Hammered and Lap dulcimer

[Fritz]

I know, I know, do the research, but I have a question. After years of not playing, I'm working on the lap/mountain dulcimer again. The origins go back to early Europe and what we know as the lap/mountain dulcimer goes back to 1800s Applachia. Would I be out of bounds taking mine to an event and attempting to play it?

[Danny]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

I know, I know, do the research, but I have a question. After years of not playing, I'm working on the lap/mountain dulcimer again. The origins go back to early Europe and what we know as the lap/mountain dulcimer goes back to 1800s Applachia. Would I be out of bounds taking mine to an event and attempting to play it?

Fritz -

From my research, it's stretching the bounds quite a bit to bring a lap dulcimer to the field. But many regularly bring mandolins and steel-strung banjos and guitars etc. so I'm not sure what that means for your case. "Could have happened" seems OK with most but never with the few.

I'd suggest whatever standard you apply for your rifle (just "as generally issued" or "unit-and-year-specific") should perhaps apply to this dulcimer.

Dan Wykes

[markj]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

FWIW,

New York Times, 6 June 1864:

VIOLIN STRINGS FOR HOT WEATHER.
--Guitar, Banjo and Zither Strings, 25 cents, mailed.
Piano and Dulcimer Wire.
Musical instruments—every description. Price list
sent on receipt of stamp.
FREDERICK BLUME, No. 208 Bowery

I'm presuming "Dulcimer Wire" likely refers to "wires" used for hammered dulcimers.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[DJCasey]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Lap (mountain) dulcimers also use the same gauge for all its same strings and are the same as hammer dulcimers. My grandfather made church organs for a living and dabbled making many other intruments, so I grew up with all these "weird" instuments in the house.

[Danny]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

One study on dulcimers in the United States (excerpted below)makes them very homemade until 1870 or so, and limited to a small region of Appalachia until the late 1800's. For us that means that the instrument should appear home or carpenter-made and the soldier/musician and his unit would have come from certain areas of Appalachia, or have a cousin from there.

“…The dulcimer's form solidified in the traditional period (mid-1800's to 1940) into a narrow fretboard attached to a larger soundbox underneath with many localized variants in design and construction. Easily constructed by hand, dulcimers appear to have been made by isolated individuals, although several pockets of family tradition arose, notably the Hicks of North Carolina, and the Meltons of Galax, Virgina. Two makers are known to have marketed their dulcimers and are probably largely responsible for the instrument's dissemination within Appalachia. J. Edward Thomas of Knott County, Kentucky, had connections to the Hindman Settlement School in eastern Kentucky and made dulcimers between 1871 and 1930, many of which he peddled from a mulecart. …Towards the end of the 1800s, the settlement school and crafts movements brought the dulcimer to the attention of outsiders…”

Excerpts from Dr. Lucy M. Long's “A History of the Mountain Dulcimer” referencing L. A. Smith’s "Toward a Reconstruction of the Development of the Appalachian Dulcimer: What the Instruments Suggest," Journal of American Folklore, xciii (1980), 385.

- Dan Wykes
(the early banjo players here will recognize the name "Lucy Long" as part of antebellum Minstrel repertoire - which has nothing to do with this thread)

[eric marten]

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, though it is impossible to say that they absolutely didn't exist in camp then. A negative is hard to prove. They are far out-shadowed by the hundreds and hundreds of photos, paintings and other references to the common instruments of the day - fiddles, banjos, flutes , whistles, etc.

Eric Marten

[Lone Guard]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

I beg your pardon for ressurecting an old thread, but I think that this topic might be interesting to bring up again.

THAT, and I have become very interested in the Appalachian/Lap/Mountain Dulcimers recently. I plan on learning how to play it, and am interested if it would be appropriate.

This link has information (w/ a bibliography) on the A/L/M Dulcimer.

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

What we are calling the "Appalachian/Lap/Mountain" Dulcimer seems to be derived from a German instrument called the "Scheitholt", and was brought to North American by German immigrants.

My questions are,

1) Does anyone have any further knowledge of the Scheitholt or an instrument in the transition period from Scheitholt to the A/L/M Dulcimer.

2) If you have an example, is there a date? This would include music sheets to be played by such an instrument.

3) Has anyone come across a photo with a Scheitholt/Dulcimer from the period. I have been looking, but haven't found any myself.

I don't want any speculations that aren't substantiated with some research/references. My search on this forum showed this to be a largely debated subject and some very hot replies, but most were speculations that weren't justified.

