What is Melody-Only Style?

by Steve Eulberg

When we are playing the melody of a tune, without adding any chords, bass notes, harmony notes or drones, this is playing our dulcimers like they are melody-only instruments like flutes, trumpets, clarinets or trombones.  This way of playing focuses on the melody and doesn't have the distraction of other notes.



 

On the hammered dulcimer, the player is playing only the melody of the tune.

 



On the mountain dulcimer, the player is playing on the string(s) which are required for the melody in single-string style, whether playing linearly all on the melody string(s) or playing in flatpicking style across the strings.

For many instruments this is also known as playing the "elemental" version of the tune which is clear and uncluttered by harmonies, ornaments, or any embellishments.

I like to call this the "Tree", reminding people that generally, whenever we put up our Christmas Tree we don't decorate it before we get it set up sturdily.  Only AFTER it is set up do we add the ornaments.



I encourage all of my students to learn songs in this way BEFORE adding anything else.  This keeps us all from being stuck or beholden to a particular arrangement of the tune before we are truly accustomed to the tune itself.

This is a perfectly legitimate way of playing, AND serves as a solid foundation for everything we learn after it.