Any Day Is A Good Day To Play Dulcimer
Good Morning, Y'all - Happy Friday!
Friday is one of my favorite days of the week, since it has vowels in the name of the day. In this case, "I" and "A." Any day with vowels is a perfect day to spend time playing a dulcimer. So every day when you wake up, think about whether that day has vowels, and if it does, be sure to find time to play your instrument before you go back to bed that evening.
What's Going On In The Workshop This Week?
Lots. We're wrapping up a slew of projects. Lots of small jobs, important, but not very "photograph worthy." Except for Dad's project this week. He's been making scroll heads.
You might not recognize scroll heads in this photo:
But the pieces of black walnut (pictured above) are destined to become scroll heads for Y'all to use. You might buy just the head, or buy this head as part of a Walnut Dulcimer Kit. We sell dulcimer parts to a lot of builders. The complicated parts, like heads and fretboards, are very popular even with experienced builders, since they're so time-consuming to make.
Here's a finished head, ready for use:
And to help you visualize the actual "how is this piece of walnut going to be turned into a scroll head" question you're undoubtedly asking me right now, here's a finished head shown next to one of our 32" long planks of walnut:
Do you see the notch cut out at the top right of the head? This is sized to support a fingerboard. And it's a little harder to see, but the notch at the bottom right of the head is just deep enough to support a 1/8" thick dulcimer back. You can see the holes for the machine heads in the 32" blank, plus the upper notch. Dad has already done the holes in the other side of the head (for the audience side machine heads). Next step? Cutting the actual shape.
It's a tedious job, but an important one. Now you understand part of our head-making process!
New Dulcimer Book Collection Added To The Catalog
We have now added the excellent Jim Miller Dulcimer Books to the Fingers Of Steel catalog. Jim has seven books in total. Six for mountain dulcimer, one for "traditional musicians." His most popular book is "Music Theory For Mountain Dulcimer" - pictured below. It's been a staple of our book catalog for quite a few years. Jim's Carter Family Songbooks are also popular, as is his book of Old Time Jam tunes.
I am elated that Jim has decided to entrust his catalog of books to Folkcraft Instruments. Jim's books get us close to one hundred titles now published by Folkcraft. Titles from many of the very, very best author/arrangers: Bing Futch, Stephen Seifert, Neal Hellman, Aaron O'Rourke, Mike Anderson, Shelley Stevens, Dana Gruber, John Keane, Karen Keane, Phyllis Gaskins, Lorinda Jones, Maureen Sellers, Tom McConnell, Gail Van Amberg, and Steve Eulberg. A "who's who" for sure!
Enough about books, and paper, and PDFs, though. I'm going to head back to the shop to make some more sawdust.
Thanks for reading, Y'all - have a great weekend. Remember - you are allowed (encouraged/expected/required) to play your dulcimer on any day of the week that contains a vowel...
Richard Ash - luthier-who-would-rather-play-his-dulcimer-than-sweep-the-sawdust-in-the-workshop
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: GENE HELMER
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Gene: Just started recently and broke a string. Who knows how old the strings were when I acquired the dulcimer?
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Gene: Fall of 2025. It was a gift from an elderly couple who go to thrift sales and auctions looking for items for their own shop. So far, they have brought me the handmade dulcimer (pictured above), an 1890's "turtle-back" mandolin, a 1957 South American parlor guitar, a vintage Hohner harp, and a build-your-own tenor ukulele kit.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Gene: Currently, I'm slowly learning the dulcimer at home. Once it warms up in Wisconsin, I'll be bringing it to...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF GENE'S INTERVIEW AND READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE GENE AND YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!
We are delighted to welcome Gene Helmer to our world-wide, online dulcimer community. Maybe it could be you next week?
Who's Going To Write In Next? Keep The Family Growing?
It really is super-easy to join our online dulcimer community. Just three easy steps:
1) Send an email to: newsletter@folkcraft.com
2) With the answers to the four questions below
3) Attach a photo of yourself with your Folkcraft dulcimer(s)
We look forward to receiving your submission & featuring you in our newsletter real soon!
1. How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
2. When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
3. Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
4. What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
WE'RE OFFERING A $25 FOLKCRAFT GIFT CARD TO ANYONE WHO ANSWERS THE FOUR EASY QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE, AND SENDS IN A PHOTO (OF YOU WITH YOUR FOLKCRAFT DULCIMER). IT'S REALLY SO EASY TO DO!
WE JUST LOVE HEARING FROM Y'ALL!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
Here's the third video in our three-part series. Hosted by Bing Futch - It's time to play some tunes! Click on the image below to listen & learn.
We have a slew (that's a fancy luthier word for "bunch") of videos for you to watch on our YouTube channel. Click here to see the full list. Be sure to comment on a video, and subscribe to the channel - either action helps us a LOT with YouTube's suggestion algorithms.
FAVORITE SING - ALONG SONGS FOR THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
by Judy House
Favorite sing-along songs? For mountain dulcimer? Available as a low-cost, immediate-right-now-no-waiting download? Wow!
Judy House has done it again. This is an amazing book, full of songs that you probably know. The kind of songs that are fun, easy, and relaxing. Songs you can really enjoy.
We all love the traditional old-time tunes, the fiddle tunes, the beautiful Irish melodies. But... Sometimes we want something more familiar, and this book fits the bill. The arrangements aren't too complicated - they strike a happy medium between "this is so simple it sounds awful" and "how can anyone possibly play this". Seriously - this is a great book. You'll love it! (85 pages - some capo required)
This book is published by Judy House, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONGS INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK:
Alouette
Amazing Grace
America (My Country, 'Tis Of Thee)
April Showers
Are You Sleeping, Brother John?
The Ash Grove
The Battle Hymn Of The Republic
Beautiful Dreamer
By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
By The Waters Of Babylon
Camptown Races
Careless Love
Carolina In The Morning
Cindy
Comin' Thro' The Rye
Daisy Bell
Down By The Riverside
Down In The Valley
Down To The River To Pray
Erie Canal
Fair And Tender Ladies
For He's A Jolly Good Fellow
Froggie Went A-Courting
God Be With You (Til We Meet Again)
Good Night, Ladies
Gospel Train
Grandfather's Clock
Home On The Range
I've Been Working On The Railroad
Joshua Fought The Battle Of Jericho
Kum Ba Yah
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Michael Row The Boat Ashore
Morning Has Broken
My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean
Nellie Bly
Oh, How Lovely Is The Evening
Oh! Susanna
Oh, My Darling Clementine (Capo 3)
Oh, My Darling Clementine
On Top Of Old Smoky
Red River Valley
Reuben And Rachel
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Lil' Liza Jane
Little Brown Jug
Loch Lomond (By Yon Bonnie Banks)
She'll Be Comin' Round The Mountain
Shenandoah
Shew! Fly, Don't Bother Me (Capo 3)
Shew! Fly, Don't Bother Me
Streets Of Laredo
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
The Bear Went Over The Mountain
The Riddle Song (I Gave My Love A Cherry)
This Land Is Your Land
This Old Man
We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder
What A Friend
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
When The Saints Go Marching In
White Coral Bells
You Are My Sunshine