2024 – Page 5 – Dulcimer Players News

Paul Adams in his workshop, circa 1981. Photo courtesy of Paul Adams.

Builders: Paul Adams, from luthier to songwriter

By Fiona Potts | Versatile musician and early contributor to DPN, Paul Adams releases fear and adapts with the decades.

April 28, 2024Vol. 50 No. 1

A close up of the hammered dulcimer pedal base, with the pedal itself removed, showing the springs that run under the pedal. Photo by Harry Ferguson.

Builders: Astronomer invents reverse damper pedal

By Harry Ferguson | I was taken by a recent video by the Danish group Dreamers' Circus of a dance tune called "Bas-Pelles Eriks Brudpolska." It was composed by Per Västberg (1886-1975). Molly Tuttle has a nifty arrangement for guitar, and Sharon Shannon has recorded it on accordion. I transposed it to G...

April 28, 2024Vol. 50 No. 1

Builders: Through the decades with Doug Berch

A compilation of words and wisdom, featuring excerpts from interviews, stories, and feedback letters in the Dulcimer Players News Archives.

April 28, 2024Vol. 50 No. 1

This image appeared on the cover of Howie Mitchell's album "The Mountain Dulcimer: How to Make It and Play It (after a fashion)." Image by Howie Mitchell, courtesy of David Mitchell.

Arrangement: To Celia

Arranged by Howie Mitchell | Drink to me only with thine eyes ... arrangement for mountain dulcimer.

April 28, 2024Mountain Dulcimer Arrangement, Vol. 50 No. 1

The "blush" photo that appeared in DPN Vol. 2 No. 3, captioned "Howie checking the sound qualities of a suitcase with his dulciless." Photo courtesy of David Mitchell.

Builders: Howie Mitchell

Featuring excerpts from articles by Kevin Roth and Erik Blomstedt, with a remembrance by Jerry Rockwell. Photos courtesy of David Mitchell.

April 28, 2024Vol. 50 No. 1

Jean Ritchie

Compiled by Fiona Potts | A look at the "Mother of Folk", Jean Ritchie, as she appeared in the DPN Archives, featuring Aubrey Atwater's arrangement of "Over the River to Feed My Sheep."

April 28, 2024Mountain Dulcimer Arrangement, Vol. 50 No. 1

DPN Restrung: Frailing the Dulcimer

By Butch Ross | Hello and welcome to DPN Restrung, a new column where I revisit old articles from the early days of Dulcimer Players News...

April 28, 2024DPN Restrung, Mountain Dulcimer Arrangement, Vol. 50 No. 1

Arrangement: My love is like a red, red rose

Arranged by Gloria Fletcher for mountain dulcimer, DAD tuning.

April 28, 2024Mountain Dulcimer Arrangement, Vol. 50 No. 1

Dulcimer Players News Cover Vol. 50 No. 1 (Winter 2024).

Dulcimer Players News Volume 50 Number 1

Dulcimer Players News Vol. 50 No. 1 (Winter 2024)

April 22, 2024Digital Issue

A page from "Musica Getutscht" by Sebastian Virdung, 1511, featuring a harp, hackbrett, and psaltery. The hackbrett and psaltery drawings were reproduced in Vol. 3 No. 2. Image from the University of Edinburgh Collections, CC BY 3.0 DEED, creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.

On Hammer Dulcimer History

By Phillip Mason | It is, of course, a foolish venture to take any ancient folk instrument and place its exact origins to a specific date and personage. Stringed instruments have been around for thousands of years, and during their evolution have been both plucked and struck, in fretted and unfretted forms, from times dating back into antiquity. ...

April 19, 2024Vol. 50 No. 1