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Topic: Hammered Dulcimer and the Steel Guitar |
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 4 Dec 2009 7:39 am |
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How many country bands have a hammered dulcimer player ?
Does the sound of the hammered dulcimer clash with the sound of the steel guitar ?
Since I play both, but I've never tried to combine them on the same recordings, I shall do some experiments and publish the results on the Forum. |
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Bill Bailey
From:
Kingman, AZ
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Posted 4 Dec 2009 11:11 pm Hd
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I always wanted to have a Hammered Dulcimer in any of my bands. I spent a lot of time in Colorado in various bands and listened to a lot of german polka bands and just loved the sounds of the Hammered Dulcimer. I suphose he would need to leave a space or two for the other players though.
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Bill Bailey
Kingman Arizona
2014 Mullen G2 D 10 8+5 Black
92 Emmons Lashley LeGrande D-10
Two Nashville 400 Amps and Nashvill 112. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 1:40 am
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Just guessing here, but I think that if you combine the 2 instruments, you'll need to tune your steel to ET instead of JI, for them to blend.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Leroy Riggs
From:
Looney Tunes, R.I.P.
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 7:37 am
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I heard a Hammered Dulcimer with steel at the Walnut Valley Music Festival in Winfield, KS several years ago and I thought to myself at the time that the two should not try to play at the same time.
They just didn't sound good together. (Personal opinion of course.) |
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Tamara James
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 7:43 am
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| Leroy Riggs wrote: |
They just didn't sound good together. (Personal opinion of course.) |
I second that. |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 9:03 am
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
| Just guessing here, but I think that if you combine the 2 instruments, you'll need to tune your steel to ET instead of JI, for them to blend. |
Why? The steel works fine with ET instruments such as piano.
And besides, IMO the hammered dulcimer works best in non-equal temperaments, for the same reason that the steel guitar does: it is basically a diatonic instrument that plays in very few keys. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 10:03 am
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Doug. it was just a guess.
You probably know, or have done sessions with, this lady I'm working with, Carole Mukogawa. (BTW I told her that if I was ever unable to continue working with her, she should call you to replace me.) This chamber music trio we are putting together is really her baby. She is the leader. She put it together and invited me to be a part of it. She is far more knowledgeable and experienced than me and I do what she tells me. She insists I tune ET.
Personally I prefer JI, and the steel I keep at home for wood-shedding is tuned that way, but the one I use when I play with her, is tuned the way she wants.
BTW plans are underway to bring he trio to the SWSGA steel show in Phoenix next January.
Sorry for the topic drift.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 10:36 am
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I think you'd have to have that new $489 volume pedal to make them work okay together. Just an educated guess.
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 5 Dec 2009 12:34 pm
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Apply some Delay to the Dulcimer ... before
not after. Tune your steel JI and "tweek" as req'd.
Experiment with 16 bars or so of the song then try a
"take" after necessary adjustment.
That would be my approach.
Not guaranteed however as there are variables involved.
Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Terry Kinnear
From:
Erie ,Pennsylvania
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Posted 6 Dec 2009 4:10 am
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well,my personal opinion,would be a hammered banjo,with a ten pound sledge, while the steel guitar plays in the background...
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Terry Kinnear [ steel wondering] |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 6 Dec 2009 12:02 pm
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| Mike Perlowin wrote: |
| Just guessing here, but I think that if you combine the 2 instruments, you'll need to tune your steel to ET instead of JI, for them to blend. |
I don't think there would be any tuning problems. Folk instruments such as the hammered dulcimer and mountain dulcimer are always tuned in natural temperament. The steel guitar can play either way as the fingers automatically move the bar to the correct position, which is only slightly different, and, in any case, the distance travelled by the bar when applying vibrato is greater than the difference between the two comparative tunings.
I was thinking more of the tone of the instruments. The steel guitar produces long drawn-out tones, whereas the hammered dulcimer, like the banjo, produces staccato. Admittedly the sound takes a while to decay. Also, the centre bridge on a hammered dulcimer divides the strings 2:3, which automatically produces harmonies in 5ths when you play both sides of the bridge simultaneously. This sounds great on mediæval songs, but clashes with the format of most country songs. |
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Michael Maddex
From:
Northern New Mexico, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2009 6:19 pm
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| Alan Brookes wrote: |
How many country bands have a hammered dulcimer player ?
Does the sound of the hammered dulcimer clash with the sound of the steel guitar ? |
Which country? Are you familiar with the Call of the Valley recorded in India in 1967? This recording features the santoor (hammered dulcimer), lap slide guitar, bansuri (flute) and tabla. No clash to my ears here, in fact one of my all-time favorite recordings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_the_Valley
Enjoy.
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"For every expert, there is an equal and opposite expert." -- Arthur C. Clarke |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 6 Dec 2009 7:40 pm
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As a marimba player, I think I would enjoy hammered dulcimer. I don't see any problem with hearing both instruments at once. They have different timbres, so they should sound good together. I mean, if a steel can share the bandstand with a Telecaster, seems that a dulcimer would be a piece of cake.
As a sometimes marimba player, I think I'd enjoy playing hammered dulcimer.
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 7 Dec 2009 3:04 am
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| If anyone wants to hear an amazing Dulcimer player, check out Kevin Roth. |
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