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| question for Will or Charlie - Beginner Questions - Ukulele - Ukulele - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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gardner321 Approved
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I asked this earlier today, but may have forgotten to hit the send tab. Is there a tuning that allows the dulcimer to be barred. In other words laying the barre across all of the strings on the same fret and getting a major chord on every fret? If you are told to tune to DAd, what does the lower case letter mean and how do you tune that string with an electronic tuner. Is this what is called 1-3-5-tuning? I have heard something to this effect, but do not remember where. Thanks Guys, Tom
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Will Approved 
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gardner321 wrote: I asked this earlier today, but may have forgotten to hit the send tab. A mountain dulcimer is tuned in fifths; it is not 1-3-5 tuning - that would be D-F#-A, giving you a D major chord. A dulcimer does not normally play chords; it is possible to play chords, but not just by barring across 3 strings. The standard tuning for a mountain dulcimer is DAd, meaning that the melody string is the higher pitched string, denoted by the lowercase d, while the other 2 lower strings (A and the low D) act as drones; they are not normally fretted, but played open to provide the constant drone. The dulcimer is easy to play because the frets are spaced irregularly so that all of the fretted notes on the melody string "sound good" because are within the key of D diatonic scale (this means that there are no "wrong" notes - it is like playing only the white keys on a piano - except that those white key notes are all iwithin the key of C diatonic scale). The instrument is played in your lap or on a table or stand, with the melody string closest to you. Some dulcimers have a pair of melody strings, spaced very closely together and played simultaneously.  A very close relative of the dulcimer is an instrument called the strumstick. It is played like a guitar, with the melody string facing away from you. The standard strumstick plays in the key of G. The Grand Strumstick, which I own, plays in the key of D, which I think is more versatile, because it matches the pitch of a dulcimer, and unlike a dulcimer, it can be capoed and played in other keys, such as G, A, or minor modal. Strumsticks are very affordable and easy to play (about $100 - $150). http://www.strumstick.com  Last edited on Fri Feb 29th, 2008 02:17 am by Will ____________________ 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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gardner321 Approved
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Thanks for all of your help. Is it likely that I may pop the melody string when I move up an octave? Should I detune the bass strings until loose and bring them up to D and A, then crank past D on the melody and tighten upscale seven notes. Tom
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Will Approved
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gardner321 wrote: Thanks for all of your help. I just tested the tuning of my key of D strumstick; my clip-on chromatic tuner says that the low D string is the 3D (third octave D), the A string is 3A, and the melody string is 4A (fourth octave A). The melody string is thinner in gauge, and is designed to be tuned higher. However, not all tuners indicate which octave a string is playing in; the display may only show the letter. Another way to put this is: the dulcimer's low D is the same pitch as the D string on your guitar. Last edited on Fri Feb 29th, 2008 03:04 pm by Will ____________________ 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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| ezFolk Forums > Ukulele > Beginner Questions - Ukulele > question for Will or Charlie | |
