Laid-back Scottish Dulcimer Style!

[Dick Glasgow]

As yesterday was Robert Burns day, I thought I'd remind you of this interesting painting of musicians playing, way back in the time of Burns in Scotland, which Jack Bethel sent us a while back.

Please note the laid-back style of the Hammered Dulcimer player!

Jack Bethel ~ Glasgow Dulcimer Group

Seriously though, there are some rather interesting photos on these 4 pages.
One thing I notice, especially in the concert photo on page 4, is how so many of them have the Dulcimer set almost flat.
Of course John Rae, here in Ulster, also played his Dulcimer flat, resting on top of a Matchbox!

Perhaps they all adopted the horizontal style after seeing that old painting! ;D

We all know Burns was a Fiddler & some say a bit of a Piper too, but I wonder, did he ever get round to bashing a Dulcimer string or two?
Time to get out the weegie board!

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed yer Haggis! Hoots Mon, the Noo!

Cheers
Dick

[Nikita]

Funny remark about playing with the instrument flat : in my experience, hammer dulcimer players are about the only ones nowadays playing with the instrument at 45 degrees or more (some of them have it nearly vertical)... in the rest of the world, they're played either completely flat , or nearly flat, the far end just 4-5 cm higher than the near part... maybe it has something to do with the hammer's hold : if you hold them between thumb and index it's easier if it's more vertical ? holding them between index and major finger makes it easier to play if the instrument's on the knees, for instance...
In all the picture of HD or hackbrett dating form the 15th century, I've seen it played flat...
But that painting's great, specially showing one of the Gow family playing HD... ;D
and we're having our Burn's supper tonight in Lausanne : Pipes, Haggis, and my new groupe Fildh Ruadh (the singer's a redhead...) : voice, clarsach, hackbrett and accordion.... doing scottish gaelic - and Burns' songs... hope the haggis'll be good !

[Dick Glasgow]

Yes, I'm sure you are right Nikita, & it's all about the way the Hammer is held & the shape of the Hammers itself & their performance.

Learning to play in isolation, I personally just set the beast up in what I felt gave me the most comfortable playing position, which for me is always sitting. Watching William Rae & seeing John Rae on video it looked to me like they must get a sore back if they were playing for a long time, adopting that leaning pose. But perhaps being short men they wouldn't suffer so much as a tall person like myself would, if I were to stoop for a long time.

Mrs Pt & I played at a local Burns Supper last night - Harp & Fiddle.
Unfortunately space was very tight & I couldn't take my H-D, but of course Burns himself was a Fiddler too, so it was quite appropriate that I Fiddled. I must say too that it was very relaxed & not at all like some of the rather stuffy suppers I've been to in Scotland.

It's interesting to think that Burns never actually saw or heard an Accordeon, given that they were only invented 30+ years after his death in 1796!
So it really was the Golden Age of Music in Scotland .... P.A. (Pre Accordeon!) ;D

I read on one Burns site how folks were debating who the most famous Scot of all time would be. Some thought actor Sean Connery, someone even suggested Scotty from Star Trek! While others thought Billy Connolly but let's get real. Burns contributed some real masterpieces, both Poems & Songs but what has Connolly given us ...... The Welly Boot Song! ;D

These others each have a star that is burning bright just now, but in a few hundred years they will be long forgotten but I reckon Burns will live forever.

Isn't it interesting to think that people like Mozart & Burns lived only to their mid-thirties & yet they have become immortal, while most of us just plod on for twice that long & achieve very little, by comparison.

Now there's a cheerful thought for the day!

Have a good one Nikita.

Cheers
Dick

[Nikita]

Hi Dick
Well, if our poet had lived a wee longer, I'm sure he'd had loved acccordion , that Deil's instrument ;D...
While we were searching for the songs, we found a few recordings... with 5-strings banjo ! makes it even stranger than box ! But the most terrifying one was from a "Old Scottish Music Consort", with a19th century lyric singing with a HUGE vibrato poor Jon Andersen my Jo ! I sure wouldn't want herself singing my praise in that way
cheers

[Dick Glasgow]

No, I'm afraid I just can't listen to Scots or Irish songs sung in that pseudo classical manner.
I'm sorry but that Vibrato stuff, when used with traditional material, just makes my skin crawl!

