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hammered dulcimer
Back 2 School Special!
It is that time of year again, when we change our rhythms, get out the school clothes, take pictures of the first day of school, and pick up our instruments to play them after our summer vacations. Here at DulcimerCrossing.com, we want to help you further develop your skills and enjoyment in making and sharing the music in your soul. So we have a deal for you!
We've added new teachers, we've got lessons for both mountain and hammered dulcimers, we've got lessons for dulci-bro (slide dulcimer…
Practicing in the Dark
by Linda Ratcliff
I'm spending the winter in sunny California, but I know many of you have been getting hit with some pretty cold weather. Brrrr. That reminds me of the way I used to practice piano. I usually arrived at school, during both my high school and college years, at about 6:30 in the morning, and I always went straight to the practice rooms. Now the school didn't turn on the heaters full blast until about 7:30 a.m., so to challenge myself (and because no one was looking), I would st…
What is Drone Style?
by Steve Eulberg
Once we have learned the melody of a tune we can begin adding notes in order "fill out" the sound of the tune. The easiest way to do this is to play "drone style". This is actually the traditional way to play the old mountain dulcimers which did not have frets that extended all the way across the fretboard, but only were present under the melody strings.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player plays the melody on the string(s) which are required for the melody and simply strums all…
Once we have learned the melody of a tune we can begin adding notes in order "fill out" the sound of the tune. The easiest way to do this is to play "drone style". This is actually the traditional way to play the old mountain dulcimers which did not have frets that extended all the way across the fretboard, but only were present under the melody strings.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player plays the melody on the string(s) which are required for the melody and simply strums all…
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 me…
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 me…
New Hammered Dulcimer Instructor!
We are pleased to introduce Bill Robinson our newest Hammered Dulcimer Instructor at DulcimerCrossing.com!
Fiddle Whamdiddle CD Old School Old-Time
Psst...Here is part 1 of the update I promised you.
Vi and I recorded and released a recording of some of our favorite Old-Time tunes in December. Old School Old-Time is what we call it...and we even got to do our photo shoot in the oldest one-room schoolhouse in Larimer County, Colorado--the Upper Box Elder School!
We had a foot-stomping, hootin and hollerin' good time at Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins as a CD Release party, and now we're getting the word out about the CD.
Some people like it b…
Fiddle-Tune-A-Day
Late in 2011, my fiddling pardner, Vi Wickam, committed to filming a Fiddle-Tune-A-Day throughout the year of 2012. 366 days...(it was a leap year!). That's a lot of fiddle tunes! You can see the entire collection on his Youtube Channel (which can be overwhelming)--OR, you can sign up on his email list to get one emailed to you once a day--for a whole year!He played some old chestnuts, he solicited suggestions from people, he paged through Coleman's, he chose some he'd written, he found new e…
Don't Miss the Bus! Back to School Special
SAVE! You don't need new school clothes if you are choosing our homeschool method of dulcimer learning at www.dulcimercrossing.com! And with our Back to School Special (Aug 24-Sept 2), you can save even more AND build your dulcimer skills!
Bridging the Gap between
what you know
and where you want
Your Music to go!
Technique or Repertoire?
by Steve Eulberg
Here is the chicken-or-egg question, regardless of whether one is a student or a teacher.
Which is more important in learning to play an instrument: Technique or Repertoire?
Both are necessary, of course, but how would you answer the question?
Perhaps one of these phrases describes you as a Student, whether you are working with a private instructor, or making workshop decisions when you attend a festival:
Student A: "Tunes! There are so many tunes! I want to learn to play them al…
Here is the chicken-or-egg question, regardless of whether one is a student or a teacher.
Which is more important in learning to play an instrument: Technique or Repertoire?
Both are necessary, of course, but how would you answer the question?
Perhaps one of these phrases describes you as a Student, whether you are working with a private instructor, or making workshop decisions when you attend a festival:
Student A: "Tunes! There are so many tunes! I want to learn to play them al…
Playing Authentic and Plagal Tunes
by Steve Eulberg
Here are two words that may be unfamiliar to you, but which I find most helpful for determining where to look to play tunes on both mountain and hammered dulcimers: Authentic and Plagal. (for more on Plagal, see below)
Authentic Tunes are those whose notes are generally found between Do and the octave do.
Plagal Tunes (in a use of the term by ethnomusicicologists) are those which are centered on Do, from Sol below Do to sol above Do. This is illustrated by the chart below:
Here are two words that may be unfamiliar to you, but which I find most helpful for determining where to look to play tunes on both mountain and hammered dulcimers: Authentic and Plagal. (for more on Plagal, see below)
Authentic Tunes are those whose notes are generally found between Do and the octave do.
Plagal Tunes (in a use of the term by ethnomusicicologists) are those which are centered on Do, from Sol below Do to sol above Do. This is illustrated by the chart below:
Now ho…
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