwoct;M .. itll its combination of old -ume musk by head-lioc sroups. on-kx:IUon VlillS to hear mountain music It ilS bCSI and pcrfonJllrlCCS by David, hHmclf. 'J"ht propm 1teI1S original (as opposed 10 mod-

2

ern) country IIlU~ic ....1111 ~ . !ft1Cnling 11 in .n entertainin& but senous wly _ When uked how F,,~ 011 I~ Mounl(l't/ may h.ve ennchcd lIis SlOI)'lclhng an. David Holt ~plicd , ~ It' l thanged It ~ He "'Cnt on 10 expllln "E~ery lime I record. "IllY they till 11 out And Ihcsc arc 5hon 2'" mmUIe SI>lric$ 'J"hty limply feel thai the Slones arc noc ICIe"islOn 1TIIICriaI , 11111 has Ilte~ my th1l\~lng I try to find short thmp • alrnoA anccdoIcs - that ~ally did happen In starcllmg. ),OU become \'ery awarc of little thmp that pass by m ron· \'CIUhon . It's maOc me ~ahu that Il\IC to life MOneS In: Imponar!llnd can be lold In

a short~ I asked 111m If he u~ the!lC 10 ronn«"1 the musIC. "Yes, and il'lllmosl the most n&tul'1ll form Clr SlOI)'lCllin& that thtre IS A woman told how once hCT'famlly ..-u ing their home during I tornado, They turned around toget one lastghmpse. Sud· denl), the tomildo pICked up the c&rand sct it in I tree . They h.ad 10 climb out and down ." Dnid went on to add that !lOt.1I the events wlllCll ma~e up lhe §tOl1C!i ha,'c 10 be as major as this Ullng these very short Idd~ .uthenllclIy to the prognm IS they tofI'ICtilTle5 Wd hght on the mUSlClin 'S blcksround. the 111$101) of the music or individulltuoc Da"Id ' 1 "-g nnp p i S 10 P'O\'C the way for other youn, people to make I h~ln & prrromnng the maten.1 he unCOItCTI Hc has already e\pandcd the sno-' musically 10 II'It11.ldc OIbcr Iypcs folk musIC $Ul:1I I I Indl musIC If you'yc "JO)'ed Fjr, 011 t~ MQflnt(lln wnle • lener to the netwon: _1lw:y are imporllnl and help .. hen II 'S lime for reocwal of the program. If you Iulve OC\'er Nd the plcuu~, tuoc In on Salurday at noon, 2:30pm , 11 :3Op m or I :O(hm (check local 115M,s for the chanocl). Address for Fin 011 ,h~ M ouNtuin IS: N..-;II""le Nctwon.. 2806 Oprcyland Om'e , N..-;lIville. TN 37214 Pamel. Vander Ploc,. Editor

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Dear OPN: I 1Ia\'e be"", broadcastmg for WBAA radio, In NPR. Iffilhalc '" Laflyette. Indianl Pan of my woct; ind~ I feaM!: called Folk Sampler. The j1.aUOO'S lIbnry docs nOi. ob"iOllSI)" ha~c c\ery~ ' s .Ibum Performers mtemted in hlvlIII the" RCOrU$ '~IJlable may send albums 10

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Folk Sampler. WBAA . Elliott Hall ofMusic. WCSt Lafaycuc. IN 47907. Wc are noc sct up 10 air cassct\(: tapes. If selectjons from an album are aired . the performer will m:eivc a card with the date and lime , Mara Wasbum w. Lafayeuc. IN

Dc...- DPN; My hobbies are dulcimer Ind comfJ\ltcr foolishness . I've got something to share with any readers woo may b( intcrested in these two. Namely , a di skene with some computer graphics of duldmers. both Appalachian and hammered. and the soft · wan: to play some dulcimer'Sly le tunell . The y wOll't5Ollnd like your pride: and joy. hov.'ever. Th is will won: only with Applc II series comfJ\ltcrs. ]'11 be happy \0 send a copy to anyone who will send me II blank jVo" floppy disk arK! relUm posuge. Georgc Osocr 1124 Brady A\'e . Modesto. CA 9j350

Dear DPN: It·s a long way back when you're

,

banged up badly. It takes SUflCry, medication , physical therapy arK! a IIX of good old n.C . My wifc Ann.e and ] havc come a long way. but we're: still a loog w~y frum home. following our three-car collision hlS! summer. We both had dislOl:ated hips. broken ribs. cuts . bfuises. etc.; and we each had some: other broken bones of our own. with Anne getting the w~t of it. Thank heaven I could use IxMh hands . You' ll see why. 11le first "'-eek 01" so were: spenl with the surgery and mcdieDtioo s mostly . but from that point on the boredom and discomfort from the tra.ction sct in. A dulcimer played a big pan in my therapy. uarting about then: and I'm sure it helped Anne a lot,

BOO KS fur MOm....fA IN DULCIM ER by T O!'>! BAEIIR

too. If ]'d neve r had any benefit from having been brought up in dulcimer country and playing one from the lime of my last IW() ycar'5 of college lip to that point. it wouldslill ha \'e been worth a1ltheeffon of trying to control \hat picking hand. tdling folk what it was. repeating that and then spelling it QIlI. Dulcimer ther.lPy did a LOT for us. Had I 1'10\ been numbem::l among the dulcimer picken of QIl r beloved "AlaSippi." it would ha\'e been mllCh different. ] know . But . there it was. time fOl"the first ann\,llli dulcimer festival al Merid ianville. JUSt a few miles up the road from Hunts· ville aoo the hospiual where they took. U$ in Decatur. AL. All our frie oos from the Southern Appalachian Dulcimer Associa· tion aoo the Alla·Si ppi Dulcimer Assoo::ia · tion were in vited and most of them were going. It was natu r.ll that tMy shoold Stop in aoo sec us on the way up that Saturday. Manha Jean Crai n aoo her mother. Mil dred. of Dolomitc. AL brought with them a nice looking walnut dulcimer. I finally was persuaded to pick it a liule there among all my wires. pu lleys. etc. I .'l()()/\ saw I really wasn't too sick to do !iO. althoogh I'd have said!iO bcf~hand . perhaps . Aner a nice vi,it. they .tartW w leavc and I handed Ihe inslrument lo lhem. "No, We want you to have il." said Manha Jean. [ couldn' t belie\'e my can. bu t after objecling rather weakl y to their giving us such an expensive gift, we told them so long with tcar'5 in our eyes. They'd said they couldn ' , sel[ il becausc the finger· boatd had sl ipped and was not uactly in t he cen ter. ] kn ow t hey could have. though . It could be off nearly one~ig.hth of an inch. but doesn', show al all . Every day , regardless of how much 1

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Traditi onal Music • NEW TUJ'I'ES/O LD FRn: rm s .. S4.9S 19 Sonl~ .1Id l)a nces. Incilldin, Old lotl

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• A Pl. F.ASANT A()I)ICTION..$5.95 18 Dances.1Id Songs. hM:lud lnl " lUlt ltJ 'lrt Weddi,.,. ~, IIr, Wf/Uiftlll. ,'t{tW C'IIIt1ry.

• SPEC ' AL.. BOTII 800 KS. ..S IO.OO ppd . ~

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HOC t"lOOl. E I'IU:SS F'\tII$alK St .. StonotwIo. MA 11IlMI

Our new E.P. Uust like the rock'n roll 101k5) felltures four o f Qur favQrl te Amer lelln t~i!lQlUIltunesQn hammer dulclmer.fIC· cordlQn. banJo and ba" guitar. Hal f (, hlilf \I()(lI1 and Instrumental. The Que en Ann e'. La ce extended plll)'lng 33·1/3 rpm rec:ording Is IIvllllable for $5.00 includ ing postage and handling frQm: Quee n Anne'. La ce 754 Franklin """",nut Pit tsburgh. P.... 15221

was hurting orhow bored and tim::ll felt. [ managed to play that instru ment a bil; and every day it lifted my spirits. By the time I got home ~ill weeks after the accident. I was playing better than I'den' rplayed and knew mon:' tUIlC$ . It also made me some friends in lite ho!;pilalthat I' d never have had otherwise. W .. ·~e all pcmapsquOIed the line: ··Mu · sic hath diann to soother the savage beast." bUI I mean it more now. Since taking an early semi·retiremenl. I' ve been taking my dulcimer mon: senously than ever. [ hope to be meeling some more of you pickers; for if I didn't know it be fore: my dulcimer therapy. I certainly know now thaI )ou'n:' B very special breed of people. Archie L. Lee Red Bay. AL Steve Schne ider is interested in forming 11 hammer dulcimer cooper"'ti\'e in the New York City area. [ntcresled players can call SlCve at (212)666·2224. Deadlines

1be fall (Cktobcr) issue of Dfl/t;;nttr Pia\,· ~rs Nt ...sgocs tOthe printcraroond August

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Ads ................... August 15t h Nolice>. flC ............ August 10th

If you are sending an ad or Important notice for the DPN and it is close 10 the deadline. PLEASE usc my home address: P.O . BoA 63, Hillsboro. VA 22132. ThI s address s ho uld not be used for 5ubscript ions and similar co rrespondence. That wott is done in WinctlC5ter. As lonly go o\'er there once a week . perhaps less during the summer. it is helpful to have D PN material arrive here.

S. W. Paul Wyszkowski LUlhler

Sped.t purpop dulcimers (;UIIOm 1ICQU1l1c1 10

Suit ~rtlcul. r music or p&.ylng Ity... ~feI/Qw

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lekeC.,,,..,, NY 10$11 (...""Ingt:. WNklllldlj


Lost Valley Dulcimers

An Interview with Curt Sanders & Linda Foley by C' Ann Burdick Montague, MI

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l..ah dun~SCUfNs. I Mbump and jail" pal'~m~1Il to ...ard my dfsliMtion. Bifor~~, a Katt~r~d nw:~ of orchards, f~nilt "'ilh crisp goldtn and rtd han'rst·ri~applu. Grain fitlds at r~slfrom a JtauHI of long labor, Coof,LAJ:tMichigan bruusdri/t through tht aUlIlnln·JPictd timbtr ridgt and 3rt/It do"'n in a sparu pint dtaring. Tht long COUlllty rood ~nd.s al a rough·/ltwn. slab· IN()()I/ sign: Lost Valley Duki~rs. Tht sm~/I homt-workshop of hammutdlfrtlttd du/cimtr dtsignus, Cun Sandus and Unda Foley Ii~s north "'~Sl of MOfltagu~ , tHI Michigan's "'tst COOSI. fmprtssionisric "'Orb of art, /xlr. It rtdfor al rounll~JS an shows, ...allpafHr Iht tmry, "'lri/~ futhitry littrature sharts shtl/s{NlC~ "'1,11 ~rs ofcolltcltd m.uieal rtcordings. In lilt piau of a sofa and lablts, moull/ain and hammtrtd dulci· mt" al'.'tJit thtir playt". I am capr"rtd by Unda 's uniqut "'oedcarl'ing artislry. through ...hieh sh~ tXpftsses h~r strong kinship with natuft. whilt r~v~llling her fasr:inalian for crtatu,t·imag~sJound only in th~ pag~s f/ CtI'ir:fQl,i~ ta/~s. Frtll~d du/r:ifMr Kroll lOpS o,~ magically "a"sform ~d i",o j1o ...i"g·hair,d maid~/IS from agtS pasl. Th~ir d~lic()t~ f~atur~s riu OUI 0{ th~ woodgrain. Dolphins and ""O/I'U h~ads ar~ held in charactu ~~rmor~ in th~ hard ...ood mtl1Dgerit. Spring ...ildj1(»1'us. skill/ully can-~d ...i,h d~dlcat~d patl~lICt . bloom on Iht Joulldboords, "'IIi1~ prancing unirorns and fiery. oritmal dragons breatllt lif~ in hamm~r~d du/d~r sound hole!. Pr~ClSely ~Ich~d Iry I'i,,~s ...ind thtir "ony along fram~ railJ. Curt S()n/kr'J ,tmlt manntr is lightly Inl~twOl·tn ...ith his chost" livllhood. HI is ,ugg~d. )V!t _,m Iiu Ih~ rich mnhaga"y, "'OlnUl UIId ch~rry hard...oods ...hieh cr~ale Ihe rtrogni:abl~ IOrlt of LoSI Vallty foll_'~d Ih~

Blue Uon Guitars and Dulcimers Instruments of exceptional quality preferred by fine musldans Including:

Janita Baker, Beverly Bishop, Carrie Cromplon, Neal Hellman, Jay Leibovitz, Dorolhy May. Wade Hampton Miller, Alan Mortimore, Mark Nelson, SaIly Roger.>, and others, Autllori%ed bullden of The Jean Ritchie TradiUon&l MounUlln Dulcimer • ncI tile Force-d'OucM 6-String Dulcimer {of tree txochure write

or ClIII

inslrum~nlJ.

Wh.1 nrst Inleruled you In dulcimen~ 4

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Cun ; Rkhard and Mimi Fllifla give UJ our first taste 0( dulcimer musk. Richard played the world' $ first rock and roll dulcl' mer! We became inle:restod mthe dlvUSlly of muskll style5 thai could be inle:rpreltd through the mountain dulcimer. Linda; Our finl mounla.n dulcllner WII$. kil. We ...~ livlDJ WIlli a group of people and Curt"sister was gi~n a dulci· mer kil. Curt put il IOgClheT ud \I'C would mike I bi, cirde and pau II around 10 everyone IJI the house. No 012 knew_ 10 plIy it. but 'II'(! hid I IIrII ume tryll'lJ 10 fiswe it OUI. Ii 1110 live Cun and me I missing part of our hves. We wall both workin, in factories and dftadm, every work day . Curt: We decided it was time 10 VOw , 10 do somcthins rOl' the love of it. We began by painti ns and uhibitlft,our wort I I an flirs. Alone fiJI'. we we~ next to a dulcimer builder. W~ spentllle wllole dly listening to hi m play the only Ihree sonp he knew. Just ancr that w~ gOl the "communal" kit. We begin 10 reselrC h the possibilily of building fOl' a living , and here we an: • Jtill I I it.

Was th l5 lM lum ing poin t rrom 1M IOta 10 lhe Klu" "flIl ul"f ? linda: Yes, however. I financJIl con· ttibution from Curt's mother so we could

purchase some ba51C tools didn ' t hun either. We Still haw; the anisl·~llted St.g· ma aboul building as a c _r. We keep le:llina each other that \I"e ha~ 10 JO OUI into the 9 10 5 worid. and !pili actJI'IJ to crazy. We Io~ it! It II hIn:I..art bemll desi,ner, builder. $Ilespenon and K ' all.UlWlt III rolled into IWO people. We just keep on ~inve5l.na in raale:rial5 and invelting lime in ~fineme9ts and CJ. . pcrimentalion . The monewy~y4fwill never be arrat . but the personal ~wlln.b of this work arc what mak~ il a life worth livi n,. not mere ly an uiual1Ce .

people o n the instruments lhey ordc:r. Sornetimes I r«eive truly dllll1enging dt · 5iID requests. and they really put my abil· ity 10 the test .

Curt: Every finished insuumenl is an other upcrimcnl . I never 51y. '1111S tS the SOIlnd.. Physicll combinations of a&cd wood . 5teel, brass and bronu·wound wi~ . wi~ length and I solid . innerbracing plan make every dulcuner unique: in tone . The Dukimer Fun F~ in Evan Michigan taughl me the most important clements ofconstnlCtion. At Evanone has the rare opportunity to be plugged into othe r builders. When we first began Iltending the Fest. ~ were only five ur six bu ilders. Now the~ are fif!eC: n. 1Ometimes 1I"IOf"e . W~ all share idtas, dcsig9 ~J periemnts and new bracing plans. Personally. lleam SOITIC'thing new with evel)' dukimer. I spend I great dtal of lime studyi ng the differenl periodicals on In· stru me nt construction theories whi ch could be illCOrpOBled in the hammered dulcime r. The mon important lesson builden learn is. if you lCuwly build I hammered du lcimer as strong as it has 10 Ix. 10 aa;omodale: the enormous Jnssure from the wina tension_ it 1I."OUid sound horriblt . Also . the weight of the: instN· menl would be excessive. You have 10 learn 10 compcnsale: fhrough I wrdy de· sign and the actual anatomy of each insuu·

o

H

-.

stnunentli was I 111M: original Rca:nily. 1 hJI~ SIarttd 10 USC: just a few baic desigm. but upcrimenting with Iltcnlioru;. I Rill enjoy <loin, lbe personalized carvmp fOl'

You \IX I nritty 0( wlra on you r In . llrumenb . Whal d ilrC'ft1laS do t M y produce?

~k~lching

H_.u.... .,. Ko.oIo K. " ........ 16M. Aaa.rMoJrr. v"" ... ZlIll ""'- 1tJIt41·1Q1I

and desianinawork. It III swted with a k rt .ovCl' chunk of plaster from miring the Nlhroom. I used knivC5 and IoCTCwdrivCf5 fIX" my tooIl, and diJcovered I reilly enjoyal il. Every carvin, 01\ !he early in·

lindl: I hJlve al ....·lys lik«l

v_,

W

C urt. how do ,'ou creale 1M t'XCt'lIent lonal quality pre!iC'I'Il ln your ha m llM'ffd dulcimers?

