Hammered and Lap dulcimer

[Indianabugles]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Found pic of two of my violins and my lap dulcimer, interested if yours is the same or a figure eight one.
Apologies, I also cover music of the period as a separate issue, hence the term of period interest.
If it is only an ACW camp then my WOC would certainly be one of the violins as this is highly justified pictorially and musically.
The other point I was trying to make is it is not a great instrument for playing on camp as it has no volume or carry to its sound which makes it of no real use as a campfire instrument unlike the violin which is clear as a bell to a distance.
In another thread I argued that many more people than we thought could read music and was bitterly argued against. This being the case why now do we think that there would be tons of music produced for it if it were a popular thing. I do think this would be true and take this as evidence that what was said on the other thread was contrary to this!!
As for what I play on ACW camps anyone looking at my photos will see it is nearly exclusively violin for all the reasons both authentic and practical.
I have studied music all my life and despite the massive Bach revival caused by Mendelsohn and the printed music that was produced and sent all over along with a host of other stuff it was never played !!
The Trumpeter in the trench who played all the waltzes etc !!
I have already been told printing what music was available and in print did not mean it was played and it probably wasn't and now we are required to produce t to prove it was along with instruction manuals on how to play!!
Maybe there should be a rule about consistancy, or is it just period accuracy justified up to modern capability .
No offence intended to either Dan or Silas as it was neither of you that posted on the other postings but when I find period music, waltzes etc and pre period or mid period fashion music I have to justify it which is crazy!
Musicians play what they can, what they enjoy, what is available. I find references to dirges and sad tunes in the tales of soldiers, just take the story of the guy on punishment detail, but it seems all we can play are the same solders tunes etc.
Authenticity by capability?

[Silas]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Seems like it would depend upon the dulcimer just as it depends upon the banjo. Not all types of each appropriate. There are three dulcimers in that database which are identified as preCW as well as many which are postbellum. Seems like repros of those - if also strung in a period manner - would be just fine ; however, I wouldn't want to carry one.

[JerryGVSU]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

" Roddy had traced its history to the Allen family in Commerce, in Northeast Georgia. Oral tradition passed from one generation to another was that a member of the Allen family had carried this primitively made dulcimer with him while serving in the civil war."

http://www.sci.edu/faculty/ellertsen/dulcimer2.html

[Southernlady1862]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

I agree with markj that the dulcimer wire probably refers to hammered dulcimer, also not a very common instrument as compared to fiddles, banjos, etc. It's sometimes confusing because the same word, dulcimer, refers to two entirely different instruments. However, neither of these instruments were common in the CW period,

Eric Marten

I disagree.......

These quotes are from a smithsonian article concerning the hammered dulcimer...

"Dulcimers were reasonably common domestic and concert instruments in the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries."

"Several dulcimer factories were thriving in western New York during the 1850s and 1860s. They employed salesmen who played and sold their instruments as far away as Missouri and into the southern states"

"It is interesting that in this era of folk instrument revivals the Appalachian dulcimer, which never had a very widespread distribution in the past, is getting considerable attention from urban performers, while the once well-known hammer dulcimer has faded into relative obscurity."

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/hdhist.htm

Also, my family has in it's possession an ambrotype of an ancestor, known only as "kennington lady" , with a hammered dulcimer laid in her lap, hammers in her hand. Judging by her clothing it appears to be an 1850's image.

[eric marten]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Point well taken. Thanks for the Smithsonian documentation.

[amity]

Harp Singing in Living History

Here is a good article on "Sacred Harp Singing in a Living History Environment." by Peter Ellertsen.

http://www.sci.edu/faculty/ellertsen/livinghistory.html

Those with regional personas have other tunebooks to draw on, too.

[Danny]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

Here is a good article on "Sacred Harp Singing in a Living History Environment." by Peter Ellertsen...
Those with regional personas have other tunebooks to draw on, too.

Terre -

I read the article, very interesting. This is relevant to this CW music forum because the 1830s through 1850s were the childhood development time for Illinois soldiers, if not typical Midwest soldiers generally, in that conflict.

I would say though that this article is an example of a tendency with depicters of period music to end up promoting, being a fan of, a certain set or type of music evidenced to their period of study to the exclusion of other co-existing sets or types of music. In short we, being of human nature, direct our studies to that which we find fascinating or best able to perform ourselves, to the sometime exclusion of other documented or likely forms or tunes.

In this way I find the references to Antebellum shape-note singing in mid-Illinois a little exclusive. The article, though not specifically denying the widespread existence of popular and parlor tunes by the 1830s, nor denying the music of canal boatmen and fur traders, gives the impression that shape-note singing was a major prevalent form in central Illinois. I think that view is inauthentic when considering proportion to the entire musical environment of that time and place. Shape-note and hymnody were used mostly with specific types of community activities; churches and schools etc.

Might not a more proper Midwest (at least a New Salem, Illinois) depiction of that time include the music of flour mill workers whistling or singing the latest popular broadside or stage tune, the boys in the tavern wailing a boatman's chanty, the Indian traders in the area humming a jaunty Voyageur tune, a transplanted Southern (of which there were many in that area) airing a Southern spiritual. Each of those sources were equally endemic in the Midwest. Lincoln himself favored popular tunes from his pre-CW days.

