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Old 01-16-2022, 04:17 AM
Robin, Wales Robin, Wales is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2019
Location: Eryri, Wales
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It is harder to be sparser.

When I was at a "Sore Fingers" week Mike Witcher played the melody of "Amazing Grace" just on one string on dobro and it was spellbinding. I learnt so much from that 3 minute demonstration, and have carried that philosophy with me in my music ever since.

When I play traditional mountain dulcimer I just have one melody string and usually two drones (root and 5th), so I have to make the melody "believable" or the arrangement just sounds flat. Here is an example of that sparse sound played in noter/drone style on an old Glen dulcimer from NC.



So I have sort of come through that apprenticeship of less is more, and being patient with my music, giving the melody space to breath. And, although my guitar playing is all to accompany songs, I do tend to be quite sparse (almost simplistic) in my playing, and not afraid to leave plenty of "room" in my arrangements.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs.

I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band.




Last edited by Robin, Wales; 01-16-2022 at 05:30 AM.
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