From DPN Vol. 12 No. 4 (Fall 1986).
Editorial
The Music Exchange column is for people trying to find arrangements of favorite songs and tunes and sources of old music remembered from childhood. It can also include requests for out-of-print albums, musical accessories and anything else applicable to this magazine.
Answers from Readers (Summer 1986 DPN)
Tom Lazor’s “dulzither” could be an Aeolian Harp to place in a window of 26 1/2 ” width. Lay the instrument on the window sill and close the window almost to the strings so the wind will whistle through. From the photo, I gather that the V-shaped pieces of wood or wire are bridges or holders for bridges. Tom can try stringing it very very slackly with different gauges of nylon string and/or fishing line (.023 to .039 for instance), then tuning all of the (very slack) strings to the same note, say a low C. According to the strength of the wind the harmonics will keep changing, and each string will give a different harmonic because of the different string sizes and therefore different slackness. This is certainly worth a try. The shape of the instrument is beautiful indeed.
Margaret MacArthur
Marlboro, VT
Full-sized plans for a bowed psaltery are available in the plans insert in the book Musical Instruments Made To Be Played (Dryad Press) by Ronald Roberts. Several other easy-to-make instrument plans are included with instructions.
A glass harp (glass harmonica) can be obtained from G. Finkenbeiner, _address redacted_. Kits are available starting at (1983 prices) $3,860. Ready-made instruments run $6,730 to $30,000.
Everett Traylor
Bettendorf, IA
A glass harmonica is listed in the catalogue for Lark In The Morning, Box 1176, Mendocino, CA 95460. The catalogue costs $2.50.
Chris Caldwell
Seattle, WA
And several other kind DPN readers
The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA (20th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway) ought to have information on the glass harmonica because they have one on exhibit.
Lucille Reilly
Moorestown, NJ
While at a dulcimer festival recently, I heard a few different versions of a piece called “Chinese Breakdown.” Do any DPN readers have the written music to this piece or know where I can find it?
Julie Elman-Roche
Athens, OH 45701
Dear DPN:
I found the following picture as I was browsing through the music picture file at our main library. It is from the New York Sun, April 20, 1935. Obviously these ladies are playing a very close relative of the hammered dulcimer, here called a salterio. I’d love to know who these performers are and where they were performing. The picture was the only part of the clipping in the file.
Mitzie Collins
Rochester, NY 14619
