Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions
The Appalachian dulcimer is one of America's major contributions to world music and folk art. Homemade and handmade, played by people with no formal knowledge of music, this beautiful instrument arrived in the light of the 20th century with virtually no written record. Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions is a first-hand report to enlarge our knowledge of the dulcimer's history by searching the hills and "hollers" of Appalachia, looking at old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks. After reviewing the instrument's special musical features, the book describes some related instruments, and reveals little-known facts about the dulcimer's origins on the early Appalachian frontier. The book then describes three major design traditions of the dulcimer, each centered in its own geographical area, and focuses on important makers in each of the three traditions—the Melton family of Galax, Virginia, Charles M. Prichard of Huntington, West Virginia, and "Uncle Ed" Thomas of Kentucky. A final chapter describes four Appalachian makers of the folk revival transition, who began making instruments the old-time way and modernized them to meet the needs of Post-World-War-II urban players. The book concludes with listings of dulcimer recordings in the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress.
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Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions
The Appalachian dulcimer is one of America's major contributions to world music and folk art. Homemade and handmade, played by people with no formal knowledge of music, this beautiful instrument arrived in the light of the 20th century with virtually no written record. Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions is a first-hand report to enlarge our knowledge of the dulcimer's history by searching the hills and "hollers" of Appalachia, looking at old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks. After reviewing the instrument's special musical features, the book describes some related instruments, and reveals little-known facts about the dulcimer's origins on the early Appalachian frontier. The book then describes three major design traditions of the dulcimer, each centered in its own geographical area, and focuses on important makers in each of the three traditions—the Melton family of Galax, Virginia, Charles M. Prichard of Huntington, West Virginia, and "Uncle Ed" Thomas of Kentucky. A final chapter describes four Appalachian makers of the folk revival transition, who began making instruments the old-time way and modernized them to meet the needs of Post-World-War-II urban players. The book concludes with listings of dulcimer recordings in the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress.
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Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions

Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions

by Ralph Lee Smith
Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions

Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions

by Ralph Lee Smith

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Overview

The Appalachian dulcimer is one of America's major contributions to world music and folk art. Homemade and handmade, played by people with no formal knowledge of music, this beautiful instrument arrived in the light of the 20th century with virtually no written record. Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions is a first-hand report to enlarge our knowledge of the dulcimer's history by searching the hills and "hollers" of Appalachia, looking at old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks. After reviewing the instrument's special musical features, the book describes some related instruments, and reveals little-known facts about the dulcimer's origins on the early Appalachian frontier. The book then describes three major design traditions of the dulcimer, each centered in its own geographical area, and focuses on important makers in each of the three traditions—the Melton family of Galax, Virginia, Charles M. Prichard of Huntington, West Virginia, and "Uncle Ed" Thomas of Kentucky. A final chapter describes four Appalachian makers of the folk revival transition, who began making instruments the old-time way and modernized them to meet the needs of Post-World-War-II urban players. The book concludes with listings of dulcimer recordings in the Archive of Folk Culture of the Library of Congress.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780810841352
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 12/18/2001
Series: American Folk Music and Musicians Series , #2
Pages: 180
Product dimensions: 5.62(w) x 8.56(h) x 0.48(d)
Age Range: 18 Years

About the Author

Ralph Lee Smith is a leading authority on the history of the Appalachian dulcimer and is a performer of traditional American folk music.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Series Editor's Foreword xi

Preface: A Note about the New Edition xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Prologue: A Talk with Patrick Gainer in 1980 xvii

1 An American Heritage 1

2 Where Did the Dulcimer Come From? 15

3 Early Traces and Trails 35

4 Virginia Traditions 57

5 West Virginia and North Carolina Traditions 73

6 Dulcimers of Yesterday in the Cumberlands 93

7 Dulcimer Makers of the Folk Revival Transition 113

8 Some Interesting Types 131

Appendixes

A Library of Congress Dulcimer Recordings 147

B Measurements of Instruments 155

C The Ache Scheitholt: A Closer Look 163

D Winners of the Dulcimer Contest, Old Time Fiddlers Convention, Galax, Virginia 167

E Newspaper Story on Nineveh Presnell and His Dulcimer 171

F Ordering Dulcimers from Old-Time Makers 173

Annotated Bibliography 175

Index 179

About the Author 183

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