Strum sticks from the smokey mountain dulcimer works, florida usa. You are incredible, will have to come by someday when back. Pdf of whole songbook link to songbook page starting songs page. Luthier homer ledford coined the word dulcitar as a portmanteau of dulcimer and guitar, building his first model of the instrument around 1971. Include chords in the root position root note as the lowest note and inversions and indicate which are inversions. Mcnally 4string chromatic strumstick chr32 the 4 string chromatic strumstick has chromatic fretting, meaning you can hit sharps and flats. Sounds great right from the start even in a beginners hands. Bob mcnally playing the d strumstick and the g strumstick, and explaining the differences between them. Alec finn played a 6 string bouzouki, tuned dad, i think mcnally has a strumstick short neck, gdg and a longer neck dad. They are not desperately expensive so they are great for the party or camp fire where yo. You can strum chords to backup singing, you can tune it like a lap dulcimer and play dulcimer tunes or, if youre really good, you can use banjo finger picks and play it like a banjo.
Choosing a new dulcimer can be overwhelming, and many times i am asked to advise. The strumstick is something like a cross between a mountain dulcimer and a guitar that is, its a simple folk instrument with a small body and a limited scale. Etsy has thousands of handcrafted and vintage products that perfectly fit what youre searching for. The strumstick is fretted for major scale relative to the zero fret. There are plenty of great regular ukes out there, we were not trying to make yet another traditional uke. Before this cd arived i had never heard lew dite perform, but i had seen frequent references to him, some of which described him as canadas king of skiffle and the canadian lonnie donegan. The mcnally d33 comes with pick, instruction cd, and book.
I was exposed to homemade music from an early age back in the 1940s. The strumstick is designed for beginners and super easy to play. Simple tune for the ordinary talent in four tablature books. This is a 4 string chromatic tenor guitar hand built on the strumstick style. My problem is that in short this uke is a good idea gone wrong. This has steel strings, and a tiny soundbox, it has a banjomandolin kind of sound, and nobody needs it. Mixolydian mode ionian mode new ionian mode aeolian mode minor tuning if you are.
The dulcitar is a variant of the appalachian dulcimer, which retains the dulcimers diatonic fret layout yet features a long neck that is intended to be played upright in the guitar style rather than flat across the lap. The strumstick and mountain dulcimer music book plastic comb january 1, 2010 by lew dite author see all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Some musicians even use them amplified in band settings. Its a gstandard, but ive adjusted the tuning from gdg to eac to give myself some broader playing options access to minor key, in particular. Chord charts for d and g tuned merlinsm4strumsticks. Unlike the standard strumstick and the grand strumstick and you can play a wrong note if you dont already know how to play an instrument. With just three strings and a diatonic scale, its extremely fun and easy to play.
That is why there are no wrong notes, just great sounding music regardless of age or expertise. Price new from used from plastic comb, 2010 please retry. Using a capo may give you a different baseopen chord but will not change what notes are available to you. First half mb of the strumstick instruction book pdf 1 of 2 pages 118 second half 10mb of the strumstick instruction book pdf 2 of 2 pages 1936.
The tuning is d a d, with the high d being the same note as the middle string of the basic strumstick. Bills strum stick viewer project by bill akins from lithia springs, ga added on march 9, 2014. I dont fault mcnally since they make instruments that are in a diatonic. The grand plays the same way as the standard, but is pitched lower. Discover all the extraordinary items our community of craftspeople have to offer and find the perfect gift for your loved one or yourself. Besides being a foolproof instrument for beginners it is also an inspiring and creative tool for professional musicians on stage and in the studio. The standard is high and bright, and distinctly cheery, while the grand is darker, and moodier, and a little. Jan 09, 2020 the strumstick is a clever three stringed instrument, based on the mountain dulcimer.
Some of the songs in this book include chord symbols. The 4 string strumstick is like playing a guitar minus the 2 bass strings. A strumstick is relatively inexpensive, and easy to buy online, or at a specialty. Based on a dulcimer and held like a guitar, it is louder than a dulcimer, and more percussive. Basic specs availability brand new songbook edition. The mcnally grand strumstick plays the same way as the standard strumstick, but is piched lower. The strumstick was created by bob mcnally designer of the martin backpacker guitar and has a perfect blend of ease and versatility. The strumstick is a musical instrument like nothing you have ever seen and is perfect for a nervous beginner or a pro who just wants to have fun.
The grand strumstick was designed to be a second strumstick in a different pitch range, with a different so. The grand strumstick comes with a free instruction book, instruction cd and carry case. Although the strumstick is designed to be suitable even for those with no musical knowledge to be able to play, with its strength being the playing of melody typically on the highpitched topstring and the open lower strings acting as drone notes, it is nonetheless possible to apply conventional theory and technique to the. For the experienced musician, the strumstick is a terrific portable creative toolmelodies and grooves tumble out as you play. It plays the same as the gstandard no wrong notes and no talent required, but pitched lower. The total length is 36 inches with a 2512 inch chromatic scale. Beginners 3 string strumstick lessons tuned gdg intro scott grove. Lew dite with his standard strumstick standard tuning mixolydian mode f c f. Tuning this instrument is tuned to the open tuning of d d, a, d, which basically means that if you just strum without fretting the instrument plays the chord of d. Even a beginner can start playing music the very same day.
