Help with fiddle tunes in the key of D

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Does anyone have any tips for playing fiddle tunes, in the key of D, on dobro open g tuning? Tunes in the key of G and A haven’t been that difficult, but the key of D tunes just don’t sound right. I can single note the melodies, but when I try to ad chords, or enhance the single notes, it just doesn’t sound right to me. Everything I’ve tried, including just single noting the melody just sounds lame. Midnight on the Water, in particular, I just can’t seem to find a good sound; make it sound as pretty as it does on the fiddle. Hope that makes sense. Any help is appreciated.

Also, any tips for backing up/playing behind a dulcimer? Thanks.

Dennis Coelho · From: Wyoming, USA

It depends on whether you are playing with a capo or using the open instrument. On the latter, (IMO) it is not hard to find 3rd or 5th harmonies.

Many fiddlers play MOTW by re-tuning the fiddle: DDAD, which gives you two octaves of drones. I suppose you could change the reso tuning, but that seems self-defeating to me.

Which kind of dulcimer, lap or hammered?

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Two things to try:
1) Capo to A and play out of the IV position (i.e. play the same sorts of things you'd play in the key of C without a capo).
2) Try Troy Brenningmeyer's lessons.
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Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

Can you offer any more specifics on where you are getting stuck?

I find D to be one of the easiest/best keys to play in using G tuning. For starters you can get a lot of mileage out of hammer-on and pull-offs at the 2nd fret playing open/fretted notes. Songs like Midnight on the water and Ashokan Farewell also lay out beautifully in 1st position but also up the neck; plus you can fill out the melody notes using the open 4th string D note as a drone. If you are coming at the instrument from a bluegrass perspective, a lot of tunes in D make extensive use of A rolls (at 2nd fret) in all of its variations. The other cool thing about D in G tuning is that a lot of tunes include a Bm chord which lays out beautifully

If you are interested you can take a look at some of my stuff in the key of D on You Tube for reference. Songs like St. Anne's Reel or For Caitilin.

Hope this helps!

Rob Fenton · From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

D is really a wonderful key to play in using the G tuning.

It feels difficult at first, but the open strings are really helpful. Try to flesh out your melody with rolls wherever you can, and work on your melodic-style playing. Come up with a few nice sounding melodic licks for turnarounds, and filling space.

D tends to be difficult because of the frequency at which you are asked to play D-E-F#-G in fiddle tunes. Bridging the perfect fourth gap between strings 3 and 4 requires some extra bar movement on one string. The same happens in the key of G a lot too, but it's easier to fake there. The tendency is to slide into the F# making it sound kinda weak. Okay when it's the major 7th in G, but pretty lame when it's the 3rd in D.

I made a big advancement in my playing when I started to pick that sequence like this:

first finger open on string 4 (D), hammer on at the second fret (E), pick with the thumb with the bar at the fourth fret (F#), pick string 3 open with first finger (G).

Coming down, I use a melodic figure to keep the picking crisp, and pick G-F#-E-D like this:

3rd string open with second finger or thumb (G), 4th string at the 4th fret with first finger (F#), 5th string at the 5th fret with the thumb (E), and 4th string open with the first finger (D). I like this as it leaves the thumb available to play string 5 at the 3rd fret to end on a D roll.

Try it as an exercise going up and down. Then try extending it from the A on up the rest of the scale, both in open position with the hammer-ons, or melodic style. I like to continue up to the 7th fret on the fourth string to hit the A with my thumb, and then the 2nd string open for the B, etc... It's great to be at the 7th fret where you can have the entire chord available too.

It's a small thing, but it really helped my playing in G and D. Took a loooong time to hit the 4th string with my first finger instead of my thumb, but I'm glad I did it. You may have to do your own cost-benefit analysis on that, particularly if you're a thumb-first on the bottom four strings kind of player...

Good luck!

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Thanks you guys. This really helped. Dennis, the dulcimer is a lap dulcimer. Brad, I had seen some of Troy’s stuff, but didn’t know he had so much. Thanks. I found a lesson in there for licks inslow songs and ballads too.

After reading the advice here, I think I was just getting impatient, a little frustrated, and mostly, just making things a lot more difficult than they really are. I knew I was missing something, just wasn’t sure what. I tend to forget about using open strings. Basically, I still have a lot to learn. I also have a habit of trying to do everything on the first three strings. When playing country D is one of my favorite keys, so easy to find what I want in those country songs, a slide here a slant there, and I can get away without a lot of speed picking/fast rolls/fast bar movement. This folk/bluegrass type style maybe I just haven’t quite got the hang of it yet. As is usually the case for me, I think more practice is in order to get my speed up.

Rob A asked specifically what I was having difficulty with. This sums it up. “D tends to be difficult because of the frequency at which you are asked to play D-E-F#-G in fiddle tunes... Bridging the perfect fourth gap between strings 3 and 4 requires some extra bar movement on one string. The same happens in the key of G a lot too, but it's easier to fake there. The tendency is to slide into the F# making it sound kind of weak. Okay when it's the major 7th in G, but pretty lame when it's the 3rd in D.”

The F# is what sounds lame. I also, when I find the melody notes, for those notes that aren’t the root of the 1, 4, and 5 chords, try to use the flatted 3rd to make it a minor, when maybe that’s not necessary; making every E, F#, B, a complete minor chord? Not sure I’ve properly explained that, but hope it makes sense. I’m thinking every E, F#, and B should be enhanced, the harmony note (flat 3rd) included.

Thanks again, you guys.

Rob Anderlik · From: Chicago, IL

I'm intrigued as to why M3 Intervals would sound "lame" in the key of D. I'm assuming you are referring to intonation issues? Why would one particular note - in this case F# - sound lame in the key of D?

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Maybe lame is the wrong word. Intonation might have been part of it. I know I had Bb stuck in my head to go with the F#, when it should have been A. When I sat down to work on it today, I found where I wanted to go. The open strings helped. I tried the open 4th string D, hammer on E and slide to the F#, then A. Maybe it's just me, but it sounds like it's just missing something with just the F#, but then again, maybe I'm just off the fret or something. Today was much better. Thanks again for the help. Oh, and the hammer on was perfect, hadn't considered using a hammer on. thanks.

Rob Fenton · From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Since I've been quoted about the F# sounding lame, I just want to clarify a little if I may. In my earlier post, I was trying to describe how I personally find it sounds weak to slide from the E to the F# while playing in the key of D.

In fiddle tunes, the chord tones most often land on the beat, and the other scale tones on the off-beats. I just find it sounds a little sloppy to slide into a chord tone on what should be a strong beat, instead of picking it, which is why I came up with those specific picking patterns.

I think it helps to drive the melody better. I usually try to play every note of the melody though, whereas some folks are really a lot better than I am at coming up with their own arrangements in which they leave out some of the passing notes.

I think Troy's lessons might work out well for you Jana, as he does a good job of making a simplified melody not sound too simple or sparse.

Jana Lockaby · From: Kaufman, TX

Thanks again everyone. Today was even better than yesterday. I think I got it, or at least, I'm getting closer. I found a few more spots for Hammer ons. They really added to it. I was making it so much harder than it should have been.
I'm sorry for any confusion. I just don't know the right terms to use to really explain. Thanks for the help.

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