Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions: No. 2 (American Folk Music and Musicians Series) - Hardcover

Smith, Ralph Lee

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810833786 ISBN 13: 9780810833784

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 1997

Synopsis

A first-hand report on an effort to enlarge our knowledge of the dulcimer's history by searching the hills and "hollers" of Appalachia, looking at old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks.

About this title

Review

...a complete and thorough book that reveals little-known facts about the dulcimer's origins on the early Appalachian frontier and its design traditions. A good choice for libraries with strong music/ethnomusicology collections. * Library Journal * Ralph Lee Smith has set forth six well-illustrated chapters concerned with dulcimer traditions in the Allegheny, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of Southern Appalachia. * American Musical Instrument Society * Smith's research...has been extensive and generally well documented, and his book will be a useful resource for anyone interested in the dulcimer, Appalachian history, or folk music in general. * Ethnomusicology * Don't leave...thinking this book will interest only the hardened dulcimer fans. It is too entertainingly written for that. As befits a professional journalist, the author traces the finer points of dulcimerology, down to the various shapes of the sound holes, without losing or confusing or boring the reader. Moreover, there is a wealth of information, which anyone into Appalachian music will find extremely useful. It is profusely illustrated...the world has never been too flush for books on the Appalachian dulcimer. This is a welcome addition to a restricted market. * Folk Roots * ...a complete and thorough book that reveals little-known facts about the dulcimer's origins on the early Appalachian frontier and its design traditions. A good choice for libraries with strong music/ethnomusicology collections. Library Journal Ralph Lee Smith has set forth six well-illustrated chapters concerned with dulcimer traditions in the Allegheny, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of Southern Appalachia. American Musical Instrument Society Smith's research...has been extensive and generally well documented, and his book will be a useful resource for anyone interested in the dulcimer, Appalachian history, or folk music in general. Ethnomusicology Don't leave...thinking this book will interest only the hardened dulcimer fans. It is too entertainingly written for that. As befits a professional journalist, the author traces the finer points of dulcimerology, down to the various shapes of the sound holes, without losing or confusing or boring the reader. Moreover, there is a wealth of information, which anyone into Appalachian music will find extremely useful. It is profusely illustrated...the world has never been too flush for books on the Appalachian dulcimer. This is a welcome addition to a restricted market. Folk Roots

About the Author

Ralph Lee Smith is a leading authority on the history of the Appalachian dulcimer and is a performer of traditional American folk music.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810833786
• ISBN 13: 9780810833784
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192