Linda: Violin makers ha~ I written history of every upericmnt ever tried on influencina the violin ' s theory of con5IrUC· lion. Dulcimer builders OOI'I"t hJlve thll IUJul)' . We an: missing thai nelworting of infomwion transfer. Very few publicltions dtal with hammered dulcimer u pe r ime nil l ion . For now, th ~ conla CI amonl bui1dcts is limiled 10 the music festivals . I can' t even begin 10 imagiJlC lhe VISI number of discoverlc5. through CJI,perime9tation , which will never surface due 10 isolltion. ASI r~nedduk imer bui l· dcI'. I fi nd the in fOlTDlll1on conccm inglhe evoJulionofthis instrument is quite casy 10 obtain. 8 uI that ii only because the fretted in$uvmenl is a ~Iatiyc native 10 the: USA .

Lindll , wlult inspired the Idta of handcarvM deslgru on your Inslru menl.l?

Appalachian Dulc imers

J1

o

u FI1lt

e .../urn",... /""

~)'

ACllo n

CA RDBOA RD DULC IMERS W* ....... fIU,d,. Inu"ponjl u

ill'

IlrIIIM.ut,1deal1or brpnnu. ploya'S. ochoob ..... UJIIpt.,. IIi,.. Our kiu an ~Ipcd lor -Xt lluilden. All ~ .... pre-c:vt. A_oobI, talr.a IWO houn.. ~lIlra

no IN rp 01'

un~uaI loolt.

We 11K lIOIid wood fm bo.rda .....mI IIIMn , IIOUndboxa of die"""" 200 Ill. IlrI''''IIh conup.fdan;lbo.td. No ply.

wood.. bin l irinp, ralnb.t and play.

inI ....n...J lnelo.wled.

Perfect preHnl for youn l"UI o. mll,iul frlond, . Pdcu. $2 4·$44. , .oup dl•• ounl l ....i1.bIor.

Hurln, II bt1ievinc. 10 *. off•• OPN ....oen. JO.iby frff tn.l. W.'1l oYft1 pt.," 1M mum thlf'Pltlllf you l taI '. ... ilRN. Write f« I 1m: au,",-: DPN Fr« T rial Off. r, Bach...d Millie:. P.O. 80,9041, N. .. H... n , CT 06S11 Of call lOll4(!9.S7S6 f""" 7

..• •• I I P.III.

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David Crou


Linda ami Curt: Again. it's physics. For example. \I'e have a sllort !Iring length ami wish 10 produce a low 1lO!e . We then usc I bnus wire .... hich will gh'e the deSired vibrntion without a lot of slacl.:orthe tradi tional ··mushy· oo-tooc" vibration . BTlIS5 does oot tune upas high as 5tul and therefore lives oot a low. mellow Quality. We prefer to usc the multiple gauge 5teel wire to give tile instrument a brooder range. plus the variation and SUSlain in the notes comes through ckarer. Multi·gau&!, .... ire also redoces the possibility of stnlin or fnacturing ofl he inICmal bnteing by reliev. ing a lot of unncceuary lension. What Is thc aclua l drh'ing rOl"<:e Ihal keeps yoo going. s p~lIdinK the .... ord and m u.~le of du k:imers~ Linda: I can ans ....e r yoor Gu~tion this way . At a recent art fair, people .... ere mi ll· ing around and asl.:ing the familiar . " What is that Ihing" qU("Slions . We ooticed that one woman was intently $Iudying one of oor mountain du lcimers. All at once she began pulling and tugging on It. She must have rc:ad the odd expressions on our faces. for she very seriously asked what she hllll todo 10 open the dulcimer into the

'Tfian~,

hammered venion! So. for us. the driving foree is the people. and the genuine plea· sure they get from listening to their favorite "old" songs being pla)'ed on the instruments .

potential of the dulcimers. 1be movement forward in the music oflhc past is exciting. and we are truly happy that we have chosen to be pan of it.

Co ngralulalioll.'lon Lo:sI "altcy's debut recording. En Duld Jubulo. You ha.-r some unique' ma tt rial on this CllSIil'Ue.

Inquiri,s on Lost VaUry i1lSIrum, n/J und rKOroingJ are al..-ays ,,·,Irome. Lost Vol· ley Ouldm",,<. RjOO W . ,.',.,.itml.. R{){IIi. Mamague. MI494J 7.

Linda: W e wanted to perform tunes which have Revet". to ourknowledge. been Ittorded on II hamlllered dulcilller before. We ammged a variety of interesting. old foil.: tunes and dance music from the tr.iditionat Public Domain Gmm. We also play a couple of mountain dulcimer pieces. plus do a bit of si nging . Micl.:ey Meloche, a good friend and excelle nt hammered dul · cimerplayer. is with uson this first record· ing. Cun: One of the ancitnt tunes, Abbots 8 rom/q. is reputedly of Druid origin. Jt 's a hom dance. which was performed by the uibesmen who adorned their heads with reindeer horns and danced a ritual of long obscured transla tion . T he whole tape is . .. thoughtfully haunti ng. Linda: We have just begun to grow within ourselves. and in the unlimited

In/ormation un the Era" Nun-Elel'triJied FUll F,st ct//f be obtailU!d by romarling O.D .P.C .. rloJad:lA..-is. P.O. box 7)j . Adrian , MI49211 . C' ANI B~rdicI: ;'~""'·"_frn.l""u ~n,"tuId"" ~j~ ~'M J.~, lUI.., " SIw ~•• /l"ffitJl/l "li01s ,~H<U"t"/Iai., ,Iw ~'M J_h· .....,'. " ·blnlt A A_fir"" Jolt ~ ..hu

Jean & Pam!

· .. for choosing and using McSpadden dulcimers through the years to: • perrorm Ozark Folk Music all ovcr the country. • record seven albums together: WIII,lirriN!I Tltrough 1M Rlukl'Htl(lr 4' StOll' COIIIIIII Duit-imt'f Ozork MoulIl,, ;" Oultimi'r f'li'ig/lbont !-'III,i//I Album Porlr" i, 11/ Lifr

l3y JJ..bt-liI Simwltl

• gh'e (0 countless potential musicians the joy of learning to pia)' mountain dulcime r. • help makeour name synonymous with quality workmanshi tl and rriendly service.

C(I/«IOfJllt $U!5

McSpacUfen MusicaL Instruments Si lH"' /9,1t

P. O. Dn\l'er 1-; . DI'N Mou nta;n Vi" .... A" 72560 I'hun" (501) 269---&3 13

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1985 EVENTS CALENDAR July lS-AulllI5t 4

Plymouth. MA

Pl NEWOODS CAM P fealures 5eV~ midermal partic L~Of)' .....«b in dancr. music and folkklre. Folk Music W« k is July 28 10 Augllst

ol.

I" ru. CuunlI) o .....:c lind

Song Socicly of America . SOS Eighth Ave.. New York . NY 1001 8. July Z9-Augusl 4

Louis"i~.

K\'

The 10lh ANNUAL KENTIICKY M USIC WEEKEND will realU~ a wed: of f!'\'t1N and huuner dukime rs •• ula harp. bui ld ing pocket In. Aruments, and dance this year in addition 10 !he feshval. The festival ilSc:lf i5 Alii_ 2-4 and ...... 11 IIlC lude cont"efU . ..trlshop$ and danca. Info: Nancy Baner. Box 651. Bardsto .....n, KY 4(l(l()4 . 5021348-5237. IlIJU\IC1i011 In

Augll5t 2-4

Pipestem, WV

For an old lime mountain music festival. PIPESTEM orren concens and wortshcJps at the FoI kl ife Center in PipeSII:m.

WVA. Info: David SWlJcy, P.O. Bux C, PlpWem. WV 25979. 3CW466-{)626.

Augusl2-11

Meooocino, CA

wattam.eCoumy F.m groundsand f~~tum c:onteslS. u.s and c:n.flS. III'orl.shops and I Saturday nighl dance Inro: Bob Eo,'cman. 106 NavaJO. Council Bluffs. IA 51501.

Latk in the Morn;ng M USIC CEL£8RA T ION fe.lUres music and dance work -

7121366- 1 n6

shQps on

Aug. 3 1-5tpt. 2

3

variety of ;nsuumc:nts. Info:

Lan.: in the Morning. Box 1176. Mendocino. CA 95460_ 707/964-5569. Orick . CA

AUIusl 15· 18

TIlls yea.-'s KI NDRED GAni ER ING for frelled dulc:nna players. builders Ind en· IhuSlllSts III'ill be held In Redlll'ood Nalionll Pan:, It featum \"orit:s~ and ~rfonn­ ins in addiuOIl to the general ~amcmdelll' experienced at Kindrc:d Gathenngs Info: Susan HOIII'eli. Box 1424. Mendieino. CA 95460. 7071937-4669, Aug. JO-Sept. 1 AHM.'a. 1,\

The IOU! OLD-TIME COUNTRY M USIC fESTIVAL III'i li be held at the Poeta-

.'

Mah"crn ,OIl

Thc GREAT TRAIL f ESTIVA L (al.so held Augu$t 24-25) features 11'1II1I1I00ai musk. artS and erafts. The Stl te or OhiO DuIciITlC1' ChamplOllshlP 111'111 happen on Sunlby. Sc:p:. lSI Info; Great Trail mllval Assoc .• P.O Boll 552. Mallcm. OU 44644. 211)794-9100. August 3 1, Sept. I Palrk, MD

Ctclllro,'iJle Stale

Sponsorrd by the Du1c:irncr Disorgam1.atioo of Grealcr Washinglon, the TlI1RD ANN U AL FALL M US ICA L WEEKEND. will be: held at Cedarville State Pan:. MD. Info: Keith YounS. 38 15 Kcndak Rd .• AlIIUU1dale. VA 22003 , 7031 941 -1071 .

;

: -:-

10th Anniversary 1985 - 7 Day Celebration! Louisville , Kentucky July 29 - August 2 Week lon8 jnstruction ill:

August 2-4 Weekend Concerts

• Doncl,. • Sons... • Dulci...... • S-YT.!h ... . c,.ftJ · H.~1Od OUk' ......

Workshops

. tnMnolTlmlllu,id'''II orin

Whltl~.rn...:h".." ..

Ow.r To •• hre , Jo. II.C.toh ...... I..,.... _ ••• " .... lJ-.tuer _ J~ ........ ""41. ,.. ••• 11 _ 100 ~1 •• 0."10 .... _ .... - ...... ""7er n . eo ... leha. !to..,.telh... J . . . . . .~ . _

a ••l .

&.~

111". 1 •• • - 10. L-•••

lu tn. C...k HO.

I

DIu . . . .

, . ,lor _ """. c... ~

Dances Crafts On sitecamping

l ... H'ckl. _ ~. ' .....111 ••••••• • •• el . . . . . .. ... _ Tooct.t.. . ~1..,trlClt7 _ Spo.~ . . . u. 1111 . ~ ••• _ Th . ' • • 1 ' orl' I trla, .... 'aak "ck. ll • tick' .... il.1.

J • • l!cCo ... l.k

'1" "*-7 Ott.r.

For KhedU!a, prking.nd further information please rontiKt Na!'lC)' Batm · P,O . Box 651 - Bardstown. KY 40004 - (502)348-5231

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MptC'mbtr 15

lIuntsvllk. AL

Info: BatT)' Howard , Pine M t. Swe ResM

The J rd Innual NORTH ALABAMA DULCIMER FESTIVAL will be held ilt the Lions Club Parle. It is • ,athering of pI.yen. maken and tnthusiaw of hammer and fretted dukimen . Jam 5CS5ions. perfonnanta. saIe$ boodIs. n:fmhmc:nu , primauy. cam"""_ Info: Wayne TIYIor. P.O. BoK ]25. Meridianvi lle, AL ).57.59.

September 19,20,2 1,22, 1985

2051828.(0)4.

WINFI ELD, KANSAS FA IRG ROUNDS Na tiona l ~IOlilltaill Dulcime r Championship September 20th

14th ANNUAL WALNUT VALLEY fESTIVAL will be held at !he Wi nr!eld, Kansas FairiJUUIld!. 11Ie feslival features C(II1teSIJ including mounuin and IuImme:r dulcimer. II't$ and crafts fair. workshops, and CQIIeetU . Info: Bob Redford . P.O. Box 245. Winrltld. KS 67156. )161221 .

~tmber

Park, Pineville . KY 40977. 5021337.

3066. SeptflllW l7·29

The AlITUMN HI US DULCIMER FESTIVAL will be held II Camp Stquassen. _ WiMlt1l , CT. Wornnop.. ooncet'IJ, and d&nce5. Into: P.O. 8ol807, Will$led ,

CT 06098. 2031379·91151.

19-22

WinJidd. KS

~tmber 13-29

Ooyleslo.'n, PA

The 2nd annuli IIERITAGE DANCE FESTIVAL will feature tndmonal Ama· ican and c:thmic dinctng (partICIpatory and spectator). dlildrtn 's aCllvitic:5. folk mu · lie. c,.rts &lid ethnic food5. Info: Box 42415. Philar:k:lphia, PA 19101 . 21SJ149",.

"'0.

(klobtr s"pltmbcr 27·28

Pinuillt, KV

~

fort Worth. TX

Thc.1th ANNUAL GREAT AMERICAN DULCIM ER CONVENTION WIll be held

The: GREAT SOlIT~IWEST ACOUSTIC MUSIC WEEKEND will feature60 ~'ort· shop ItICIUlJing hammer and rmtcd dulcl'

"Pine Mountain Suu: Resort Part. Mini· as well .. worl:shopf 011 both !he frtued and hamme:r auldme:rs.

mers , guitar. banJO, nddlt. nute. pcMy· ~'histlt . c:onctTtIna and IIWldoIln. Con· een. dance IIIdjam 5eSSK'In$ . Info: Rus5eJl

CClfICaU will be held

Nationa l Ham me rcd

Winsted , CT

Quldlncr

Champions hip September 21s1

\Vorks hops $3800 ill C;lsh Pri zes .lIlei Prize I nsl I"llTnc n ts b)' I.ulhicrs Harvev I.. Prin/ I.)

11 11 ~lcSpadden

SEPTEMBER 27, 28, & 29, 1985 fonnoll Con clI!rts Mini -Concer1,

Ueginn i"g Wo rkshop. Inlennll!di. tt Works hop, MlSter'a Works hopa Con t.oI &: lri, h Oolndng

Cath)l Barton & DalJe Para Lorraine & Rick Lee _ Madeline MacNeil Walt Michael & Co. _ John MoHnewc Mark Nelson _ Tim Van Egmond. Caller Irish Art Center Ceili Band & Dancers

Do nald A. Round Dale London FREE ON SITE CAMPING &: LEAN·TOOS Bunk Spa« Good Food CanoH" Row 8o;itJ .v.l~bIr

Write for more

r

I

Full Weekend Ticket $25,00· coAdvilneed registr.ttion

inro rmation

walnut ~ ~ "\ IIGJJey -..aton.lm.

u. _ t.......... _ "'.'n....... "-_~"'"

sUS8~led )

All eve.nt, will be. held indoors in case of inclement weather Write or c. tt for

~IJlnuion

fomll or <ldd.lioowl inform.ulon.

AUTUMN HILLS· BOX 807 Wins ted , cr 06098 (203) 379-9857 Tel~phoM

dllringliM ffttinl Thll...• 5und.,. (20.)1

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)7'NIO(l9


Cook. 1513 Baker Rd " Burleson. TX 76028,8171478·6339. Oc1o~

S-6

Cascabd, AZ

The 2nd SOlITHWEST TRAD ITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL. held in the Arizona

desen. will fealure wOltshops (hammer and fntlfll dl,lleimer. flddle.lwljo. man· dolin, guitar. AutoiulIl'. pcnnywhistle, chi klKn 's activitie5 and mort). a COlleen, aJl-day mini concens and aCOllntry dance. Info: Anna Duff, HRC Bo~ 412. Benson. AZ ~. 6021624-6646 uml 0406. The Mountaineer ouldmer C lub

October 20

Dennis, l'o lS

DULCIMER DA Y is co-sponored by the Ala·sippi Dulcimer Assoc. and the Tishomingo Stale Parle. The event is held to preserve. teach and promote the: dulcimer through pcrforntancesJam ~ssions and sales booths. Info: Tishomingo State Park. Rio I. Bo~ 310. Dennis. MS 33838.

Recent meetings have found Il1Ofe: people in attendance than there lIave been in several years. The age span of playel"5 in this Mann ington. WV club ran,2e from an

8 year old tGtlle dean of dulcimer playCTS. Russell Aullarty. the club president. For informationon club activities. contact Pat· Iy Looman, 226 Maple Avenue. Man· nington. WV 26582.

Correction Re: Organiutions Directory in the Spring 1985 Duldmu PIU)~rs NC'>I's... thc telephone number for the Peni nsula Mountain Dulcimer Club in Menlo Pm. CA should be 4 15132 1· 7471.

