Newbie and Musically Challenged

[proffitt]

Kimmie-

That is funny one of your children play the trumpet. In elementary school I wanted to play in the band so I rented a trumpet. I got tossed after I could only make an "E" note. Regardless of what I did I only made an "E". The teacher said he had never heard or seen anything like it. Then tossed me. I was in 5th grade. I remember saying, "I have been thrown out of nicer places than this." I say that now anytime I get fired or rejected or what not.

Now I play the banjo and hope to soon be playing the dulcimer. Just stay positive and play your music. Don't worry what others want you to play.

[Kimmie]

Andy... here I thought that I was the only kid kicked out of band! I know that some people think that I am only joking when I have told them that..but it is true.

I got the Silent Night tabs in DAD...this way I did not have to re-tune my dulcimer. I had tried the other day but could not get it right...I was trying to tune down but the strings were so loose and I just couldn't get it. My husband is able to help me..but he wasn't home...nor was he today. So anyway I got the DAD tabs and got out my noter and started practicing. It is so much easlier! And sounds so much better than the chords that were in the book that I have. I feel much more comfortable, I just have to get the pressure perfected. Had a few "speed bumps" or not enough pressure.

Again thanks for the help and encouragement! I hope all the other newbies/beginners give the noter style of playing a try.

[Dulci-Mama]

Kimmie, welcome--I'm an MD newb myself, though I've played other instruments. Am I a virtuoso on any of them? No, never will be, but I play for enjoyment. If you have the desire to make music in your soul, you will do so. And you will surprise yourself by getting better.

I'm starting mainly DAD chord/melody, but I'm also experimenting with a noter. Noodle around with different techniques and see what feels and sounds right to you. The folks here are very helpful, unlike some other boards that don't seem to like newbies and just tell us to use the search function.

You will eventually find others to jam with. That makes it fun and improves your playing. I have a banjo-playing friend who also plays dulcimer and got me hooked on it.

Above all, never question your right to make music. It's in you, and so you must make music. Don't let others intimidate you. If I lived near you, I would gladly get together and play.

[kwl]

Kimmie, I've been away the last two days, so my welcome is a little late. It's good to have you hear at ED. You already know how friendly and helpful this group is. Best wishes on your dulcimer journey. Be patient, give it time, play as often as you can and have fun. I look forward to hearing more from you.

[mrchips]

Other than a rare few people that have a condition that basically scrambles music in thier brain to the point it sounds like just noise, ANYONE can learn to play an insterment. Part of the secret is to get the insterment that has a sound that tottaly hooks you. Another part is the determation to do it. Nobody has ever "mastered" an insterment or music in general in a few days from a tottal newbie, it takes time. Keep at it and one of these days lightning strikes when all of a suden it works!..

Its a fact some catch on faster than others, but playing any insterment is as much learning a new manual skill as it is learning "music". There is absolutly nothing wrong with formal lessons if thats available and theres many tricks a god teacher has learnt over the years you wont find in any book but most can learn without a single lesson. It just takes a while longer. The manual skill of coaxing a tune out of some wood and wire dosent happen overnight and cannot be learnt from a book. The only way that happens is by doing it, cat tormenting sounds and all. Just simply nodling around on an insterment to see what sorts of sounds you can get out of it on a somewhat regular interviel goes a long way in teaching the brain and fingers to play. Be suprised how fast things start falling in place even with 10 or 15 min at a time playing or playing around.

Ive never had a single formal lesson in my life relating to musc other than the usual elementary school stuff and I can usally hold my own in a jam, even if ive never heard the tune before. I usally play a hammer dulcimer, and a couple varations of a mountian dulcimer on a stick, one diationic and the other fully fretted. But lately ive been messing with a peddel steel and the wifes guitar. Both have me tottaly buffaloed --- for now. One has 3 strings too many and the other has notes that move around.

The main thing is to have fun doing it and do it reguraler.

[Robin the Busker]

Hi Kimmie,

Welcome to ED

Mr Chips is spot on! Learning a musical instrument is like learning to drive a car. To drive a car you have to learn how to physically make the car go forward, steer, stop etc by co-ordinating your hands and feet primarily to visual clues. You also have to learn the "rules of the road", how to drive in town or on the highway and fit in with other traffic safely.

