Marge Diamond shot this video of me playing “The Seven Yellow Gypsies” at Dulci-more 2011. I remember feeling very “on” during that performance.
Marge makes beautiful hand painted shirts, jackets, and hats. She’ll also paint your dulcimer case for you and she makes cool jewelry too. Marge shows up at many dulcimer festivals in the Midwest and South. After all, she is a Dulcimer Goddess!
I am now making baritone dulcimers in addition to my standard models.
The baritone dulcimer is set up to be played in A-E-A and other tunings in that vicinity.
The design of my baritone is similar to my standard model but there are a few differences. The string length for the baritone is 28 1/4″ compared to 25 15/16″ for the standard and it is strung with heavier strings. The shape is based on my standard design but is several inches longer and the sound box is deeper.
Here is a baritone dulcimer behind its standard-sized sibling.
Getting these two dulcimers to sit still for the picture took a lot of work. The baritone kept telling the standard dulcimer that it was bigger so it was in charge. The standard yelled that it was going to tell mom. After they engaged in some pushing and shoving I sternly told them both, “Don’t make me have to stop this workshop!” I snapped the picture quickly before the chaos resumed….
While watching this amazing film I looked around the website where it was hosted. I wished I had paid more attention during French class in high school.
I found several interesting videos about woodworking, music, lutherie and more.
It shows the woodworking process beginning with felling trees and ending with finished furniture. We watch an apprentice learning to use a frame saw, planes and other tools. There are shots of joinery, veneering, staining and finishing.
Hammered dulcimer players and other folks musicians have played Red Wing for many years. Woody Guthrie used the melody of Red Wing for Union Maid.
Red Wing was composed in 1907 by Kerry Mills. Several recordings of the song, both vocal and instrumental, were made the same year.
Here is recording from 1907 featuring Albert Benzler playing a medley on the xylophone that includes Red Wing, You’ll Not Be Forgotten, Lady Lou, She Was a Grand Old Lady and Every Little Bit Added To What You’ve Got.
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Red Wing Medley – Albert Benzler (1907) #9645: Edison Gold Moulded Record