Lucille Stockton ",'ew Port Richey. FL MI"5. CharleS Elmcn Laurens. SC

Southwest Traditional Music Festival October 5th & 6th, 1985 Cascabel, Arizona presents The Chinchillas Bonnie Carol & Doug Ikrch And Man y Local Anists

Al ben D'Ossche Jeanie McLtrie & Ken Keppler Randy Wi lkinson Workshop:!! _

D.,. Mlnl-ColK:tns • Food· Campinl ,M

The 2nd Annual

Music Under The Stars"

~~=..:.; -

Advance Tickets:Weekend Pass· $16.00

~

A Rllrol 1<1/4;011 Wedf'lId ' n the

De~Tl

- ~ ~~ ~-- - -

Day - 58.00

Con cer! Onl y - $5.00

~~~ .

J } \

For riders &: Pro,l'(Jm Wrltt: A nna Dufl H e R Box 4/1 Bmson. A ri:ona '5601

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/601}

61~46

(H06


Kickin

Mule Ho me Dulcimer Tutor

-~=""'-'=

-----------Mark Helloa-----------

THE DULCIMER WORKSHOP FIDDLE ' TUNES AND TECHNIQUE S 1:3 Ita - Hour LeS80ns on 6 Caesene Tapes Unlike .ny •• lsting s),s'em 101 teaching the dulCime, . Till Dulcimer Wotkshop II designed to help 11'1' termed"'. plf,ye" fNHze the'r mUllcal potential Beginning wIth the fjr.t 'esson, yOu will .... n lune5. technlqlJe s and the baCkorouno ne<:ess.ry to help you

become. belief music"". The nineteen non •• Inl seLeeted to illustr,te ImpOrt.nt technique. SlJCh IS eto.. lunlng_, h.rmony, aimple end complex om.mentation, and more. E.eh tune is gWen 011 ,nd

,.pe

.oaln In tabl.ture; linger politlon. ,r, glyen lor sever.l 01 the tun •• The locus on The Dulcimer Wof1t.hO(l I, to help you d1llll810p. person.1 .Iyle 01 playing The Inlo rmalion 0" luning h •• mony. c!'told building. Irlnapo.lng '"0 lIf.nging m.y be applied to .n~ .tvte 01 mua lc. while Ihe .ecllon!l on I lrummln'll .nd 01-

namenlllion will 1'181p gl ... e ~OUI pl.~lng Il'Ie 'II1'ce .nd drl ... e 01. Ir.dlUooalliddle pl.~ef' Wl'lelh er ~ou h..... onl~ r ecen U~ .Ilfted pl'Vln'll the dulcimer .nd can play 1"'°1,1'11" "lew songs 01 you h~ve ~en pl.ylng tor yelfl. you will lind Th. Dulclm.r Wor/lt, hOp ' ..... Iu .. ble leaching 1001 The laped lenons. Ihe book. Ih. *-blllure . • nd m.ny Ch.l,ll .nd eumple. lor .. n encVclO«)edi' 01 (l ulcl",erlechnlQue. Ih.I you will r. lurn to .g.ln.nd ''II.ln The Dulcimer WOr/ltlhop Il lhe n•• ' bell Ihlng 10 haYIng a live--in pll.... t. lu torl Comp'.le S., 01 e Tlpe. ln Blnd.r wllh eo P.ge Book ••...•••..•••••••.••.•••.•..•....•••••••••.•. $85.00 ut Ofd.red sep.rately s.eo t51

-----------Peter Tommerup-----------

TEACH YOURSELFTO PLAY THE DULCIMER 12 I / a-Hour Leseon. on 6 Cassette Tape. Note - far-Note Instruction.. for Over 30 Popular Folk Tune. Wh.ther you Ife .n .b!lolute beginner who h.. s 11,1.1 .een your Urll dulcimer. or .n experienced pl.yer looking lor .om. n.w Id•••• nd lechnlque • . you will enjoy Ihla 18rlos of leaching \llpes. They begin wllh the baSics: how 10 hokl Ihelnslru ment In e.cellentsecllon on luning . • nd Ihe basic . ttum • • • nd Ih.~ go on Irom the,e Ste9 by 1Ie9. P.ter leadl you Ihrough more Ihln 30 lune • . with nol. by nole InllrllCllonl. You will le.rn 10 pla~ by slrumm lng. lin'lle rpic.klng. III!pk:klng. plaYIng one I!rlng .1 • 11m• . • nd making ehOfd •. lIon'll WIth m.ny Olh.r lechrllque•• nd kle•• lhal popul'r performer. 1,1 1. to .... ry Ihe m.1od1e1 10 fTIlke them more InterelUng .•nd ....ery solid ,epertolr. 01 Ihe tolk lunea moat wld.ly kn-own . And P. t.r wltltHch you Ih ••• tun •• In k.ya Ih.lt " . mo. t otten used lor Ihem by l!ddle player. 'nd ,"Ing bands 10 thl! you will be ,ble 10 pt.y with other muslc"na Ig\medletely without h.I... lng to reI•• rn Ihe tune. In new k.ya ..... ry lime you wl nlto mik e music. E.... ry tun. la d.monatrated note lor note. Ind Ih.l. Ire o ... er t~ PlIgos 01 printed tell .nd lib wl lh Ih. melodl.... 1'0 In con... nllon.1 nOli lion. You will gel ehOl'd ell.", Ind Iinge ling di.gr.m," well I I h.lplul 1'11"", .. nd ..... n aome blank I.b plpel 10 1,1 111 IOf notes and writing down new lun.a (y!)u Ir. w.lcome 10 pholOCop y Ihe blank Piper I nd hive .. II t. tlme au pp. ~ ). J ua l abou t ....e'y thlng ~ou need to te.rn 10 mike 'nd e nJoy music "'"Il your d ulclmerlalnc::luded. To le., n 10 pllY Ihe dulclm.r. IU you ne.d lUI Ihese IIpes II cisaette playe r, Ind I dulcimer Comot.le S.t 011 Tlpelln 81nder w"" 1010 PlGe book ........ ..................... ........ ....... 565.00 (II ordered sepa.alel~ s.eo t5) e~¥ Iny o n. "peot yoy,-choj(:'e-.i iiii;;tii~e or , I21.O-:.,j-i';ii.me..;;;;;;;niiu8e n,onth5oi'Yo.;;Puf.'l Chi N you m.y comptete the aerie. FOf S$2.!IO you will'Ket~e Ih. remaInIng 5 tapes willi btnder Ind ,n I : printed ma le,lels. Your totlt porchlse pnce will alilt ~ $&5 . OR buy Ihe whole sel WIth our to dlY money I I)I.Ck gU"'lnlee--you may r8tu, n ;11(1<' Iny reason lor. lu ll ,elund :L.__________ __________ --------------- J

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(707) 926 · 5 312


An Interview With

Lance Frodsham by N iomi Morr

Portland, OR The floating dulcimer mirror uick

You ' ve lIftn mus kal slntt you were very young. Cou ld you lellussomelhing aboullhal?

I began playing piano when I was about six. That lasted until puberty .... hen I gOi an electric bass which I played in several "ga· rage" bands in high school . I lOOk a couple of yeaD of classical guitar after the bands broke up. I didn't play dulcimer until the summer afler I graduated from high school. How did } 'ou disconr tM dulcimer and how did )"ou come buy your first one?

I hean:! a Richan:! and Mimi Farina record in high school. The sound of the dulcimer just got to me . II was the sweeteSt sound I had evcr Jw:ard. I was delCnnined to own a dulcimer aflcr I hean:! that sound. 1finally boughl one off of a Strttt peroon on Cann· ery Row in Monlelt'Y, Calif(Jlllia.

Convention with Sandy Denny. That led 10 my ev.,ntual d iscovery of DCOIlstlc CeltIc :-ecordings. The otbeT infl uence came from my father "00 is English. I felt Ihat I had discovered my "roots" music. I identified with it more than bluegrass or Amenclniud folk songs.

Farina died in a motorcycle accident in the CanTlC l Valley in 1966. I moved to the Montelt'y Penn insula in 1911 and didn't know he had died five yean before, I read in one of his books that he had died and was shocked . I had wanted to meet him . 1 had memorized all the tU!leson his re<:onIings and he was the only dulcimer player I knew about. I doIl't mean 10 50tmd morbid. but one day on my way to classes ut Monterey Penninsula College, I came upoa his graye. It was in the cemelery across the street from t/le sctlool. I saId. ·· Well. hello and thank yoo!"

Your father Is also muskal, isn'l h.,? He's a pianist and a chonil director . He was recently in Greenland doing field re· cordings of Eskimo folk sonllS. In 1918,

Your mu sic is "ery diffe r.,nl now . Would you dC'SCribt )"ourstl' as a loid"?

he helped send me to England in order to visit my relatives . While I was there. I spent lime at the Cecil Sharp Hoosc, ...·h,ch is the main repository of folk music 10 Britain. I also traveled around and got to sec groups like the Bothy Band .

(Laughing) Oh. definitely! I love C.,luc music.

Does this rtne-ct

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Two ways . When I was playing rock and roll . • heard and loved the group Fairpon

hammered & fretted dulcimers. harps, banjOS, mandolins, kits & instruments. records, books

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l"msure it hld some inn uence. I"mcithera little eccentric oreclcctic in my selections. I pul Scottish, English and Irish songs on it as: well as Moms dance music and Irish music. I also slipped in a French round. a

did )"ou Gel int.,rested In the mll5k or the Brillsh Is les? 11010'

You were living in Moalerey al the time. Was thaI when Richard Fariiia " 'IIS Ih'Ing IMre?

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ITJ(j[3l]o Inc . Hammered Dulcimers and Kits Many Cho l c~$1

1. U.oo.morq (lower cost) We.oo.more ((!{Isler to build) 2. More Strings (more ]XMIef) Less strlngs (easieT to tune)

3. Twe Basic Models both with Plano grllde spruce sound· bOllrd, lIll. mllple laminllted pinblocks, hlIrdwood trim lbu t-

temut, chefTy, walnut ), pIlIted tuoers. canying hlIndJe. instruc· lion book. t\lning wrench. ., IIA'

100 11K

II Ibs.. SIde tuning

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OptlonllJ COYer

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BroadWlY sho ..... tune and IlilUe Walt Dis· ney! My re latives in England ..... ould nuber I shy away from the Irish tunes and my friends who play Irish music eM:lusivdy would rather I play III Irish . [ 5« equal value in a ScoIlish 5trathspcy, In Irish ree l or I Morris dance tune . A good I\lne is • good tuM . Some p""ple ju$I Jeem IOl:njoy companmentalizing . Where do you think ),our music Is goInc! I' m currently wortinC on mastering some Ixautiful Irish music dated in the 1700's. I' m polishing up my keyboard playing with the hope of IrrIInging the pieces for guitar . wh istle. fiddle , keyboards and . of course. the mountain dulcimer. I'd love 10 record Iglin and use these new ideas, bul tlu.t is "a wlYs down the road". Recon.Iing is very expensive Ind il will take me a couple of yean 10 Im:ak even 00 my cur· Tenl album . You once told me you Wt"' the ty~ of J ean R luhle wa rned ~ople about . Whit did you mean by thl t! ~rson

Thlt WI5 a joke! I greatly respect lean Ritch ie and fed thaI ,he ir responsible for bringing aceepl.ll~ of tbe dulcimer 10 thousands of people , including Rictlard Farinl. In In intervie ..... in DULCIMER PLAYERS NEWS , l eln lalkl:d lbotJ l Loui5vilte musicians going from instru· ment to instrument. She said her friends had gone from the AppalachiilIl dulcimer 10 the llammerul dulcimer and now IIJe wing about the folk harp . She believC5 that soon they ' U be pllyingharpsicl'lords! I pllY the twpsicl'lord and I guess I' m g\lilty or ~instrumcnl hopping"l5 well . I do love the dulcimer howevCT and I have no intentioo of givi ng it up. I am also guilty of pllying Mchordal ly- and trying to push the limiu;. I always fee l challenged when r hear I piece I like Ixing played on another in5trumenl . r say 10 myself, " I ..... onder if I can play tlwt on the dulcimer and can it sound u if il fits the insU\lmentT'

bedroom. If Kevin is over and plays, they lie enU1lllCed III his feet! Kevin l iso hrlps me ..... ith the dulcimer. He is • walking musical library. He knows hundreds of tunes and hecan give me dulcimer Iessoos becluse I elll IUd music. I ~y end up beroming I "Sligo- style dulcimer pll~r due 10 his innul:nce. RI:<:ording w ilh Ke~ in WIJ I thrill for me . He 's a good teacber and friend. One of your ~uldmeT5 h unlque. Could you dtKribe your ill'>trument5? I have a sill suing dulcimer trUIde by Allxrt a fou r,slri ng made by Ken Wh ite of Portland that is unique in design and a Hungarian citttl (pronounced see· ttl). I play the four·stringlhc most . It is a teardrop shape that is wider II the botlom thlll usual . The depth of the body is shal· lower than usual . It hu a gTeat tone . d ·Ossc~.

C ould you daailx the Hungarian dul· clmer ? It has sill teen strings and both • normal diatonic dulcimer frelboard and I chromatic fretboanl that has all the half steps un· avai lableonlregulardulcimer. Mad: Nc!· IOn was in a musk &tore one day and $aW one minutes before a clerk was going to pound I nail through it. It was going 10 Ix a wall decontion alongside I similarly muti· lated. old Gibson mandolin . He bought it and found it WIS cheaply made. It had staples forthefTeI!, forelllmple:. 1 had my friend Will SeIlf'5 in Taleot , Oregon, copy Mad: ', ror me. Mad: liked it $() much that he had Wilt make 1UIOIher. Wilt has been nuWRJ them ever since. Whencver J play il people: are dn ..... n to il. It sounds like I cross between I dulcimer and an AUloharp . I'm goine to leam some Bn"IOIl and French I\lnes from JIITIie Haggerty which should fitlhe inswmcnt perfectly. TlWli· tiona] Hungarian music is very minor and fl5l. Mad:and I both plly the insuumenlin moslly major keys and indoiog 110 probably upsel Hungarian traditional ists. Will you be toorlne in the lUlu",?

I undft'Sland you hive been working with (for mn Bothy Band m fmber) Kevin Burke. Kevin givu me lIlU5ic lesions wben he's I1OIlourin,. l'm trying 10 leam how 10 play the ftddle . I have I problem... -So many instnlmenlS , so lime timc l- When I prac, tice the ficklle , my dog and ell hide in my

Last ~ar I tovrc<l WIth Mart Nelson and Sylvil Hackathom . ..... ho cao pllY any· thing! We had a greal time on the road . I wort as a coul\SClor in I school setting and don ' t do music IS a full time job. I admiTe Neal Heitman and Mad: Nelson for bei ne able to do it rutl time. I woukln ' t Iuo~e the gulS to drive around Northern Canada in

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!Ix middle of winler doilll lavern &i,llike Mart has done. I play on weekends when po5sible and play rHlivlls in the NOrthw. HI . I hope 10 play in California this year qain. Next summer I may be lIMe 10 do lOO1tChing like Holly Tannen. I may go 10 En&land and play Amen:an IaUSI(: while I collect Ce!tic!

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was J,Iad lo_lul, btalU5t 11'.lmpor· '-"I 10 brI.na Qtw ptOpIe 4 010 lhe ro'd". What made you dedde to tCa(h be&ln·

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Every yeat II the Paclrl(: RIm Kindred GMhering there are a1W11Ys bqmneQ who llavejust bought their lint dulcuner. 'They lu.end an ad\'anced playCf1 wcrtshop and !lxy wilk IWlY confused. My IClChini besinncn was Iduilly I selfish Id. I love 10 see the "lights 10 on" in people's eyes when they learn to do tomelhing new . As

