This
book was published in 1986 and is out of print. It played a major
role in stimulating interest in the history and traditions of the
dulcimer. There is a steady demand for the book. Copies are scarce
and prices in the second hand book trade are high. A number of
libraries in the U.S. and Canada have copies. To read it, go to your
local library and request a copy on interlibrary loan.
Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions (Book)
This
is a first-hand report on the effort to enlarge our knowledge of the
dulcimer's history through field work in Appalachia, looking for old
instruments and listening to the tales of old folks. The book
describes three major design traditions of the dulcimer, each
centered in its own geographical area, and focuses on key makers in
each of three traditions, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Scarecrow Press, Paperback, 157 pp., $30.00 (On Amazon, $32.95!)
Songs
and Tunes of the Wilderness Road (Book)
This
collection of traditional music seeks to unite the dulcimer with the
people, the music, and the world from which it came. It tells the
story of the Wilderness Road, most famous of all American trails,
with many photos, and links it to the history and heritage of the
dulcimer. Sixteen old tunes with simplified musical notation, guitar
chords, and dulcimer tablature. Tunings are DAA, DAC and DAG, with
no 6 ½ fret. 80 pp. $14.95 (with
musical arrangements by Madeline MacNeil)
Folk
Songs of Old Kentucky: Two Song Catchers in the Kentucky Mountains
(Book)
Provides
20 beautiful Anglo-American folk songs, field-collected by two
real-life 'song catchers,' Josephine McGill and Loraine Wyman, in
the Kentucky Cumberlands, 1914 and 1916. Includes exciting
first-hand accounts of their adventures in the isolated mountain
world, before radios, roads and cars. Rescued from arrangements in
rare books, and presented with simplified musical notation, guitar
chords, and dulcimer tablature. 80pp. $14.95 By Ralph Lee Smith (with
musical arrangements by Madeline MacNeil)
Greenwich Village: The Happy Folk Singing Days, 1950s-1960s
(Book)
Based
on Ralph's own experiences in the Village, this book includes a
40-page essay on the Village scene during the Folk Revival, with
accompanying photos and illustrations, and 20 songs sung by Ralph
and his friends in Allan Block's Sandal Shop, Washington Square, and
the Folklore Center on Macdougal Street. If you weren't there, this
book will take you there! An unforgettable voyage into a magical
time. 96 pp. $12.95. (with musical arrangements by Madeline
MacNeil)
Across
the Blue Ridge: Songs with the Mountain Dulcimer (CD)
On this CD, Maddie and Ralph play dulcimers and sing old-time tunes
that they have especially loved and have often performed over the
years. Versions of all the songs have been known in the Shenandoah
Valley and the Appalachian Mountains for as long as anyone can
remember.
This
book was published in 1986 and is out of print. It played a major
role in stimulating interest in the history and traditions of the
dulcimer. There is a steady demand for the book. Copies are scarce
and prices in the second hand book trade are high. A number of
libraries in the U.S. and Canada have copies. To read it, go to your
local library and request a copy on interlibrary loan.
This
is a first-hand report on the effort to enlarge our knowledge of the
dulcimer's history through field work in Appalachia, looking for old
instruments and listening to the tales of old folks. The book
describes three major design traditions of the dulcimer, each
centered in its own geographical area, and focuses on key makers in
each of three traditions, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Scarecrow Press, Paperback, 157 pp., $30.00 (On Amazon, $32.95!)
This
collection of traditional music seeks to unite the dulcimer with the
people, the music, and the world from which it came. It tells the
story of the Wilderness Road, most famous of all American trails,
with many photos, and links it to the history and heritage of the
dulcimer. Sixteen old tunes with simplified musical notation, guitar
chords, and dulcimer tablature. Tunings are DAA, DAC and DAG, with
no 6 ½ fret. 80 pp. $14.95 (
Provides
20 beautiful Anglo-American folk songs, field-collected by two
real-life 'song catchers,' Josephine McGill and Loraine Wyman, in
the Kentucky Cumberlands, 1914 and 1916. Includes exciting
first-hand accounts of their adventures in the isolated mountain
world, before radios, roads and cars. Rescued from arrangements in
rare books, and presented with simplified musical notation, guitar
chords, and dulcimer tablature. 80pp. $14.95 By Ralph Lee Smith (with
musical arrangements by Madeline MacNeil) 
Based
on Ralph's own experiences in the Village, this book includes a
40-page essay on the Village scene during the Folk Revival, with
accompanying photos and illustrations, and 20 songs sung by Ralph
and his friends in Allan Block's Sandal Shop, Washington Square, and
the Folklore Center on Macdougal Street. If you weren't there, this
book will take you there! An unforgettable voyage into a magical
time. 96 pp. $12.95. (with musical arrangements by Madeline
MacNeil)