Website Updates & New Features
Good Morning, Y'all - Happy Friday!
This has been a great week for getting things accomplished here in the workshop. I almost have a routine down now where I spend part of each day making dulcimer parts, part of each day assembling and lacquering, part of each day rubbing out and setting up, and part of each day working on admin things (packing orders, email and phone calls, bookkeeping, etc.).
We're definitely gaining on the backlog of dulcimers. I'm expecting to be back on schedule - a three to four months lead time - by the end of this year. That might not sound like much to a lot of you, but it will be a huge load off of my mind, and I'll sleep better at night.
Neat New Feature @ Folkcraft.com
Last weekend, I took some time to work on both websites: Folkcraft.com, and DulcimerDownloads.com. The Folkcraft.com website now has a page that features dulcimers that are built and lacquered, nearly ready to ship - 95% done, in other words. These dulcimers are ready for rubbing out and setting up. By stopping at this stage, I can finish any of these dulcimers with your choice of: 1) three or four strings; 2) standard/baritone/bass; 3) machine head color; and 4) pickup choice. Maybe I should call this page "Semi-Custom?"
Almost-Ready Dulcimers Page
Here's a link to the page with all of the Almost-Ready dulcimers. I'm estimating a two-week lead time before I can ship any of these instruments. Once I'm fully caught up on the actual "Design Your Own" dulcimer backlog, I should be able to take that two-week lead time for "almost ready" dulcimers down to just a few days.
New Features @ DulcimerDownloads.com
On the DulcimerDownloads.com website, I've added a number of new features, and even some new dulcimer books for sale. The first nine books on this page are brand new to the website. We've added one Lorinda Jones book, and eight Maureen Sellers books. Plus, I still need to add a bunch more books we have the rights to sell. Books by Butch Ross, Steve Eulberg, and Jim Miller, plus additional Lorinda and Maureen books. I'll get the other books added in my spare time. Ha!
Also at DulcimerDownloads.com, we've updated the Browse By Artist page, and added links for each artist's books as part of their biographies.
Here's Some Really Big News!
And this is the BIG project - we've added a Browse By Song page. So far, we have about 700 songs mostly done. There's a short history for each song, carefully researched and annotated. Even a photo/drawing/painting that, at least mostly, complements the song's history. DulcimerDownloads.com has about 1,700 songs available for download/purchase, so finishing the "song histories project" is going to be a long process.
New Logo Wear In The Works
For fun one evening last week, I spent some time updating the "apparel" page at Folkcraft.com. We've always offered "logo wear" on our site and in our former showroom. We've had t-shirts and sweatshirts with the Folkcraft, FolkRoots, and Druid Moon logos, but now we'll have a few shirt designs that are more "fun."
I'm especially happy with the design pictured below: a sweatshirt featuring a wolf pup, playing dulcimer, as he sits on a rock in the woods. Dulcimer, rocks, woods, wolf? Things we have all around our shop, so definitely appropriate.
I'm considering making a series of this style of shirt, adding bobcats, bears, porcupines, and other critters that we have in abundance around us. Maybe even a raccoon shirt (with the raccoon playing a dulcimer, of course!).
So much happening, but it's all good things. All dulcimer things, at least tangentially. Actual dulcimers, but also the dulcimer websites, and dulcimer music books, and dulcimer clothing. I couldn't ask for a better job (dulcimer!), or better people to work for (dulcimer players like you!).
I hope you find some time to play your dulcimer this weekend. Remember, playing dulcimer is much more important than cleaning your house, or mowing your lawn. Just a reminder...
Thanks for reading, Y'all!
Richard Ash - luthier-who's-living-"the life"-as-his-day-revolves-around-the-mountain-dulcimer-even-when-he-goes-home-at-night-and-sees-his-wife-whom-he-first-met-at-a-dulcimer-festival
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
This week Mandy shows beginners a fun and easy song in DAA tuning. She will walk you through it step by step and even puts the fret numbers up on the screen for you. Have fun with this, no tabs needed.
