Is it just taking a typical scale lenth and eliminating certain frets?
Thanks.
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Is it just taking a typical scale lenth and eliminating certain frets?
Thanks.
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
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Many many thanks folks.
Rand , that chart was just what I needed.
I hope to start my first dulcimer this week.
Again many thanks.
Here you go! http://www.cigarboxnation.com/group/dulciworld/forum/topics/fret-sp...
Here's a link to some more information on diatonic scales.
Guitar Chord Theory.com
You'll see that there are several possibilities for diatonic fretting beyond the major scale that the mountain dulcimers utilize.
Tuning
Most common mountain dulcimer tabs you find will be for D-A-D or D-A-A.
There are quite a few people that use a "1-3-5" tuning.
There are actually a lot of tuning possibilities beyond 1-5-8. Other 3-string MD tunings include:
1.) 1-5-5 tunings (usually "D-A-A" or "G-D-D") and used to play Ionian mode music (i.e. major scale music),
2.) 1-1-1 tunings (usually "d,d,d") all strings are tuned in unison, often used by Galax style MD players),
3.) 1-8-8 tunings (usually "D,d,d") and often called "bagpipe tuning" where the bass drone string an octave lower than the middle drone string and the melody string (popular with Scottish music),
4.) 1-4-8 tunings (usually D-G-D or G-C-G) -- as used on the the Strumbly (a popular stick-dulcimer). The middle drone string is tuned a noted lower compared to the more popular 1-5-8 tunings.
5.) And various "inverted tunings" (like ADA instead of DAD).
Note: As the MD is often strung with 4 strings, you may see "D-A-A-A" or "1-5-5-5" instead of "D-A-A" or "1-5-5". I have ignored the 4th string above, because most stick-dulcimers have just 3 strings, and in most cases the 4th string is just a paired melody string. However, in recent years, optional "equal-spaced 4-string" MDs have appeared, so sometimes you'll see 4string tunings like "1-5-8-12" ("D-A-D-A" or inverted, "A-D-A-D").
The "1-3-5" tunings mentioned by Robert Jones are especially interesting for people interested in playing chordal music as the intervals between the 3 open strings are the same intervals as are used to make major chords. This, in turn, allows you to simply fret other major chords by "barring" (i.e. laying your index finger over all 3 strings to fret the new chord). I have in recent month been playing "G-B-D" on one of my "odd sounding" cigar box stick-dulcimers with great improvement in sound -- so if you've built a "sour" sounding instrument, maybe retuning it using one of these alternate tunings will help find your instrument's sweet spot.
I also like "G-B-D" because I can play my old familiar "D-A-D" one-string arrangements on it and the two drone string don't sound too bad. One of these days I hope to figure out how to use chords to improve my playing style. That will probably require a good MD or SD teacher and more than 2 or 3 months back home in the States.
-Rand.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, use the "from nut" measurements, not the "fret to fret" measurements. The "from nut" measurements are more accurate, and any fret measurement/position error affects only that one fret. When using "fret to fret" measurements, any fret measurement/position error affects all the remaining frets, and these errors are "additive" in nature. So, be sure to use the nut-to-fret measurements found in the Stew-Mac calculator's "from nut" column.
-Rand.
Hi Slow Hound,
I assume you are asking because yo want to build yourself a stick dulcimer. Most the instruments I build are diatonic, and when I need to make a diatonic fretboard, I usually go to the Stew-Mac fret spacing calculator , enter the number of frets (16), the scale length (measured in mm for higher accuracy), and then I select "Dulcimer" in the "Instrument" drop down selection box. Then click on the calculate button and wait a moment. The results will be displayed in a tble format with only the diatonic frets numbered sequentially. MD fret numbering differs in that they call fret 7, fret "6 and a half" (or 6.5, or 6* or 6+) and they call fret 15, fret "13 and a half" (or 13.5, or 13*, or 13+), and the remaining frets are renumbered down 1, or two if you have room for a full 16 frets. Most stick dulcimers have room for 12 or 13 frets, counting fret 6+.
Here is a diagram I sometimes use, an it should clarify the mountain dulcimer fret numbering scheme...
Also, these instruments are tuned D-A-D or G-D-G, but a few other "1-5-8" tunings are sometimes also used. Let me know if you have tuning question, etc.
Hope this helps.
-Rand.
Yes, exactly. Sort of. Most of the time.
The fret spacing is always relative to the scale length. Traditional Diatonic is the same spacing as Chromatic, minus the flats and sharps.
Say you start on a D string, it is fretted at E,F,G,A,B,C,and then D again. But then some people like to add a "6 1/2" fret. Some other people like to add a 1 1/2 fret. Keep adding frets and your back to Chromatic. And dont even get me started on modes!
Gross over generalization combined with opinion, coming from someone who messes with both worlds.
The theory is ease of playing due to the lack of "clashing" tone combinations. But the die hards end up dealing with the complications it presents so they can play minors and "blues" progressions and such, so what in theory creates an easier to play instrument, actually becomes complicated again.
Yep, we are a wierd bunch arent we?