Michael Futreal, musician and multimedia artist

Dulcimers Are Go (2008)

Dulcimers Are Go is an album of original Appalachian rock music featuring the Appalachian mountain dulcimer used in both progressive and traditional ways.

Other instruments featured include guitars, strumstick, electric gourd, harmonica, and recorder.

If you like this, you'll also like Devil's Stomping Ground and my more recent recordings.

Other Ways to Buy It

Watch the Recording Session Videos

Track Notes

1. Wire Mountain in Spring

solo dulcimer

An improvised piece played in a GCC tuning with a capo on the first fret.

2. Broken Moon

electric dulcimer, recorder, strumstick

The name for this one, strangely, comes from the title sequence to Thundarr the Barbarian, which I used to watch as a kid.

3. Three Wise Mice

dulcimer, electric gourd, guitar

This is probably my oldest dulcimer tune — it's a GDC tuning. The electric gourd is my DIY lapsteel dulcimer-thingie.

4. Goblins Are Go

acoustic and electric dulcimer

It's got goblins!

5. Flags

solo electric dulcimer

Another old piece recorded in a contemporary way. I often play this one live as a medley with "Carving Charms," which you can find on Devil's Stomping Ground.

6. A Wise Stroll

guitar, strumstick, and orchestration

The guitar is open-tuned in G; my chromatic strumstick is tuned CGC.

7. Tars Tarkas

dulcimer, acoustic and electric guitars

One of my favorite dulcimer pieces in the GDC tuning.

8. When John Lee Hooker Waltzes

acoustic dulcimer and guitar

A guitar piece with 'lead' dulcimer. The dulcimer is tuned GDD; the guitar is standard tuned.

9. When Argonauts Waltz

solo acoustic dulcimer

A improvisation for DAC tuned dulcimer. This kind of composition on the fly is something I think I learned from my brother Andy.

10. Delving

strumstick, electric guitar, and orchestration

One of the first things I ever recorded on my spiffy little strumstick.

11. Wire Mountain, Dancing

acoustic dulcimer, harmonica

A bouncy piece for DAD dulcimer.

12. Chimera

guitar, dulcimer, orchestration

This is my favorite piece on the album, I think. It suggests things to come on the Devil's Stomping Ground disc. The "lead" dulcimer is an improvised part played on GDD and is very typical of most love to use the dulcimer.

13. In the Shadow of Wire Mountain

solo dulcimer

Another improvisation, recorded in the same session as track #1. Again, the dulcimer is tuned GCC with a capo at 1.

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