Dulcimerica with Bing Futch - Episode 373 - "Intro To DAA Tuning" - Mountain Dulcimer
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- Опубліковано 18 січ 2018
- Bing takes a look at the much-maligned tuning of DAA and includes tuning tips, scales, chord shapes and a little music theory background.
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That was a wonderfully accessible lesson, right down to string guard changes. Very enjoyable.
I'm glad you enjoyed it - thanks for watching!
thank you for showing this. I use DAA all the time because it gives me notes below the 3rd fret.
You're welcome!
Thank you for demonstrating MY favourite tuning Ionian or daa.So many "how to"s concentrate on DAD.I like DAA's ease of playing melodies having "C" on third fret leaving more notes LOWER.without having to find them on another string
Glad to find another 1-5-5 fan! It's a great tuning - wish more people would explore it. Thanks for watching!
When I first picked up the dulcimer 50 years ago, most people played in 1-5-5, "C " tuning and used a "noter". I was introduced to DAD tuning from a Jean Ritchie instructional book. It came with a tape and that was the first time I heard dulcimer music. Nowadays, you're correct, everyone seem to play in D.
I've recently come back to the dulcimer. I have an older Folk Roots dulcimer that I purchased in Berkley. I was one of the few dulcimer players in the Bay Area back in the 80's. I'm in the North West by Seattle now and it is still somewhat of a rarity. Dulcimer seems to be more of an eastern instrument. I've been thinking about getting a 6 string one for the increased volume. With this pandemic thing, I'm exploring UA-cam a lot more than I used to and came across your video. Thanks for posting. I enjoyed listening to you.
Nice! Thank you so much, John. Have you considered plugging in to an amp? Six string dulcimers do have increased volume, but the touch is so very different and not as gentle, depending on your tuning style (unison or octave doubling.) What do you plan to do with the dulcimer, in what situations? There are many ways to approach it. I love six-string, but it steals a bit of your ability to truly emote. Dynamics, that's really key. Loud is great (hell, we're dulcimer players), but control and dynamics are far more desirable, I think.
Awesome video! I'm so glad I've found you (and at the exact right moment, too). I think this is going to change my life, how exciting that is! Best wishes to you!
So happy to help! Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for watching!
You do a great job describing the reasons for what you are doing. Also, you have a great speaking voice. Your voice, your knowledge base, and your demeanor combine to make a great instructional video. Looking forward to getting my first dulcimer - it was shipped today - and viewing more of your videos. Thank you.
Thanks, Jim! Welcome to the mountain dulcimer family!
Thank you for covering my favorite tuning. I’ve been playing it for years but never thought about where the root was for the different chord shapes. It will make it much easier when trying to figure out how to accompany songs.
You're welcome! It's a great tuning, and even more fun when you can find yourself around the fretboard easily with these tricks!
Great job as always Bing! Thanks so much for your continued hard work and generous gift of dulcimer info. I wanted to try DAA, but didn't know how.
thank you! I hope you'll enjoy the discovery in this tuning. I'll be looking at DAC tuning (1-5-4) next!
I am just learning to play the dulcimer and the group I play with only play in DAA so this is all I know. This video has been very helpful and informative. keep up the good work
Thanks, Lynn - happy to be of help!
Great info, thank you, Bing. Pertinent to my level, as I had my first in-person lesson in Sarasota today (DAA). Great basics from Ishmael Katz, who sends his regards to you. Now I must practice, practice, practice.
Tell Ishmael I said hi!
You play beautifully. Recently I purchased a 4 string baritone dulcimette tuned AEA. I can't find anything on how to play this. Help, please. Do not want to capo.
Hi, Deborah! I'll be doing some studies of four string equidistant tuning over the next several weeks for my Patreon subscribers. Some of that will bleed over into baritone, I'm sure. I'm not sure when I'll tackle it here on Dulcimerica, but it's coming!
Stephen Seifert has two Videos that talk about his string recommendations for DAA.Great video from you by the way LOL Always loved your style.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
When your book on method for beginning mountain dulcimer by you arrives soon, I hope to learn how to determine notes created by fretting with various tunings. When my new dulcimer arrives, it will be tuned to dad, but I know from other yt videos how to change the tuning. My tuner has arrived.
Sounds great!
thank you for showing DAA it is the only mode i play in
There'll be more coming!
great tutorial...thanks for the chords..do you have a DAA songbook available ? Let me know please.
Thanks, Frank! I have books with DAA tab in them, but nothing that's strictly DAA. The "Mountain Dulcimer in the Band" book series has a lot of DAA tab and there's a whole section of "Method For Beginning Mountain Dulcimer" that covers DAA tuning. Both are available from my online store at bingfutch-com.myshopify.com
Hi Bing,
Thanks for such a wonderful and informative video I really enjoyed it. I'm tuned in DAA right now. Do you happen to have a video on G tuning? Like GGD? That's a better key for me, I have trouble singing in C the people's key go figure. Thanks for all the helpful info and all your hard work.