Songs bob fuller taught me to love lew dite with his grand strumstick. Strum sticks from the smokey mountain dulcimer works. Mcnally 4string chromatic strumstick chr32 maurys music. Here are the complete steps toward building a 3stringed musical instrument, taught and inspired by the andy mackie music foundation. I am trying to rebuild an early 1900s gypsy strumstick and lo and behold your web site popped up. These are the digital version of the stick dulcimer plans that accompany the youtube series making a stick dulcimer a 27 episode series, also edited down into a 2. Strumstick mountain dulcimer music book dulcimer music, mountain dulcimer. Mcnally strumstick grand musical instruments barouke. He also offers a book with 100 songs but you have to contact him about it. The strumstick and mountain dulcimer music book 5th edition 100 songs. The grand mcnally strumstick also called the d strumstick is quite similar to the gstandard strumstick, but designed with different sonarity and pitch scale. In other words, capoing at 1 will give you an open a but you wont be able to play the a major scale.
The grand strumstick was designed to be a second strumstick in a different pitch range, with a different sonority. Koa for the back and val di fiemme spruce for the top. The d33 strumstick tuned dad is our most popular model. Strumstick family song book pdf a total of 83 free songs for the strumstick merlin. Save strumstick to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed.
The grand mcnally strumstick also called the dstrumstick is quite similar to the gstandard strumstick, but designed with different sonarity and pitch scale. Discover all the extraordinary items our community of craftspeople have to offer and find the perfect gift. Resources how to play songs video easy 3chord songs song chords from the web page dulcimer songs tab for strumstick strumstick family songbook. The site contains products, info and lots of instructions.
Im going to start making them from scratch fromnow on. Music books for the merlin and the strumstick lew dite. Music books for the merlin and the strumstick lew dite youtube. The strumstick or pickin stick is a unique musical instrument that is both easy to play, as well as capable of sophisticated music making. How to build a strum stick the mcnally strumstick is an amazing instrument, perfect for those just learning to play guitar or for the experienced player who wants to try something new. No wrong notes and no talent required fun, not frustrating fret one string, strum all three whatever you do sounds ok. A guide to help people choose which one to get first.
Shop new mcnally grand strumstick strum stick dulcimer in d gmssg. Oct 18, 20 how to build a strumstick musical instrument. So far ive had a great deal of success with it, and i figured i would stop in here and say. For the experienced musician, its a terrific portable creative toolmelodies and grooves tumble out as you play. Strumsticks tracks under by strumstick published on 20150702t01. The mcnally standard strumstick amazingly easy and versatile. A strumstick is a 3string instrument that plays and sounds a little like a guitar, a little like a mandolin, a little like a dulcimer, and a little like a banjo. How to build a strumstick musical instrument musical. A wonderful version of this instrument is made by bob mcnally for more info click here. Mcnally strumstick ukulele strumstick 4string strumstick. The mcnally strumstick instruction dvd includes 20 chapters as well as a dvdrom material to view on your computer in. About david zinn and strumstick music heart of the.
My strumstick and mountain dulcimer music book has 100 songs and it covers 4 different modes tunings. Today i picked up a 1994 mcnally strumstick at a local music shoppe, and im entirely delighted with it. The mcnally g29 standard strumstick is the ideal first instrumenta great way to get started playing music. The mcnally strumstick is a unique hybrid of the appalaichan dulcimer and the guitar. You are incredible, will have to come by someday when back in georgia. Strumstick mountain dulcimer music book dulcimer music, mountain. Simple tunes for the ordinary talent the subtitle says it all this is a music book for anyone with a desire to play music regardless of your musical experience. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page.
Mcnally grand strumstick d 33 plays the same as the standard strumstick but designed to be a second strumstick in a different pitch range. Three steel strings tuned gdg key of g or d plays melody and harmony with simple strumming and one finger fretting. Ive got a dulcimer stick, and like skreech said these things have been around for years, its a 4 string with a double course of strings on the top d. This is a perfect smallsized, light weight instrument for travelling. Strumstick instructions lesson 1 youtube diy musical. Stream tracks and playlists from strumstick on your desktop or mobile device. Tips to translate guitar song chords to merlinm4 chords also has a 18 songs at the end of the page. The standard is high and bright, and distinctly cheery, while the grand is darker, and moodier, and a little bit richer sounding. The strumstick was created by bob mcnally standard. Like the dulcimer, it is tuned to a diatonic scale. Finally, if you are already experienced at playing one of these, or a chromatic mountain dulcimer and are able to recommend, or even write, a tabbed tune book for strumstick dulcimer, also a tutor book, at a reasonable price, i for one, would be most grateful. What makes the strumstick stand out is that it only plays in one key instead of all 12 like a guitar. Finally, if you are already experienced at playing one of these, or a chromatic mountain dulcimer and are able to recommend, or even write, a tabbed tune book for strumstickdulcimer, also a tutor book, at a reasonable price, i for one, would be most grateful. The stick dulcimer is my generic name for these instruments that have a become increasingly popular over the last 20 years and are found under an assortment of different brand names.
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