Musician and Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer Maker
My standard dulcimer setup features what I have found to be the most popular configuration with most players; 4 strings with the 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 frets. The action is set up for a balance of playability and clean sound (minimal buzzes if you play it hard). I recommend this setup to most people [...]
Posted in Tools on Feb 20th, 2009
I might have to get around to making one of these. I have a deep appreciation for simple, effective technology and this certainly looks like it fits the bill. Why this jig saw was considered “less desirable for ladies’ use” is perplexing. This was written in 1875 but it still makes no sense to me. [...]
I just spent the last hour hand planing a beautiful piece of figured walnut. I was reminded of an idea I’ve had for some time; an exercise program for woodworkers called “Plane Away The Pounds!” It’s really simple! You get a bunch of rough-sawn lumber, preferably locally harvested in an environmentally conscious manner and sawn [...]
Posted in Thoughts on Feb 13th, 2009
When I was a teenager an older friend gave me a very helpful piece of advice. He said, “You are a creative person and you may find that you don’t fit in mainstream culture. This can make you feel like there is something wrong with you, but really, it’s just that you are creative. You [...]
Posted in Dulcimer, Hammered Dulcimer, Music on Feb 6th, 2009
My old dulci-buddy (is that a new word?) Lois Hornbostel edits DulcimerSessions.com, a bi-monthly blog about all things dulcimer. I am delighted to have my arrangement of “Texas” featured. The article includes mountain dulcimer tablature, standard notation for hammered dulcimer or other instruments and an mp3 of “Texas” from my latest mountain dulcimer CD, “Songs [...]
Posted in Hammered Dulcimer, Music on Feb 3rd, 2009
This book was out of print by the time I had heard of it. I remember seeing a copy at a friends house in the 1980′s and wishing I could find one. The friendly folks at The Smithsonian Institution have made it available for free as a pdf file! I suggest you download the high [...]
