Comparing the Ionian and Dorian modes…
ionian
David Massengill and Reverse Ionian Tuning
by Steve Eulberg On the road as part of my country-crossing-summer-tour, I got to visit with David Massengill at the Gebhard Woods Festival in Morris, Illinois in June. David has a long history with the mountain dulcimer and developed some playing styles that pre-date the 6-1/2 fret, DAd world that has been more common since the instrument […]
Benefits and Limitations of Different Tunings on Mountain Dulcimer? Part 1
by Steve Eulberg So how does one choose between the benefits and the limitations of different tunings when playing mountain dulcimer? To me the most important factors in this decision are: 1) What kind of dulcimer do I have? Is it “traditional” (with no extra frets like 6-1/2 or 1-1/2)? 2) What kind […]