Help: Michigan tuning

Subject: Michigan tuning
From: Gypsy
Date: 27 Jun 00 - 11:00 PM

Okay, I give up. Was cruising around the other day, and found a Hammer Dulcimer with "Michigan Tuning" What izzat? Couldn't find any information on the site. Mine is a 16/15, don't know if I want to try a new scary tuning or not. But am dying of curiosity!

Subject: RE: Help: Michigan tuning
From: GUEST,Kohoutek
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 11:49 AM

In most places, the hammered dulcimer is a "revival instrument" - an instrument which had virtually died out by the early 20th Century and which has been revived only since the folk music revival of the 1960's.

In Michigan, there was a continuous tradition of dulcimer playing, which was actively supported by Henry Ford and his wife Mary in the early 20th Century. Michigan is the home of the largest hammered dulcimer festival in the world, at the town of Evart in July.

Michigan is also the only state with an active movement to have the hammered dulcimer declared the official state musical instrument; and the only state to have a dulcimer tuning named after it. (The traditional octave bass tuning is often called "Michigan Tuning".)

Taken from this site

K.

Subject: RE: Help: Michigan tuning
From: Gypsy
Date: 30 Jun 00 - 11:32 AM

Thank you for the research, greatly appreciate. so am I construing this correctly, Michigan tuning is regular tuning, but it just refers to the bass bridge?

Subject: RE: Help: Michigan tuning
From: harpgirl
Date: 01 Jul 00 - 03:57 PM

...thanks person of many aliases...I wondered about this.I had fun at the Evart dulcimer fest the last time I went which was in the early seventies with Leo Kretzner...