Lydian Chant

[dholeton]

Thanks Pete

Sometimes I just come home and want to play something simple and playing something modal seems to give me the most comfort.

Dave

[CurtisMateer]

Beautiful...anything modal draws me in; anything Appalachian gets my attention as well. Good stuff.

[DianeKY]

Dave, what version of The Book is this? I love this song and the way you did it. Diane

[dholeton]

@DianeKY Thanks Diane This is an original song of mine. I happened to tune my dulcimer to something suitable for a Lydian mode song and this melody happened. To me the melody sounded like some of the chant songs I sang or heard when I was in grade school, so I opened my old prayer book and Latin parts of the Confiteor, Kyrie, and Gloria seemed appropriate. I made up my own prayer to fit the Lydian melody that came to me. The prayer book in the video is the Saint Pius X Daily Missal.

Dave

[jfta]

great; hypnotizing sound

[dholeton]

@jfta

Thanks JF

[alainatoadpipe]

This started playing and my 1 year old came running into the room and just sat there listening. What a lovely piece you put together.

[dholeton]

@alainatoadpipe

Thanks Alaina

You made my day knowing something I did had an affect on some one. Having an affect on a youngster is an extra surprise!

Dave

[Jabberwockistan]

Major kudos for branching out into the Lydian mode! Most Appalachian dulcimer players give short shrift to the Lydian, Phrygian, and Locrian modes, so props for working to correct that. Great tune and singing as well!

I need to take inspiration and go knock out some Phrygian and Locrian tunes on my baritone dulcimer...

[dholeton]

@Jabberwockistan

Thanks Penn

The Lydian Chant was a gift, it just came to me when I tuned to the Lydian mode and I can't explain it. Gifts like that also come when I'm tuned in the other less used modes like Phrygian, Aeolian, and Dorian. I haven't been able to make anything happen in Locrian yet, but who knows?

Dave

[Jabberwockistan]

@dholeton

Locrian is a tough one, since it has no 5th, so not really many places to rest except the tonic. Also, arguably to do it "right" you have to drop the tenor drone all the way down to the root, as if you leave it on A you have a drone note that doesn't exist in the scale. However, if you drop it to G the melody tends to drift into another mode. It's a tricky one, but sounds pretty cool once you get it going.

[dholeton]

@Jabberwockistan

Thanks again Penn

Without retuning I just played (wandered around) in the Locrian mode this evening on the melody strings only. It's not so bad. We'll see what comes.

Dave

[livindeadgal]

Interesting

[dholeton]

@livindeadgal

Thanks Livin

Sorry I'm late responding, which I try to do on all comments.

Dave

[TanteA]

Oh this was very interesting to hear and to read about the tuning. I will also try it on my dulcimer... And you perform it very good. I like your voice especially in the harmonies. And why not try something new? It is very creative.

Thank you

Anette

[dholeton]

Anette...Thanks for your encouraging words. Changing the tuning on a dulcimer to another mode can be like getting a new instrument. It can take me different places. I hope it wokrs for you too.

Dave

[DescentToCocytus]

Beautiful

[dholeton]

Thanks Daniel...It was a special moment when this came to me and I don't know if the inspiration came from something real or just my imagination.

Dave

[DescentToCocytus]

Wherever it came from, I sincerely hope you keep tapping into your source of inspiration and making music with this level of passion.

[dholeton]

Thanks again Daniel...It is a special moment when those moments happen. We'll see what comes...

Dave

[6127100]

Lovely. Most unusual version of the Confiteor I've ever heard. The Agnus Dei might be quite interesting to try as well. Your instrument is beautiful, dholeton. I'm looking to have a dulcimer made, there are so many good luthiers. Who was yours, and what is the wood? Great sound!

[dholeton]

Thank You...I checked where Agnus Dei would land on the dulcimer and found that it could start in the Mixolydian mode on the 7th fret, so it might be something to try next. Two of the dulcimers in my YouTube videos are kits from Mcspadden Dulcimer Shop. The one in Lydian Chant is a kit I bought from Lynn in 1978. The top, sides, and back are made of a thin veneer, the fretboard is hollow and made of walnut. I exchanged the original rosewood bridge with bone.

[dholeton]

When I was young I assembled multiple plastic model cars and planes and had little experience with wood. When I bouth the kit in 1978, I couldn't wait to get home to build it. I completed it in a week or so and used laquer spray paint for a finish. Another kit I just finished this fall is an hourglass shaped instrument and I finished it in Teak Oil, which I really like now more than laquer. My spruce top tear-drop shaped dulcimer was created at the dulcimer shop. Good luck

Dave

[oshog37ka4]

...Furthermore, I am a great admirer of the folklore music in my motherland. I don't know if you have heard about Bulgarian folklore, but it is full with the aforementioned old modes, including the Lydian and Phrygian one. At last, I'd like to ask you what do you think about the song: "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & eddie Vedder - Face of Love"? I suppose that there are at least two modes, including Lydian, but I am not sure. Best regards, Georgi.

[dholeton]

Oshog...I think the "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan" song is a moving song (moving like in neat, pretty, and I like it) but I'm not sure of the modes represented. I think that kind of music is intended to be participative, which to me means others can sing along with the song in a group. The people of old assembled in small groups and sang traditional music relative to their family or culture. I like to think singing in those types of groups will occur again some day and I'll be there.

Dave

[oshog37ka4]

Greeting from Bulgaria and from me! I like your music very much, especially this one and the "Phrygian Free". I am guitarist but just an amateur. Sometimes I play the guitar (which is a classic type) but much more I listen various kind of music. Recently I have a great interest of the old modes (scales) and their specific sounding. I find it miraculous, maybe because unfortunately it is a rarity in the commercial music......

[dholeton]

Thank you Oshog...Amateur is okay. I am amateur. I play and sing because I like to play and sing. If some one else likes it, that is okay too. I hope my music has as positive an impact on others that it has on me.

Dave

[randommara]

Cool!

[dholeton]

Thanks Mara