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hammered dulcimer
Evart Hammered Dulcimer Jam in the Teacher's Tent!
by Steve Eulberg The Evart Funfest which happens in the 3rd week of July in the heart of Osceola County, Michigan, gathers amazing musicians. Under the teacher's tent, by John and Sharon Skaryd's camper, there are day and night-long jams and fun conversations, both vocal and musical! Here DeeDee Tibbits, Linda Foley (both from Michigan) and Chuck Boody (from Minnesota) are leading this celtic-style tune while others are also welcomed in.
I just played with DeeDee at the Kentucky Music …
Odd Meters
by Steve Eulberg Playing traditional instruments in the western world, we get quite used to "square" or "even" rhythms and meters in the songs we play. Marches and Reels are in (4/4) time; Polkas are in (2/2 or 4/4). Even jigs (6/8) have 2 pulses in their measures. Waltzes (3/4) have a strong beat on 1. Slides (12/8 or 6/8) and Slip Jigs (9/8) have multiple pulses in their measures, but what all of these tunes tend to have in common is that they have a regular way to be counted based on the t…
DulcimerCrossing Festival Scholarships
by Steve Eulberg & Linda Ratcliff
At DulcimerCrossing.com we believe in supporting all the ways that students learn to play the music that is in their hearts. Some people learn better in the privacy of their homes, some with an individual tutor, and some learn best when immersed in a setting that is chock-FULL of music, with people who are engaged in the same pursuit as they are.
For this reason, DulcimerCrossing has provided some full and partial scholarships to selected weekend and week-long du…
At DulcimerCrossing.com we believe in supporting all the ways that students learn to play the music that is in their hearts. Some people learn better in the privacy of their homes, some with an individual tutor, and some learn best when immersed in a setting that is chock-FULL of music, with people who are engaged in the same pursuit as they are.
For this reason, DulcimerCrossing has provided some full and partial scholarships to selected weekend and week-long du…
What to Do....when you're snowed in.
by Linda Ratcliff
Most of you know I live full time in an RV. At the campground where we stay, they don't believe in plowing. And we live at the low end of the park. Early January, there was ice - on top of snow - on top of ice, with NO hope it would be cleared and we didn't even try to get out. Now most of you would have used that gift of time to practice your dulcimers. But I began going through our lessons one by one, and found some ways to make improvements.
•Right now, videos are loaded in a …
Most of you know I live full time in an RV. At the campground where we stay, they don't believe in plowing. And we live at the low end of the park. Early January, there was ice - on top of snow - on top of ice, with NO hope it would be cleared and we didn't even try to get out. Now most of you would have used that gift of time to practice your dulcimers. But I began going through our lessons one by one, and found some ways to make improvements.•Right now, videos are loaded in a …
How to Choose a Hammered Dulcimer
Criteria for Purchasing a Hammered Dulcimer
by Steve Eulberg & Linda Ratcliff
Steve playing a Prelude for an Ordination service. We are fortunate to live in the midst of a sustained dulcimer revival! Today, not only are there kits available for you to build your own, there are a good number of quality builders who have refined the process and are able to make instruments that are reliably good from instrument to instrument and who stand behind their work. In addition, there are also a good nu…
Dulcimer Sighting!
While on tour in North Carolina, Steve Eulberg stops a Jerry Read Smith's Song of the Wood Dulcimer Shop in Black Mountain and look who he sees playing in the shade out in front of the shop! Joshua Messick, National Champion.
DulcimerCrossing & Music Education
As former public school educators, Linda Ratcliff and Steve Eulberg, have designed the DulcimerCrossing.com website to support Music Educators, students and Homeschool students and teachers.The National Association for Music Education has created nationwide standards for musical education for the United States of America.
DulcimerCrossing.com lessons are designed to equip students to be successful in demonstrating their proficiency on 6 of these 9 standards.
You can read more about our goals here,…
Duet with Hammered Dulcimer Lead
Linda Thomas, one of our guest instructors at dulcimercrossing.com, plays a fine duet with Dan Delancey.
Here the hammered dulcimer takes the lead. Linda also teaches the entire tune on our site, together with tasteful hammered dulcimer backup to Dan's smooth guitar-picking lead.
Building Your Own Instrument?
I've this said this over and over again:
"If I hadn't built my first dulcimers, I probably wouldn't be playing them."
I'm not kidding. I played piano, trumpet, harmonica, guitar and mandolin before I ever heard a dulcimer (of either kind.) I first heard both kinds of dulcimers in college, played by traveling musicians who performed for us. The sounds were deeply implanted in me, because now playing these instruments is a large part of how I make my living.
But I never felt I deserved (or could a…
"If I hadn't built my first dulcimers, I probably wouldn't be playing them."
I'm not kidding. I played piano, trumpet, harmonica, guitar and mandolin before I ever heard a dulcimer (of either kind.) I first heard both kinds of dulcimers in college, played by traveling musicians who performed for us. The sounds were deeply implanted in me, because now playing these instruments is a large part of how I make my living.
But I never felt I deserved (or could a…
Linda Thomas Interview (an excerpt)
When Linda Thomas and Dan Delancey were in our studio to film lessons, we had a chance to ask some questions and find out more about Linda and how she began playing the hammered dulcimer. Here is an excerpt of the interview:
The entire interview can be viewed on our website here.
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