I am well aware that it probably wasn't popular except for a certain region (i.e. the Appalachian Mtns.), but I am still curious.

Thank you for your help.

[David Swarens]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Hello.

I would like to recommend to all a book by an author previously mentioned, and probably an elaboration of that publication.

"A Catalogue of Pre-Revival Appalachin Dulcimers," by L. Allen Smith (University of Missouri Press, 1983, ISBN 0-8262-0376-0 ) presents a photographic record, as well as discussion of context, for lap dulcimers predating 1940.

This work includes information on earlier European and American instruments, as well as a geographic mapping of forms of the ducimer and related or similar instruments.

I would suggest this a a great starting point, as a cataloge of images and information from primary and secondary source documents.

An that is usually a good place to start opinions from, and this is a fine book for anyone interested in the "historic" dulcimer.

As for the other dulcimer (some might say the original dulcimer) a book from that same year, published by the Smithsonian Institution, is a good one; "The Hammered Dulcimer in America," by Nancy Groce.

This book covers 18th, 19th, and early 20th century material, including some 1840's instruments and a patent, and patent model, from 1860, placing it right in the American Civil War period.
This book also has great pictures of early instruments, although I concur that it would be quite unlikely for someone to carry such a heavy item on the march!
Some of the early instruments are smaller and lighter than others, and than most modern (hammered) dulcimers though.

Yours,
David Swarens

[Rev]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

[QUOTE]the early banjo players here will recognize the name "Lucy Long" as part of antebellum Minstrel repertoire - which has nothing to do with this thread/QUOTE]

I haven't chuckled like that all day!!

[David Swarens]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

PS. There seem to be few (what I would call) "true" (lap) dulcimores in the Smith book predating the 1880s, but there are a few.
And at least one (of these) was recorded as using gut strings and being played with a bow.

Well worth looking for if you are interested in the subject.

Yours,
David Swarens

[JerryGVSU]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

Hello, Jackpot!

http://www.historicdulcimers.info/Downloads.php

They have a lovely teardrop pre-Civil War A/L/M Dulcimer right here. Database entry 6.

I recently brought my modern dulcimer to an event, and no one gave me any trouble, but that could be because no one knows what is correct for dulcimers of that era.
Anyway, with some recent research I found that period dulcimer frets only go to the 1st or 2nd strings. After some more research, I'm gonna make my dad make a period dulcimer and sell it. He makes some pretty nice modern ones already.

[Indianabugles]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

I have a mountain dulcimer, home made, strung DDA and I occasionally take it to events and play it but it is not by any means the most common instrument. I play mandolin, violin, guitar and mountain dulcimer and have found very little to back up Mountain dulcimers or Mandolins being common or usual, guitars maybe, and violins definately.
Mine is strung with piano wire. I also find it is a very personable instrument and lacks the volume to accompany or entertain all but those in extreme close proximity.
But if we are doing public related or display events I take it as a period interest.

[Danny]

Re: Lap Dulcimer

I have a mountain dulcimer, home made, strung DDA and I occasionally take it to events and play it ...
Mine is strung with piano wire... I take it as a period interest.

Christian - Seems a marginal justification for use on the field by usual AC expectations, but I've likewise made my own lap dulcimer. I never before considered bringing it to the field, for the reasons earlier in this thread. Fortunately, this is the Music forum where standards haven't yet fossilized - much research still to be done. Can we hear an mp3 of what you're doing?

Dan Wykes

[Silas]

Infernal rules

Fortunately, this is the Music forum where standards haven't yet fossilized - much research still to be done. Can we hear an mp3 of what you're doing?
Dan Wykes

I dunno 'bout that. Seems to me there are rules for the entire forum which apply to this subforum. These rules include :

No Farbism - All discussion here must strive toward authenticity - this is not the forum for status quo reenacting or status quo thinking. Don't come here to argue with hardcores about what they are doing "wrong."

Free Speech is Not Guaranteed Here - While we welcome constructive criticism, this is a private forum and if you can't handle the way we do things here, you're welcome to create your own forum.

[Danny]

Re: Infernal rules

I dunno 'bout that. Seems to me there are rules for the entire forum which apply to this subforum. These rules include :

Silas -

Yes, certainly by the standards of the rest of the AC forum, using dulcimers remains a reenactorism if the evidence shown to date isn't acceptable. More photos or direct witness accounts of dulcimer use by soldiers or civilians ACW timeframe. Or period written instruction or sheet music.

Dan Wykes