Jean Rilchie Slyl. "A nyone tin play something nice on the dulcimer. When I see 1OI1'ICOIle'1 enthusium inaeasc. I can only describe my fcclinp IS I "hilh". AI the Kincbul G.therinp. everyoned0naie5 tbeir time. energy and know\edce. I feci I'm ~ying back all thole people who 1Ia~ tau"'t me II previous f~iv"l . I leamed so mudI rl'Ol!l people .wch II' Mart Nel· son, PeterTommc:Np. Gail Lanon and 10 many others that I just WIN 10 taIT)' on the lJ'IditiOCl and make II.lI'e the dlkllner b an imuurnenl dw', heR: 10 lUI)'. H

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PlAYERS NEWS He ..-ida Mart it (CIlium! oalllC etwoon.. andIoIOIJ PA.ST1MES WITH 0000 COMP ....NY. He ... a tQIo ~nl ~ by Kevin

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Supplies For Dulcimer Makers From Folkcraft FoIkcnli Is your souru for instrulDClIl IIIlkiDllUppl1n All nod is ctt'dllUy dried .nd ~ Top$. bl(u. licIe$ • • nd 6nltlbointllll' JanOed 10 u..ct toietlnctl and II'UIltl\fd V.. ' U sJso lind qu.f.Hty '«'tisoriH and urln... atwl 't"id: .U~t.,. IlI:ms _ilbin 1M ~ nW1Ol'Y lftIy be rombiMd for qUIIUI), diKollnlS Eumpir <4 . ·alnUI bids Ind 2 dwrry Iw:ts. U~ Ihf 6-11 pm for net. Or4en f04' SO 04' mort piK'tlln lhr $aJIIt nltlOfY recdvt I 10"" I44ltional dbcoll~1 ff1.lm tht Iland up pm _ , · ..... w· .. ... ~-

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In Search of the Kansas Dulcimer by Harvey Prin z O verland Park, KS

Every lime we drive by an old bam along a Kansas country road my family genlly gibes. "00 you SlIppo5C tlml bam has an old dulcimer up In II\( hay JoftT 1hey know better than anYOIK my enduring interest in seeking 001 IhI: old ham-

mered (iIOrne would say "original") dlilei rrM:1'$ in the Slale of KaniW . Kansas h.as a spartling chaplet In the annals of hammered dulcimer history. With its siriking soorKI muled ((IT a genera-

Tion or 111'0 in Inc majority of places across our coontry. Kansas kepi the sound alive and well, thanks to the Volga Germans and [he " HoclQelf' or wedding feast dance bands. Most built their own instruments. bul a few cherish a family heirloom dulci mer thai made the trek from Russia !O Kansas in the 1870's. I saw Olle Old World in5trument in remarkably linc: condi tion for its age. attesting 10 both the quality of craftsmanship and care. The Volga Gennans pili)' tile dulcimer either as a lead instrumCIlI. exemplified by Joe Schiefelbein and hi s nying Dutchmen group in Topeka , or as a percussion instrument. illus\f!Ited by Gary Sill and !he Dutchma5tcrs in Russe ll. All the Volga Gcnnan dulcimisl5 I have heard pl ay pol kas and waltzes with illCredible vigor and beauty, keeping their tnditiollS polished and ihc: dancers skir1s swirling. One:-hundred -fi fteen years of prove n dulcimer playing may not be a record. but it nearly equals the: penOl.! of ~ttlement in !he terriulI'y. The: du lcimer came with the p;Ollters . The year i ) 1818. AI fon Leavenwonh, the T1Cwly-built chapel is to be dedicatcd . The: organ had 00l arrived. but ihat would not prevCnt !he dcdlcauon from taking placeon time: and in stylc. The ubiquitous dulcimer to the rescue! A hundred years latcr. Lilah Gillcu and I played our dulcimer dllt'l5 for the centennial service as we: recreated $01llC of the sounds

and hymn -songs of that carlier service. Afterwards. the chaplain walked us a few yards 10 the mvine and rutS Ihat marked where wagon tmin s crossed the Missoun. On more than ()TIC of those wagons. a dul cimcraccompanied the fam ily and brought joyful si nging and daocing around the wagon circles at nightfall. the City of Leavenwonh Museum has another old dulcimer. I repaired it once. giving it new strings to sing its sweet $Ong agai n. No date was visible. The original hammers had broken. S() after tl1lCing D copy of a hammer on paper. I went back to my shop and made tWO pair. 0IlC for the museum and one for myself. That pair in my hammer bag still gets the most usc. and they are called. appropriately. "traditional" in my catalogue. A Gennan " hackbrcu" gnICcs the CuSter House Museum at Fon Riley. About D decade ago the good folk!; issued an invitation 10 play my duk imer for the ir group . That led to another restringing and fClitoring opcr1Ition. I call il my R and R. Those lellers probably have a different meaning for most people:. this "hackbreu " has two side bridges instead of a center or treble bridge . the tuning is chTOmlltic. with a OTIC andooe-halfoctavc mnge . Eachstring was individually tied and wrapped . With over 100 of ihcm, I spent the bettn part of one Christmas holiday wmpping wires and nursing tender fingenips. AtMlther bright page in Kansas' dulcimer history come5 from Kanopolis. where Jc~se McniU liveU lUUUIII.I the tum uf Ihe century. On May 11. 1897, he wasgmnted a du lcimer patcn!. Only eleven patents for hammered dulcimers have: been registe~d over the years in the U.S. Patent OffICe. He reponedly contributed, " Improved bridges.:II lifting rod arrangement toadjust playing levels." I have never come ao:ross OTIC of Merrill's dulcimers. but. then. I

,.

haven'tlooked inside every bam in Kansas yet either. A lovely fIll'lor dulcitner possibly mllde: by Ezra Dorm!! of Norwich. Connecticut, around 1868. inhabits a house in Kansas City. Its rosewood, riehly ornamented and carved legs and case all speak of a time before " Have Dulcimer - Will Travel." Thisdulcimcr stays put in the musIc room. where it reigns in regal elegance. Some: )'cal'5 ago, a woman brought an old. handmadeduldmcrtoour home wondering if it could get "weU" again . Her father made It years eatlier. "Look on the back,H she saId, " My dad signed his name with a date ." Sure enough, on the back. written in pellCil was "Joseph Fo~, July I. 1895." The woman was his youngc5t and only survivi ~g daughter. Somebodyelse. after her fath~r died. painted it fire engme red in glossy enamel. With new strings and pin seal5 the old songs could be sung again - exce:pt for a couple of tMltes that defied evcry trick of a dulcimcrdoctor, including magical incantations. I reasoned at age 90 evcn dulcimers may succumb to I touch of arthritis . 'Then the woman. Tin McFarland. told me the remarkable story of the dulcimer . Her father grew up and spent all his life in Greeley. ArKicrwn County, SQUth of Kansas City. J()S(ph Fox already had a repuUltion as a musician. " With the best bass voice I e:ver lleard," allowed Tin . He al$O played fiddle and was instrumental in gelling singing lessons organi1.ed forcommuni ly ),u.mg:;tc<lI al the Methodist church. One day a medicine show came to town with a featum! dulcimer player. Tbe same bug livcd then as oow. It jumped from that medicine show du lcimer right OI1tO Joseph Fox and he was smitten . Since they were " pooras church mice" Joseph had to make his dulcimer from memory and avaIlable materials, An old bedstead was tn1l1 5-

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formed mto I -pled_PlpeTH dIIlclnlCr . He played the: fashIOnable riddle tUIlC$ of his doIy. HAnd he pla~ed them WIth Il1ClotIy and harmon) 11 !he: $&me IImt.H saKI Tin. - Really h.am.n1Cnn · on those "nngs • It "'i.s woodcrful'- Tin pllySlt dally. Ill~ 82. and does her falher 'sll1C!nOI'Y Ind her· self proud Mueh of the fathtr·s love for and !;kill In mu~lC:: rubbed orfon hlsdaugh-

",.By the way. all elghl

Fo~ fhildren had thrte·leucr rim names: Ray . Jay. May. Om. Joy . Ren. Loy and. as she says. 1'bcy filii out ... hen u came to me . I' m probIbly the only Tin In the ...'Orld .. Real· ly. the Wly she pllYS mUSK' on (WJatI. piano or dulcimer. u's more like wlid gold . NOlO' thlt!he: dulcnncr is mak.ng I ... tll ~ n:I\IISsancc. Kansas yet ~lInds 1Il1 and In !he: forefront. 1l!e Walnut Valley Fesllval .n Winfield . KI1I'.$3$ $IW the importll/lCe of the instillment ninc yean lI8O .... hcn II began the National Hammeml Dulcimer ConteSt. What elll'()tlra~mcnt !Nit lives people allO\'er thc country Rec· ognized IS the finest of Its kllld . thiS cont· cst hI! set the standard and spawlK'd numcrotJs n:glOfla1 events thlt feed mto

""The Big Onc.- In addilion. perfOf'lflCrs on

dulcimer IR ~ Iofl? Is It then: yet" And 100 goes the ~h for the Kansas dulcimer

the hammcml dukimcr get ample ruge lime at the Walnut Valley Festival Or JUst walk through the campgrounds and )'00 .... ,ll hear those shlmmenng Slnngs JOUnd1111 5mklng songs (try sa) Ing that three 1Irt1CS fast). Also. fe .... SllItcs can boast of a ham· mered dulCimer teachcr ha Ving t:tught o,er JOO people. My dulcnncr duel (XIrlncr. LilahGitteu . n:cently honon..-d by lhe Kan· sas Arls Commission. with suppott from !he: Folk Arts Prog~ for the NatlOlUll Endowment for thc Ans. and named a " M ute r Folk Anl st.- may bc(:omc a legend in her OIO'n lime She ...·IS lhe only Iwnmcrcd dulcllncr playa so dc-slgna!ed Her love for !he: dukmter began by n:xhing for her fllther's instillment from I tnIdie and teething on hiS hammen . Her thud book ofharnmen:d dulcimer tUlIC$lnd 111~UUC::llon .... 111 be primed this sum/l1Cl". ad· ding to !he: many superior .... ays ~hc con· tlnues 10 help dulc::imer players. In !he: meanl1me. I .... illlook longIngly al those KanSlis barns and ...·onder ",hat memorable e\ent ac::compamcd the bamnliSIRI . OK! It have a danc::c and dulclJ11C1" mus,c;" Or did Uncle Walter $lOR: the old

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C«di15 No issue of DulC'/mr~ P/iJlrfl Nrv-I .s a solo effon _ Without the wnteD and aman· gcrs of tullCS. we ....ouldn·1 c.1S1 add.· uon. I'd hke 10 thank Je,gn Nauer. Amy Warner. and Ruth Anne: M ~NC::I I for theIr help wuh offICe detaIls; J\.1 ,c;hel Legare . Randy Mohr. Gerry Nom and lhll Wd.man for lheir anl~tlC:: talents; ~nd Phil Ghcbe. Sanh Johnson UIK! Barb Truu for !he:.r IUnc tnnscnptlOOs Thanl you I·tn·

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Jean's Dulcimer Shop P . O. 101 II . HIGHWAY 12 COSBY. TEJrIJrl ESSEE 11122

Phone : (615) U' -55 U

SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE FOl K AND HOMEMADE MUSIC WORlDS ou_ H.......otED

.poel.lIn la fnned and toa-r..& d.ulcl_.. and ...erythln, for til ... -- lin and flllll,," IIIU ...... u by Hunl _k .... bulldan' suppllu. acculIOrI",.nd III.rly nery 10ft' and pl.yb'_lnltl'\Ktlon book and rKord albull In p. lnt fe.turln, Ilth,r ktnd 0' d.utd ... r . OUr utenslu pl.ylnl_... thods and _ , book-list IIoclude. • filiI tine of tlU .. for otlle. " Ind end strln,ed folk I ..n . . - u .•nd .... r ~I""t\ .... of record"',. of old. t i . . . .nd traditional 'oa ... Ic h ... of lIMo ,arlut t o be fOln'ld aft)",her' . " podl, ... rlely of folk_toy. and Iuo .... crafts for 11ft or ~ IIH is IA I~rtanl pert of ... r _KIMo""IH_ It'S'\I Iht'" III our uulal -- JIIU I n U.OO (.... Ieh ... '11 refland .. \th)'OU r flnt order) to con . Ihe of prlfttl", MIl poJt'le. If'

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A Birthday TUDe for George Frederick HaDdel FebruU'J 23, 1685 - April 11, 1759 .ur. Su u n Portc:r

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Geor&e Frederick Handel is be,c-kl1C)wn for writing the music 10

he ~tudied

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Thames. as ttIc king sailed up the river from Whuchall to Che lsea. Such " Water Music" was pt'rformed 5Cveral times. IQmctiml:$ by as many as SO noot ing musicians. This piecC' IS from one oflhose sel50f"Water Music~. and a lK)(e on the score says il was 10 be: played three times ,

the OBlori!') M~JSiQII. which a:ml.in~ the f.lTIOIls " HuJlclujah" chontJ. He also wrote hundreds of Other works of all the kinds popular in hisda),. He was born in Gennany 300 yCarllgo. As.

young man

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I po:sI lithe (()Urt or the EI«IOI' or Hanover. Shortly alkrwanls Handcluked for I leave of absence 10 visil England: he liked London so much thai he fallai 10 return to Hanover. When the Elector whom Handel had negl«ted became George I of England in 1714, Handel was in a awkward position. Legend "Y' thaI Handel ,Olback imothe 1l00d gncc:soflhe king by writing. SCI of pieces to be played by. ~ruJl of musiciaM on the nver

ThIo - * ..... pnfonned by kny 1I",~ ...,tI. s-.. ond !he '"'" .. dw o..lcimer OoUo' •• o.n-.., or..o .. Handoi' • .lOOdI bonhday. ~ 23, 193$ 5 _ I'IIner .. DO Ihe ......., rl<llily <:If 01100 $caw lI~'ver>ocy. u .... c.ompu. stools .... coardmooor 111m. 0_ 811o<L S.......,. DIIk"".. ~, ..aI .. U .......... Apnl

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MARBLE DULC IM E R - FIR ENZE. ITALY

Bill Kuhlman Midland , MI Last YUl my wife Jane JIId I WeT'e able to spend (hree: months In Florence (Fin:nzc:), Italy with our daJlhtc:r and her family woo livt in that hiSlOrinJ and Itt, IiIIcd city. We ...."OU1d like 10 share 5OITIC' of our discoverin . Since: I didn' t wanllO be ...... y from. iwnmc:red dulcime:r for lnat 1on,I time:. I Mid I light ""eight one: made: (by Glenn Wlters o r Midland , MI and ~(f\JIII by me) and took II When WE amved in Rome. a CUSlonu oflicer IISIr:OO nlC whal 11'15 WfJ,ppe:d up in my fo.m-coven:d tnpcwidal package. The. namedllkimdl. ",·hich I had reM! _ (he COI"R:a word. dldn ' t nn, a bell with him . Strume:nti musicali did utlsfy him. howevtr. so !here WI5 110 problem. 8111 11 did make me: wonder what the ltahan name wu. A few daYi liter I cam upon. book Oli Smurttflli MUJimJi - IIi 0l"i ..pocu. di OJN ptMu and 111 itlhcrc: _ I p!CIuR:ohe~c:r· aI dulcirnc:n;, The: corTeCt Rime: is Saltcoo

aIon,_

