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hammered dulcimer
Can You Make Progress Without Playing?
All too often, our busy lives prevent us from picking up our dulcimer or our hammers, and spending time in practice. I look on practice time as a gift to myself, a reward for being a good girl and getting everything done that needs to be done. But sometimes I get so busy doing the things I ought to do, time runs out before I even get close to playing my instruments.
First of all, if we were face-to-face, you’d probably tell me I need to re-order my priorities. And I know you’d be right. But eve…
Behind Every Performance
One of the privileges we have, living in today’s world, is access to pristine, note-perfect recordings on YouTube, the radio, CDs. But this privilege comes at a cost. Performers, as well as our audiences, have developed the mind-set that such perfection should be possible every time we play for others – whether we are hanging out with friends on the front porch or attending a performance in a concert hall. And, Lord knows, we performers try our best. I’ve spent most of my adult life feeling like…
The Domino Effect
The domino effect occurs when you make a change to one behavior that activates a chain reaction and cause a shift in related behaviors as well. For example, I bet your momma told you that if you made your bed in the morning, the rest of your day would go well. And it did, didn't it?
A good example of the domino effect can be seen in the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the virus in China and the resulting rapid global spread of the disease led to widespread panic and a decrease in global tra…
Why Tune?
You picked up your dulcimer to run through a couple of tunes. There’s no one else listening. No one will care if your instrument is slightly out of tune. And you only have a few minutes to practice. Why bother to tune for that? This thought came to my mind a few weeks back. I had about 15 minutes of free time before I had to leave, and I wanted to start reviewing my patriotic repertoire – getting ready for impromptu performances for Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. America the Beautiful, …
New Feature: Sample Lessons
NEW FEATURE: Sample Lessons
We've added a new feature on our DulcimerCrossing.com website: Sample Lessons by several of our instructors for each of the instruments for which we teach Courses.
Mountain Dulcimer:
These are sample mountain dulcimer lessons from DulcimerCrossing's curriculum, one from each level we teach:
Absolute Beginning-Level 1-Steve Eulberg
Beyond Beginning-Level 2-Butch Ross
Intermediate-Level 3-Neal Hellman
Advanced-Level 4-Nina Zanetti
…Don't Stress. Distress!
“You know how people pay more money to buy furniture that's been roughed up a little? What do they call it? Things that have been distressed. That's because something that's seen a little wear is just more interesting than something brand-new that hasn't ever had a scuff on it.” (Joe Hill)
I read this quote the other day, and it resonated in my heart because I sell mobile homes as part of my employment, and I have found there are folks who even like their kitchen cabinets to have that distresse…
DulcimerCrossing Teachers at the QuaranTUNE Festival 5.0 in October
DulcimerCrossing.com is proud, once again, to be a Gold Sponsor for the 5th QuaranTUNE Dulcimer Festival which happens online October 7-10th this year.
We have a long history of providing sponsorship and scholarship support to festivals across the country because we know that there is no substitute for in-person learning.
We are also excited that several of our teachers are providing workshops for this festival!
Erin Mae Lewis
Butch Ross
Don Pedi
Nina Zanetti
Karen Mueller
DJ Hamouris
L…
Leap Forward with Matthew Dickerson today!
National Hammered Dulcimer Champion and DulcimerCrossing instructor, Matthew Dickerson, will share his knowledge and experience in our March Leap Forward in Your Musical Understanding Live Event for Premium Members today.
Log in with your Premium Membership to access this lesson today:
4 pm PDT | 5 pm MDT | 6 pm CDT | 7 pm EDT
That Membership also lets you view the Archive Videos of the previous lessons:
Circle of 5ths/Ionian Mode Week 1
Dorian Mode Week 2
Aeolian Mode Week 3
M…
Leap Forward Week 3
Performance Tasks/Learning Objectives from this lesson:
1. Find an E Aeolian Scale (Natural/Pure Minor) on your instrument
2. Use that knowledge to Play God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen or Wayfaring Stranger
3. Name the notes that the student used to play this scale
4. Define the Aeolian scale
5. For Mountain Dulcimer: What do I have and what Drones do I need?
A. If I use a Capo how do I tune and where do I start?
B. How can I re-tune and play Aeolian in some different Keycenters?
New Theory Quiz
Following our first two Live Music Theory classes for Premium Members of DulcimerCrossing.com, Erin Mae and I have a new Quiz, this time comparing the Ionian and Dorian Modes.
Click here to try it out and test your understanding!
Later today [4 pm PST = 5 pm MST = 6 pm CST = 7 pm EST] is the 3rd lesson, this one focusing on the Aeolian Mode.
Premium Members have access on the Live events page at DulcimerCrossing.com.
(Be certain that you have logged in and the background is blue and th…
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