Welcome to ‘noextrafrets.com’
A website dedicated to Diatonic Mountain Dulcimer using no half frets.
To go straight to the group click the link ➡️, let’s grow this community!
What exactly is that kind of dulcimer you might be wondering? When mountain dulcimers were first built, they were designed to play a major scale with no added notes. 7 notes – over and over going up and down.
Overview
The Ionian mode is another name for the major scale in music. It’s a diatonic scale characterized by a bright, happy sound and is widely used in Western music. The Ionian mode is the first of the seven musical diatonic modes and is defined by its specific pattern of whole and half steps: whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half. On our dulcimers we can easily retune to play in multiple modes, and use capo’s as well.
Mtn. Dulcimers are easy to play because of this pattern. (Of course you can play hard stuff on them as well)
For now this website won’t have any new posts on it. Instead I have a project at ko-fi around no extra frets. I’m trying to build a community around this instrument specifically. Sadly, very few mountain dulcimers players use diatonic dulcimers anymore (instead they have added frets). My goal is to bring back this OG (original) way to play the instrument. I believe the simple melody line strumming with drones is a beautiful sound and the ‘easiest’ way to play also. So I will do my best to not let this OG form of play die out.
On the ko-fi page you will find A Lot of FREE Material because I want to GROW this community. I also have a section (with a LOT more material) for supporters of this project. For that section I ask for $5/month. With this I will continue to put out material in the form of videos and tablatures (with sheet music) to the songs I’m playing. I will also be on there as a help to you with any questions you may have. As the group grows I will do specific projects focusing on our community. Livestreams on YT for supporters, zoom meetings, and hopefully someday in-person gatherings and special events!
To go straight to the group click the link below, let’s grow this community!