Blog
Music Confounds the Machines
by Steve EulbergFocusing on the challenges that artists face in the current digital and mechanistic day and age, T Bone Burnett gave the keynote address at the AmericanFest in September of this year.
I found these words echoing in my soul:
"Music is to the United States as wine is to France. We have spread our culture all over the world with the soft power of American music. We both have regions- France has Champagne, we have the Mississippi Delta. France has Bordeaux, we have the Appalachian Mo…
I Have to Practice every day...
by Linda Ratcliff
...to play as bad as I do. —Woody Allen
Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg) is a passionate fan of jazz, and jazz music has often been featured prominently in the soundtracks of his movies. He started playing the clarinet when he was a teenager and actually chose his stage name, Woody, after the famous clarinet player Woody Herman.
Woody will be 81 in December, and these days he is performing with the Eddy David New Orleans Jazz Band. They play every Monday night at th…
...to play as bad as I do. —Woody Allen
Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg) is a passionate fan of jazz, and jazz music has often been featured prominently in the soundtracks of his movies. He started playing the clarinet when he was a teenager and actually chose his stage name, Woody, after the famous clarinet player Woody Herman.
Woody will be 81 in December, and these days he is performing with the Eddy David New Orleans Jazz Band. They play every Monday night at th…
Historical Music Printing
by Steve EulbergNow, for a taste of History!
Luís Henriques has posted a terrific video that illustrates and describes the challenge and results of printing music using a printing press in the Renaissance.
Understanding the challenges of musical notation in the printing process can help us better appreciate the tools that are available to us today as we produce original music, arrange music for playing with friends and create tablature to translate our ideas for playing on dulcimers.
Stay tuned for…
Quantity vs. Quality
by Steve Eulberg
Which is more important in art:
We want to have qualities of timbre and phrasing in music, quality of graceful movement in dance, qualities of taste and smell in cooking, qualities of joy and cleverness in humor, qualities of color, depth and placement in visual art.
So, choosing the end goal of this discussion as…
Which is more important in art:
Quantity or Quality?
Very often in the artistic world some believe we have settled this classic debate by choosing the benefits of quality over the benefits of quantity.We want to have qualities of timbre and phrasing in music, quality of graceful movement in dance, qualities of taste and smell in cooking, qualities of joy and cleverness in humor, qualities of color, depth and placement in visual art.So, choosing the end goal of this discussion as…
Sweet Harmonies
by Steve Eulberg We play dulcimers, whose name incorporates the Latin word for "sweet" (dulce). So when I talk about sweet harmonies, in a broad sense, they are the beautiful tunes that we play on our lovely instruments. However, in a more specific way, there are harmonies that reflect the intervals between notes that, at least to Western ears, trained to expect Western harmonies, that are "sweet." The space between two notes that are played simultaneously, or one after the other, is called an …
New Log-In Procedure & FAQs
At DulcimerCrossing we are always trying to improve and reduce confusion that is the friction that can slow down the process of learning music. We have a new log-in procedure that will direct subscribers to choose their level of membership: Basic or Premium with a single log-in button for both. \
In addition, this video is the first of several from our brand new FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions Page) to help our subscribers answer their questions faster so they can spend more time playing dulcim…
What is Your Method of Exercise?
by Steve EulbergI remember the question from the cardiologist I visited on my 33rd birthday.
I was there because my heart was skipping beats periodically and heart disease runs in my family.
After the stress test failed to produce any abnormalities they concluded that the source of this anomaly may be just day-to-day stress, rather than being physical activity-induced.
So their strategy was to be certain that I was building a strong physical system that could withstand the mental, social and emotio…
Don't Marry Your Tablature
by Linda Ratcliff
At jam sessions, I have noticed the tendency for a group to play the same tune through several times, verse after verse after verse. Now, many of you have set up your music stands with your notebook of tablature right in front of you. And I’ve seen you reading your tabs for that tune, over and over and over. Now there’s nothing wrong with that … except … I think it stifles creativity.
My system is to learn the basics of a tune, and then put the sheet music or tablature away. …
At jam sessions, I have noticed the tendency for a group to play the same tune through several times, verse after verse after verse. Now, many of you have set up your music stands with your notebook of tablature right in front of you. And I’ve seen you reading your tabs for that tune, over and over and over. Now there’s nothing wrong with that … except … I think it stifles creativity.
My system is to learn the basics of a tune, and then put the sheet music or tablature away. …
Technology--Tool or Crutch?
By Linda Ratcliff
Technology can be an amazing aid — as long as you don't get too dependent on it.
There are free or low-cost apps you can load on your cell phone and iPad, such as a metronome and a tuner, which are essential tools for practicing.
And, of course, Dulcimer Crossing's online lessons include videos and animations – which make practice time fun.
However, some students are TOO DEPENDENT on the technology aids. They feel discouraged if they can’t play a tune exactly the way it i…
Music is the Best Medicine
by Linda Ratcliff
Researchers at Brunel University in the United Kingdom studied the relationship between music and patients undergoing surgery.
The study followed about 7,000 patients, and discovered that patients who listened to music before and after their surgery recovered more quickly than those who didn’t. In addition, they found that those who listened to music depended less on their painkillers.
So, I am wondering – what about patients who PLAY music?
Could there be an increase in recove…
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