Of course who knows, maybe Burns had a "HUGE vibrato" & that's why he was such a hit with all the women!

Cheers
Dick

[Nikita]

I definitely agree ! classical vibrato IS about the worst thing that can happen to trad. songs ! when we heard that cd, we had a good laugh, and then quickly took it out befora we got sick
we had a good evening yesternight ;D, even if the Haggis was a wee bit salty... and we were quite appreciated, for our first public presentation !
Cheers

[Dick Glasgow]

Nikita, I'm delighted to hear it went well for you.

We had Toasts, Poems recited, Pipes & Fiddle + Harp, but unfortunately we had nobody to perform a Burns song in a good Scots accent, & although we all sang a few at the end of the night, it would have been far better to hear a couple well sung, too.

Aye, ye cannot beat really good Haggis, Neeps & Tatties.



Cheers
Dick

[jack]

On the subject of playing the dulcimer almost flat, I had a discussion with the players in these photographs at the time about that very subject. One reason why having the dulcimer propped up more wouldn't work for them was the shape of their hammers.
The most common hammers of the older players were made from garden canes. The cane was carved away to make a thin handle and shaft and the striking end left intact. Without any curve or upward turn on the hammer, the dulcimer has to be almost flat to hit all the strings. But then again which came first, the hammer or the angle? ;D

Dick, is a "weegie board" the Edinburgh name for a Glasgow dulcimer?

Jack

[Dick Glasgow]

;D ;D ;D

Aye Jack, I certainly wouldn't want a wedgie from someone using a Dulcimer!

But seriously, isn't it the case that around the World, most players of Hammered Dulcimery things lie them flat or at least set at only a very slight angle?

For example I believe the Cimbalom is always flat, when played:

Cimbalom YouTube

However, at least the player is seated which must surely make a difference.

The Yangqin players also seem to prefer sitting too, & their instruments seem to be set at a slight angle, although probably not nearly as steep as H-D players in the US:

Yangqin YouTube

Santours & Santurs are often set nearly flat too, but of course they are much smaller instruments than the huge US Dulcimers. Players seem to prefer sitting too.

Santour YouTube

Here's a Hackbrett set at only a slight angle:

Hackbrett YouTube

I've noticed that the US players usually prefer to stand while playing but in most other countries, musicians prefer to sit, to play.
In the US they seem to like them set at fairly steep angles.
I assume they need to slant their instruments quite simply because they are so much larger, although to be honest, let's face it, they don't come much larger than a full size Cimbalom!

For example:

American Hammered Dulcimer YouTube


So I think you are right Jack & I believe it has a lot to do with the style & composition of the Hammers which are used.

Cheers
Dick

[jack]

Dick, you must've went ower the sea before Edinburghers started callin' Glaswegians "Weegies".
I quite like the idea of Glasgow Dulcimers being called Weegie Boards, maybe you should add it to the list of alternative names for dulcimers. ( Maybe it should be Weegiebrett depending on how you hold your hammers).

Jack

[jack]

Talking about laid back style and hammers, after watching this
www.youtube.com/user/cimbalompit
I fancy trying some cimbalom hammers.
Anybody else tried them on their dulcimer?

Jack

[Dick Glasgow]

No Jack I haven't, but it would be interesting to find out where we could buy a pair, if anyone here knows, please give us the details. Ta

Cheers
Dick

P.S. Was that video not shot in the corner of the Vicky Bar?

[jack]

Gillian Alcock has them on her website. I've tried emailing her a couple of times but the emails have bounced.

www.austdulcimer.com/catcimb.html

[Dick Glasgow]

Of course Jack, you could always try playing with Bowhammers

Cheers
Dick

[jack]

A friend of mine sent me a photograph of that guy a few years ago. I thought his name was Edward Hammerhands ;D

ps I'm just back from a session in Babbity Bowsters, Kenny Hadden says to say hello.