I Pc:R:uUIOIIe. IncidencJy , the booL I. I lranslatlon of In En,lish publlcanon , MUJimJ IIIJ"u"Itll" of QI/ P.. ~iods and of all C(JIUIl rif!S . I n:comme:nd II, allhough 'I doesn' t ~how the hammered duklmtr as an lnSUUmc:m in !he United St:t1d. Now tlw "'"C knew the: ~ .... me: . a librwian friend of my dauShter 's calllE up wi th I well-illustrated booldtt SOO"·IIIS thl'tC dukime:rs amons I number of andquc: inslrumenl$ that make up the MediCI and Lon:na CoIle<:lion 11011' the responsibi lity of the Lu iSi Ooc:rubllli Conservatory of Music In Aorc:nce . Oneof thedulclme:1") was made or marble . Ijust had to try to find WI IlIOn: abolu I•. A call (0 the conservatory located Profc:ssor Gil "'00 ha!; responsIbili ty lhe coIle<:lion. We foond that Ihe collection ",-as culTtntly belllS uhibllc:d III the: PalulO Vtcchlo while lir-cond1l1onc:d and JlIIUIlerly hum,d,food uhibll II/"CIS are be in"nstallcd ulhe conservllory It didn ' l

ror

take me lon, 10 maLe wnla"t ""th Ihe orrlClai In chvJ:e I ... as tal.en 10 lheuhlbn ~. where I could look all I "'"anled 10 ' outside: !heuh,b,t case TlIc:descnptlOO In the booklet 15: (as lraIIsllled)

T"e lrIQrb/e duICl"lt~ mm..from Ih .. PIIIi Pa/ar .. i " 1926 10 ,,, .. Cherl.b,,,i Mus..wn _ Th.. bulldtr is nQI know Inu II ana;"ly INI(HIgs 10 Ih.. MtdlCi CoIl«lioIt. as is "",·tlll,",, by IItt " ·"';IIg urtdu Ih .. (Xli"ltd Ql'NJnI('lIf j" I~ huid.. to,"U oflh ..

j"l"um",,'.

..·ood s"uelun tlle/os;"g Ih.. This or_tilt rlJllSiSIS 0{ Ih~.... imugts of ulllt..IJ aNllhe ,.,..did Com of ;\.rnu. TIt .. ",,,,i"l1 /ou~ IrQlufaIiOll /: To J(HI ,,,"01 TU$C'/lll wd. 10k.. YOIII' rarts (INrs} 10 Ihis IIU'fllm ..", . The MOI"\"f'ltMS SOfIMS from Ihis IfIOrbf.. IlUlru"",,,' ".,1/ lolk 10 ) _ as a 10\·;"8 destilly. so bt-IIi,,, lhal /I ~rs llru'·,," is sP'"abnglo ",t. /"/,o, lio,, : M Tosro OrOll Si,_ VoIXi IU" piollul /oluo"i,lio .. d i Iu;

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is ..... hite m.rble ... ith two l!lCCd $(lUnd holes. n.e bridge supports arc rtllIrble

SUOfIQI1/tl cosi parlomml 1I1 nUl,. III _'t

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lM instrument IS considcfCd. very rare uamplc and 15 one-of·.·kuld considc:nnl the matenalu§Cd . lMn: In' three kinds of nwble . the binllgllO, the walW)'. and the ycllow broccatello. It is mounled "'llh 20 COlIna, of "'hid! clcvI'n an: IIlpk and nine q\lldnlple. As far as I ""IS able 10 dctmnlne. c.o.<:cpI f... the )lnnp, PIns and metal rods XfO$$ the bndgcs, the ~tnlCtUft isenun:ty rrurt!Ic lM wood rover mcn:ty conliins It. lM pn blocks are the plllklsh marble . The tuninc pins arc 011 the nghl, aboul I y~. protNdmg .•nd stallonary pins about ¥.- tall 011 the lefl The sound board

I ... as II(M .bJc 10 get ICC11l1Ite bndge pI!lCCment measurements, bul I do haVi: .ppro~imatc numbers and havc been Ify' inl to ligure out ho... it may h,,'e been luned lM instrument IS strung. I'm II(M SUR: ... hcthcr it ...u plucked ... 1\arnmI:red . Since one bI55 MImi appc.an to be at I }ower 1eVi:11han the others, thili mightllllh· tile that It .....s pI.yed 15 • psallery and thct-cfon: plucked. The Instrument undoubtedly dllcs back 10 the early 170)"1. Many instruments in the COIlCChOll arc of this period. IIldudmg 1M. other 1...·0 duk-imcrs. These arc of

...ood and wtre made in Gcnnany. One: had. plCll;"trUm with II . 50 it wu obVIOUsly plucked . It would have been creat 10 have been .ble 10 get closer and to 11)' 10 toal • M)IInd out of the nwble dukuner But thiS ... 111 hive to ....11 Inquincs around flore:nce lead me 10 bellcve ihatlhe I\.aInJnered dul· cllner. or sMuId I uy ulteriO • per. CUSSKlnc, has noc been pI.yed then: for at 2OO)'UR. We C'OJTCCIcd that $1IW1' hon tbough Acrompatued by Jane on her Autoharp, ...'C re ' lIltmduced thehamrneml dulcimer In our gnndion's tt'1M.IoI and w a

lust

number of our lillian fneflds. I thmk " 'c can tnllhrul1y Jl;y that they enJOYed II. We: cc/tlunly did

Now, c,anly how do)'QU pI.y that" R . P Hale (lefl) 50hcs ~ of the mystrncs for Da"e I)cPasqu. dunng the hammer dulcmYrdass at the Augusta Hcnllge Arti Woo.shops. DavIS.nd Eilins College, Elkins, WV

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REVIEWS Dulcimer A I., Modr . or Tht 111Trmptrr d FrrlbolrdfDorol hy ~h)' . MeQlwiart PTeu, Box 8112. Pnunt Vil· Iage. KS 66208 Paydo~ ancntlOll 10 IhI: sub-mlc oldlls

book! 1lIc.,mter wlnts 10 dehV<'r

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of

tanU\llTI$ and the m)'SlC'OeI $hmudlnl)l<lUf

dulcimtt DoroIhy May prescnllooe of the most IhQrouSIl trelUnentli of !he ITIClIks tllal Ihl$ l"evlC"'-er has seen 1lIe formal is somtwhat genenc (no rane)' ulll&raphy. dwu, shck typeset orrolOl pI'ootoan.P/!5), bullhe content is uccllcllt. All reSOU~eli are documenkd and I bibhography 15 Included. There is.lso an alphabetical hSl or IUIleS. gloss.ry alld ('ron-modal chord ..'heel. TIle book 8u;OO the readc:r painlculy

Ihrough the 11.\ church mcxIes, providing cholds and thra: mUla' se!eclions In each mU$ICal HIKt...... cnoompass • diverse repcnolre. plain5Oflg, mode . The fony _

JeWish folk tu ntS. Chopn. traditional Brill5ti Isles tUne:5. Hlman dancQ. and early mll'l1c from the mt~h tentUf)' . To round OUI your UndentaOOUlg of modes I rtCOI1IInend one 0{ thc rtWl)' books thai uplores tnc use of capos and offen con· IC'mporar)' selectIOns. Ovenlll I recommend 11111 book 10 5enOUS ctuk:imer s.ludtnl5 of LnlmTlltd"te or ....anced .bihtlCS and 10 pla)~ wllh Pft'vIOIIS III\d('~Wldin, of and IntertSl In

!'endlllon of As Ti_ GtwS B) . The: other cuu. noglng m slyle from cou ntry" 'utern to tndlllonal 10 cOlltemponry Slnltt-SOI'I,.."tCl' malen.l. feature "ocals by Rick andior LomILDC . "Ilh suprrb assistanCe from Jcllll Ritchie , b;ockground vocals: Pl:tcr Pickow.guiW'. pod.Il ~I. rttOnIeB. bass and background voeaI). Jon Pickow. background vocals and perC:USSlOll:Jay Unger. riddle:.nd 8alT)' w.l·

ler, drums . Lorraine ', I.test MHlll. My Namr is RUlli , rcml n~nt mclodicallyofhl'r lovc·

Iy Vt,."..,1II of a few )'Cllf$ bac-k calls our empathetic Dnentioo to the li fe of one perfa:tly ordinary old WOOl;ln. bonging YlgnetlCS from that lady', \TICm0rtC5 into such 5harp focus that wc suddenly fecl .. c /u,,'c made the lCtjualntante of • dear, very special friend . Another hlghhght; Woody Guthric'S he.nrending ballad Ludlo ..' Mwsoctt. sung with great IISIC and rewalflt by Rk:k . A PIQ('t in ,,,, Cliofr is a1w.ys • JOy: children will especially cnJQY Ihis VCT$Ion, replete wllh animal sounds. and flllli of UOlCorns cvery.. hcrc will Ipplaud Lom.inc', additlOll to 8111

StalflCS' vocal IlICTIiIIgene.

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• SELECTED INSTAUMENTS. KITS Personal . depeodable. lasl servICe Telephone Ordel'3 (120 Min) 765-4193 VISA/Me , Wotmer Rd.

'''86

!HI Kn'CBD KUSICJ.I.• I OCc.a.IIO• .a.L

--'"'"'-~

Th t Old -Timt Flddltr's R ,~rtO'11 rompiled and edited by R.P QlnSlC$«! , UniVU1I1Y of Mi5SOUn Press, Columbia,

MO. VoIutnc 1,197J (paper, 198J):Com~nion

musk: lheory ~bble

SimI

2-record SCI, 1976; VolulTlC 2, 1984 (hard t'o~er).

As • Lft..'.y fot DukhOC'rfRidc and L.om.lnc Lee. G,"nhays Ra:ords. 234 Eliot 51., S . Natick. MA 01760.

Fans of RICk and L.om.inc Lee's special brand of music ' mUin, Will be dcliahled wllh lhelr IlleSI offennll ""I Q.l:t'uhyy• . TM: delkate !I01Inds created from distillCtive h.armonoc and ml'thnuc panero, with the counterpoint of m:cmno,1cd dul cimer and Plano melodIeS !'emllm unKJlltly theif$. Thrtt of lhe sclections Ire mSU\IInttItal$ (all 100 boe!). hlJhhJhttd by Lorninc', alwaY' amulO, dulcmlCr play· Sam hlmSC'lf would ""vc cnvied her

iD,-

FREE CATALOG Ma ll Order

ham~

duicllTlCt playcr who

1oVC51O pI.y forcontnldancC$. I' m alw.Y'

on thoe lookout for inteI'CSting rollechons of lunc5. I own anthologies of IlICloolcs spanning the British Isles. F~nch Canadl. Ncw England and thesouthem U,S, Tunc5 from statl:$ like Missouri. Nebrash, Iowa, Maryland and Tcns wcre not 10 be ICCn .nywhere - unlil no ... R.P. ChriSlcS(lll'S Tllr Old·T,mr Fidd},r', Rtpmory, Vol!. I and 2 ql.N:ncllcs my !hiT$! for good yet unusuallU!ICi .. hlch dcKrv, the 'tletlllOll lIIlyotlC .. ho pI'Y'

or

for dances or pcT$OOIl enJOYtncnt, ThI5 JO-yeu qual for popular riddle tunes of the mid- I940'J has resulted m a 111110-

"

Ten Carolan Tunes Nineteen Other Airs SOIl\e With Harmony Parts Standsrd Notation And Tablatu r e

$3,00 6 50c

posta~e

S. ra L. Johnson

449 Hidden Valley Lane Cincinnati , Ohio 45215 513/761-7585

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title? Might I recallalitle if I'd heard the melody sorncwhe~ e lse before ? Was the title missed when the author ~ the tunc? The two-m:ord 5et of se lected tunes from Vol. I holds my only disappointment. Most of the ....n tll:n tnnscriptions comain melodic omissions. additKlfls and alterations to the original field recordings . in viti ng question to the accuracy throughout the collection. While folk music al lows for melod ic "error", it is impottalll to note that the recorded versions represent how the performers liked to play the tunes (of the 3-4 times I tunc was played the~ was li u le. if any. vari~tion each time through) . More atll:ntion should ha ve been paid 10 this detail. not only for this reason but since it also poses a problem for anyane wishing to learn the recorded tUneli in conjunction with the text _ the IlYu I I volumes. held horizontally. are well laid out. easy to follow and stay open . The printing of the tunes is clear and. although the music is not limited to the fiddle only. occasional violin finger' ings are ....nllen in where: thotre may be c ause to question . Passages o f double Stops appear in a number of tunes, making

volume assortment of 459 breakdowns. quadrilles (jigs). waltlC'.!l ano "pi«t5" (cake wilks, quicksteps. etc.) Mr. ChriSl eson 's Slory bthind the volumes is IOld in the introduction to Vol. I . follo ...-ed by a S«tion acquainting the ~ader to the fid dlers he befriended and who!.e musical contriblll1ons f()l'TJled the lifeblood of the

."".

Some orllle tunes In Vol . I are familiar I found Fisht'r's 1I000np;pc, lilNrfy, masusippi SaM)'t'r and Gold TVO-o--Slt'p to

0Ilt5 .

be rem:arlcably close to the versions I know . In contrast. MQllt'J M MSk is differen t from other versions r ve heard. Woodc~r's H ompiPl' (is thi~ a public domain tune? I thought it to be composed by Ned Landry .J leaves me puuled: The A and B sections are reversed from the way musicians in my area play il. ~ New~ tuncs I especially Imjo)"ed were CaJ:t' Walk. Vil·

loge PoIkIl . Pt'tJCod: Rag. JoIvIBtlde,,' s

Two- Step and Bla rk-fEyt'd 5I1sa" . Although none of the titles in Vol . 2 rang a bell. I decided 10 bookmark pages of worth ... hile tunes and found myK'lf doing 50 on pnc1ically every page! Many of the tunes have no titles, leaving the illllgina tion to speculate: Did they t'rtr have a

HICKORY DULCIMER

the I1"I( lody difficult to detenninc at dmes. Other harmonies appear in the form of second-fiddle accompanimenlS (possibly an "an Iwhich ) may be neari ng extinction") found on a page just before the IndeX of each volume. and as wrillen-out piano iICCOfllpanil1"l(nlS for a few of the tunes . No chord nal1"l(s are inc luded . nor are there: ex~ion I1W1ui of any Ir.ind: however. I sec this as an asset. penni lling each mUS1' cian's creativity to iOI1 beyond the paper. All in all . this two-volume set i5. must for any musicillll desiring to learn and populari~ good. little-known fiddle tunes and for those i l1lt~sted in preserving the musical heritage ()f the geosraphic areas explored . The), will de fi nitely cul tivate many hours of musical enjoyment and surpri5eS_ Lucille Reilly D ul clmtr Fu s ion a nd Song for th t Dalt·n/J im Fy ~rie . Plectrum Records. Box 7 18. So_ Laguna Beach. CA 92671. F~tted dul dmer fusion music is what Jim Fyhrie aIXOmplishes as he purposely mixes Irish . Bri tish Isles and blues styles . His Lalin navored SIlIIlbas. ja1.l-soundinll

RIDGE WORKS es t. 1974

!lI nnounce 5: ~~t

10 illap .:trtt ~r in I •

+

E_ t'-gh • kHIII • loIN tht IIftt -.wIl"1 i,.t~, 1r'OUIId, _ lbl't nplct }'OIl tD t.u. our -.I fCf' it .... don' t tlpirl }'OIl tD t _ .-.ybaty .Iw', IOOI"CI fCf' i t tIwn fCf' rou t D t"t or ~1I&1ItYl Order eN of ovr Prof",iDNI, Gal,. , Cf' 9hdiD I\(;IN\ DIIlci--s n hll, . i t h prt Df tt. iI'Iippi"l «lib. Try tht i,.t~ i ,,}'tIUI'" toe _ ~ it othtr i ,.t~.. If . itllill It ~)'OI dart't ,-li_ tMt thl, i. t ht i ,.t~ fCf' you, e.ll " tD -.u reb", ",..-ma. Thlt' ••ll tt.r. i. to i t_ .. &.t the i",t.--t th.ot MVNI...iJ/lt t o you., • •IM J'DII lib it... ftDt _ _ _ .1 .. ....

.itI_. ......'"

A

.itt,

FOf' .... j llf_t l Oft pl_ ... i t. Of' e,lI.

Jeff [, Sharon

Feltman

rr 1 box 47 Pomona IL

eU7S

618-687- 2159

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•••• ••

. ·e


riffl and lIddiuonal n.gtir.: and fiddle tunes Ind even I proln:nive Eastern cmbellishment (i.e . U,bwt T"rbanJ III diipllY I fine sense and I jXOin:s.sh·c IWIR'nal of the dulcllner. A 5oft& for tM [)(no... rdatet beauufully 10 a ITICJfe con· ttmporvy dan and compkJIity. Jim il I.Iniquely q ..... lifkd , u the dkhc intends. livi nl !he liSklltr iOOfC than 0fIt: might upa;t from I anss roots AppaJathian dul · timer, Al'IOthtr lulMle treat includes: his mandala , manOoIin and hammer dulcimer work (BOYI of BallisotkJTf, Stolcn Itp. pili", allowing his multi ·iMuumental tal· aIlJ 10 be thouShtfully 1SSCl'Itd, Bn:akinl aWly from lhe characterullc mold of dulcimer music req.:il'eJ creativity and perbaps a questionable chance whlda ululT\lIc.ly may be narrowly lC'OepIed. But !he risks In doing so, "lcastfOf dlis apprctiative li~ttlltr. il highlighu:d by !he row· asc it took to produce complimentary in· "rumen'" combin"ions. 11Iest include a Iyntnesi~er . percuss ion. guitar. fiddle. btu and banjo throulh whkh he obIaill5 the purity 0( a cle... quality 1'IlC' ordllli and !till keeps up flOlll !he and dolce solo sounds of America'1 dulc!·

