Are You A Chromatic Fanatic?
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
This has been a week for chromatic dulcimers, for sure.
Dad has just given me a small handful of dulcimer fretboards, ready for instruments. Four fretboards finished, which is nothing unusual. Dad makes just over one fretboard a day, so four fretboards is the result of several days of work (in addition to all of the other things he does, of course).
But what, you may ask, was unusual about this batch (pictured below) of fretboards?
Three of the four were chromatic! (If you're not familiar with the use of the word "chromatic" to describe a fretboard, don't fret - here's a page with an explanation: Fret Patterns For Dulcimers.)
How Many Chromatic Dulcimers?
Maybe 10% of our dulcimers these days are chromatic. Most of the rest are diatonic with a few added frets - typically the 1.5 and 6.5 frets. Even cooler, though, about the three chromatic fretboards pictured above, was that we had three different scale lengths. In the photo above, I've lined up the nut slots, so you can see the bridge slots at 25", 26", and 27". All three of these dulcimer (fretboards) are for customer orders. The 25" VSL customer requested "no racing stripes" in her fretboard, which is why one of the fretboards is less decorative than the other two.
In the photo below, I've zoomed in a bit, and added a tape measure, so you can see how the fret spacing changes with the three scale lengths shown here:
You can see the double dots at fret 12 (the chromatic equivalent of fret 7, also the octave of the open string).
A shorter scale length makes the frets all a little closer to each other, a longer scale length makes the frets a little farther apart. There are benefits to both shorter and longer. A shorter scale length makes it easier to reach complicated chords, and longer makes for a warmer tone with better sustain. I always recommend choosing an instrument with the longest scale length (VSL) that you're comfortable with. But... The tonal differences are pretty subtle, so comfort is most important.
Is your next dulcimer going to be chromatically fretted? It gives you the option to play any song, in any key - with no capo. Instant transitions from the key of D, to the key of G, or to A. Or to D sharp! Want to play a tune in F sharp minor? Not a problem! The vocalist you're accompanying says "I have a cold today, can we switch from D to B flat?" Not a problem!
There's a learning curve, of course. A chromatic dulcimer is more "complicated" (more notes to choose!), but once you get past the extra frets, it still sits on your lap, and has three strings. To support you on your chromatic journey, we have an instruction book for chromatic dulcimers, a Chromatic Dulcimer Chord Chart, and even an awesome songbook. Just click on the above link for the chord chart and on either - or both - of the book covers below to check them out.
ALSO AVAILABLE AT
DULCIMER DOWNLOADS.COM
ALSO AVAILABLE AT
DULCIMER DOWNLOADS.COM
WE HAVE 5 CHROMATIC DULCIMERS IN STOCK TODAY - READY TO SHIP!
I wouldn't suggest a chromatic dulcimer as a new player's first instrument. I am a big believer in traditional (diatonic) dulcimer for a lot of reasons. But for a second or third instrument? A chromatic dulcimer is a great addition to a growing dulcimer collection and a significant expansion in what a player can do. Especially when performing with non-dulcimer instruments which can easily play any note in any key.
How To Make A Diatonic Dulcimer Chromatic
Let's say you have a diatonic dulcimer (like the one pictured below) that's already had a 1.5 and 6.5 fret added. How many more frets do you have to add to make it chromatic? Let's count!
Look for the big spaces, and add an imaginary fret to each one. The double dots mark fret 7, so stop once you get to that fret. I see three big spaces - nut to fret 1, so we'll add a 0.5 fret. Fret 3 to fret 4, so we'll add a 3.5 fret. And fret 4 to fret 5, so we'll add a 4.5 fret. Then, this dulcimer will be chromatic!
Should YOU get a chromatic dulcimer? Maybe. It depends on what you want to do with your instrument. (Your newsletter editor has found her Folkcraft chromatic dulcimer to be especially handy when playing with the piano player on the praise team at her church. No capo or problems!)
Thanks for reading, Y'all - have a great weekend. Go play some music!
Richard Ash, luthier-who-plays-both-diatonic-and-chromatic-instruments
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CALEB MORRIS
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Caleb: I started playing in 2020. My grandpa gave me one after I became interested in them. I loved the sweet melodic sound I heard. I mainly listened to Bing Futch playing and teaching. He made the dulcimer so accessible and straightforward. I was able to quickly learn noter/drone style. With his videos on chord shapes, I was able to learn to play harmony and chords as well. I started playing 1-5-5 tuning due to one of his videos on it. I encourage others to look up his videos on the topic and try out that tuning if they haven’t yet.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Caleb: My first Folkcraft dulcimer was bought by my grandpa at a yard sale. He didn’t know what it was and neither did the lady who was selling it. She had $5 on it. My grandpa said, “Being as we both don’t know what it is, I’ll give you $3 for it.” So, he ended up with a teardrop Folkcraft dulcimer built in 1985. In 2020, he learned what the instrument was after I showed him pictures of mountain dulcimers. He let me take it home, and after learning to play it that year, I tried playing alongside other instruments. The dulcimer was sweet, but quiet. It was hard to be heard over even a single guitar. So, I temporarily attached a piezo pickup to the top and ran it to an amp. Finally in 2024, I upgraded. I bought a custom walnut MaxDAD with a Galax performance back and...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF CALEB'S INTERVIEW AND ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE CALEB & YOU!
HELLO FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
While we don't have a new player to add to our online global dulcimer community this week, we are still delighted to re-feature community member, Caleb Morris. "How've ya been, Caleb?"
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!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
This week's lesson is for intermediate players - or those aspiring to be. Mandy will teach you how to spice up your melody. We'll learn how to turn the basic melody of "Soldier's Joy" into an intermediate-level song. We'll start out playing the simple tune, then add in some decorations: hammer-ons, pull-offs, and all kinds of fun fluff. Perfect for a strong beginner, or intermediate player. Have fun! Just 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.
MASTERING VARIATIONS - VOLUME 2
by Aaron O'Rourke
Here's another great book by Aaron O'Rourke to help you take your dulcimer playing to the next level. You'll learn rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic variations for 7 common tunes that are likely to be played in dulcimer clubs and festival jams. In "Mastering Variations, Volume 2," Aaron arranges each tune into four variations: Rhythmic, Melodic, Harmonic, and All-Put-Together. A basic version of each tune is also provided to help get you started. (65 pages)
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONG LISTING:
Mississippi Sawyer • Rock The Cradle Joe • Saint Anne's Reel
Sandy River Belle • Seneca Square Dance
Soldier's Joy • Whiskey Before Breakfast