Dulcimer Fling! The music of Leo Kretzner & Jay Leibovitz
Featuring the dulcimer and folk music recordings of Leo Kretzner and Jay Leibovitz

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Dulcimer Fling: A Brief History & Introduction
Dulcimer Fling: Dulcimer Tunings
Dulcimer Fling: About the Music
Dulcimer Fling: About the Musicians

Dulcimer Fling! Leo Kretzner & Jay Leibovitz

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The Tunes and Information about Them

Dulcimer Fling! is meant to be enjoyed whether you're a dulcimer player or not. If you're a dulcimist (or anyone else) interested in knowing about the tunings and keys, visit THIS PAGE.

If you want to know more about the tunes themselves, read on.

A Note about dulcimer tunings and playing styles:

Leo Kretner plays three-stringed dulcimer and uses a "finger-style" playing technique.

Jay Leibovitz plays four stringed dulcimer, mostly using a "double-melody" string configuration, so that the dulcimer is played like a three-stringed instrument, and the "double-melody" string serves up more volume, which is especially useful when using a "noter-style" playing technique.

When the notes about the music on this page read "Both dulcimers tuned..." it means that Leo's single "high" string and Jay's two "double-melody" strings are tuned to the same note.

For example, "Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D means:
Leo's dulcimer tuned "D-A-D" (low to high)
Jay's dulcimer tunded "D-A-DD" (low to high)

Historical Research Resource:

Historical information used on this page about the tunes comes in great part from The Fiddler's Companion, an outstanding web site by Andrew Kuntz. Many thanks to him. Visit his site!  


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Dulcimer Tunings are for the Dulcimer Fling! Instrumental CD
Use the player buttons to play the whole tune! Play only one tune at a time

Boys of Wexford/Boys of Blue Hill * Sandy River Belle * Old Mother Flannigan
Scarborough Fair * Susannah Gals/Over the Waterfall * The Raw Recruit * Pigtown Fling
Spotted Pony * Sally in the Garden * Miss McLeod's Reel * The Prophet
Yellow Rose of Texas * Boatin' Up Sandy * Fisher's Hornpipe/Rickett's Hornpipe
The Saturday Night Jig/Gary Owen * Winter's End * Behind the Haystack
Grandfather's Clock * Greensleeves * Goin' to Boston/Pretty Betty Martin/Old Joe Clark
Soldier's Joy * Star of the County Down * Whiskey Before Breakfast * Big Scioto
Forked Deer * The Blackthorn Stick/Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife
Ryan's Polka/Murphy's Polka * Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine March

Cut

Title

Notes

  

 

 

1.

Boys of Wexford/Boys of Blue Hill

Dulcimer duet on an Irish air and hornpipe, both in the key of D. Leo tuned D-A-D, Jay tuned D-A-A. "Boys of Wexford" is also known as "The Snowy Breasted Pearl."

2.

Sandy River Belle

Dulcimer duet on a reel in the key of D (though you may hear some folks play it in G). Same tunings as the "Boys" medley in Cut 1. This and those tunes were learned from Margaret MacArthur.

3.

Old Mother Flannigan

Dulcimers played with the string band. A reel in the key of G. Both dulcimers tuned D-G-D. "Old Mother Flannigan" sounds Irish, but this is an old-time tune, more commonly done in A. Dave Cahn on mandolin; Bill Meyer on fiddle; Craig Johnson on guitar.

4.

Scarborough Fair

Solo dulcimer with accompaniment. A waltz in the key of Dm, with Jay's dulcimer tuned D-A-CC. Jay on dulcimer; Leo on guitar; Roger Phillips on bowed psaltery.

5.

Susannah Gals/Over the Waterfall

Dulcimers played with the string band. A pair of favorite old-time reels in the key of D. Leo and Jay playing dulcimers. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. Larry Hadsall on fiddle. Roger Phillips on guitar. "Susannah Gals" is sometimes alternately called either "Susiannah Gals," "Western Country" or "Fly around My Pretty Little Miss."

6.

The Raw Recruit

Dulcimer duet. An old-time reel in the key of D. Jay's dulcimer tuned D-A-AA; Leo's dulcimer tuned D-A-D. "The Raw Recruit" is also sometimes called "Green Willis." "Drinking moonshine at the age of 13, caused young Willis' face to turn green…" says an old poem.

7.

Pigtown Fling

Dulcimer solo by Leo in the key of G. Leo's dulcimer tuned D-G-D. Another tune learned from Margaret MacArthur. This has more names than you can shake a stick at, like "Wild Horses at Stony Point." The legendary Upstate New York hammer dulcimer player Chet Parker called it "Buffalo Breakdown."

8.

Spotted Pony

Dulcimers played witha string band. This is a reel &endash; also called a "breakdown"in the Ozarks, where it's from - in the key of D. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. Bill Meyer and Dave Cahn on fiddles. Craig Johnson on guitar.

9.

Sally in the Garden

Dulcimer solo in the key of Em. Leo's dulcimer is tuned E-B-D, which is a rather high tuning for many dulcimers. Nowadays we'd likely tune the strings to D-A-D and capo at the first fret to get Em. Lots of variants on this tune!

10.

Miss McLeod's Reel

Dulcimers played with a string band. A reel in the key of G. Both dulcimers tuned D-G-D. "Miss McLeod's" is the original Irish title, though this is an American old-timey version. As such, it's just as likely to be called "Hop High Ladies" or "Uncle Joe." Bill Meyer on banjo. Dave Cahn on fiddle. Craig Johnson on guitar.

11.

The Prophet

Dulcimer duet in the key of Em, basically played as a reel. Both dulcimers tuned E-B-D. This tune written was specifically for dulcimers by a Linda Zaret. Thanks again, Linda, wherever you are!