"m ''''"eeI

~

1""_

EAknd )'0<11' dulc:tmer .....ical ncu and a~iatioo . You . too. will en·

joy iI. Brent Pierce KHCC·FM Hutchinson. KS

banjo KOJITIpanimcnt.s and partkularly the vocall by Heidi B<r4'man have IIICft • 20lh cenlury quali ly 10 !hem u to be noc qulk appropriate ror a n:c«dmg 0( thil Iype. Thai MTIlll objection aside. I find that dlil recordIUSselte is a wonderfully h~n · able and carefully chosen ml.\IU~ and dlat the .... mme~ dulcimer pI.ying i) ) Icllar throughout. 'llte hilh qualily of the rerotdcd sound is particularly nock able on die Knlilivc hammered dulcimer solos. Flow GMlty. SM""t "ftOl! and TM Dakofa Indian Mtlody. Thl Old Brass WaA'OI!ICtli an tauberant workout by elementary ICho(Il chi~n and WAu, Was Yow N~ in 1M StaltS is ,cc(lmpamal by actual _nds 0( I movinl "-agon. 'The Ortp. Missouri United MethodiSt Church dIotr addl their linlinito Itma=iI,A' G,act and John Scheuch lends his fine . stnllhl ' forward voke 10 Paptr of Pi/tJ and BI.w Tail Fly . I recommend this album particularly 10 al l ttachers who wish 10 bring 10 life die imponlllN story of die ..·tslward joumc:y of Americln s on wlgon trllnl . I also recommend that serious hammered dulci · mer playen purchase dlis album . noc only 10 hc:ar 50ITIe fi~ ·n.tt ilammcnnl. but alto 10 "'!nI1O how well dlis rec<lfdlnl • • Mc:<JorIcepc album". ,,'00;:5 m drawmg die material together. I hope 0Ihc:r museums and muslCallttim throughout the country will rollow the example of this most crea· tive .nd succasful collaborauon between the SI. Joseph Museum and Esdler Kn:(I" Minie. Collins

sanal

_-""'" -........ ,IlIIIncmeru....

willi

!IIahopIf body

JpnK't _ndboard.

Nylon J\tInI wid! 22

dbpiIy .und and

Iunln& ... rmcb.

53 70 (AWol . . . . . . . _U)

Hammered Duldmers, Too

8rIIlianI _lid II;

I

IWlawt

Enalbh and Scottish Oanca. SonKiand AII'$ the DuldmerJ'DrouI ~h . Wall. MKa . Salina Sw ROUle . Boolder. 00

rOt

8OlO2 This album WIll make you fccl lile you 're in early England lislenlng to a wandcnnl mi nstn:l. Tbc penod and style of music an: I personal favoritc. and the tnOIIntain dulcimcr under DQug Berch', oommand suitS il perfectly. From the first tUllt . TM Marq";s of HtullIQ's lI.gltltmd FIiIllIO the last SOIIg. Rt)·Mfdlltt . playcl'$ and cnthusiasls or the. moumatn du lcimer at ~ will be Impressed with percuuive and melodic fingcrslyle of pI.)'!ng. The album vinually hilS &Ionl. filled wilh dll.zlinl cmbeillshmcnts throuJhouI the ten IUntS Ind thn:( songs. Doug pI.ys ~ery ex~uively . UhliZlngl wide range of dynamics in his amnRC'

Dou,',

or!llil

1asWaInM. .IIadt fro. IIondDraa 1abopI)'. ...... and . . . 14

or

tmk (WfJIft IIIWd b- kq1 D, G, C. ... f . I} _ CO\ltWt 1IInn! b- kq1 of G. C. ' . and ..

S4S0 (awoII ......... _ u I hclded carrrllllllll!"'" Ivai1IbIc -

J7S

"

, 'eabc me AppaIachIaJI Duldmtn (6 moOdI). Irish ..... Cddc Hupl. IIo..-fd Incll'IIIdfd hallMH. 0Ihtr H1IIIIIItffd Duidlllm. tnslnlment lIts ..... muc:h

'"

Touc:hTht ~KTttk .St

J05qIh Museum. 11th &. Charlc.~ Streets . St . Joseph . MO 64501. T()fjC1t TM POll is I reoon1ing cen~ 011 !he theme of musiC made by ptOneCr farrulldi II1Ivclinl westward on !he Orqon Trail. II fcatul'tS Esther ~ 011 hammeruI dulcl/ner and vocab . wllh scven other mUSICians. a church chotr and two danrool11l of childrcn assisting. A very handKlntC booklet. containing all of the tuntS and in an exceplionally clear format . acwmpanics dlis rcrordIusselle . 'llte booklet abo contaIns I -dwy- of a rypcal pionoet WOITIIII ..'hkh Ilvell VIvid picture of life on a ......100 nin and SCI'\'C:S IS a framewod: for the ""caldl of dances and _II found on the rec:ordinl · Wtnlt diu record seeks 0 "toudt~ the puc. nowhc:re Ooe:s il purport 10 be an ICtuaJ rceonwuctioo of 19th ttntury mu· sk. Evcn so. I think the mandolin and

Folk Harps From Folkcraft

/110ft

,,1IIstIn.

Irllh. Sronlsb SpedaIOO TIn aodhnns, FklIn. ConcmIIIU. Gnn&er and CampbeI ~ OIlmen, s..JI ~ and MilIIU)' ",,". PIn I COIIIpItw coIIKdoa of hIIJI .. duldaaet boob ..... _ _

Smd St (llh

'"

'''') Ior_~QbIoa.

FJQlk~ril:U

. .'

!natrllmenta • • 0 los 8t70 .

''lI$fd. Connectital o609fI

(lOJIJ"9-98S~

'"

~_'-011"""'."-"'"

'"l1li.,MIl ....... III''''''. r..... md~. NorwY

2. Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com


mtTltS· al oroe I1'l(lIIlYnl !iOUndlnl "ar len· der and 1M 11('11 "cry agl"e$~IVC "',Ih the

Nme melody My flVflnIC scicClions, oeM I~n T~ Marq~jJ of lIunllQ'S 1Ii&II/oM "' Img and

'" Btgsor, A Btg8ar. are ILncs , was lirellly familiar With: Parson's I-'1I",,·t"II, /1It" f'/(ItO't"rs of I::dllllxtrgil and GoddrJSrl. rt~lfiorl of GvJdrswl pan..:". l'/ly uqub.lc. 1M ... IY hl$ duicuncr welves harmoolCS and rounlCl'" melodies to his VI)I« In '" Btggtu. '" Bt"ggar broulht Silly R . ,'s dulcirrorr arrangements 10 mtnd. lind it is on Ihinek<:uon (hat ""e first hellr [)ou1'S fine tin whlstlc plDylng, I thoroughly enJOYcd th'l album and would recommend it 10 ..,yont "'00 cnJOYS Enghsh.nd SroutSh mu~it. Myonly enti· clsm ""ould be !hal vocilly Berch under· toOk a bit more ItwJ he rould llandic. 1M embelhshmenls I~I he dots "'lIh 5Ul:h case and nUKhty on the duk'u1Ier JOIInd I bit str.rllllCd wllh his voi«. To me lI.'lCCmS thlt simplifying the md OOy 011 the 'lOCals would mal.e hiS slngtng ITIOft cff«ii"e, But all In III thiS sen'elI lIS. zood tnll'Oduc::· hon 10 the musicianship of Doug Bcrch. "'00 In 1983 "'"00 lhe National Cham·

ptOnshl~ held .tthe W.lnut Valley Fc:sci· val tn Winftc:ld , Kansason both the moun· tain and the hammer dulcimer) He IS clcarly wOt1hy of hiS T1Ink In lhe upper echelon of dulcllnCl'" playCl'S 10 dalC . (I/t, primtJjmm MIChigan Folknorcs, M(lrd .

'''''''

/ jllId Ills

s ...·tct Sonp "rom Yesterday/Mi ll Ru n

Dukmxr Band. 38IS Kencble Rd , An. nandale , VA 2200J

One oflhe advantages of residing tn the Washington DC lII"Ca is betng able 10 hear the Mill Run Dulcimer Band ~rform al VIllOUS parlr;s, dukuncr galhenng$ and the h1;e 11m: III"C 511 people ",110 have 1101 of fun betnllOJCther and nW..lng musIC that 1$ watm and from the hean SWEET SONGS FROM YESTER· DA Y 1$ Mill Run's lhiro album. and In my mind ii', thdrbe~t!iO far, III listcmng. ooe can hear a d'S\lneti ve Mill RUII "sou nd" that pc:nneaces the ~old·"mey . tndllionltl and Jenll mt:'ntal- music that the) play. T.... o of the IrouP'1 ~trenglhs are c"Klent In thiS I"CC'OnJInK Filll are the 'OC'lII hanoo-

mes. 51I"0I'l& and controlled harmonlei !j.UCh as wnl by Robtn Glisc:r and Terry Houff on Sill Staines ' P'MY I/n't"~ G,rl ptO\'t: inrectlous and t:astly enrourage one 10 $Ing .Iong. Ltke\ll"<;C, all SIA members are qUlle profICient o n I~p dulcllTioer. ll1e inslru mental tunes and brc:aks creali~cl~ . ugmt:'nt ","Ithout O\'Cn\-helmtnl or com· promisln, I~ ,dual anti rflc.....l) en · vlronment thlt fonn~ an aural basil for Mill Run', mlSlC. It all fits IOgcthcr nlCt:l) and sounds WOIIdt:rful. So loosen up those ,'OCaI chords, ~lnl.lon, and mare the fun

with Mill

R u~.

FIFTY POPULAR REELS, JIGS AND HORNPIPES ANNOTATED FOR THE HAMMERED DULCIMER

- PWS Everythlnrl you need to play like the pros:

v

How to I lmplity your pI.ylng w~h h.mmer-stroke

combinations lor danee tune rhythm, How 10 elim ln.te hammer crONlngs by understa nding your dulclmefaluning set·up v How 10 reduce your tun&leamlng Ume ,,/ T1~ on hammering lor the 'ett handed person. tlllnSl)oa.lng melodie.. luning and rMl ln lena nce, and much more!

v

170 page, full 0/; o Practlc. E•• rel,., 0 Ol.g ram, o IIluatrallon, 0 PhotOtt FULL y 'NDEX~D IN '" SPIRAL BOUND VOLUME

CONV~NI~NT

.18.t, - BOOK . ' t,ts -COMPANION CASSETTES

_n ... _ ..... _ .... NJ_ _ OO"'_"'_,O,

S38 .OO - BOOK AND CASSETTES

SI..oR>CH PIlOCUCT1ONS FA

PO

eo. ' 12, MtJofe$t;,wn ~ ~ 01!061 j§C"""\

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An Interview With ...

Paul Wyszkowski t:ASC t:OHPANY

by Mnrgueritte Blatter Katonah , NY

PADDED DULCIMER CASES Write Or Call For Free Brochure 111 North M,ln Talonl., Idaho 83452

q/lll~

by

U«I/I~,,/.

I m~/ Paul Wyr.kooo'lti /~1IC'td Vis· COI'sA:;j ofl..GU Car""l. NY A.//hm II"", "lU fry"'g /0 fitld a pMUrlOIIt Ilf m) dull-j· _r. As I P'«flud r/a.ukd pinvJ I t~pf ~(UI"g IIfJOflttr WIUId '" my /trod, II 'HIS _ II gui/llr. _ 10M 111M _tid of tilly d.. f ItDd J() far pluyt'd. TM ,tl/lll of my mUlings Io'illt Pa .. / il his 18 Io'hirh '4'111 IN rq~"t'd 10 '" 1M IIf"n'~"', Wllh II. J /UI'I rtbl~ /0 alloct 1M s"'np In a simtiar ",ay as /h~ rlass/col , .."ar. Paul Wys:ko ..'stl. as u ,.~mbtr of 1M NMriC'fln GUild of L",ltil'fI. /I a ,~,u/ar COII",bI4/Of' 10 Ihl''' qI4lJrl~,ly ma,a:'n~ H~ Is IHHh a rum;.'1' and 1«lIniral ..'rill" ",host main purpost Is prllmOllll, and sharing tno...ll'dgt among lulhll'rs. Cur· 'tntly. h~ is 01/ Ih~ Boord if' Di,tC'tOf's of Iht Glli/d.

Il-,,,,,,

lI ow did )'00 become a luthler?

I IuIve always bec:n flS('IImed by musinI InstNmrnt5. I IIT1 • I\0I'l of acsll1cllC tinker. I htemall..n.thlnp lnal oombmc "yle. belUly and functIon inlO one cle· pill. prxtlCal .... hoIe that worU I JOC InlCft$led In luthcoe bcC'ause I

CO\IId !lOt Ifford. rully ,ood lunar and I thoughl n ""'ook! be fun to build one TIlls SI.ncd I leamln, pnx-e:ss thai hJs taken me Into Inc depths of physics. mCdlJ/l/Cs. psyroacOliSlICS. hlSlory and nwsfCOlo&y.n se..::h of the ans",,'U 10 one IImpic ~ lion: how do yOli mate. good gullar?o.-er • period of about nine yean I ha~e 001· Iccled bns and piCtt$ of the ans",,'er. ImllnIy by makin, I number of mstJUrncnu including t""·cI,·c gUIW'S and eight duld· 1I'lCf5 . T1lc- .,·.lIable htrnUure: on matmg music,1 mSlrumcnts is sufflCicnllo getone SWIed in $0 far as 1\ describes the physICal process of pumng an inslrumcnIIOg<'lher. There: arc: cve n $(lmc due5 avar lablc on how lOI1e and conslnK'Iion may be rdated . There arc: also many pet lheones floatlnll .boot. usually based on accidental suece$$, These have 10 be scrutinized cnucal· ly for possibly useful ideas. BUI nobody has yet clearly staled how 10 mate a good gUIW, One problcm is. of COlIne. thaI II " 110( po:miblt 10 define a Wgood gUItar" "" IIh J/ly prttiSlOn, T1lc- IIlO5t one can ROy is that I good inSlrument is relativdycasy to play and docs re:sist or fIVStra«: Il1c mllSical in«:nuonoflhc pla)'er. Beyond that. it litIS vcry compilCaled and "cry SUbJectlVC A-

SOUNDINGS

A REPERTOIRE BOOK fOIl fH[ '"£11'EO OUlCl~ rNT[AMEOI""n TO ""OYANCEO P\.""YERS

OVER 71l NEW ARRANGEMENTS BY ANNA BARRY _T _ _ ~

A. ftw rrt()ttllts ago.

,.,-..., r. 0....:..... INCLUOES Popul." Old EnghSll.

all(l bfly "maric'" TII".I, CII"llmU and EI.t..,. CaroII. Tfld.toONI TllrIM In Non- TI"',IIOI>' II T IInl,,!Jf, Song, 101 Smgjng, En ..... bI.. lor Ollle .... I .. , Rec:Orde ... Flule Qulra,

I\rn.roc:an

_--_ .. _ _--.. _---_ ,----

C""'''

"'_...... ..

,,.._ ....

.. _ _ _ _• CM', __

...............

·'OONOIMlS .. _ .

...

a.-..~

~~

_~

. . . . Of

... _ .. _ _

OflDER FROM SOUNDINGS

PO 80.1"4 s-...NC21l1!07

PrICe $1200 Po.tpJ.id In U S WhoIe&M (M,nomum fI BIoI' $1 50 ppd · T... _ ... _ .. _ .... -

23 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com

-"-'


moo:: meanln,ful question i! probably, ~ How can I make an inswmcnl ..·ith the kind of _nd WI I want: Forgdtina: aboul " 'haI i5 &ood and ..... hal is N.d, how can I control the qualitieJ of!he inIDUmcnt and make it tome out the way 1 intend' What NlUfilklns do you hl"e ror DlMr hl'Strumcont bulldt'tS? The only w.y 10 masler !he craft of mak in, iMlrumcnl5 is prac!i~. Eventual· Iy, • dim picture be,ilU toemerge from the rn&SI of detai ls, a picture Wt il diffICult. if noc imp0s.5ibk, to describe in woois, Intuition play' a major role, AI well IS • native abihty to rtCOrISIIUCt rulity from. few &Iimpsed fngmcnt.!i . One: can ,,·rile. recipe - and that l5 ..... hat most of the '"how toR boots art;. whict!, ifrollo ....ed ex~y, will produte.n instrument of quality. But no recipe an lead one 10 excellence. Wh)'

ha~'e

),ou boHn

nUl king duldlJM'l'$~

The fint one was a presenl ror a fnend. but the procen of making it again bl"Ollaht up !he questIOn of control of quality. The AppaJlChlln dulcimer 15 a primluve in· 5Irumenl. What con trol there may be

amon, maken !hat allows !hem 10 produce consistently &ood inIDUmenl$ is btsed on tradilional pnc:tke and expe~ _ Ha,,inlltlKiied the KOUSIic5 of the II/liar In some depch, I rorogniu I potentl.1 for ICOUSikal opIimizatlon of the dulcimer to make il I more effICient, more powerful. more musk.1 and more ~crsal;le .n~l1U_ mcnl .

en. Tbcse needs art VatlO\I5, .nd VarKJUS rorms or th( dulcimer are erner,lnl 1l1ere', not~ng irreverent or hereliCiI Ibout thdi _PenoIWly.1 am mlelUled both m dilCOYerin, the traditional methods of design and COIISIl\It1Ion and in COII~IOUS applkltion 0( ....·hat I Io:now or ICQUSlICS and mechanics to control the qua lit)' and projection ortone.

a

Would you tdl the reidull abou t your latest duklmtr?

That 15 just I mauerof labe ls and names. Muskally. it is im:ie:vanl what ....l: call tile instrumcnl , Let's call it the son of the dukllTlCf

My -coneere dulcimer, of whkh number 8 is the fint example. is nKllually

bluch I n 'impro"ed" duldnloC'r?

I~rllmtnt5till