Playing a musical instrument is very similar. As MrChips says, you have to learn the physical skills (holding your MD, strumming, chording, moving the noter etc) which involves co-ordinating your hands (and feet for rhythm) primarily to auditory clues. This takes lots of "hands-on" noodling. AND you have to learn the "rules of the road" - tunes, music theory etc. Now you are coming to both these factors brand new - so don't be hard on yourself - give yourself time.

Most of us travel thousands of miles in a car as a passenger before we learn to drive - even so, learning the rules of the road and applying them while we try to concentrate on making the car move where we want it to go is a tall order. You will have listened to music all your life - but this is the first time you have actually had to think about its structure and you have to learn how to make the sounds you want

Those who already play a musical instrument have a very big advantage when learning MD in that they know a lot of the rules of the road already - so they can focus on just the physical skills of playing the instrument (which still take time to aquire).

The good news is that a vast majority of us learn to drive just fine, pass our driving test, and eventually reach a stage of competency where we can happily sing along to the radio while we drive because the act of driving is so "automatic" as a skill. But just think how many hours of practice you have had at driving over the years to reach this point

Your MD playing will be exactly the same. As MrChips says, there are very few people who physically cannot learn to play music. You are most likely to be one of the billions who have the capability.

So noodle away to your hearts content to learn the physical skills of playing your MD - the more time you have your MD in your hands the quicker those will come.

And learn about the "rules of the road" such as learning TAB or notation, tunings, rhythm etc.

Using a teacher and finding good teaching material (such as asking questions here ) will help guide you through your journey. Imagine learning to drive without an instructor to teach you or books to show you what the road signs mean

Most importantly, enjoy just the simple act of learning. With the right approach, it can be hugely rewarding in itself no matter what "standard" we achieve in our chosen activity.

You'll do just fine

Robin

[Lisa -S.H.]

I do need to learn more about the different modes. Right now the Mixolydian is the only mode I have played in.

Kimmee,
I have written some explanations and tabs of the common modes we use on the dulcimer in my dulcimer BLOG (see link below). So far I have covered three of the four most common modes, and have tried to present them in a way that beginners will understand- just practical understanding, not lots of deep music theory.

[folkfan]

Andy... here I thought that I was the only kid kicked out of band! I know that some people think that I am only joking when I have told them that..but it is true.

I got the Silent Night tabs in DAD...this way I did not have to re-tune my dulcimer. I had tried the other day but could not get it right...I was trying to tune down but the strings were so loose and I just couldn't get it. My husband is able to help me..but he wasn't home...nor was he today. So anyway I got the DAD tabs and got out my noter and started practicing. It is so much easlier! And sounds so much better than the chords that were in the book that I have. I feel much more comfortable, I just have to get the pressure perfected. Had a few "speed bumps" or not enough pressure.

Again thanks for the help and encouragement! I hope all the other newbies/beginners give the noter style of playing a try.

Hi Kimmie, I didn't get kicked out of the band, but my piano teacher told my mom that she was just wasting her money having me attempt to learn the piano. Funny thing is my typing teacher in HS told me to give up trying to learn to type directly to my face. My hands are cross wired and it's a long drawn out process for me to think where each finger has to go for every stroke. If I type fast I use the backspace/delete button more than any other key. When I found the dulcimer I found an instrument that I could play with out my mind going on the fritz as all I need is one finger on each hand.

For those speed bumps or pressure problems you might try just sticking your index finger out and using it as a noter. Your finger will tell you when your coming to a bump and your mind will soon tell you whether that's the bump to stop at and press for the note or whether you should slide on by. What ever method you do finally decide on, enjoy the trip and the music.

[Robin T]

Kimmie
Others have already given lots of helpful advice, so I'm just jumping in to say, "Welcome to EverythingDulcimer!".
all good wishes,
Robin T
who is a noter-and-drone dulcimer player for life

[Kimmie]

Learning a musical instrument is like learning to drive a car.

I think that is such a good way to look it! I do hope that some day playing will come to me automatically as driving a car. Even if I am the only person that I play for!

Thank you everyone that replied! I have gotten some great advise and have met such nice, warm and giving people. I am so happy that I found this group! Happy strumming!

[proffitt]

Perhaps more like learning to drive a stick shift. There have been plenty of times I have dropped my banjo and been afraid I blew out it's transmission!

[mrchips]

proffitt is that sound anything like the sound a Hd makes after it hits the floor from about a 4 or 5 foot drop?

It was years before I even seen an automatic. Took me a while to adjust to the missing peddel or trying to shift when the darn shifter wouldnt go to the other side of the H. Gets your attention for a while