Workshop Schedule

(Abs. Beginners) This class will get you started with your dulcimer – learning your fretboard, how to place your fingers, a strum or two, and a couple of very beginning tunes. This class includes an extra session to help you tune your instrument. Please include Thursday, 5/13, at 3:30 PDT in your schedule. DAd tuning

(Any Level) Here’s something fun to try. Tune your chromatic 1-3-5 and see what happens. If you like the more exotic chords and want to play them more easily, or if you just like chords and find that there is a bit of hand strain involved especially with your chromatic dulcimer, this is something to try. My chromatic has a very long VSL, (28 inches!) and I love chords, and I’ve experienced left-hand strain even on my short VSL dulcimers. So when I tried this, I was hooked. Let me share with you the simple shapes, none of them more of a stretch than from your diatonic fret 1 to fret 3. I have easy charts to help you. This workshop will work for standard, baritone and ginger chromatic dulcimers. I will let you know what to tune to ahead of time, depending upon your usual tuning.

(Beginner-Intermediate) Find the peaceful side of the dulcimer. Learn how to play slow songs in a smooth and melodic style by plucking the strings one at a time. Learn left and right hand techniques to facilitate smooth playing. Tunes include: “Aura Lee”, “The South Wind”, and other favorites. DAd

Your “Hit Parade” of 1870. These are the tunes some of our Appalachian ancestors played and sang. Learn these beautiful, sometimes haunting, sometimes exciting melodies. The arrangements are for solo/drone and chord/melody style. Chords are included for accompanying or singing along. These are our musical roots. Together, let’s honor our musical heritage!

(Advanced) You will “joyfully” explore the possibilities of a playing 4-Equidistant strung mountain dulcimer. In addition to learning Ode to Joy, you will also explore the beautiful chords that emerge by just playing L-shaped chords in this tuning. You may never go back to playing in just DAd again! Come tuned to DAdd.

(Absolute Beginning) “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start,” says Fraulein Maria in the South of Music. Students will be equipped with hammered dulcimer geography and hands-on hammering to gain deeper understanding of the instrument, how it is laid out and played, so that they can participate in the other workshops in the Gathering.

A wonderful tune to use to work on arpeggios (chords) and how to solve tricky passages to smooth out your playing and help your ‘handing.’ Sheet music and YouTube video links of the tunes played slowly and up to speed will be sent.

Now’s the time to start developing good habits. In this class, we’ll discuss common mistakes newer players (and even some experienced players) make as well as tips on how to practice. In particular, skills will include strumming, fingering, navigating the fretboard, causes of choppy playing, chord repertoire, and so much more. Learn some new songs along the way too!

(Advanced Beginner-Intermediate) Three basic chord shapes to learn – and with them – so many chords to play. Learn how to use the shapes all the way up your fretboard. Knowing your chords allows you to accompany yourself playing chord melody style, accompany singing or accompany another person playing the melody. It is also invaluable for fingerpicking. You will come away with a powerful new tool in your dulcimer bag! Tune DAd.

(Intermediate-Advanced) Expand your repertoire with the music of this amazing 17th century Irish Harper. So many of his tunes are played today. Learn techniques and fingerings to ensure smooth play. Tunes include “Blind Mary”, Bridget Cruise”, and other favorites. DAd

(Intermediate) NO MORE RETUNING! Now you can play minor songs without retuning AND learn how to play songs in different keys such as E minor, G & A major, and A mixolydian. You will leave with Scarborough Faire, Winter Now Has Gone Away, and a round.

Here are the details about the class. Here are the details about the class. Here are the details about the class. Here are the details about the class.

(Advanced) By exploring a fully-fleshed out arrangement of this Shaker tune, we’ll gain and use tools for arranging the music we want to play on the hammered dulcimer. For best results, students will bring a tune that they would like to arrange.

Woody Guthrie said: “Anyone who uses more than two chords is just showing off.” You are going to “show off” by learning 3 basic chords!!! You will learn to recognize the basic shape patterns on the fretboard and practice transitioning from one chord to another in order to smooth out your playing. Come tuned to DAd.

(Intermediate-Advanced) Learn how to add variation to your arrangements by moving the melody to the bass and octave regions of the dulcimer. This keeps your music interesting by not playing the same exact thing over and over and over. Learn how to add interesting introductions and endings. DAd.

(Adv Beg – Int) Using tunes that require hand separation skills in order to play, We’ll explore several exercises that can help us gain comfort, accuracy and agility in developing and honing our hands playing different things at the same time. These exercises can be incorporated into your daily practice, preparing us for Hand Independence, on the way to Hand Interdependence.

(Advanced Beginner and up / DAd Tuning) Learning the notes on the page is only the first step in developing a compelling rendition of a tune. Infusing our music with feeling takes a more subtle approach. This extended workshop highlights a number of beautiful, slower tunes and a series of techniques that we can mix and match to develop heartfelt music. We will explore phrasing, dynamics, left-hand legato techniques, and more. Along the way, we’ll also learn a handful of really pretty songs!

(Intermediate) You are able to play slow songs by plucking the strings, one at a time, and are ready to deepen your skills. Discover left and right hand techniques that facilitate smooth cross-picking and how to accompany others in a group. Tunes include: “Morning Has Broken”, “Danny Boy”, and other favorites. DAd

(limit 12) You CAN write a song. (If my four-year-old granddaughter can do it—so can you!) In this workshop, we will brainstorm how to create original lyrics and then you will create your own original melody to accompany the lyrics. This is a fun, practical, and engaging workshop.