Dan Wykes
Fat Neck Mess

"they'll be no more Shenendoah until we find documentation it was sung"

[Danny]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

Terre -

Another minor point; there was a mention of the use of a lap dulcimer in the New Salem living history scenario. I feel users of that instrument today, so loving it, tend to overlook it's rarity in Antebellum through CW times, grasping to but a few references that those instruments merely existed in North America beyond the Applachian and immigrant pockets in the Eastern U.S., and rarely there.

As well suited to vocal music as the instrument is, I understand it's hard to bite the bullet that lap dulcimers (or table dulcimers for that matter) really weren't generally used or available in the Midwest at that time, if we follow AC standards anyway. Portable instrument of choice would have been violins (fiddles) up to that time, with guitars or even banjos added by CW times. Of course in community setting it was non-portable instruments, organs and pianos, that were de regeuer in a town of any size. Not that shape-note hymnody required any instrumental accompaniment, per the article.

Again, is this the human tendency to promote that which we personally find pleasing or obtainable for ourselves, instead of a more properly unimpassioned review based on quantity of evidence? Not to pick on dulcimer players though, as I would also say that some mandolin players grasp on to sparse evidence showing that the instrument was available and used to play popular music in the States in Antebellum through CW scenarios.

Dan Wykes
Fat Neck Mess

"they'll be no more Shenendoah until we find documentation it was sung"

[amity]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

Harp singing was a very prevalent form of music across the U.S. in mid-1800s. It is not "popular" music, it is folk music. Not denying other forms of music a 'tall, certainly, but don't forget quite a few would not play an instrument on moral grounds, and many others did not have instruments to play. Speaking of churches, I think the very first organ purchased by a church in Texas was in the 1850s if I remember correctly (Lota Spell?), so still not common by 1860s. No organ? the congregation sings. It goes back to 1600s at least, actually, although the shaped note books began to be published in the very early 1800s.

People then do not seem to have been nearly as shy about singing publicly as we are today, pity. In Texas in the late 1800s, for example, (when harp singing was actually dying out, but there is also more documentation available) there was scarcely a decent sized town that did not host an annual singing of some form (not necessarily Sacred Harp, but other "harps" and "harmonies" were also common). This cut across denominational lines. Singings were major social functions. Many people seem to have travelled to numerous singings per year and it was certainly known to all in the south and most in the north. The "convention" format was most common in high summer after the crops were done and many of the older singings were held in July, August, September when nothing moves. It was not limited to schools and churches, indeed people seem to have sung most frequently on porches.

And yes it is still probably my favorite form of music, along with fiddle tunes. Well, shoot, I like music generally. I like participatory music better than performance music, though.

And I wouldn't hold this author responsible for the dulcimer.

[Dan]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

The other thing to keep in mind about shape note singing is that it did not start out as religious music, but rather as a teaching technique to train "non-singers" and those who couldn't read music how to read notes and sing. These singing schools (taught both formally in community arenas, and informally by itinerant musicians in "singing schools") sprang up in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

It found it's way into the church and religious services because of that fact, and then became cemented in to many (often southern) churches. It is a very easy technique to learn, and so lent itself very well to such environs as churches.

The current tradition of Sacred Harp singing, is very much considered a "living tradition" as is evidenced by modernization and updating of the book utilized. (And by the sings still held across the U.S. for more info on the current state of things check out www.fasola.org.) The Sacred Harp book is only one of many different books written using the shape note system and commonly found in the early to mid nineteenth century. (The Missouri Harmony, the Kentucky Harmony both come to mind.)

As far as it being not "popular" music, it is very much a folk tradition currently, and historically it would have been heard in a variety of settings in the nineteenth century. (As Amity points out in the last post.) As it is germaine to the Civil War- it is certainly something that many soldiers would have been familiar with, and would have heard and/or practiced themselves, alongside popular tunes of the antebellum period. The two wouldn't necessarily have been mutually exclusive with no overlap. From the evidence I've seen, I would argue that this folk tradition would have been much more common than one would think, particularly in rural areas such as central Illinois in the antebellum era. That isn't to say popular music wasn't heard, but shape note singing would have been very prevalent.

The hammered dulcimer v. lap dulcimer is an entirely different conversation. The earliest references that we can find here in Indiana for the lap dulcimer is the 1840s, although there were some German antededents referenced prior to this. The hammered dulcimer is a different beast, and can be documented pre-1840s- at least here in Indiana. (and I agree, Dan, the mandolin is best broached in post Civil War discussions.)

Interesting post for sure.

Dan Schoeneberg

[Danny]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

Harp singing was a very prevalent form of music across the U.S. in mid-1800s. It is not "popular" music, it is folk music...

Terre -

I understand what you're saying, thanks.

You will have noticed, however, that songs in the folk tradition will be discouraged here for use in reenacting or living history -- unless they also happen to have been published before wars' end.

