Dusty Strings Hammered Dulcimer Benutzerhandbuch - Seite 13
Blättern Sie online oder laden Sie pdf Benutzerhandbuch für Musikinstrument Dusty Strings Hammered Dulcimer herunter. Dusty Strings Hammered Dulcimer 18 Seiten.
Auch für Dusty Strings Hammered Dulcimer: Handbuch für den Besitzer (14 seiten)
Seite drucken
How to best keep it in tune. Any action that minimizes temperature variation
will help. Don't keep your instrument near a wood stove, heating duct, or large win-
dow. Put it in a well-insulated case when moving from one environment to another,
and give it time to adjust slowly to the new temperature before removing it from
the case. Avoid or minimize playing in the hot sun. Basically, keep in mind that
temperature change, and the rate of change, will have an eff ect.
Do not, however, feel that you have to keep your dulcimer in its case when
not in use. We believe that the more accessible your dulcimer is, the more you will
play. We suggest you get a playing stand so your dulcimer will be out in your home
where you can enjoy it.
Dealing with a new or very out-of-tune instrument.
strings on a dulcimer exert a tremendous amount of tension. If an instrument is
new or far out of tune, the additional tension needed to bring it up to pitch will
cause a slight compression of the whole instrument.
that by the time you tune all the strings, the ones you started with will be fl at again.
In this situation you may have to tune the entire instrument two or three times. To
save time, do an approximate job the fi rst time or two, and save fi ne-tuning for the
last time around.
is is seldom necessary with seasoned instruments that have been
kept in tune.
When a string is struck it vibrates, creating waves in the air, much like ocean
waves.
ese waves strike your ear and are translated into what you hear as the
tone.
e pitch of that tone depends on the frequency with which the sound waves
reach your ear (i.e., how many waves per second). Each note has a certain frequency
which is measurable and recognized. It is generally accepted that the A above
Middle C has a frequency of 440 waves or cycles per second. All other notes are
based relative to this frequency. "Concert" or "absolute" pitch is based on this A440
standard. Remember, though, that an instrument will still sound "in tune" when all
of its notes are pitched in the correct relationships to one another, even though the
entire range may be sharp or fl at relative to concert pitch.
Tuning standards. A tuning standard is whatever you use to match your pitch.
It can be an outside source or simply another string on your instrument. Perhaps
the most basic standard is the tuning fork, a metal device that vibrates at a certain
pitch when struck. Touching your soundboard with the non-forked end of a vibrat-
ing tuning fork will amplify the fork's sound considerably.
Chromatic pitch pipes are inexpensive tuning devices that look like round
harmonicas and have all the notes — including accidentals (sharps and fl ats) — for
one complete octave.
"C-to-C" model. If you can, get one with a note selector, a device that enables you
to blow a single note while holding the pipe with your lips, thus freeing both hands
for tuning.
Tuning to another instrument is another option. In fact, matching pitches
on your hammered dulcimer with another stringed instrument, such as a piano, is
sometimes easier than using a tuning fork or pitch pipe.
10
Pitch
Tuning by Ear
ey come in diff erent ranges, the most useful being the
e large number of
is may be signifi cant enough