We just got back from 2 weeks in Maine and New Hampshire. I bought a DULCIMER!! WOW!! I always wanted one -- don't know how to play it but I plan on having fun learning! While in Bar HArbor (ME), we went to dinner and I was wearing an Arlo T-shirt. We had a weird waitress UNTIL she noticed my shirt -- we chatted about Arlo for a good long while (her tip was a bit more than we expected ... what can I say??) Then, we went to Hampton Beach (NH). I know Arlo played there but I never saw him there. Anyway, wearing a different Arlo shirt, someone from the Casino (where the concerts are held) approached me and statred talking to me about Arlo -- for about an hour!!! WOW!! I had some of the posters from the 40th Anniversary tour and asked if I could hang it in the casino. SURE, he said -- so I hung two there and two more in town. What a GREAT vacation!!

THen we returned home last night to find a package from RSR -- "Live in Sydney", "Washington County" and "Arlo Guthrie" -- what a pleasant surprise. I'm listening to them now and SYDNEY is GREAT!!!

Glad to be home and back to arlo.net!!!

Sounds like a great trip! Wow, that is so cool you bought a dulcimer. I play one but am not that good at it. Arlo however is an excellent dulcimer player!

Here are 2 places with good info on playing the dulcimer. Dulcimer Message Boards:

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/discussion/

And the big main Dulcimer e-mail list (Where you can read & write about Dulcimers with the other folks on the list. I belong to both)

Mountain Dulcimer (Sweet Music List) To subscribe to the digest version of this list, send email to
Majordomo@clearspring.com with the message body: subscribe dulcimer-list-digest

Or if you want to get the "digest" form of the list, which has all the messages grouped into one email--there's usually one a day--then you should type:

subscribe dulcimer-list-digest

Another source of info on dulcimers:

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com

http://www.bearmeadow.com/smi/

You can look up mountain dulcimer in an internet search & find some interesting links there. Have fun with the dulcimer!

THANKS CHERYL!!!!!! I was hoping SOMEONE would give me some links to the dulcimer and I went to some of them and they seem to be exactly what i need. I have a Mountain dulcimer. THey gave me a free lesson when I bought it and I can play the scale (sort of!!) I've heard that Arlo plays the dulcimer but I've never seen him play it (altho I'd LOVE to!!) I plan to teach myself. I have always loved the dulcimer and always wanted one and this year, in Bar Harbor (ME), I just decided that it was time!! If you have any other pointers for me, please email me privately so we don't 'clog' up the forum!!
THANKS AGAIN, CHERYL~~~~~
Gentle hugs and peace

Glad to help. They are fun little instruments. I play by ear as tab (Tablature) is so confusing. I know a few chords but am not sure which ones they are. I mostly play by noter (the wooden dowel thing you slide up & down on the left side) & some finger/flatpicking. A guy that's on one of the dulcimer e-mail lists I am on who lives in Waverly, OH runs a dulcimer shop. It's right on the way to Mikes sisters in Columbus so every yr now when we go to Columbus we have to make a stop there. His stores website address is:

http://www.prussiavalley.com/

He likes Arlo too btw. If I were rich I could go nuts in there lol. I posted on here once a pic of Arlo playing my dulcimer but I forget which thread it was on. I wish Arlo would play his dulcimer in his shows. That would be neat...