Tab Table, Modes, Key, and Tunings
The Tab Tables are designed to help fretted dulcimer players learn or remember tunes.
It gives you the mode the music is played in, the key in which it is usually played and some tunings.
If you read music and have lots of music books these tables may not do you as much good.
Tab Tables are an easier alternative for the rest of us (and I'm one of them).
Have a look (and listen!) at the tunes this site offers in Tab Table format.
Tab Table
The tab table is constructed to show the melody and strumming rhythm of the tune.
It consists of a table of fret numbers read line by line, left to right.
Each line consists of two measures or bars. I call this line a musical phrase,
just long enough to get a piece of the melody in your head.
Most music in the Tab Table consists of eight beats per line (two measures of four beats each).
Single numbers get one beat; numbers separated by hyphens get their share of that beat.For example,
the first line of Boil Them Cabbage Down:
| 5 | 5-5 | 5 | 5-5 | | 6 | 6-6 | 6 | 6-6
|
| bump | diddy | bump | diddy |  | bump | diddy | bump | diddy
| |
For waltzes the Tab Table consists of six beats per line (two measures of three beats each).
Single numbers get one beat; numbers separated byhyphens get their share of that beat. For example,
the first line of My Own Home Waltz:
| 7-6* | 5 | 5-4 | 5 | | 3 | 5 | 7
|
| and uh | one | two and | three | | one | two | three
|
| | 10 | 10-9 | 8 | | 7 | 7 | 6
|
| | one | two and | three | | one | two | three
|
*Notice the pick up notes designated with and asterisk (*), the "and uh" that starts the melody before the
first measure.
Modes
There are 7 Modes in music. We commonly use only 4: Ionian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Dorian.
The most common is the Ionian Mode, the major scale we know as: “do, re, me, fa, so, la, ti, do”.
Using the white keys of the piano the scale begins on C. The Mixolydian Mode, is commonly used
in folk music. It has a flatted “ti” called “ta” in the “do, re, me, fa, so, la, ta, do” way of thinking.
Using the white keys of the piano, the first note of the scale begins on G and goes up 8 notes to the next G.
On the mountain dulcimer, the scale begins on the open string and goes up to the 7th fret
but does not use the 6 ½ fret if there is one. The scale gives a melancholy feel to the music like in
Old Joe Clark.
The Aolian and Dorian Modes are minor sounding. The Aolian Mode scale begins on the
first fret (A on the white keys of a piano) and ends on the 8th fret. The Dorian Mode
starts at the 4th fret (D on the white keys of a piano) and ends on the 11th fret.
Key
Fiddlers usually play certain tunes in a specific key, mainly because it either sounds better or it is
easier to play. The last note of the song is almost always the “key note” or home note of the song.
So if a song ends on a G note, it is almost always in the key of G. If you are not playing with fiddlers
then suit yourself. I have listed the keys that some of my fiddler friends suggest for each tune.
Tunings
Tunings are listed by note numbers, e.g. 1-5-8. The first number represents the note in the scale the bass
string is tuned to. The second number represents the note in the scale, the middle string is tuned to.
The third number represents the note of the scale to which the melody string or strings are tuned.
Thus in the key of D, 1-5-8 means the bass string is tuned to the first note in the scale, D;
the middle string is tuned to the 5th note of the scale, A;
and melody string(s) tuned to the 8th note of the scale, D an octave higher than the bass.
You may find other tunings that sound good so use them.
Ionian Mode
1. 1-5-5 -- Starting from the bass string tune to the 1st note of the scale,
the middle string and melody string(s) are tuned to the 5th note of the scale like
in “do, so, so”, or simply abbreviated 1-5-5. The scale begins on the 3rd fret.
Example tuning: D-A-A, or with a 4 string dulcimer the melody string is often doubled so D-A-A-A or 1-5-5-5.
Tuning to key of C would be bass = C, middle = G, melody = G (still 1-5-5).
2. 1-5-8 -- If you have a 6 ½ fret on your dulcimer you can play Ionian Mode in this tuning.
Starting from the bass string tuned to the 1st note of the scale, the middle string is tuned
to the 5th note and the melody string(s) tuned to the 8th (an octave higher than
the bass string), like “do, so, do”, or 1-5-8. Scale begins on the open string, skip the 6th fret
and play the 6 ½ fret instead. Example tuning: D-A-D’ or D-A-D’-D’ if you are playing a 4 string dulcimer.
Tuning to key of C would be bass = C, middle = G, melody = C (still 1-5-8).
3. 8-8-8 -- I call this the Galax tuning, named after Galax, Virginia where this tuning is
traditionally used to play fiddle tunes. All strings are tuned to the same note in the same octave.
They are usually tuned in a high register, like the 8th note in the 1-5-8 tuning.
Scale begins either on the open string but skip the 6th fret and play the 6 ½ fret if available,
or the scale can be played starting at the 3rd fret. Example tuning: D-D-D. If you start the scale
on the open string the key will be D, if you start the scale on the 3rd fret the key will be G.
This is a very useful tuning for playing fiddle tunes.
4. 1-8-8 -- This is sometimes called bagpipe tuning. It is similar to the Galax tuning.
All strings are tuned to the same note but the bass sting is an octave lower than the rest.
Scale begins either on the open string but skip the 6th and play the 6 ½ instead or
the scale can be played starting at the 3rd fret. Example tuning is D-D-D. If you start
the scale on the open string the key will be D, if you start the scale on the 3rd fret the
key will be G.
Mixolydian Mode
1. 1-5-8 -- Starting from the bass string tune it to the 1st note of the scale,
the middle string and is tuned to the 5th note of the scale, and the melody string or strings
are tuned to the 8th note of the scale, like in do, so, do, or 1-5-8. The scale begins on the
open unfretted string and you play the 6th fret not the 6 ½ fret. That gives you the
flatted “ta” note in the do, re, me, fa, so, la, ta, do scale. Example tunings are D-A-D’,
or D-A-D’-D’ if you play a 4 string dulcimer.
2. 8-8-8 I call this the Galax tuning named after Galax, VA where this tuning is traditional.
All strings are tuned to the same note in the same octave. Scale of the Mixolydian Mode begins on the
open string plays the 6th fret and skips the 6 ½ fret if available, Example D-D-D or D-D-D-D
if you play a 4 string dulcimer.
3. 1-8-8 This is sometimes called bagpipe tuning. It is similar to the Galax tuning. All strings
are tuned to the same note but the bass sting is an octave lower than the rest, hence 1-8-8. Scale begins
on the open string but plays the 6th and not the 6 ½ fret. Example tuning is D-D-D’ or
D-D-D’-D’.
Other Modes and Tunings
Others are available but we haven’t used them yet in the Tab Tables.
Be aware that you can use a capo to change keys so you won’t have so much retuning to do but that
is a subject for another time. So much to learn, so little time. Keep pickin' and grinnin'. Keith
