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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
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| Mountain Dulcimer and the Hurdy Gurdy | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Wed Jun 9th, 2004 02:10 am |
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1st Post |
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No Picks Approved
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Hello, Do we have any Mt dulcimer players here on this website, I can play but very little, and the last question is do we have any hurdy gurdy players on this website, for those who dont know what a hurdy gurdy is, it is basicly a box with strings stetched over a wheel that you turn, it sounds like a cross between a dulcimer and the bagpipes, in the hands of an experienced player it is a wonderful instrument to hear being played, popular instument in 15th and 16th century europe, still played in some parts today.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 8th, 2004 12:05 am |
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2nd Post |
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No Picks Approved
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You mean to tell me we dont have any mt dulcimer players out there, I know we got a strumsticker on board, a strum stick is like a dulcimer on a stick for those who will ask what a strumstick is.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22nd, 2005 05:09 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Patrick_Woolery Approved
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Gee, I think it is your avatar scaring people off! Seriously, I sort of play a strumstick (well, an upscale version made by Wendell Powell, tuned DAD, deeper soundbox, lovely work). Mostly, I pull it off the wall every now and then and noodle around with it. Got maybe 5 tunes on it right now. Want to get a few more and work them up to jamming speed. I am trying to build a hurdy-gurdy in the garage and I sure do know what they are! Wonderful instruments. It occurred to me that one could play a HG with dulcimer tablature, as long as the tab is for the melody string only. That would be an easy way to get a lot of music quickly. Do you play the HG? If so, I want to ask questions about setup. Mostly, I play tinwhistle and banjo (frailing). I also noodle around on bagpipes (my mother is an excellent piper and has been teaching since before I was born, but I never had the discipline to stick with just one instrument). I have dreams of playing the fiddle and the mandolin, too. Well, that covers it for now. -Patrick
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| Posted: Thu Sep 22nd, 2005 09:13 pm |
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4th Post |
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No Picks Approved
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Hello, yes I do play the gurdy some, and I have used dulcimer tab for some of the songs that I have played, and it works, I have never constructed a hurdy gurdy, I purchased mine from apollo axes, it was actually made in Brasstown NC, the design was based on a spanish minnesinger of the 15th century, actually it is a rectangular box with a lid on it and is made out of cherry, nothing fancy at all, a very simple design, but makes up for it in sound, the setup as you know can be aggravating in the least, the cotton and the rosin and the ever constant tunig before you ever get it right, once you have all that taken care of, you know the reward for it, in the future if I become rich I would like to purchase one of the barouqe models, even the kits are expensive, good luck on your construction of your instrument, they have many parts and are time consuming, but when you finish you will have a fine instrument and the satisfaction that you built it and the great sound when you play it, and buy the way, thats not an avatar
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23rd, 2005 02:19 am |
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5th Post |
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Will Approved 
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I've never played a mountain dulcimer, but I once jammed on the strumstick with a friend who played the dulcimer. I occasionally play a Grand Strumstick which is tuned D-A-D. Loose Change & Friends did a recording of "Home Sweet Home" where I played the strumstick: Home Sweet Home http://ezfolk.com/audio/play.php?band_id=245&song_id=972&mode=song_hifi
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 23rd, 2005 09:29 am |
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6th Post |
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gerry mcgandy Approved 
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I have just recently begun to rehearse and do sessiuns with a hurdy player, Christine Truman. We are working with The Grymoire, who have one song on ezfolk at the minute, unfortunately not with hurdy gurdy. We some to put some up in the near future and I will let you know on the forum when we do.
____________________ Gerry McGandy http://mp3mart.net http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/556/ |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 26th, 2005 01:04 am |
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7th Post |
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Rex Approved
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My wife has a mountain dulcimer. I consider it sort of a parlor instrument or a "front porch" instrument. It is kind of quiet. When I do see one played it is usually a solo instrument. My wife doesn't play her's much. I learned 5 or 6 tunes a few years ago. They do sound pretty. I have seen one amped at a coffee shop gig and it sounded nice.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28th, 2005 05:57 pm |
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8th Post |
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Gail Lewis Approved 
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I play mountain dulcimer and have posted a couple of my tunes here---give them a listen! There are other players as well on this site. It is certainly much more than a parlor instrument. Easy to learn, yes. Difficult to master---yes! Hurdy Gurdy: I worked in a mechanical music museum for a year. Got to play the "band wagon" and a gypsy wagon. It used paper rolls, very fragile. There was a hurdy gurdy, but I didn't play it because it was too old & extra fragile. I enjoyed the player piano, once I got the rhythm of pumping it with my feet. Gail
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| Posted: Thu Sep 29th, 2005 11:27 pm |
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9th Post |
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Rex Approved
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Gail, you are correct that it can be much more than a parlor instrument, but most folks don't go beyond strumming and sliding the noter. I have seen a couple of very fine players fretting with all their left fingers and finger picking with the right hand, but they are few and far between. I didn't mean any offense to dulcimer players.
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| Posted: Sun Mar 19th, 2006 09:42 pm |
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10th Post |
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b-uke Approved
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My mountain dulcimer is pretty loud. It's a used home-made tear-drop shaped, 6 string dulcimer, a train wreck to tune but IMHO can be fairly loud when played with a guitar pick, but volume is subjective I suppose. I use a smooth flat stick to play the frets for the higher notes for a melody. I think the strumming in different directions/methods is what makes it sing. Last edited on Sun Mar 19th, 2006 09:53 pm by b-uke |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 20th, 2006 11:44 am |
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11th Post |
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PJ Approved
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I sold my hurdy gurdy last year. Just don't have the time to learn. I had a very nice guitar shaped gurdy made by Michael Hubbard. Here in Washington State, we have Olympic Musical Instruments who make wonderful hurdy gurdies (they have a neat website). I used to attend the Over the Water Hurdy Gurdy Festival held near Pt Townsend, Wa. every summer. Hurdy gurdies are very tempermental instruments. They take a lot of patience and the ability to tinker. Our local hg group plays for French country dances. They have a following of dancers too. Accordions, fiddles, bag pipes and flutes often join them. There are many low quality gurdies on the market. These instruments will bring a lot of grief with them because the problems will be horrific. HGs are very complex. They are fiddles - wheel fiddles. The melody is played with the left hand on a key board, and the right hand cranks and plays rhythm. Most of them have a buzz sound with the crank (I won't go into detail unless someone is curious). Controlling the buzz and getting a neat rhythm is the goal of most players. BTW, a hurdy gurdy is not an organ grinder!! PJ
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