Who IK'C'd5 II ? 1bcre art; players who art allTlCted to the simplkity and the folklcnoflhedukimcr,)'Ct would like 10 have more musICal po5slbillliel along with the traditional JOtInd so thaltiley c.n e~pand their reper· toire beyond the tradilional IIm ple ~ompanimcnt 10 the voke. The A~­ lachlan dulcimer is not an hl"orical 11ft;. fact 10 be f.lthfull), p«seo'ed _ It i! a IIvln, instrument In cum:nt use and it IS IntVllIbly evolvln' 10 !ioUII the needs or!he pllY_

The Magic Dulcimer

IIIlCf. Ion",r and with more Ilr volumc In the bo • . The fin",rboard IS dellChed from the soundboard 10 eliminale the damplnl effect of nocire prasure To keep the finlaboard ngld. il is mounted on I deep (2 '1:1-) truss which is suspended from Its two ends It the tail and at the body-bead JO.nl. 1lIe section on which the bridge restS is made very light SO thll il is easily ucited by the string vibnltions SHlte the fingerboard IS free or tile soundboard. II CIllllOl serve IS • sound conductor IS IS the C1IJC of the tradllJonaJ roon The SCUId is conducted by means of l!:ntlng sysum atllChed" one end 10 the bndsc and c...llnUInI loonluooinaU), f ... nearly the full knllth of each half of the soundboard. A system of IfInS\'eIW!:nt· in, stiffens the soundboatd lalerally and controls unwanted reso nlnce s .. hile enhanc.ng tbe treble response: , The result is .Ioudcrduldmer with more !ioUstain and a rounder "fuller" IOI'IC ..... hkh is pankularI)' suitable for playing. What Ire your in.slrumtnl . maklnl plan!i for the future? Although lha"e been conc:entnung on the c1.nical gUlllr, all smnged In$Il1.1mcnls int~t mc. historical. contemporary and those ),(1 10 be [n\'cnted I am prtp.anngmyse:lflO maIo:e myfil1\t Baroque IUle, and I haveJu" finished an instrul1""loenl or my invenllon designed 10 be played by a handic. pped person with limited hand movement. itf"'1l"'''''' 1l14ar, ~J . . " ~",. ...... ,,,,, .... 'rtrMl.wn.t, .. NY ",_ ..... ...... ..... ,., .,..-'. >101 _,.,.. .." pM}ftI , .......'"

,,--...II.

,.,j- Jar

/j ,....

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The Scholar -

all

Irish Reel

I might wbl:il\e this one 11_ ' S~m M)'Summ~r VIIC"otiOft . Once again I retumed 10 Elkins. West Virginia for another ..... eek of clas!ieli al !he Augusta Heri rage Workshops (sec the winter 1983 issueof DPN forulory onAugusta). bill this li ~ without my Ilammerdukimer. 1 took lrisk banjo from Mid: Molooey •.• and. good Irish banjQ luneju§\ beg~ 10 be pillyed on the hammer wkimc:r. You can find a vCfliion of this lune in the Krusen edi tion of O'NtU/'s Music oflrtlu1ll1. The Boys orllle Lough recorded it oolileir album GIJOd Fricllds· Good Musk . •

~rllh

JohNSon. Cillcinoo/j. Off .

AT LAST!

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those who can see, hear and feel a great instrumenl.

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.ucfiophile 'Kordi<>p: Album 01' .~.f -. ;rne a.>e1te V .9S (Add $1.00 poiI.8~: CA r~n!O add U2 ... ~ IU) M.k~

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Dulct.....,~mpk<, k

-. _

c-.~

.. fo,

Go""",,',

25 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com

only

.J.o •• .lil.>bIoe.


The Answer Column Sam Rizzetta lnwood , WV T"i, qllnliOtf und allSk~r 00111_ /kals '<"II" hi/d'l'lg. playi,.,. rllld roflll8!ar dlllcu'~r' (boIlI illldsJ_ QIWJtiCHU au '1'l"IIM PIt;JH addrtJS IN'" ,., III., ralllIfUI 'If filU tf DULCIMER PUYE.RS NEWS. Nou that /.mllotlOflS of JfIIJ" and W'W' _ y ...aU 1/ intpofJlbit 10 rtspoNilO t'>'f!ry IfIqlli" . 1 .. ,If 1101 bt' obit ,.,If!Q1.t rUpoI'Ut$ m"trtltalf as IIrrJt allo-'J ilf tillS ooIIIIIIIf . Qllt1fl0lU of gtl'ltflJ/ .,UtrtJI f(J t"t rrtJdtfJMp "'111 Itt p'iol'li)' .

Allhou " h I d o not w ll r~lI«1 dll k hmn. 11la,'e- maM.,ood ma n y. Ila ,'elrouble- It'lling my til$! mdodyA r ing 10

l.h.-.,"1

sou nd • bright and dear u mylKOnd mdody5t rin g. Wha t 1m 1 doin lt " roII&:'

HAMMEIl ED D ULCIM E RS '-' ''''''~ '''''''- ''''-'' - ~-

P.O. Box 228 Hampl on. TN 37658 (6 15)725·3 19 1

1 ma ke- lhe nolc h Ihe- Sl nw way IU I d o ror the KCOrld melody Siring . or II lltM~1

I think I do.

You lNy be oomg I'IO(hllltl "'ron, OIher man hstenln, too cardully' 1lIn'e .~ JOme $I)'k:s and dc:sl,gn5 !Nt natunlly have: ImperfC<1 balance bci ....ecn the tones of the stnnp . AS )'ou SU!>pect. the notchti III the nut and saddle can 'nn...,~ Ih,~ N...... che.. mUSI be " V" shaped and antlled IIpward loward the vibrating portion or lenalh of lhe Slrinl and 1Ut. or ~ bodged . on • knife-cdled or ' ''ghtlycurved peak ort.n· genl It the inner (ie , 10"'a/d the v,bnung portIOn 0( !he sinn,) «Ige- of nUl and load· dlt . lroncofyourstnntls runs II adlfferent qle bci",ccn nut and pcg or sadoJle Ind hitch pm than the OIherMnng. then special care must be gi\'en to the string notches . Also. the~ must be suffICient and equal beanng for each SIring . Beanns II the downward fon:c of Slnnp on nut and 51(/die. The (on:c If dclCfmintd by stnnllC'ft· 51On. 'Iuee. compoi-Ition . and . most 1m· portantly for our dl5CUSSion . the anllt created by the lilnng IS it passcs over ii, bearing point. the nut orsaddle . The Slnng should bend downward at leaSI 10 degree! or IT'IOI'e for efficient ene..-gy transrer and to Iotk the lilrtng firmly in the bottOlTl of ns V notch As the angle approKhcs a w-ighl Ime. danly and volume ~ 1051 unnl. II very low ang.lcs. buzzing occUrJ . This IS desirable on some cIStern inslrumenU. JUCh IS the.5i/ar. 0011'10( held In high regard on most dulCimers and gU itars! Un ronunatcly . notches arc btltthe tlpof the. icdx:r, . Some Myles of bndges Ind fretboards can t'rclk'd imbalan« . ThIJi IS

2.

sometime!; _ prevalenl wlm f!'C'!boanls 110110"-'«1 OUt undcmcam than WIIh f!'C'! . boards thai ~ 5OI1d or lhal have uclIc5 CUI OUt rrom the bottom . On !he other I'Iand . hollO\ll'cd rrelboanis provide beller , uff· ness to weight rallo. helping to keep the fretboard stlllight ~nd strong at minimum ,,·eight . Also . don 'l ne,icct the ~Ie and nllt . which should fit "''ell ... nh the 5101: or surface ,."m ",hleh they mate. Can ,01.I rommc-"t o n d irrtnnl bnd", paltrntl h mmc-r «l duicinwn:'

ror

Yes. There aree~nnally jU51two ba~ic forms of hammered dulcimer braeln, Othcn have eiher been less dfectl\·e . noc yet found flvor. or are mc~ly vanlltOns on !he Iwo buocs _ ~ tv.o form$ arc parririmt /mJnlfl and NOU bracing The purpose of the bncmg is to help the $olllldboard ..'Ill back resiSC the bearm, rorce orthe Slnngs. 10 ICOUscicaJly couple the soundboanl 10 the back ( IS With the violin IOUIldJlO!tt) . and to provide I I'Cg . uilled 5tiffncu 10 the cntire dulCi mer SlNCttm: and. In partICular. to the 5OUnd· board. ~by conuvlhnl !he Ikpee 10 " 'hieh ~ibnnni e/ICIIY II diffem11 f~· qumcies il communICated 10 the IIr The partillon brace ..I Its simpleSl form frlme nul to is a panilion running rrame nail. an4 connecllllg the soundbo.:trd and back . It isplac«lappnu:ilNlCly under the bridgc . We hive built some duklmcn with I 5CnCS 0( IOUndpom. butmls can be consi6crcd esscnt .. Jly a .'eakned or Intemlp:cd partttH)ll brace . [ invented the adjUstable cross bncc system around IS I research tool Bnces run between pin blocks IllSlClid of bet\VCCn fllmc IIlIs and various fi~tutc:s are used to ,uppon and control the !\OUnd· board . Lockin, joints provide g rClt

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rrom

1m


wength .1 low wClghl. HOWie MItchell buIlt !jOI1'I: duklmel'S.1

behe"e. that combIned. C'I'OM·I)'{lC bno;-c

or two (Of fnnw: wength II>lh IntcmUped parlltlOO ~s. Acou§\lCaUy t:IICsc pr0bably fuoctlonal a~ pai1Jllon br3ces. The~ may ha\e been WlItlC 19th mtlUI)' duki· mel'S buill thl~ "" y. but I am not ccnaillof th is first hatWt 1did rorlSlru(1 500Ie of my favorile duicilTlCl'S ""llh Ihi, comblnalloo 11 has been a 5Qllree of greal amuselTlCnt \I) me tm.t my VInOUS bracing sysII.'lt1$. sud! &$Ihc cro55·braI:e ~y§\tm. ha\'C been 50 w)\jely coptal by rorlll.'mpoQl)' nWCr'$ and manurK'lu~l'S. The truth of the mailer lllhat no bnclllg Jy§\Cm. tUm by llWlr. will ~Iy produce a bella tone: or bctlCl" lnstr\1menl II Ii. III f;K1 •• muw:.. desIgn clement. The soundboud. Nck. frame atWt braclllg must.1l ,.,urk wgcther and be deilgllrd 10 complement and relll· force cach OIbef 10 produce I ,ood !iOUnd· ing. good funclloning instrumenl. I have found thai by lakin, a toW IwmorliOUS Of ''wholistlC- approach \0 deslng I ,an prod&ICe the 5ImC tone with a vwicty ofwlklly difftl\"nt bracin, schemes. My advla \0 buikkn illO ronstdt:r )'our ~Is and 0I1w:r oomponenu bdorc gClllng Ioxtal 11110 I

partICular bracing pa"~m . For the: pocen· UalOIl>'1lCT pI~yer the: first eooccm <houkl be tone and flloctKll\&l qwohtlC$ r:athn" th~n tile partICular br:acmg. One minor nou: MljllS.. bIe S)~rM. If "cry 11>1:11 dc:o;lgllrd .nd tACCUtcd . may penm\ - \OlClng- or MljllShng 0( tone One may ~aSOlable argue thallhl~ IS IInllCCeSSllY If the: dulel· ITll'r IS nlade 10 sound \1:1)' asr«able In the' I1l'$t plllCC: Some types of repaID are easier or less hl cly 10 be ncedc:d '" Ith an /ldj\l\t· able dulcllTll'r

glOO~1 «N\\(nUOllS and ~e available In' s.ll1InlCnt pllllls and d31l1 sheets II nor\'IlMI Cl)!;t The) a1sopubh~ I bookk't. LMIIw,,, Irulrw'/OIl 11I AIIM"IN . II>hlCh h5li many of the' anl~bIe Ins.lnlnw:nl bilikilllg courses ~nd their de>rnpuons s.omc, Khools may be able 10 asSI st their gDdualcs II>l\h .pp~ntlCCs~lp and ,lOb pl~el1lCnt And sonIC Cov(r bu)IOCSS a'peels of ~Iartlng and running your o""n slw>p IkM of Iud I

s...1MII C",,,, fI,,:~ ........ """. """"Z -..k .. fo>l1W11• •

"'*'''''.. _ ..

-../r-'" lint \ '....._

...-'m

".. __y ,...."k ..... ''1/111 ,,.,

I look II 2 " 'Hlsummer roursr durinlt .. hid! I buill I dulcimer lind lurnrd _ ~pllir prottduru ror ~ringt'd In· Slrumtnu. 111m !iOrriou~J Intfftsltd In II t;IIl'ftr In building h.ammrr dukimtrJ lind OCMr Slrtngcd Instruments. When m1r:hl I oblili n In IIppffnlktship or IIJIIft In deplh Inllinlng? the single be~1 Slep an 3~plnng 5t.ringoo Instrumenl makcr today un la~c Is \I) JOIn tile Gudd of Amencan LUlhlel"S. 11222 Soulh Park Avc .• Tacoma. WA 98408 They pubhsh an t"IUn, and In· fonnah\'e quancrly JOUrN.I tliial Am .., · kGII LMlhO'n... prodUCt Muonal and 1\".

11_, ~, .

..........

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liM __ MIl

ntI/I--. qf""" -

C L... SS IC ... l

f'OPUL ... .

~mDps

Books & Cassette Tapes Write fDr _

F 4!f

IIrcIdIIn

MEADOWLARK PRESS

80.8172 P,..lrle Village, KS 66208

TUNER

J . P. llIom-Gl"OIIKhan of 1'tIot1ll.t. At. \.ill". snoou' allhe 1984 Summer SoIS1ICC Duklmer Fts\lvlllI GrqscOl1C Pm itt Beverly Hills. CA. • p/tolQ; Oal.. B/",il""I". . SnlIlIO'. WA .

•••

CUSTOfoI suu> ,... ............ aI _ _ .... _

--

.....

--t!:"MML~fiiIdJi UAND wlIPl kOIIiIi __ -.c........ SONG Of'..... TIll!_ SEA Edooo.<I ""- _ 0 . - !3I7l _566.I .'_50 ._•_

I

_

2_

27

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... CATAlOG ""'--'d. r _

F... .-... S - ~

eo..:..

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eo..:-... Kft.

IIooIoa.IIornodi. T_


Hammer Dulcimer Tablature Com't Crompton

In the milbl ur!he Curn:nt <;:UOtrvv<:ny .ul1w.lfJm¥ the Ihumy q lle$l101ll of appropnate tablature: and IIOIlItion for mount .... and

hammer dulcimers, I' d like: to introduce my own 1)'.I'll'm for notIli n, hammer placement for the h.d .• and ask DPN ~.u.:"

for rommcnli, In lIOIallnl,",lcdi~f for thell .d .• it ~ms tIw 1M hammcn nl mdit.llOOl nttdtd arc : I'

Indicate Ii~c wly50f pl.Yln! the 5&mC' chon!. Depenthn,OI'I the cootext. any one of these might be the Hbe5I" hrommcrina pat-

om.

\I>'hlth haml'l'ltt 10 SW1 ""ld! (assumm, aJltmalion of ham·

SUI« the ,uKk1; abo\'c the IIOId ~ 10 be used only when d!onb and pa5511d preK"nt muillple choices. they can be used spann,ly, leavln, the musIC uncluttaul. Between Iymbols. altr:mauon of hammers can be ass~mtd_

mers theruflef) b) tnaks in the patttm of aUrnalull hammers: 1') for the noces ... llIch ~ ~pe.lled on the inS(nrmcnl. especially D.E.A and B. y.'bch po$ltlOlliO Iuommtr ""Ihm a

"ven d)

Hcn: 's a 5amplc piece. an anonymous E1iubethan tunc called Kemp', ii,. It 's not 1 j iB. of course, but • tunc in honor of Will iam Kemp'~ marathon MorTis dance. I'd appreciate com. menu from anyonc \0,'110 tries learning lhislIll1Ingcmenl as 10 the intell igibility Ind usefulness of the hammenn, guidct

ronlC~l .

ornaments.

For highly clwrdal mUJic. l/lere arc many more decIsions 10 be renec1cd In Inc lIOtauon. IlOl. only becausc chords Cln generally be p1.yed in seven! WI)'S. but also beuusc chords often inlm1lpl the casy flow of .hcmaunl hammcll on thc melody lux. CountupOlI1I uw.aJly breab up the Ilow. II ",-ell

Came Crompcon 119 Clover Road Swc CoIleit'. PA 16801

I've rome up .,.lIb the foilowl", lytlCm for IIICheallng Iwnmmnl

patttms In

P.S Can Wi: amvc IIlI~nsuslT!an:hn! the nameollhr: h.d - hammer dulcuner or hammered IJuicimer? [Ed. nlMC: As 1 pcnonaIly lpeak of hrommer and fn:ued dulcunen, I u.sc those adjectives in the DPN. If In IUthor or n:v~wer uses the \O,-onU hammcmt or moutI!iUn or Appahlc~iatl or \O,·hatcver. I gene",lly follow lUll I

ilmbt!1IDU5 lit\Wl(WI5;

- f i r IIOICS on the: bass bndgc • .B - ",hI hammer. 1. - len hom""" -on the nJhl·lwKhNk of the treble bridge. R .. npt. L _ left: -on !he Icft·Ju,nd side orlne treble bridge. r .. righl , l _ Idt

For chords. the symbols an read. as the IlOICS

«

c.m.- C~ .w.. ....".." ...... ,."".... mrl) -.ok """"lIN Jar " ...N dW-.ploftl ""1"MIII~ 1t~1"'1w -..or .... "'1--1 ... Itt,

~ played.

.......... ...... nc.Ictr .....

from boctom to top. Thus:

DULCIMERS

aoundbDard

DR GEO RGE F. ORT HEY

28 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com