Allie
You're welcome - it's been on my list to do some things on key of G - will get that in the queue!
I first learned in DAA and have used this tuning ever since. Could never get used to DAD. But I wish there were more people playing in DAA. It's such a beautiful tuning and none of the workshops ever seem to do anything with that tuning unless it's just the basics. Would love to see workshops based solely on DAA
I'm always pushing to get more players interested in 1-5-5 tuning - I think it's largely that many players don't like to retune!
@@bingfutch What do you think of DDA? (Just theoretically. I know that tuning the A to a D would break it)
@@schierlingsbecher7778 not necessarily - depends on the gauge you're using. If a dulcimer tuned DAA can bring the melody string up for DAD, then DDA isn't far-fetched. So, the Ds would be unison instead of octaved, with scale emphasis 3rd fret through 10. Chord shapes may take some getting used to, but it's just sort of a flipped around DAA. Voicing should be nice!
What do the half frets do? Such as 1.5, 6.5, 8.5 & 13.5.
The half frets are half-step intervals, meaning they allow us to play notes that are a half-step apart. If you notice the pattern of frets on a mountain dulcimer, you'll see wide spaces between frets and narrow spaces. These wide spaces are whole steps, meaning there's a whole step in between the notes. Narrow spaces are half steps, meaning there's a half-step behind the notes. The chromatic scale (used by pianos, guitars, most instruments, really) is made up of entirely half-steps. Patterns of whole steps and half steps (5 whole and 2 half) combine to create the seven-note major and minor scales.
Hey Bing,
I like the tuning. It goes well with one of my dulcimers in particular. I will experiment with it, and you are right abut string thickness cause mine are too stretchy. Also, where do I submit my 'Welcome to Dulcimerica" video? Did I miss the part about where to submit it? Thanks
Tony Gennaro
Hi, Tony - you can send the video to me at bingfutch@yahoo.com!
Hello Bing. I really enjoy your videos and especially this one. I have not found much in UA-cam on DAA tuning, so this was a treat. Is there a reason that the melody string should be a different gauge than the centre string if you are going to stick with 1-5-5 tuning? I think that the single melody string is a good idea but it sounded a little weak when I tried it. Thanks again.
Keith
Thanks, Keith! No, you can switch the gauges up no problem. When I tune to CGG, I'm using .016 on both melody and middle, but I have been known to take the melody to .017 just to give it some more tension and snap. Different gauges and materials or winds will give your slightly different tones, so it's worth it to experiment with these as well as brands.
Hi Bing,
thank you for the introduction to D-A-A. I haven't played around with it.
Your melody string is not doubled, is it? Most of the Mountain Dulcimers you can get in Germany, have 4 strings (melody string doubled). Is it better to remove the 2nd melody string when tuning to D-A-A?
Hi, Rainer - good to hear from you again! I play a single melody string; it's easier to play and also sounds better, in my opinion, more clarity. I do recommend removing one of the double melody strings for a more modern sound and approach. The doubled melody is an artifact of the melody-drone style of playing which helps to make the melody louder. With modern style playing, only one string is needed. Hope this helps!
Butch- I’m a guitar player. Just picked up a cool Mountain dulcimer in an estate sales. There are 4 evenly spaced strings. What the best tuning? Thanks
Hey there! A popular tuning configuration is (from the farthest string to the closest string) D4-D4-A3-D3. 4-string equidistant is gaining popularity, while the most popular number of string courses is three (with the D4 doubled in unison.) Have fun exploring, and check the Dulcimerica Episode Guide link in the video description above for an archive of all the episodes and their topids, so you can find what you're looking for quickly. Let me know if you have any questions!
Please tell about the dulcimer here. Make, woods. It sounds lovely.
Hi, Rebecca! This is a Folkcraft Instruments custom dulcimer with koa sides and back and a western red cedar top. You can get more info at www.Folkcraft.com
Just starting my dulcimer journey and I am confused about how to tune to DAAA(Ionian). I followed a video that came with the dulcimer and it said initially tune to the 4th fret for DAAA. It was done very fast and hastily so it's confusing. I've tuned my bass and middle and melody strings on the 4th fret to DAAA. But then wouldn't my bass drone and drone middle string not be in D and A since they are open? It sounds pretty good and Amazing Grace sounds good opening 0,5,3,5....yet I don't think it is correct. Most places online when talking about how to tune to DAAA make no mention of pushing any frets. Some places mention the 3rd fret briefly but not which strings to tune when pushing the fret. Basically I need to know how to tune from the bass string on up and if and when to push the 3rd or 4th fret? I'm trying to imagine using the 3rd fret to tune since most of the DAAA books I have playing songs out of sound sort of correct at least to my ears where my melody strings are in A on the 4th fret. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hello, and welcome to the mountain dulcimer family! There are a couple of different ways of writing out this tuning. Most go with DAA while others write it out D-A-aa with the lowercase letters representing the double melody strings (there's nothing wrong with DAAA.) To begin tuning, make sure your bass string is tuned how you like it. Then, press the string down just to the left of the 4th fret; this is A. Tune your middle string to this note. Then, tune both of your melody strings to match the middle string and you're good to go!
