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The Heritage dulcimer is produced by Chas Hagen and is an off-the-shelf production model based on the features and playing styles of pre-1960s instruments. There are more details about the instrument at www.dulcimers.co.uk

Jeni and Billy playing Chicken Ridge at Conwy Bluegrass Festival with Robin Clark on Galax mountain dulcimer.

Here is the hymn Higher Ground played in noter drone style using a quill and reed noter. The dulcimer is a standard cherry McSpadden (without a 6 ) and the tuning is DAdA - the 4 strings set equidistant. Jean Ritchie used this set-up regularly and it gives a rich sound to drones whilst maintaining the clarity of the single melody string. The sound quality is pretty poor on my cheap camera - I n...

A short video shot on a cheap digital camera. The dulcimer is a replica of an Ed Thomas from about 1890 built by John Knopf. It is strung with piano wire and played with a quill and wood noter in traditional style. The tune is Coleman's March. The video location is the Glentruim Estate near Newtonmore in the Scottish Hoghlands.

This video shows some of the more advanced techniques for using a noter when playing mountain dulcimer. The dulcimer in the video is a replica of an Ed Thomas model from around 1890 - it was made by John Knopf. The noter is a piece of river reed, cut from our local river. The dulcimer is fitted with piano wire for strings and fretted with broom wire staples in the traditional diatonic pattern.

Strumming a dulcimer with your thumb is a traditional technique. This video is a short description of the style. Thumbing can add clarity to your melody line and a warm tone to your instrument.

C.N Prichard dulcimer repro built by Kevin Messenger, WV. Kevin has done a wonderful job of producing this reproduction of a Prichard dulcimer from the late 1800s. For more information he can be contacted through the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer web site.

A short example of using the 'thumbing' strum technique for playing noter drone dulcimer. The dulcimer is a replica of an Ed Thomas dulcimer c 1890 made by John Knopf.

Technique for tuning a dulcimer for noter & drone playing in the common session keys and modes.

This video covers how to tune a mountain dulcimer to the common old time session keys when playing in the traditional noter and drone style. Part A covers dulcimer set-up, key of D ionian and key of A mixolidian.

A short lesson on holding a noter when playing the mountain dulcimer.

A short video of my new Ed Thomas (1850-1933) replica dulcimer made by John Knopf of Westmoreland, Michigan. This is an exact replica of a poplar wood Ed Thomas and here I compare it to a contemporary mountain dulcimer. John Knopf has done a wonderful job of making this rustic, traditional instrument the way that ED Thomas made his. The body is a lot smaller narrower that you see on contemporar...

This pretty little old time tune is Coleman's March. I'm playing it on a cherry McSpadden mountain dulcimer in a traditional noter and drone style using a wood 'noter' to fret the tune on just the melody string and a stripped quill to strum. The tuning is D,A,A

Playing an Epinette des Vosges made by John H Crocker

Mountain Dulcimer - Strumming with a Feather Quill

Sally in the Garden - mountain dulcimer

Galax Mountain Dulcimer and Flatfooting

Bird Rock Dulcimers - The Red Kite - sound sample - 27 May 11.wmv

Bird Rock Dulcimers - Sweet Woods Student Dulcimer.wmv

Busker Tennessee Sound Clip - 28 Apr 11.wmv

Bird Rock Dulcimers - McSpadden Sound Samples 2 apr 11.wmv