Dulcimer Progress & Predictions
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
At this point, we're hot and heavy (or maybe hot and cold, because of the UP temperatures?) into the shop move. Still shipping orders daily. Pam and Cheyenne have worked tirelessly to make the transition painless and transparent to you all.
What's the last thing I packed? My dulcimers, of course. How could I be expected to get through more than a couple of days without strumming a tune or two?
Not a great photo, I know. Sorry about that. But it shows what's left of the wall of instruments that surrounded my desk at the Woodburn, Indiana, shop. My resonator guitar (originally my Grandmother's, so it has been in the family for close to 100 years now - it was made in the 1930s), my walnut/butternut standard (DAD) dulcimer, and my Galax-inspired six-string bagpipe-tuned dulcimer (all six strings are tuned to the same pitch, currently GGGGGG). Into their cases they go, today, and they'll ride up north with me in the van, not in the trailer.
Dad's finishing off a few last-minute jobs in the shop. He's been making more LAP-JO rims. Here's one where you can see the detail:
Here's a stack of them:
And here's an "artistic" view (photo below) looking at the same stack, but from above. (This photo reminds your newsletter editor of the photos she took looking up and down the spiral staircase of the last lighthouse she visited: The McGulpin Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City, MI. Highly recommend!)
Speaking of newsletters, we're going to take the next two weeks (December 26 & January 2) off from creating a newsletter. So your next newsletter will be on January 9, 2026.
Great Dulcimer Days Ahead
I predict that 2026 will be a great year for the mountain dulcimer. Someone famous, and well-liked will take our instrument viral. Someone who's not in the folk/traditional/country circles (so that rules out Dolly Parton's solo dulcimer tour, which is too bad!). Definitely not a politician. Who do you think it is going to be? Let me hear your best idea - just one. Tell me "why" this person should lead our instrument from "Amazing, but not many people know about it" to "Amazing! - and the whole country is playing it now."
Tell Us Who You Think It Will Be
I know that some of you like the dulcimer because it isn't mainstream, and that's great. But the purpose of this mind exercise is to name the one person who's going to make our instrument ubiquitous. Best answers go into the January 9, 2026 newsletter. Send your replies to Newsletter@Folkcraft.com
Thanks for reading, Y'all - I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Richard Ash - luthier-who's-grateful-for-each-and-every-one-of-you
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: MARGARET MEDVEDEV
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Margaret: I have been playing the dulcimer since 2016. I had bought the one I used to learn with in 1981, but never got back to it due to work. So it ended up in my closet until 2016. It was an inexpensive one, but served the purpose well for learning and causing me to fall in love with the instrument. I was so pleased to be able to play music! My sister then sent me two dulcimers that a friend’s son had made and finished for her. They were a much better-quality instrument to learn even more with!
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Margaret: I was blessed to have had the opportunity to have lessons with John Keene, who introduced me to Folkcraft dulcimers. My first Folkcraft is the one pictured on my left and purchased in 2018. It is still my favorite and I call it Annemarie after my mom. The second Folkcraft is my chromatic purchased in February 2021 made of koa wood—absolutely gorgeous—which meant I now needed to learn how to use that one. My last Folkcraft is my baritone recently purchased in July of this year and it, quite frankly, is a work of art, not to mention beautiful to listen to. I do have a McCafferty as well made of African makore, but I’ll be honest, I love my Folkcraft the most!!
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Margaret: I have played in church several times and play at jams with local dulcimer groups once a month. But my favorite is...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF MARGARET'S INTERVIEW & STORIES ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE MARGARET & YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!
We don't have a new Folkcraft Player to welcome to our wonderful online dulcimer community this week. But we're delighted to re-feature Margaret Medvedev, from the great state of Texas. Happy Holidays to you, Margaret!
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!
YOU COULD ALSO JUST WRITE A LETTER TO THE LUTHIER (by replying to this email.) NO QUESTIONS TO ANSWER, NO PHOTO REQUIRED. WE JUST LOVE HEARING FROM Y'ALL!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
This week is a follow-up to last week's lesson on the baritone. Mandy will teach you another way to play some chords. Have fun! 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.
JAMMING WITH THE BARITONE DULCIMER - IN THE KEY OF D
by Shelley Stevens
This book will show you how, by retuning just one string, you can easily play in the key of D - on your baritone dulcimer - and not only join the jam, but enhance it by adding a low voice to the mix.
There are 36 tunes - in ADA tuning - with standard notation, chords, and three-line tablature. (50 pages)
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONGS INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK:
Amazing Grace
Angel Band
Angeline The Baker
Angels We Have Heard On High
Away In A Manger
Barlow Knife
Bile Them Cabbage Down
The Boatman
Camptown Races
Cindy
Cripple Creek
Do Lord
Dry And Dusty
Flop-Eared Mule
Goin’ To Boston
Golden Slippers
Good King Wenceslaus
Gray Cat On A Tennessee Farm
Hoosen Johnny
Ida Red
Joy To The World
Liza Jane
Mississippi Sawyer
O Tannenbaum
Old Folks At Home
Old Joe Clark
On The Road To Boston
Red River Valley
Rosin The Beau
Sandy River Belle
Shortnin’ Bread
Simple Gifts
Soldier’s Joy
Suzanna Gal
Waterbound
Wildwood Flower
But Wait - There's More! As you can see by the list above, Shelley's Jamming With the Baritone Dulcimer book contains several Christmas songs, but if you'd like to get your hands on even more of her Christmas arrangements, there are TWO Dulci-Merry Christmas volumes available. Just click on the covers below to download and start rocking around your Christmas tree!