@@bingfutch Thanks for the reply Bing. So to be clear, I am using a digital tuner and when pressing the bass string behind the 4th fret it should read A? Or am I pressing the 4th fret and tuning my middle strings and melody also to read A? What strings exactly am I tuning while holding the 4th fret? Right now I have my bass tuned to the 4th fret at D, the middle string on the 4th fret to A, and the melody strings on the 4th fret to A. Does this make sense? I'm sorry I'm still confused a little but I'm a true beginner with no musical knowledge. I have begun playing a few tunes and memorizing them and they sound good. I just want to get the D-A-aa tuning correct.
@@LordWoolley If you're using a tuner, don't worry about pushing down on any frets. Just tune the lowest (thickest) string to D by plucking it and using the tuner. Pluck the middle string and tune that to A. Pluck each melody string and tune them to A as well. Check out Dulcimerica episode 180 for more on using a tuner: ua-cam.com/video/LVe5n22PP98/v-deo.html - hope this helps!
Also, I found you because as I was looking for a new dulcimer I would see things like "best in DAD or set up for DAA" and I don't understand how a dulcimer is "made" for a tuning. Don't you just tune it? I did see where someone said a long fret board like on a teardrop is better for daa as it had a lower tone. Any tutorial on this. Thanks. Rebecca
I've touched a little bit upon different builders optimizing their instruments for certain tunings, but yes, you can use any tuning on any dulcimer.
I have my dulcimer tuned to GDD. Does this tuning apply to everything that this video shows?
Yes, absolutely! Your home key will be G instead of D, but the intervals will remain the same - you'll just be playing different chords and looking for different chord roots.
Why does nobody strum on the hollowed out part at the base of the neck?
The closer you strum towards the bridge, the more "nasal" and tinny the sound becomes. The further away from the bridge, the warmer and richer the sound gets (to a point.) Many people like to strum right around the area where the lower tone holes are located. This is known as the "sweet spot."
@@bingfutch Thanks, makes me wonder why there i a hollowed out section at the base of the neck. I guess it gives you another sound option. It just kind of looks like it's there because you should strum there. Thanks again.
@@oshgcan3350 At some point in the instrument's history, the strum hollow emerged as a standard feature and there are good reasons for it. For instance, when flat picking a tune and your pick keeps knocking on the fretboard, you can pull back to the strum hollow and dig a little deeper without the knock. And it's definitely a way to change up your tone for effect. Since there are so many different lengths of fretboards, soundboards and the like, finding the right tone is particular to every dulcimer, probably more so than other fretted instruments. I think it's interesting how both the instrument AND the players have evolved over the past hundred or so years! Thanks for commenting and watching!
Bing, I have my dulcimer now, it is in DAD. I have been practicing tenor ukulele too, and most songs are in C. My voice suits that. Would it be good for me to tune to CGG? I assume the melody string goes down to G, the middle string obviously does? I need to get a chord chart for CGG in that case.
Leslie, you can tune down to CGC and still use all of your DAD tablature if you're playing by yourself. Going down to this will make it MUCH easier on your voice. You've given me an idea for an upcoming episode - I'll deal with CGC tuning and learning the new chords that are available with a couple of small tricks. Watch for it next week!
@@bingfutch Thanks Bing. I have tuned down, and wait for your video. I am making a wooden platform with terry clips underneath, and round rubber feet on top. The clips will fit on my keyboard stand, and the dulcimer will sit between the feet. I can then play on the stand without the instrument slipping.
@@LeslieAB30 - the show was shot yesterday and will debut tomorrow morning. Let me know what you think!
@@bingfutch You said you might do a video on C-G-C tuning. Is that coming?
@@LeslieAB30 Posted earlier today! ua-cam.com/video/oMLo5N-Xp2Y/v-deo.html
Just starting, but not learning what you’re showing in DAA. Teacher charted D as 2-3-0. A is 4-4-2. G is 3-3-1 😕
Those numbers are correct, just a different shape than I use. If you were to swap the middle and melody strings, you'd come up with the fingering that I use for DAA. D is 203 partial slant, A is 424 and G is 313 (T Shape). Reason for this: leading with the thumb on the melody string makes it easier to play lead while holding down chord support on bass and middle. I find it cumbersome to play the chords as you've mentioned.
You couldn't wear shoes, Bing? C'mon.
It's a California thing.