Kemp's Jig nrr. Carrie Cromptoll State Col/ege, PA

1

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29 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com

r

II


!L}'f!I/k ..

Cf/1ldmood

The Wildwood DulcimcB is a group which exemplifies the renaissance: of ioterest in the freued du lcimer. and in the n:perloire now availblc to it. llIese five women from Kingspot't. Tennessee play tr:ldition-

.1 fiddle tUlleS. Appalacllian ballads. Irish airs. hymns and just about any kind of music on dulcimers. wilh an occasional fiddle. auloharp or limbc:Tjack added for excitement and ,·ariel),. Members or the Ray~ Mountain Duk,. mer Society. which boasts 4O-plus morm· beD in Upper EaSI Tennessee. lhey have

performed 11$ a group rorabout three years.

H AMMERED DULCIMERS

Thcy especially enjoy playing at hIstorIC restorauons. Cr2ft fairs and fol k-life festivals. TlICy h••·c pcrfonned aI Roan Mountain Folk-life Feslival. Warrior's Path

0ttlctillC/U/

State Part, the Carroll Reece Museum al East Tennessee Stale Unlvel'$ity and the Soutllcm Appalachian Highland, GUlid Fair in Asheville, North Carolina dunng thc past ycar . The Wildwood Dulmnen aJ!IO play al IiChools, churches, nursing homes. civic and social c lJb$ around Kingspon and 1m regulars attt.c £"changc Place, I restored farmslf:ad -cnfl exchange. where !heIr de. hcale handiwM <:oll1pli~nts the hand. made crafts made and !lOki !here. The Wildwood Dulcimers are (from left 10 ri,hl in lne photo): Evelyn Mllkr. Dalene W.JlIICe , Sally Day,·auil. Palnci. Maden and Carolyn Wh,te. Address for !he Bays Mountain Dukimer Society Ii P.O . Box 3033, Klngspon, TN 37664.

Starting at $90 .'ou r Models To Choose From

LYRES T il E ANCIENT CHEEKS

"lADE TII EM FAMOUS We

~I ade

TIle," Alfunbtble

!-" R EE BROC II UR E

/"

-

Jol "

HUNTER" "" :

Ask Aunt Lu

Dear Aunt Lu. I~ow can I gct my children tostop lislcn· inl!llothat awful MTV and sUU1l isleni ng 10 folk mu sic? Ear in TnlClion

Del" car. Did )"OIIr partltU milk" )"01/ "Of' IWI'II' ;ng 10 1001 /II.fulfoll:. music IIlId illl;11 )"01' IiSI"1I II) G/tn Milltrl ifllt,,)" set )"011 tnjo)"· ingfoll:. music Ihty ...illfollo .... $u;l . prob· ably (J/ ugt JJ " 'htn Ihtir htarmg gotl.

RT. I, !lOX 53 BROOKER. fo"L 32622

DEALER INQUIR IES WELCOME

Dear Aunt Lu. Then: is a piper in our ~ighborllood ..... ho practices in his cement bkx:l basement . 15 this good for hi ~ Ileanng? hSl .....ondering

30

I/UII!!! I once hturd a (Jlper ""/Jrmlllg "p hil pipes m a/l Air Slrtam Trailtr aIId ht /10 .... pia)"! I.e COflctNillll ...lIh no nori("t. IIb/t ht/Jrill8 loss or lieb. Dear Aunt l.u. What do "'c do .... hen .... c·re dancing and somc:o~ gives us a limp hands IICTU!iS Of" a wishy-washy star by lhe right? Society for w Firm Grip on Things

Dellr SAFGOT, Remem/Hr "'hm good 01' U"rI" Burlon rullS/II " •. /l ull",r "",I lu"d. ~ D r"d

Fish!!!." Thm would uNlllnly gtf Iht" aI/tn/ion. rOIl mighl also IT)' dilncins by )"OIIrstl!(Jnd bt lUsurrd llull )"011 I:.no..... Ito }"OII ron gtl Q ,rIp Oft •

n.. • ....m.n.I ~ ..... /ffInJ Jr- KKJIIlI' T. .. ,., _.u,kr pJH/JotJ ", tIw " .... C'ffI. FolUOU.l«...,. ... ,,_.... M",,,t-

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What's New? £My Cbord Pla)inl Mdiwxl for Ham~ Duklmer. Book III: Dulcimer Humdingers/Lilah GIllen. 8709 Goddard, OvttIand Part. KS 66214 • TIII$

synthesizer. cello. ~Iohn and gu,llI' plus ... ocals. Selections Include Done" of I~ ItINdoto· Micc. Lord of flac DuM''' and

Pia/ill

of Waf"rloo.

Bluqnw DirtttorylBD Products. PO BOll 412 . Murphys ' CA 95241 • TIlls

or T~ BI~graJS D'r«-

bookconlalMo ...er IOOlunes ranging from

1985-86 edition

010.' r.mililu 111110

conlains appnlllimalCly 600 IiSl!n",. dl'llwn from cl'll fumen . retailers. man ufacturers and wppliers. It ,ncludes in· formation about records. tapeS. ,nsU\lc, lion. maguineJ. books. elc . for lhe folk and bluegrass musician .

\Q JI1\"

=b. hornplpC>

and popular 5OIIg$ wllh harmon,cs and cmbclli~hmenl$ . Musica l notation and duk,mer tablature . l.Au,hln& WUJowfBonmc Carol. Bnstk·

'01')'

cone Rccords. Wallstreet. Salin. S,.r Route. Boulder. CO 80302 • ThIs album fellUres hammered duicllncr ..... Ith other InJtnlmenll such u pl.no. IIn-..... hlstle. K(IU~ Ms.s and kahmba. Side one 15 cnUlIccI Tuas S1UMtn"7.- side two ,sRfNMifljlUlt'rI GIld ScalIJr"". OIlIer muslCi.ns included Doug Berch. Randy Kelley and Duane Webs.ter. Dttpen l nll/ Rulh O.rrCII and Cynlla Smith. Acolus Music. 4111 LIncoln BI~d . 1 2 11 . Manna del Rey . CA90292 • Th,s diglu.1 reoonhnl fe~ures fmtcd duklmm ....·,th other msmHnelll$ lUdI15 psaltery.

Quftn Annt', Laccl754 Franklin A...e . • Pituburgh. PA 15221 • Th,s T extended pI.y ~ ronwns 2 YUCail (Blow Yr Willdt. SoUJi"'-s Joy} and 2 ,MlNmcn1l11 ..... ith hammer dulcImers . PI.no I!CCOfdUlIl. acoustic bass gultar.nd Nnjo _

Xml5 ' Ptc ia llSob Fi~hbonc. On The: Wall Produclions.2023 Auenal, 51 LouIS. MO 63118 • TIll5 rassetlC: tape feallirtS onlinal and umqucly-S1),1ed Ind,lionalluncs WIth !he follow,nl'MU\lmenl$ and effeo:ts: acotlSUC and ci«lnc dukl' men. washboard. conduit lender. ch"Tle5. gong. percuS~KM1. ~olCd. stagullls. guilllr. syn!hesl~er. proccs~ln. a.nd delays. Michigan Mountllin Dulclmc rfWanda Degen. cduor. 544 Cornell A~e. Eas, Lans,ng. M I 48823 • ThIS qUlncrly newslcuer pro~ides S1ale-.... 1de frelled dulcImer e,'elu calcnd;u and notlrlCatlOn of !OUring frdlled duklmer pl.}en. roncens and ...."Orl.shops. Also btos. Iura and re~1CWI.

t'oIk Mwk ~ne MligadOOP.O So~

878, NortII Arhngton. NJ 07032 • This Tile GoodreUtlw Cataltll! 01' Wondtnul Thlnlls / Boll 4 520. Berke l ey. C. 94104 • Four calilogs (For Home & OffICe, G,rl$ Under S.so. To Wear& Welt & Wear. For Kids of All Agc5) conum I coIlectkln of o"cr 3.1XKl handmade Ind cuscom nude UCIR$ .....,lable by nU111

new quanerly malllQlIlc bellan in Janu:ary 1985. It co ...ers events and roll.: l1\u~ic rehued topKs in New York. Ne ..... JtOieY. ~nnlyl"'ll!1i. and ConnecllCUt Wck:Qme and many good .... 'ws

N

LUTHERIE

HANOClAfHO OUl CtMrlS SINCE .,,,

"(l.\....-r.•• •

5 Hammered Dulcimer Models from lightweight begmner 10 lutl -

s, ~e pro/essional. Sl<Inds. stools and custom caSt'S. 3 hioonlilin Dulcllner Models from shott-scale backpackt'f 10 fuU· sue professionoll. Also MOunt,lIn Dulcmlef kIts and compell tl ... e P1"1Cft on books, records, dulc,mer accessones and ~pphes. FO~ fltU I"OCHURE W~ITE: II: L lACk & SON OULOMEII: CO

72)0 Gurd Road ·

H~lngS,

31 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com

MI "9051

• .on Co.

Dulcl

IIW-r •


Classified Ads FlNEL Y DESIGNED HAND-CRAfTED FOLK TOYS: Limber Jock. Dog, PQny. Bear. Frog. Clown. and Lamb SIO.95 ea. includts shipping. Jean's Dulcimer Shop. P.O. Box 8, Cosby. TN )7722.

THE KITCHEN MUSICIAN'S OCCA-

SIONAL FOR HAMMER DULCIMER , ETC.: BookletS in wndard l1OIalion and Sam Ri:acna's u.blalure . No. !. Waltzes; No.2. Mountain TullCS (no lab): No.3.

O'Carolan Tunes; No. 6, Jigs; II pp. each. S2.50 ppd or all 4 for S9.00. No . 4 , Fine Tunes. has 32 old SI:mdards. 16 pp. , 53.50 ppd. No. 5, Moslly Irish Ain. I'Ias Il1O!l: Carolan

tunes and ain. 16 pp .. 53.50

ppd. SarJ. Johnson. 449 Hidden Valic)" C incinnali , OH 45215 . MAKE YOUR OWN I NSTRUMENT from a kil. We have lhoc finclt sel«lion

available. Send for free bnxhurc. 51. Croix Kits. 423 So. Main 51., Stillwater, MN 55082: 6 121439·9120. INTRODUC ING FOLKS HARPS. Hard· woods. !nIBIIl spruce Dnd molded chamben yield ultimate sound and beauty for SUluki bcginoen to proFessiolUi harpists. Folks Harps offcn inStlUCtional book.s, video casstttcs, wood musk: 5Iallds. sof! cases and stri ngs. Harpmllkcrs: We supply all harp strings. musk: quality spruce alld tapered luning pins. Folks Harps , RD I . Carlton. PA 16311. 814/425·7578 . TUNEBOOKS : New England. Irish, Scottish and Capt Breton melodics Ivail· Ible in our books for tradilional musicians . For FREE catalog write Flddletase Books. HC 63 Box 104. East Alstead. NH 03602.

BOOK FOR DULCIMER BUILDERS·

•. •Potpourri • Appa/llchiQ/I Mou/IIlli/l Du/· rI",crs. This book contains all the in· formation needed to build quality dulci· men. It has considerable thoeQretical in· formation on locating frets that the dulcl' mer ooikler will find useful to improve the musical sound of the dulcimer. This new book . .... riuen by I lIuleimer buillkr and engineer. contains information not covered in other publicDtions. For your copy sent U.S. S6.95 plus 5 1.25 for post· age and handling \0 Ja/1'IC5 M . Hall . Jr .. 3500 Tallyho Drive. Kokomo. Indiana 46902. TIE· DY E ARTISILKSCREENS from TIlE FARM . These shirts are bri lliantly hand-dyed to add oolor and sy mmetry to your .... orld. Many designs and styles to choosc from . 100'J> cotton . colorfast. Send 1Sc for color brochure. Dyc ....orks. P.O . Box 179·D. Summertown. TN 38483. COTION PR INT PADDED DULCIMER BAG: 40'" x I I" With shoulder strap. book pocket. and zippered acccssory pocket. S 12.95 Includes shippmg. Homcmade from Jean's Du lcmlCr Shop. P.O. Bo~ 8. Cosby. TN 37722.

I WOULD LIKE TO MEET other dulci· mer players alld maken along the Mis· sissi ppi and Alabama Gulf coasts. Call anytime . 1·601-497·)672 . KORG DT·I Chromatic Digital Tunen S79 .95 post·paid. Acc urat e. n:1iablc. affo rdable . Compacl . sli ps into shin pocket or case. Ideal for hammered dulci · mer, Autoharp. psaltery or any chromatic instrument. I year walTlllty. Send ck. or MO forS79.95 to Tree Frog Mu sic. P.O . Box 651. Bardstown. KY 4()()()4 .

ESTH£R KRE£K on the ha~ dll1cbMr .~ by the ST. J OSE PH MUSEUM 22 tradltional_gund • 18 POlllft ......... t with 1860 dwry. won!. " mll.ie: ,,11-0 • Y.Iu.~ lachinl .Id tor tIM pioneer _emotIIt "nlll.bll on..cord or e. . .uI ttl",

18.&0 pili• • 1.50 for mlilinl 6ndud... ........ letj

DES IGNER CAPOS for the discnminat· ing few . Maple or walnut with I'O$Cwood and pearl inlay (clovcror snowflake). S12. Standard UJ»S 57 ( I V.. 10 I¥." finger· boards. 50« postage. Dulcimettes from $65. Dulcimer! from S130. Finesl workmanship from I craftsman and musician. Brochure. Ron EWing. 234 E. Duocan, Columbus. 011 43202. JOHN MOLlNEUX and BARB TRUEX will be on tour from the cast coast to the west coast. mid ·Scplember through October. Fordetails of dates write orcaJl Barb. 24 South 51. t112. Bethel. 06801. 2031 744-7166.

cr

ATIENTION HAMMERED DULCIMISTS! ! Subscribe to TIr~ Duid"';sl. I new monthly publication for hammered dulci· mer enthusiasts. Only S12.OO yearly . That's a buck a month for I great package of du ldmania . Phil Mason. Editor. P.O. Box 1052. Williamsburg, KY 40769. FOR SALE: 12·key hurdy·gurdy by George Ktlinchek. in e~cellent condition. Leather shoulder strap included. $2.50. ClllTie CromrAon, 119 Oo\'cr Road. Stale College. PA 16801. 8141238·7322 . WE'VE JUST PU BLISHED A BOOK CATALOG with hurK!rros of titles of well· known publk:ations. This uhaustive anthology includes instructivc publica· tions as .... e11 as songbooks on Duldmcr. HamnlCred d~lcimer . Autoharp. Banjo. Coocenina. Oobro. Fiddle, Guitar. Har· monica. Mudolin. Penn ywhistle. Re· corder and even Bagpipes! Plus historic reprints. plans and books on oonSlnlCtiOll and repair. You 'l l even find titles of books on the Folk Hwp. Thumb Piano. Bala· laika. Ja w Harp and Uileann Pipes. 51 US & Canada. SI.SO Ovcrseas ($2 for Air) . Buck Musical Instrument Producu. 4() Sand Road . New BriUlin. PA 18901. 2151 345·9-'42. HANDM ADE DULCIMERS. HOURG· LASS AND TEARDROP SHAPE. Also original shape with viQlin bridge and tail· piece. mucll louder than trtiditiOllal for group playing. Also will sell wood and/or kits for making dulcimers. Send SASE for photos and priceliSl. Ratcliff String In· struments. 107 N. Wilson. Morehead. KY 40351.

32 Please do not reprint or redistribute without permission. Contact dpn@dpnews.com


o..ki_, Pla)vs N~J Is DOW In Its lilt! )'~ of publkatioQ. Thank Jou ror btln, a part or our P-' - and of our (utllrt.

, Uniced States ...... .... .............. ..• •. ... .... SIO (I yr.), 518 (2 )'n.) Unemployed. financial diffICUlties ...... ...... ....... . .... .. .......... 5 7

CanIda, Maico ................................ . ............ .. .... 512 Other Countries, surf.,.;:e . ..•••..•••..••..••••• . .••••...••••...•.•••. 512 OtherCDWltries, air . .. ....... . ............. . ............. .. ........ SI8

DULCIMER PLAYERS NEWS P.O. So.. 2 164 Windlestu. VA 2260 I

.,

JoO/7/

3CJ/ !lot~ ffo- r7iat/v Songs with Hammer Dulcimer Madeline MacNeil

Soon I(s GQitlg TQ Rui" is an album of beatllrlll contemporary and traditional 10\'1: songs accompanied by hamnlCT dukllnu. gun.ar mnd flute .

Musicians

Made/me MacNeil: Vocals, Hammer DulcimtT, FTeu.ed Dulcrmer Serh Ausfel1: Guitar Frances l..tJpp A"'fTlfl: Flute Flaum WiUimru: Voca.Is Sdections

Soon h's Gonna Ram. The WaitTU Wick, BIowIhe WindSmllhcl,rrhe KulRow, Hello, YOUTSong. RII..'fT Rum,. Wtld Moumain Thyme, Summrnime, Send in the Clowns, Riuer Pl"Ke ~, album:

sa plus 51 d! iwing. (VA raidcnu. plc-lue remember to mdlKk 4% $;lIes tax)

Roots & Branches Music .

P.O. Box 2 164 • Winchester, VA 22601

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DULCIMER PLAYERS NEWS P.O. Box 2164 Winchester, VA 22601

Bldlt

Ra,~

U.s._ P.... ID Ann Arbor, MI P~rmi, No. 87

ADDRESS CORRECTION IHQ ULS I UJ

Mail To:

:::.---...,..

...

SUBSCRIBERS: Iryour mallinllabtll! dilled 7/85, lhal melns your sub!icrlpUon ends ",-llh this Wilt. Time 10 rmc'w! To kC'tp )'our OPNJ C'OI11lnl IOilnoulinlftTupiion • Imd liS ,oot reM ...·.1 bd'orr StptC'mber 15. 19115.

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