Post by Bobby on Jun 11, 2019 22:29:18 GMT -5
Our Mission here at The Traditional Appalachian Dulcimore is to preserve the original form and function of the Dulcimore.
That's one reason you see us refer to the name Dulcimore, rather than the modern, popular name of dulcimer. It is our desire to separate the old fashioned design our forefathers began with, from the modern dulcimer that is so popular today. The modern dulcimer of today is a far cry from the Dulcimore of 150 years ago………. Even 75 years ago. Our main interest and inspiration are Dulcimores before the 1940’s but also those builders that kept the old style going until they had no more audience, or no more customers due to players becoming modernized.
We’re not so foolish as to think time, needs, and desires won’t change something. As an archer, I know about archery. There’s basically 3 groups of archery. Primitive, Traditional and Modern. The Primitive archers use bows only made of natural materials. The Traditional archers bows look very much like the Primitive bows, but are made of modern materials. And then there’s the Modern Archers. The bows of the modern archers look like something from outer space and until an arrow is nocked and launched from the string you’d barely recognize them as a bow at all. And in archery, there are those that are hard-line in thier particular group and there’s those that enjoy all three. Here at TTAD, we would compare ourselves to the primitive archers.
Also, take the banjo for instance: at first a simple gourd instrument with a hide stretched over it and fretless. Then along comes the tack head banjo. Then comes frets along in there somewhere. And finally the modern resonator banjo with the synthetic membrane instead of an animal hide with enough volume to pierce eardrums! Just joking, but there’s fans of each phase in the evolution of the banjo. Once again, We would compare ourselves to the fans of the gourd banjo.
You will find in another area of this site what we feel are the qualifications for a Traditional Appalachian Dulcimore. These are qualities we feel are proven and cross all lines of the different states and areas where they began. We feel they are qualities a Dulcimore must have to be considered Traditional, and to deserve the name of Dulcimore. I myself have had to conform to these qualifications because I want my instruments to be as close to those built by our forefathers as I can, without taking a time machine to go back and build them.
So here we are. Fans and lovers of the earliest form of the Appalachian Dulcimore. We are not here to criticize you for the dulcimer you play. And we are not here to be criticized for loving the very thing that was the beginning of what you play. Some of us even make non-traditional instruments and some of us also play them.
We promise you, if you're interested in playing the old noter/drone or fingerdance styles, we promise the playing experience is so much better on a Dulcimore designed to be played that way!
Most, if not all professional musicians and players of any type instrument will get one tailored to their playing style. I've seen musicians that can pick up a box store child's instrument and make better music on it than I can an expensive one. But do they seriously perform with that child's instrument? NO! They have one tailor made to their playing style to perform with. But an instrument tailored to your playing style will benefit both beginner and professional alike!
You wouldn't choose one of our primitive/traditional style instruments for playing modern chord style would you? Well neither should you choose a modern style dulcimer for playing noter/drone style! We only say this because we want you to have the BEST experience at playing traditional style dulcimore!
We hope you enjoy our site. And we hope you help us in preserving the Traditional Dulcimore. And help preserve the Traditional methods of playing, the traditional modes they were tuned in. The Traditional style in which they were made. And especially the Traditional diatonic fret pattern.
Once again, we thank you for visiting, and we hope you enjoy the site!
That's one reason you see us refer to the name Dulcimore, rather than the modern, popular name of dulcimer. It is our desire to separate the old fashioned design our forefathers began with, from the modern dulcimer that is so popular today. The modern dulcimer of today is a far cry from the Dulcimore of 150 years ago………. Even 75 years ago. Our main interest and inspiration are Dulcimores before the 1940’s but also those builders that kept the old style going until they had no more audience, or no more customers due to players becoming modernized.
We’re not so foolish as to think time, needs, and desires won’t change something. As an archer, I know about archery. There’s basically 3 groups of archery. Primitive, Traditional and Modern. The Primitive archers use bows only made of natural materials. The Traditional archers bows look very much like the Primitive bows, but are made of modern materials. And then there’s the Modern Archers. The bows of the modern archers look like something from outer space and until an arrow is nocked and launched from the string you’d barely recognize them as a bow at all. And in archery, there are those that are hard-line in thier particular group and there’s those that enjoy all three. Here at TTAD, we would compare ourselves to the primitive archers.
Also, take the banjo for instance: at first a simple gourd instrument with a hide stretched over it and fretless. Then along comes the tack head banjo. Then comes frets along in there somewhere. And finally the modern resonator banjo with the synthetic membrane instead of an animal hide with enough volume to pierce eardrums! Just joking, but there’s fans of each phase in the evolution of the banjo. Once again, We would compare ourselves to the fans of the gourd banjo.
You will find in another area of this site what we feel are the qualifications for a Traditional Appalachian Dulcimore. These are qualities we feel are proven and cross all lines of the different states and areas where they began. We feel they are qualities a Dulcimore must have to be considered Traditional, and to deserve the name of Dulcimore. I myself have had to conform to these qualifications because I want my instruments to be as close to those built by our forefathers as I can, without taking a time machine to go back and build them.
So here we are. Fans and lovers of the earliest form of the Appalachian Dulcimore. We are not here to criticize you for the dulcimer you play. And we are not here to be criticized for loving the very thing that was the beginning of what you play. Some of us even make non-traditional instruments and some of us also play them.
We promise you, if you're interested in playing the old noter/drone or fingerdance styles, we promise the playing experience is so much better on a Dulcimore designed to be played that way!
Most, if not all professional musicians and players of any type instrument will get one tailored to their playing style. I've seen musicians that can pick up a box store child's instrument and make better music on it than I can an expensive one. But do they seriously perform with that child's instrument? NO! They have one tailor made to their playing style to perform with. But an instrument tailored to your playing style will benefit both beginner and professional alike!
You wouldn't choose one of our primitive/traditional style instruments for playing modern chord style would you? Well neither should you choose a modern style dulcimer for playing noter/drone style! We only say this because we want you to have the BEST experience at playing traditional style dulcimore!
We hope you enjoy our site. And we hope you help us in preserving the Traditional Dulcimore. And help preserve the Traditional methods of playing, the traditional modes they were tuned in. The Traditional style in which they were made. And especially the Traditional diatonic fret pattern.
Once again, we thank you for visiting, and we hope you enjoy the site!
