New / Young Dulcimer Players Forum - August 12, 2008

[Jeff Hames]

Modes and Moods; It Makes You Think…………

This is our topic for our next New / Young Dulcimer Players Forum. This forum will be held on August 12, 2008 at 8:00pm central on my web site www.jeffhames.com .

While talking with some of my friends about the different modes in music and how these modes can possibly change the mood of a song, we decided that this might be a good topic for the New / Young Dulcimer Players Forum. I, for one, knew nothing about modes when I started playing the dulcimer. I just tuned my dulcimer to DAD and started playing. I had heard this tuning called Mixolydian but that’s about it. Well, as my studies increased I quickly learned that there are different modes (or modals) in music.

In this forum I would like for us to discuss the different types of modes and to help uncover some of the mysteries behind modes. Let’s try to simplify each mode for a little better understand of how they apply to our music. Can we play every mode on the mountain dulcimer? Even without adding additional frets? What are some basic tunings for each mode (most commonly used tunings)? Do different modes when played give you a sense of a mood or feeling the song is trying to make? Where did modes come from and how many are there? Are some modes better for certain genres of music? What are the common scales for each mode?

Okay, I know some of us go into solar eclipse when the words music and theory are used together in a sentence so we, as hosts, will try not to use those words during this forum. So here’s my challenge to all the hosts for this forum; come up with some other phrase to use during this forum in stead of music theory. It can be a made up phrase. We just need to be able to pronounce it and know that the translation is music theory. Please post your phrase before the forum starts with a brief explanation after it. If you want you can place the words music theory in brackets behind your phrase. This will help everyone in the forum know what you are talking about during the forum. Be creative! We want it to stick in everyone’s mind later down the road. Example: The is the Flying Flap Jacks (music theory) behind the familiar Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do exercise in music. I know musicians like Ken Bloom, Butch Ross and Bing Futch can come up with hundreds of phrases to use so if you want to borrow one from someone else that’s fine to.

As I hear from the host I will post and update the host list.

Hope to see everyone in the forum on August 12, 2008 at 8:00pm central on my web site www.jeffhames.com .

Keep Playing The Music!

Jeff Hames

[Jeff Hames]

Hello Everyone,

Here's your host list for this month's forum:

Stephen Seifert - www.stephenseifert.com
stephenseifert@hotmail.com

Shelley Stevens - www.shelleystevens.com
shelley@shelleystevens.com

Jeff Hames - www.jeffhames.com
dulcimermuisc@bellsouth.net

Bing Futch - www.bingfutch.com
bingfutch@yahoo.com

Jerry Rockwell - www.jcrmusic.com
jcrdulci@verizon.net

Lee Cagle - www.leecagledulcimers.com
Lee@LeeCagleDulcimers.com

Steven K. Smith - www.sksmithmusic.com
sksmith@sksmithmusic.com

Jim Woods - www.mcspaddendulcimers.com
contact@mcspaddendulcimers.com

Ken Bloom – www.boweddulcimer.com
kgbloom@advi.net

[Jeff Hames]

This is just a reminder that the New / Young Dulcimer Players Forum is tomorrow night. I hope everyone can make it!

See you in the forum!
Jeff

[MS Folk Music Society]

Wow!!! What a great line up!!!

See you tonight in the forum.

MFMS