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lessons

New Navigation FAQ Video

Here at DulcimerCrossing we are always seeking to improve the learning experience and the latest is a new system of Navigation on the Lessons Page. [Note: this is an historical video.  The website has been reorganized since this was recorded.]

Steve has created a new FAQ video which explains these new features. Here is summary: Lessons arranged by Playing Level. Lessons arranged by Genre. Lessons arranged by Teacher/Instrument. Please ask us if you have any questions so that we can help…

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Skill Levels? How do I compare?

DulcimerCrossingFlowChart
by Steve Eulberg

All of us ask this question at some time or another.

What is my skill level as a musician?  What is my skill level on THIS instrument that I am learning to play? From a practical perspective, this is how many festivals and workshops ask us to assess ourselves as we enroll in classes and workshops.  I learned this first hand when I started the Colorado Dulcimer Festival many years ago.  This was the question asked both by the students and the teachers with whom we contracted to…

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Chopin's Raindrop Prelude for dulcimer!

by Steve Eulberg I've always been drawn to this lovely prelude by Frederic Chopin, and being able to arrange it and play it on mountain dulcimer feels awesome! I have been been hard at work filming and editing this lesson for mountain dulcimer players on DulcimerCrossing and am delighted to report that it is finally ready!

Chopin wrote this piece in the key of Dflat, and I am playing it in that key, tuning everything 1/2 step lower to Db-Ab-db, but the musical score is written in the mo…

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Blue Water Thinking

by Linda Ratcliff

Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye. - Dorothy Parker






My husband and I moved this week, and we now live in our RV on Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee. We have a beautiful view of the lake, right out our back window. Actually, we’re parked on a peninsula, so we can see water from every window in the RV.

I began to wonder if the change in scenery would have any impact on my creativity, so I did some research. I found an article about how our surroundings impact creative think…

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Original Music on DulcimerCrossing

by Linda Ratcliff

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.  


Original Tunes by Steve Eulberg

Sometimes we forget to count our blessings.  And one very BIG blessing we have at Dulcimer Crossing is Steve Eulberg.

He is our co-founder, teacher, performing artist, and song-writer.  Several of our lessons feature original tunes by Steve. 
  • Elk in the Meadow
  • Club Footed Jib
  • Blacktail Weasel & the Ground Squirrel Cl…

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Papa-Daughter Concert Window Highlight

by Steve Eulberg

Back when I gave my daughter a Backyard Dulcimer kit for Christmas when she was five, I don't even think I could have imagined the joy that playing a full concert set together would bring to this Papa's heart! Recently we gave an Advent concert on Concert Window and this is the highlight video of one of our family's favorite tunes:  Mary & the Baby (Sweet Lamb)  [My $25 Patrons have access to the entire archive video of the concert on Patreon]

This traditional tune was colle…

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Rich Chords Part 1 & 2

by Linda Ratcliff & Steve Eulberg

Your life will be richer when you use rich chords. - Steve Eulberg

Recently, we uploaded a new series of lessons about how to play Rich Chords on the hammered dulcimer. Rich chords are chords that have other notes added to them, in addition to the 3 notes that go with either the major or the minor chords. To set the stage for building rich chords, in this video Steve begins the series by explaining the basis or construction of major and minor chords.

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Find Somewhere Quiet

by Linda Ratcliff

It is in that quiet place at our center that we hear the whispers of our soul. - Sue Krebs




Find somewhere quiet. This almost seems too obvious to really need to say. But it's important.  Many of you probably have a special room, or your own corner of the living room for practicing your dulcimer. When you have a designated quiet place to practice, you will be less likely to cave in to distractions.

In addition, going to your special practice area helps prepare you mentally for gett…

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Trust Your Practice

by Steve Eulberg While at Camp Kiya at Tehachapi Mountain Park, Steve records the following tip for Habits for Your Healthy Music Habitat.

This is part of a weekly email video benefit that all of our Premium Members at DulcimerCrossing receive.  Subscribe and you can receive it, too!

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How to Practice Smarter, Not Longer

Seek to accomplish more in less time - and have fun doing it. - Linda Ratcliff




We’ve all heard the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” Actually, I’ve been trying to do that all my life - succeeding and making good money with some ideas and losing money in others. But I have never given up. I keep on trying to think up new ways to work smarter.
Work smarter, not harder!
Could we apply this mantra to our music. Most of us don’t need to practice harder - we are already practicing hard enough. But are we making any progres…

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