Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Beginner tips on using a NOTER

Many beginners are unsure of how to hold and use a noter stick when playing the mountain dulcimer in traditional noter/drone style.
I put together a very basic short beginner tutorial on different types and shapes of noters, and on holding, angling and placing the noter to obtain a clear sound. I hope it's helpful.

Oh, and
HERE is a very cool little video of luthier Michael King in the UK using a petite noter to play one the gorgeous 'epinette des Vosges' instruments that he makes. He will be making a little epinette for me in the Spring, which I am very excited about- I can hardly wait to put a noter to it!
And CLICK HERE to view another helpful video clip with noter tips, made by player Robin Clark (as seen on the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer site).  Great stuff!

Lastly, to give you a view of how the noter is used in sliding up and down from note to note, here is a video of me playing noter style, with my index finger on top, at normal fiddle tune speed. You can also see a bit of how I myself like to strum. My husband is playing fiddle:


3 comments:

  1. wanna wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year!
    greetings from scandinavia, SSG

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  2. That was awesome . Thanks so much for posting the video of you and your husband. What an inspiration....to keep on working at it. Thanks

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  3. Thank you for this lesson! I really wasn't sure whether I should be sliding the noter or not (I liked the sound so I'm glad it is a good thing). I can read so many pieces of information on 'how' to do something but I really need to 'see ' how something is done. Your blog has been immensely helpful. Now to figure out strumming. And chords. And making my left arm go faster. Sheesh!!

    Beth aka oneoldgoat

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