We have a couple of books - featured below in the DulcimerDownloads section - that focus on playing in DAA tuning. If you are more visually inclined, or just want to dive right in, then this video lesson is a great place to start! There will be a follow-up lesson in DAA next week. Click on the image below to listen and learn.
We have a slew (that's a fancy luther 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.
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ANTHONY GENNARO
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Anthony: I began playing on a regular basis around 2008.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Anthony: I made a dulcimer, from a kit, in 1970, but it collected a lot of dust until I picked it up again. I put the kit together in a woodworking shop at the school where I taught science. It came with only minimal directions, and so it's somewhat roughly built.
My family saw me struggling with it and purchased a FolkRoots D Series for me that I've been playing since 2009. In my photo, the FolkRoots D Series is on my lap, and in my right hand is the 1983 vintage FolkRoots D 0.00 that I found at a flea market in Coventry, CT, this past summer. I saw the FolkRoots symbol inside the body with Rugg and Jackel music company and thought, "OMG ! Wow! A classic." It has no 1/2 frets - a true purist dulcimer! On the stand to my left is the 1970 Tony G original - the only dulcimer that...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF TONY'S INTERVIEW AND READ ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE TONY & YOU
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
While we don't have a new player (deep, deep sigh of disappointment) to welcome to our online dulcimer community today, we are still happy to re-feature seasoned player, Anthony Gennaro, who's been playing for almost two decades now. Way to go, Tony!
There's still plenty of room for more of you, folks! Maybe we could feature you and your Folkcraft dulcimer(s) 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!
A couple of books for both intermediate and beginner players on the joys of playing in the traditional DAA tuning. Many of the tunes are popular in bluegrass jam circles - where your newsletter editor learned them - so these might be especially useful books to other players whose only option for a local jam is a bluegrass one. Noter not required, but recommended. Don't have one? We have both a walnut one and a birch one at Folkcraft.com. (Just click on either cover to find out more.)
TRADITIONAL PLAYING OF THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER IN DAA TUNING
by Lorinda Jones
Learn to play the mountain dulcimer the traditional way, with Lorinda Jones. This book keeps the reading to a minimum and gets you playing quickly. A short introduction covers dulcimer lingo, getting started, the notes of the scale, rhythm, fingering, and chords, followed by 22 traditional songs arranged in DAA tuning. Each song includes the tune and lyrics, dulcimer tablature, chord arrangements, strum patterns, and fingering suggestions.
Includes MP3 play-along audio tracks for every song, so you can learn by ear the way these songs were originally passed along. (121 pages)
Some of the songs included: Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Down In The Valley, Waterbound, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Polly Wolly Doodle, Little Birdie, Handsome Molly, Banks Of The Ohio, Hand Me Down My Walking Cane, My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, Long Journey Home (Two Dollar Bill), Nine Pound Hammer, Rosewood Casket, Pay Me My Money Down, Wildwood Flower, Cripple Creek
This book is published by Fingers Of Steel, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.
STRUMMER'S DELIGHT - BEGINNING DULCIMER - DAA Tuning
by Mandy Tyner
This book is for beginners to start with traditional DAA tuning on the mountain dulcimer. Players will have 16 tabbed arrangements that can be played and strummed with either a noter or your fingers. The 17th arrangement is a multi-finger, chord song. You will be strumming in minutes with this beginner book. (30 pages)
The 17 songs included: Boil Them Cabbage Down - 1 & 2, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Skip To My Lou, Mary Had A Little Lamb, This Old Man, Angeline The Baker, Nothing But The Blood, When The Saints Go Marching In, Cripple Creek, Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, Go Tell Aunt Rhody, Oh Susanna, Up On The Housetop, Chicken Fer Supper (Original Song), Farther Along, Hush Little Baby
This book is published by Back Porch Publishing, and is made available here as an authorized, licensed download.