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Using the Capo
The Capo is a tool used by players of many fretted instruments and it is also useful for playing the Mountain Dulcimer! In this new lesson series, Steve Eulberg demonstrates how to make the best use of the capo on your dulcimer in different tunings. (DAA, DAd)
Sign up and you can see how to make better use of this important tool!
If you'd like to purchase a capo for your mountain dulcimer, try here.
Here is our Wednesday Livestream Discussion about Using Capos (available to our Workshop & Me…
Standard Definition Now an Option!
While traveling across the country and talking with several subscribers, however, Steve has heard stories from patient (as well as frustrated) subscribers whose internet connections will not permit the videos to load in a timely manner.
With the project of re-rending all of the videos on our site and moving them to a new host, we have uncovered a solution that is helping these subs…
Last Day to Sign up and Save!
Today is the final day of our Back-To-School-Special, which saves you $21 off of our regular low rate of 67¢ a day for full access, all of the time to all of our lessons!
If you've been thinking that you want to get better at playing your dulcimer (either mountain or hammered!) our supportive and knowledgeable instructors may be just the tool you need to help you take your music from where you are to where you want it to grow!
Click here before Midnight and get your access for just 53¢ a day!
The Right Hand Fingerstyle Technique of David Massengill
by Steve Eulberg At the Gebhard Woods Festival I was given a tutorial by David Massengill about his right hand finger-style technique for playing mountain dulcimer. Take a look!
There are many different styles of playing our beloved instruments and being able to witness the variety always inspires my creativity!
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 …
David Massengill and Reverse Ionian Tuning
by Steve Eulberg On the road as part of my country-crossing-summer-tour, I got to visit with David Massengill at the Gebhard Woods Festival in Morris, Illinois in June. David has a long history with the mountain dulcimer and developed some playing styles that pre-date the 6-1/2 fret, DAd world that has been more common since the instrument was brought in from the "free-range." Here he demonstrates the beautiful of what he calls "Reverse Ionian Tuning". 5 - 1 - 5 are the relationships between…
Introducing our newest Guest Instructor: Butch Ross
DulcimerCrossing is excited to have Butch Ross teaching on our site. He introduces himself and his lessons in this video:
Check out some of his lessons here: Right Hand Technique
Internal Metronome
Some Copyright Issues for Dulcimer Players of Music
by Steve Eulberg
May I offer a few musings on a recent conversation that has been seeded and is taking root in my brain?
Like many dulcimer players, I am just giddy when I discover that I can quickly play my favorite Jim Croce or John Denver, or Elton John or Blood Sweat and Tears tunes on the dulcimer I love! And....I get very confused when I am told that I have to respect copyrights when I want to share this music with others.
Copyright Laws were created to protect the intellectual property…
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…
Traditional Noter and Drone Style Lessons
by Linda Ratcliff
Traditional Noter Style
Many mountain dulcimer players play their instruments by pressing the fatty pads of their fingertips down on the strings to create the different notes. But there is another option. The traditional, old-time way of playing a mountain dulcimer is to use a noter. Your noter can be anything from the broad side of a popsicle stick to a wooden dowel - or anything around the house that can be used to press down on the strings. In this series of 14 videos, St…
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