• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Owl Mountain Music, Inc.

Dedicated to helping your sing your soul

  • Home
  • About Steve
    • Support Steve on Patreon
    • Bio
    • Contact Steve
    • Discography
    • Composer
      • Arabian Nights-Opus Award
    • Producer
    • Publisher
  • Dulcimer
    • Steve’s Dulcimer Articles
    • DulcimerCrossing
    • Instruments-Dulcimers
    • Dulcimer Orchestra
      • Dulcimer Orchestra Library Project
      • Berkeley Dulcimer Orchestra
        • BDO-Spring 2020 Resources
      • Colorado Dulcimer Orchestra
    • Colorado Dulcimer Festival
  • Lessons
    • OnLine Classes
    • Private Lesson Studio
      • Long-Distance Lessons
      • Strummin’ with Steve
      • Habits from the Muse
      • DulcimerCrossing
      • Steve’s Workshop Titles
      • Recital
      • Habits for Your Healthy Music Habitat Patron Access
    • JamPlay Guitar Courses
    • Truefire Courses
    • Mr. Steve’s Folk Music for Little Folks
      • Teacher Steve’s Instrument Petting Zoo
      • Mr. Steve’s Folk Music for Little Folks EP
    • School Programs and Residencies
    • 30 Days of Dulcimer Joy
      • Vault: 30 Days of Dulcimer Joy
    • 31 Days to Fingerstyle Mastery
      • Vault: 31 Days of Fingerstyle Mastery
    • Steve’s Workshop Titles
    • Reprinting, Permissions & Usage Fees
  • Video
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Thinning the Herd
    • Worship Music
    • Books
    • Dulcimer
    • dulci-bro
    • Guitar
      • Fingerstyle Guitar Series
    • CD-Recordings
    • Owl Mountain Muses
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • My Account
  • Blog
    • Steve Eulberg on Tour
    • Poetry and Writing
  • Bands
    • Steve & Erin Mae
    • S·E·A Folkgrass
    • Fiddle Whamdiddle
    • JimJim & the FatBoys
You are here: Home / chromatic mountain dulcimer / Busted & Rusted

Busted & Rusted

June 22, 2017 By Steve Eulberg

by Linda Ratcliff

Practice will clean up the rust and put the shine back in your playing.
– Linda Ratcliff


Busted & Rusted

Call me old-fashioned, but I love old things with a bit of rust on them. Sometimes we wander into antique stores, and I always gravitate to the instrument section. I wonder about who owned the instruments, how they ended up in the store in such bad condition, and whether or not I could restore one of them.

Some of you may recognize the guitar below – its name is Trigger and it belongs to Willie Nelson. The frets are so worn it’s a wonder any tone emerges at all. The face is covered in scars, cuts, and autographs scraped into the wood. Next to the bridge is a giant hole that looks like someone took a hammer to it.

 

Is restoration possible? I don’t think Willie would want to. When asked about his guitar, Willie said, “Trigger’s like me, old and beat-up.” Willie knows every square centimeter of Trigger, and even though Willie has had carpal tunnel surgery on his left hand, a torn rotator cuff, and a ruptured bicep – he still plays like a pro. Trigger may be old and busted, but Willie’s musical skills have not rusted.

What about yours? Have you set your dulcimer aside, to grow old all by itself in the corner? Instead of giving it the cold shoulder, you should pick up your instrument and start practicing again. I think about 90% of playing an instrument is mental – you just need to get your fingers moving again. You will be able work the rust out and put the shine back in your playing – sooner than you imagine.


If you have any questions, always feel free to ask
Steve or myself.
Happy dulcimering,
Linda

Subscribe to DulcimerCrossing.com to get access to all of the lessons, from the convenience of your own computer or tablet in the comfort of your own home at the time of your choosing!

Filed Under: chromatic mountain dulcimer, dulci-bro, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, Lessons, mountain dulcimer, music theory, subscriber news

Primary Sidebar

Between the Tracks Player

Sign Up for Steve’s List

Show the form

Holiday Dulcimer

Cart

Bootkicking Old-Time Dulcimer on Spotify

Want to support my music?

Patreon
For as little as $5 a month, you can support my Patreon campaign and get special benefits!

Patreon Welcome from Steve Eulberg on Vimeo.

WANT TO Be PART OF THE ART?

Want to know where I am performing next? (Click on my photo)

Here is where Steve Teaches Guitar Online

Steve teaches guitar on JamPlay - enter code EAF321 at checkout for a free trial

Want to learn Dulcimer?

Sample Lesson on Dulcimer Crossing.com


Subscribe to view the whole lesson set and learn this tune!
  • Home
  • About Steve
  • Dulcimer
  • Lessons
  • Video
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Bands

Copyright © 2023 Owl Mountain Music | Web Design by Wickam Group