Songbook Options For Dulcimer Groups
Good Morning, Y'all & Happy Friday!
I hope this has been a good week for you all. I wanted to take a moment to thank the nice people at the Mountain Dulcimer Society of Dayton (Ohio). The Woodburn (Indiana) Dulcimer Club has recently started using the Dayton club's songbooks for our weekly jams, and we've been thoroughly enjoying the songs in the Dayton group's repertoire books. (More about them a little later in this newsletter.)
Tried And True
Our Woodburn club started out using strictly Steve Seifert's "Join The Jam" book, and then a while back we added Dave Haas's "Let's Jam" to our repertoire. Just so you know, Steve's book is only available as a PDF download these days, and Dave's book is only available as a physical book. (Click on the links below to order either - or both - books)
New Kids In Town
When Steve Eulberg came out with "First 50 Songs You Should Play On Mountain Dulcimer" we all bought copies of that book, thinking "Ooh - popular, modern repertoire - this'll be fun!" And it was fun, but even though the arrangements were superb (Steve Eulberg!), the songs themselves didn't have the staying power of the more traditional old-time songs we had grown accustomed to playing. It's a great book with awesome arrangements, but after a few months, the "50 First Songs" book pretty much faded from our group's repertoire. But it still might be a good fit for you, or your group, so just click below to order it.
We also looked at the "other" book of contemporary dulcimer music, Jim Schustedt's "Dulcimer Songbook," and figured that it would probably be like Steve Eulberg's book, and not hold our interest as long as we liked. It's a fine book, but we KNEW that Joe Clark, and Angeline, the baker (along with Angeline's friends, the Buffalo gals) would keep us happy for longer. But if this book would make you happy, just click below to get your own copy:
Back To The MDSD
When our dulcimer club found out that we could (by joining the Mountain Dulcimer Society of Dayton) get copies of their books, we looked at the books very, very closely. And liked what we saw. Solid arrangements - and lots of them. Great variety in songs, and in styles. Music from the 1600s to the present. And clear, easy-to-read tablature, printed in bold on the page, easy on our eyes.
So we all sent in membership applications, along with a very, very reasonable membership fee, and now we all enjoy the Dayton group's amazing songbooks. We're alternating between Dave Haas's "Let's Jam" and the Dayton club's "blue book" and "yellow book." (Please Note: These are actual, printed, books - not available as a download)
You cannot buy the Dayton club's repertoire books - they're not for sale. They're only for club members. But you can join their club! Here's a link to their website to find out more.
Mountain Dulcimer Society of Dayton
This is a great group! It's full of very nice, friendly people, and a lot of them come to clinics that I host here at the Folkcraft workshop.
So my question for you is this: What songbook (s?) does YOUR dulcimer group use? Do you have a single volume or collection? Does your club have a book of its own, like Dayton does? Curious minds want to know!
Thanks for reading, Y'all - have a great, dulcimer-filled weekend!
Richard Ash, luthier-who-spends-way-too-much-time-thinking-about-dulcimer-songbooks
P.S. Folkcraft currently carries a whopping 290 different books of dulcimer music, all available at Folkcraft.com.
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: JOSEPH & JUNE HENNES
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Joseph: I have been playing on and off for two years - it is getting easier. I can play about 10 songs.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Joseph: Two years ago I bought an hourglass dulcimer kit from Richard Ash. Its back and sides are walnut, the top is butternut. Richard helped me with the sound holes. Last year my wife and I went to Richard's shop and spent half a day visiting him and touring the shop. We left with a cherry hourglass 25" VSL kit. I put it together for my wife, June, she has small hands. We are both 83-years-old, learning to play together, and having fun.
Joseph: We have a room in our home that is 20' x 40' and has a vaulted ceiling. It has great acoustics for playing music.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing the dulcimer?
Joseph: I make and play Native American flutes. I was a woodcarver for over 40 years. I also enjoy Plein Air Painting with watercolors. I have been painting in oil and watercolors most of my life. I have to keep busy, it keeps me young.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE THE HENNES & YOU!
HELLO FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
No new player to add to our online global dulcimer community this week, but we are happy to re-feature Joseph & June Hennes. How are you two doing?
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:
In this video, Mandy shows you a bit of music theory, explaining octaves, for the beginner dulcimer player. She'll teach you how to see them, and start to use them, on the dulcimer. 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.
MY FIRST DULCIMER BOOK
by Shelley Stevens
If you have some children in your dulcimer club, or family, or students, this book might be just what you need to help them get started. Part of the ever-popular Baker's Dozen series by Shelley Stevens, but with 12 tunes instead of the usual 13, this set of arrangements for young hands features both one-string (melody string only) and two-string (melody and middle strings) versions of nearly every song in the book.
Familiar tunes to get young hands comfortable playing the dulcimer. Awesome! (22 pages)
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
SONG LISTING
(Includes Both One-String And Two-String Versions - DAD Tuning)
Are You Sleeping? (Frere Jacques) -
Go Tell Aunt Rhody
Granny Will Your Dog Bite?
Hickory Dickory Dock
London Bridge
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Oh Susanna
Old McDonald
A Place In The Choir
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Three Blind Mice
Twinkle, Twinkle