I built an hourglass mountain dulcimer a couple of years ago and am about to finish up a teardrop dulcimer project. But because of these videos, I built a fretless CBG a couple of months ago, and am working on a fretted CBG, with plans on building about 5 more as gifts. I've also got a Native American style flute in progress. This hobby is so addicting...
Without going into all the music theory, the E chord in Open D is an E miner. However, starting a D major dcale, is the E dorian mode or the E dorian scale. How do you use the Dorian scsle? Listen to anything by Carlos Santana, the dorian master.
So...what you’re explaining isn’t actually minor! I’m pretty new to this whole concept, so I’m excited to talk about it (and I hope I don’t fudge up any of my info)! When you capo the first fret on a diatonic dulcimer, you’re actually playing in a different MODE! Specifically when you capo your D Major dulcimer, you’re changing it to E Dorian, not E minor. It’s close though! There’s only one note different between the two (the sixth of the scale is a half step higher than on the corresponding minor key). I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s a pretty funky sounding C# high up he neck when you capo it like that. The minor scale is actually technically a mode as well, the Aeolian Mode (nobody ever calls it that tho). To actually get your dulcimer in a minor scale, you could put your capo on the *fifth* fret of your D dulcimer and now you’re playing in B Aeolian, better known as B minor! It’d be pretty high pitched capoed that high up though, like some sort of soprano dulcimer or something, haha Dulcimers are actually basically the perfect instrument to start teaching yourself the modes! Especially if you’ve got one of those cool capos! Especially especially if you’ve got a piano or keyboard lying around too. Hope you don’t mind the correction, I’m just trying to be helpful to a fellow musician :)
@@ShaneSpeal yeah, it hurts my head too haha. I’m sure there’s loads of people online better at explaining it than I am too, maybe they’ll make your head hurt less haha
@@ShaneSpeal I think, rather than minor, it is pentatonic major. (or pentatonic neutral for the canjo, since it has only 1 string it can't be in a minor or major tuning. Only way to get a song in minor out of a one string instrument, is to play an alternate version of the song that uses different frets.)
Damn! I am still looking for a good box to make one. I've had some different designs drawn up for a few months now. I really have to find or build the box now. Nice job Shane, that sounds amazing!
Sounds better than a lot of other dulcimers.
@ShaneSpeal
I have one of your canjos, i play it with a bow 'hog-fiddle' style
you got some of the coolest stuff
The fun I have with my canjo is the reason I took up dulcimer.
I built an hourglass mountain dulcimer a couple of years ago and am about to finish up a teardrop dulcimer project. But because of these videos, I built a fretless CBG a couple of months ago, and am working on a fretted CBG, with plans on building about 5 more as gifts. I've also got a Native American style flute in progress. This hobby is so addicting...
Tell me about it: Been doing this for almost 60 years. Never tire of it. Am waiting for CB Gitty parts to come to make my first CBG.
Great inspiring video. Thanks for sharing.
@ShaneSpeal
can you play the songs the exact same way with the capo? or do you have to shift everything down one fret?
Shane; That is so cool, I made a couple of mountain dulcimers about 40 years ago. I gottta try this. Thanks for the inspiration
Without going into all the music theory, the E chord in Open D is an E miner. However, starting a D major dcale, is the E dorian mode or the E dorian scale. How do you use the Dorian scsle? Listen to anything by Carlos Santana, the dorian master.
Great video.
So...what you’re explaining isn’t actually minor! I’m pretty new to this whole concept, so I’m excited to talk about it (and I hope I don’t fudge up any of my info)!
When you capo the first fret on a diatonic dulcimer, you’re actually playing in a different MODE! Specifically when you capo your D Major dulcimer, you’re changing it to E Dorian, not E minor. It’s close though! There’s only one note different between the two (the sixth of the scale is a half step higher than on the corresponding minor key). I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s a pretty funky sounding C# high up he neck when you capo it like that.
The minor scale is actually technically a mode as well, the Aeolian Mode (nobody ever calls it that tho). To actually get your dulcimer in a minor scale, you could put your capo on the *fifth* fret of your D dulcimer and now you’re playing in B Aeolian, better known as B minor! It’d be pretty high pitched capoed that high up though, like some sort of soprano dulcimer or something, haha
Dulcimers are actually basically the perfect instrument to start teaching yourself the modes! Especially if you’ve got one of those cool capos! Especially especially if you’ve got a piano or keyboard lying around too.
Hope you don’t mind the correction, I’m just trying to be helpful to a fellow musician :)
Now my head hurts! LOL! Thank you for that explanation, BR
@@ShaneSpeal yeah, it hurts my head too haha. I’m sure there’s loads of people online better at explaining it than I am too, maybe they’ll make your head hurt less haha
@@ShaneSpeal I think, rather than minor, it is pentatonic major.
(or pentatonic neutral for the canjo, since it has only 1 string it can't be in a minor or major tuning. Only way to get a song in minor out of a one string instrument, is to play an alternate version of the song that uses different frets.)
I took a cardboard dulcimer and made a tennessee music box out of it , i love the sound of the dulcimer, still learning , nice video
Damn! I am still looking for a good box to make one. I've had some different designs drawn up for a few months now. I really have to find or build the box now.
Nice job Shane, that sounds amazing!
shipping-crate dulcimers, cigar box guitars, cake tin banjos, cake-'panjo' strumsticks, canjos, 2-string 1-course ladle/water-dipper mandolins, tea box ukelels, suitcase bass guitars, hubcap dobros, handgun case violins...
I built a tin can erhu (Chinese bowed instrument) a few years back. Very metallic!
You can do it on the second fret too. different minor scale.
Did you just glue the neck to the box or does it need bracing underneath?
Neck is glued and screwed. No bracing! The neck is the brace
awesome thanks! i want to build me one of these
Do it!
That was cool
Thank ya, IB!!!
Nice! That box looks familiar
That would be the Fender model 355 shape "Big Triangle" pick...
Now you have to do a Ghost Riders In the Sky tutorial! LOL
Looking mean and lean Shane. Good job.