12.

Yellow Rose of Texas

Dulcimers played with a string band. A reel in the key of D. Jay's dulcimer is tuned D-A-D. "Yellow Rose of Texas" goes back to at least the Civil War era. Bill Meyer on fiddle. Dave Cahn on banjo. Leo Kretzner on guitar

13.

Boatin' Up Sandy

Dulcimers played with a string band. A reel in the key of Am (Dorian mode). Both dulcimers tuned E-A-D. The Big Sandy River divides West Virginia and Kentucky, and is in the title of many different tunes. Close your eyes and you can hear them boatin' by… Dave Cahn on fiddle. Bill Meyer on banjo. Craig Johnson on guitar.

14.

Fisher's Hornpipe/Rickett's Hornpipe

Dulcimers played with a string band. Two hornpipes in the key of D. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. Jay plays chords and Leo plays melody. Irish hornpipes have a 'lilting' rhythm: da- d'da- d'da- d'da-. Vinnie Tufo and Ellen Jacobs on fiddles. Dave Orlin first on concertina then on banjo. Robin Lewis on guitar.

15.

The Saturday Night Jig/Gary Owen Jig

Dulcimer Solo. Two jigs in the key of G. Leo's dulcimer tuned D-G-D. "The Saturday Night Jig" is Leo's. "Gary Owen" is a classic Irish jig, also used as a march.

16.

Winter's End

Dulcimer with guitar accompanimet. A gentle air by Jay in waltz form in the key of G. Jay's dulcimer tuned D-G-G-D (4 string). Roger Phillips on guitar.

17.

Behind the Haystack

Dulcimer solo. An Irish jig in the key of D. Leo's dulcimer tuned D-A-D. Learned from the amazing Irish band Boys of the Lough.

18.

Grandfather's Clock

Dulcimer with guitar accompaniment. An instrumental version of a song in the key of D. Jay's dulcimer tuned D-A-AA. An old song attributed to a Mr. Henry C. Work in the late 1800's, done here as an instrumental. Roger Phillips on guitar.

19.

Greensleeves

Dulcimer with guitar accompaniment. An ancient air - well, at least as old as Mediaeval times - in the key of Dm. Jay's dulcimer tuned D-A-CC. Mentioned by Shakespeare, "Greensleeves" was done as a lively dance back in his time. "What Child Is This?" came much, much later. Roger Phillips on guitar.

20.

Goin' to Boston/Pretty Betty Martin/
Old Joe Clark

Dulcimer duet. A medley of children's songs in the form of reels in the key of D. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. "Goin' to Boston" and "Pretty Betty Martin" were learned from Jean Ritchie, and "Old Joe Clark" seems to be from all over. Dulcimer players take note: Even though we've played them here in the key of D, all three of these are usually played in the key of A by most banjo and fiddle players.

21.

Soldier's Joy

Dulcimers played with a string band. A reel in the key of D. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. This is a real "standard" fiddle tune played often in the U.S., with variants not only in the British Isles, but all over Europe. Larry Hadsell on fiddle, Roger Phillips on guitar.

22.

Star of the County Down

Dulcimer with guitar accompaniment. A waltz in the key of Dm. Jay's dulcimer tuned D-A-CC. "Star of the County Down is often done in the keys of Am or Em, and played either as a march or a jig. In Ireland, 'Star' refers to a beautiful woman. Roger Phillips on guitar.

23.

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Dulcimer duet. A reel in the key of D. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. Although "Whiskey Before Breakfast" is likely a mid-20th century tune from the Maritime Canadian fiddler Andy de Jarls, it's often portrayed as an "old-timey U.S. fiddle tune. Although by historians' accounts it may have been written so recently, it's a perennial favorite among musicians, and certainly made its way quickly into the "old time" repertoire!

24.

Big Scioto

Dulcimers played with a string band. A reel in the key of G, although this "reel" is of a "laid back" variety here. Leo's dulcimer tuned D-G-D, with Dave Orlin on banjo and Robin Lewis on guitar. A West Virginia tune named for an Ohio river.

25.

Forked Deer

Dulcimers played with a string band. An old-time reel in the key of D, though the second part hangs on the A chord most of the time. Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. D. Dave Cahn on fiddle. Bill Meyer on banjo. Craig Johnson on guitar.

26.

The Blackthorn Stick/Merrily Kiss the
Quaker's Wife

Dulcimers played with a string band. Two Irish jigs in the key of G. Both dulcimers tuned D-G-D, Jay plays chords and Leo plays melody (one octave up, with a capo at the 7th fret on the dulcimer). "Merrily Kiss the Quaker's Wife" may date from medieval times, but was well-known in the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. An earlier title was "Merrily Danced the Quaker's Wife." Robin Lewis on guitar. Leo also plays pennywhistle.

27.

Ryan's Polka/Murphy's Polka

Dulcimers played with a string band. Two polkas from county Kerry in Ireland in the key of D. Leo's dulcimer tuned D-A-D. Learned from the playing of the wonderful Irish band Planxty. "Ryan's Polka" is also known as "John (or Sean) Ryan's Polka" and "Murphy's Polka" is also known as "Dennis Murphy's Polka." Vinny Tofu & Ellen Jacobs on fiddles. Dave Orlin on banjo. Robin Lewis on guitar.

28.

Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine

Dulcimers played with a string band. A march in the key of Am (Dorian mode). Both dulcimers tuned D-A-D. "Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine" is not to be confused with another fiddle tune: "Bonaparte's Retreat." Dave Cahn on fiddle. Bill Meyer on banjo. Craig Johnson on guitar.

Dulcimer Fling Album Info
Leo Kretzner's Albums
Jay Leibovitz's Albums