I trust that bodes well for songs taken from your Shape Note Harmonies published before war's end, but what of songs not published in Harmonies until after the war? Do you limit the songs you sing only to those you can show were published, or do you invoke living tradition and feel ok include some post-war-published anyway?

You and I can reason that certain songs were certainly created and sung before the war even if not published by then, based on their structure and their topics. We can also reason that with folk songs there was not a need or a profit motive to publish them until music collections came into vogue later in the Century. We can reason that they certainly existed before that, but alas that's all considered speculation and innappropriate here.

An example of an oft-sung folk song in camp (often played by period brass bands) is Shenendoah. By AC standards we now must give up that gem until it can be shown it was published before wars' end.

Dan Wykes
Fat Neck Mess

[Hank Trent]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

You will have noticed, however, that songs in the folk tradition will be discouraged here for use in reenacting or living history -- unless they also happen to have been published before wars' end.

No, I expect that anyone here would be equally confident in singing/playing any song that was mentioned in a published or unpublished source before the war's end, whether it was published in sheet music pre-1865 or not. Find a diary, letter, scrap of paper, allusion, whatever, that shows someone was aware of a song during the war, and there ya go. (Taking into consideration of course things like "Carry me back to old Virginny" referring to a different song in 1862 than today.)

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[eric marten]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

Dan:

Since you brought up "Shenandoah", I would love to hear from anyone who could document its origin. Some sources say it is "believed" to be early 1800's, but if anyone knows for sure, please let (AC) know. (It is a beautiful song).

Another song/tune done quite frequently by reenactors which shouldn't be is "Golden Slippers" (1879, if I'm not mistaken).

[Danny]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

...whether it was published in sheet music pre-1865 or not. Find a diary, letter, scrap of paper, allusion, whatever, that shows someone was aware of a song during the war, and there ya go... Hank Trent

Hank - your words "scrap", "allusion" and "whatever" certainly don't bring "primary source" the AC mantra, to mind. But your loose intrepretation seems reasonable to me. Such secondary or fragmentary sources, when applied with good associative reasoning can be as valuable as rote primary source collection and dissemination.

In that vein I would point out that music scholars have accepted folk/aural tradition (interviews and performance) as "primary source" for some time. They have understood that a song sung in an early 19th century way, about an early 19th century occurrence, by direct descendants of early 19th century people, is as likely as not to be an early 19th century song.

That and a nickel would bring back "Shenendoah", "Roll, Alabama" and "Mrs. McGrath"

Eric - "Grandfather's clock" also heard a lot and shouldn't be; I think it's an 1873 publish.

Dan Wykes
Fat Neck Mess

[amity]

Re: Harp Singing in Living History

The other thing to keep in mind about shape note singing is that it did not start out as religious music, but rather as a teaching technique to train "non-singers" and those who couldn't read music how to read notes and sing. These singing schools (taught both formally in community arenas, and informally by itinerant musicians in "singing schools") sprang up in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

Right. "Shape note music" is just a body of music that goes back centuries. It's existence is quite independent of the of the shaped notation (also called "patent" or "buckwheat notes" in period sources) invented in the early 1800s as a teaching technique. In the early to mid-19th century tunes were written for shape note and round note oblong books specifically, but the earlier tunes in these books often go back to the Renaissance, such as Captain Kidd, set to somewhat newer religious poetry (early to mid 18th century) written by Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley, for example. Tunes and poetry were rarely written specifically for each other, a so-called "set piece." One famous example of this mix and match type of phenomenon is the Star Spangled Banner, which at the time it was chosen as a setting for the patriotic poetry with which we are all familiar was a drinking song called "To Anacreon in Heav'n."

However, the rationalization that folk hymn traditions started out with secular roots and were later re-invented as religious I think is a fictitious attempt on the part of present-day secular singers to justify their own participation in a basically religious tradition without actually "feeling religious" about it!

The current tradition of Sacred Harp singing, is very much considered a "living tradition" as is evidenced by modernization and updating of the book utilized. (And by the sings still held across the U.S. for more info on the current state of things check out www.fasola.org.) The Sacred Harp book is only one of many different books written using the shape note system and commonly found in the early to mid nineteenth century. (The Missouri Harmony, the Kentucky Harmony both come to mind.)

Exactly, finding the book that was most commonly used in YOUR locale is important to accurate use of these songbooks in reenactment. Although often the repertoire might be the similar from one book to another, the arrangements are not quite identical, a given song might have been sung faster or slower or to an entirely different tune, and to large extent the favorite repertoire varied from locale to locale, too. So once you have the general idea of shape note singing, then consult local sources for local application. You mioght be surprised at what you find.

And the period versions are still widely available. A given song, say "Ode to Science" for example, that appears in the modern Sacred Harp hasnot been changed one whit from the 1860s version, EXCEPT for the introduction of the alto part in some of them. Remove the alto and you have note for note what was sung in 1860.

The folk hymns represented by Sacred Harp and other harp books on the one hand, and popular music on the other hand, were not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they often were. Maybe even usually! Even today many singers believe that the human voice is a unique instrument of worship that should not be used for "profane" purposes.