Ben, We have one of these mountain dulcimers in our family that is very old, altho' I, unfortunately don't know its origins - only that someone in the family made it, probably the same great grandfather who handed down the fiddles that my Daddy had. My father always said that, traditionally, the strings were to be picked or plucked by a turkey quill. What do you use? The one in our family has a neck that curls up at the very end and is carved like an animal head - looks like a weasel or a mink or something with "angry teeth." Herma Armstrong On Sun, 02 Mar 2003 14:48:56 -0400 Janice Barr <donka@midmaine.com> writes: > For those who are curious, a dulcimer player is one who plays a > dulcimer. To > explain further, there are two types of Dulcimers: Hammered and > Mountain. The > one that I play is the Mountain Dulcimer. It is generally 27 or > more inches > long an inch and a half deep and about 6 inches across. Most have 3 > or 4 > strings, but there are other configurations. Most of the dulcimers > would fall > into the category of an hour glass or a tear drop. They generally > have a > quiet, pleasant sound, hence the joke that other band instruments > don't want > them playing in the band because they are too loud! Some have > pick-ups so that > they can be amplified, but none of mine does. It is fretted, has > sound holes > and is usually played laying on your lap which gives it one of its > other > names: lap or fretted dulcimer. The other joke that is associated > with the > dulcimer is that they play everything in the key of D! > Ben Barr > > Rob and Edie McArthur wrote: > > > Hi Ben, > > What is a Dulcimer Player? > > Edie > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Janice Barr" <donka@midmaine.com> > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 8:51 AM > > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] party? off topic > > > > > Hi all you partyless Armstrong cousins, > > > In got on earlier today and knew that the party must not > be > > happeining, > > > because there would certainly have been a lot more activity. I > am > > certainly > > > anticipating all the goings on, such as dancing on the tables > and all the > > good > > > food and drink and the band playing on (with the dulcimer > player, too). > > > Hopefully, we'll all be around for whenever it is rescheduled. > > > > > > Ben Barr > > > > > > "Marilyn R. Otterson" wrote: > > > > > > > Well, Mr. Fount Ray Armstrong, > > > > THERE you are! > > > > > > > > We knew we couldn't have the party without YOU! > > > > > > > > Hardly anybody seems to be about these last few days and I > think it may > > have > > > > something to do with the MSN problems with e-mail. Anyway, > there were > > so > > > > few of us ready to party that we have about decided to > postpone this > > year's > > > > do for a little bit and maybe vote on a new date, so go ahead > to your > > dance > > > > tonight and play and sing for the folks. We will catch up > with you for > > the > > > > party later! > > > > > > > > I was getting worried about you. I'm so sorry about your > banjo picker. > > Is > > > > he the one with you on the CD? Gee, that's too bad, but glad > he had a > > nice > > > > send-off. Bet he knew and was pleased, and I know you'll all > remember > > him > > > > when you play together. > > > > > > > > Hope you and Mrs. FR are well...we had a good trip and learned > a lot. > > Ate > > > > strange fruit I'd never seen or heard of before, and lots of > rice and > > beans. > > > > It's big beef country down there, and they also eat lots of > fresh fish, > > > > chicken and pork. The food is not hot like Mexican food, but > it is > > spicy > > > > and tasty. > > > > > > > > The most foolish thing we did was to get hitched up in a > thing like a > > > > harness that went around your waist and under your thighs and > hang from > > and > > > > ride cables from big tree to big tree in the forest, about 100 > feet in > > the > > > > air, landing on a little platform on a big tree, then getting > hooked > > onto > > > > another cable and doing it again. My, my, I was glad when > that one was > > > > over. I did 7 cables and Bernie did 10 because he liked it. > > Personally, I > > > > think it is the Costa Rican way to scare people to death! > > > > > > > > We also went river rafting and got peed on by howler monkeys > (they don't > > > > like people very well and I understand often do worse than > #1), saw lots > > > > crocodiles and lots of gorgeous birds like macaws, parrots, > and toucans, > > and > > > > animals like coati-mundis and sloths. It's a beautiful > country. One > > thing > > > > I liked really well was all the exotic fruit. There were > things we know > > > > like fresh pineapple, mango, passion fruit, guava, berries, > citrus, > > > > papaya...but then there was fruit I never saw before. They > make fruit > > drinks > > > > out of all these fruits...really juices, and one I like a lot > was called > > > > "guanabana fruit." > > > > > > > > I am going to be writing about eating in Costa Rica for my > column. > > > > Meanwhile I have been catching up on laundry, looking out at > the snow > > and > > > > wondering why there's no breakfast buffet here in my house! > > > > > > > > Let us know what you think about when to reschedule the party, > OK? > > > > > > > > Hi to Mrs. FR.....Cousin Marilyn > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: "Fount Armstrong" <farmstrong3@cfl.rr.com> > > > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2003 4:16 PM > > > > Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] party? off topic > > > > > > > > > Cousin Marilyn and Group, > > > > > > > > > > Just getting time to get back on line. > > > > > Our banjo picker passed away and we have been busy getting > him put > > away in > > > > a > > > > > proper manner. > > > > > It was a nice funeral with a minature banjo and a minature > NASCAR # 9 > > Bill > > > > > Elliot car and blue grass playing. After the funeral, we all > went to > > his > > > > > house and ate and had a drink in his honor and listened to > some blue > > grass > > > > > records he was on years ago. > > > > > I would hope I would have such a nice crossing over honor. > > > > > > > > > > Cousin Marilyn was our cyber party cordinator and while she > was gone, > > > > things > > > > > kind of slowed down. > > > > > > > > > > I am playing for a dance tonight but if there is a cyber > party going > > on, I > > > > > will drag what's left of me and my bass on line and go to > where ever > > the > > > > > party is when I get through!!!!!!! > > > > > > > > > > I have a whole passel of good hot seasoned crawfish I could > bring and > > some > > > > > Canadian Club with Diet Mountain Dew to wash them down with! > > > > > > > > > > Fount > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > From: "Marilyn R. Otterson" <rosiedoggie@attbi.com> > > > > > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 12:12 PM > > > > > Subject: [ARMSTRONG-L] party? off topic > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So, OK, Cousin Marilyn left for a couple of weeks and when > she gets > > back > > > > > the > > > > > > party seems to have fizzled. Is it still on for March > 1st, or has > > it > > > > gone > > > > > > bye-bye? > > > > > > > > > > > > Fount, Mary, where are you? Did any recipes come in? > > > > > > > > > > > > It's so quiet out there that I'm starting to think the > party's over > > and > > > > I > > > > > > missed it. > > > > > > > > > > > > Anybody? > > > > > > > > > > > > Cousin Marilyn > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >