What is my skill level?
Newer players, especially, are uncertain about their skill level. To help you decide, here are some basic definitions. Instruction level is indicated for each workshop to help you choose the ones best suited to your skill level.
Beginner: You are new to the mountain dulcimer, are just beginning to learn, or have not played in years. You may need help learning to tune or play basic tunes.
Novice: You can read basic tablature and play a number of easy tunes. You are learning to create chords and are comfortable playing at a slower speed.
Intermediate: You can read and follow tablature, know how and when to use both hammer-ons and pull-offs, and can play songs up to speed. You are learning more complex chords, how to use a capo, flatpicking, and arpeggios.
Advanced: You know the dulcimer well, and can play in different styles and tunings. You are interested in learning new or unusual styles and arrangements, and are ready for more challenging techniques.
All Levels: Suitable for beginner through advanced players.
What tunings will I need for workshops?
Tuning is DAD except for a few workshops where instructors have indicated a different tuning in the listing below.
Workshop descriptions are below. You may also download and print a copy of this information.
Workshops by Laurie Alsobrook
Round and Round – Novice
Virtual Rounds? Yes! “Round-out” your dulcimer repertoire as we explore the beautiful harmonies that are experienced in playing rounds. So that we can actually hear how it all goes together, I record one part and then play the second part live. You provide the third voice.
New Tuning for Old Tunes — Intermediate
With a change in tuning, an old familiar tune transforms into something hauntingly beautiful. Ears will perk as you shake up these old chestnuts. “Whiskey Before Breakfast” in DAC? Just wait ‘til you hear it!
Fun Fiddle Favorites in A — Intermediate
Have you ever sat in an old-time jam filled with fiddles? It’s a quick way to discover that tunes you have played comfortably in D, actually have another home. Let’s learn a few fiddle tunes and discover why playing in A is addicting. Soon you’ll want to play everything at capo four! Please bring your capo, by the way!
Whiskey…your choice! — Novice and up
What can we do with the tune “Whiskey Before Breakfast?” Plenty! We’ll play the in it’s usual form and then start to play with it. Imagine it as an Irish air, as a waltz, and in a minor key. Let’s have fun!
Two Songs in One — Novice
What happens when we play two totally different tunes at the same time? Instant harmony! Come and watch the magic happen!
Slaw Down! — Novice
Take a tune you already know, turn it into a waltz, and make it your own! This class will give you 3/4 strumming techniques to put into your toolbox for playing waltzes beautifully.
Stephen Foster Favorites — Novice and up We are all charmed by Stephen Foster’s enduring melodies that have been with us for generations. This workshop presents a few of my favorites – from fiddle tunes, to waltzes, to lovely songs with haunting lyrics.
Taize — Intermediate and Up
Not familiar with Taize worship music? Originally from a monastery in France, these peaceful, meditative songs can enhance any worship service OR simply be enjoyed at any time. Short songs, repeated again and again, give it a meditative character.
Workshops by Aubrey Atwater
Demystifying the “Slap Strum” and other Fascinating Rhythms — Intermediate and up
Using several songs, participants will learn Aubrey’s percussive slap strum, as well as a few patterns and variations with additional ways to mute strings, rest, syncopate, and strum the “air!”
Using the Dulcimer as a Harmony Voice — Intermediate and up
Aubrey will share what she has learned over the years from Jean Ritchie: creating a second voice with the dulcimer while singing. Please have a noter on hand.
A Study in D-G-D: Explore the wonders of this stunning reverse tuning — Intermediate and up
We will cover four songs:The Conscript’s Departure, A Country Life, The Devil and the Farmer’s Wife, and As I Roved Out.
Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You”and “All I Want” — Intermediate and up
A fascinating examination of two of Joni Mitchell’s magnificent songs. We will explore her beautiful lyrics, tunings, chord shapes, irregular rhythms and phrasings, and her evolving renditions of these songs over time. Focus will be on the 1971 versions on her seminal album, Blue.
“Kinlock of Kinlock”: Flatpicking for the First Time — Advanced Beginner / Intermediate and up
Aubrey will provide an arrangement for the traditional Scottish jig, “Kinlock of Kinlock” and give important tips on alternating the direction of the flatpick, fingering, timing, tempo, and feel. We will also discuss the functionality of this type of tune, traditionally used for dancing, and the far reaches of this framework in Celtic and American music. Be sure to have a flatpick.
Freestyle Flatfoot Clogging — All Levels, All Ages
This is a nice physical break from the sitting and information-absorbing in a festival! Clogging is a percussive form of dance that precedes tap dancing, with rhythmic tapping of the feet, traditionally danced to old-time fiddle tunes. Aubrey will teach simple clogging (also known as flatfooting, jigdancing, or buckdancing) steps learned from a variety of sources in Appalachia and beyond.
Workshops by Joe Collins
Accidental Instrumentals — Advanced
Are you a pretty good player and need some challenging tunes to stretch your skill level. This is a class of tunes not normally heard on the mountain dulcimer because of accidentals, those pesky notes for which there are no frets on the mountain dulcimer tuned in DAd or for which transitions to those notes are somewhat challenging. We’ll learn and practice some techniques that make these types of songs accessible on your dulcimer.
Combining Your Picking & Strumming — Intermediate & Above
This workshop will focus on picking out the melody in between and in combination with the strums that give body to arrangements. We’ll use exercises to develop effective strum/flatpicking technique and two tunes to incorporate the technique, an original waltz and a challenging O’Carolan piece entitled “Lord Inchiquin.”
Designing a Medley for the Mountain Dulcimer — Intermediate & up
This workshop looks at the basics of creating a musical arrangement from various melodies or parts of a melody. It covers choosing the right melodies for a medley and transitioning between melodies when they differ in timing, tempo, or key (especially from major to minor keys).
Celtic Harp Tunes — Novice & up
Beautiful, lilting melodies from Celtic lands that really sound good on a dulcimer, including “Fairy Dance,” “Blind Mary,” and others.
Hymns of Charles Wesley — Novice & up
A repertoire workshop of hymns written by Charles Wesley, the most prolific hymn writer of his day. While his brother John is considered the father of the Methodist Movement, Charles composed thousands of songs used in that movement. Includes “And Can It Be,” “Love Divine All Loves Excelling,” “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,” and others.
Hymns of Fanny Crosby — Novice & up
A repertoire workshop of America’s most famous and prolific hymn writers, with 9000 hymns to her credit. Like the great poets Homer and Milton, this great poet of America was also blind.
Lullabies from Around the World — Advanced Beginner & up
Want to put a small child to sleep. These lullabies may be just what you need! Appropriate for parents, grandparents, and older siblings to learn. The tunes can also be used to help anyone chill out and relax.
Slow Celtic Tunes – Vol. 1 — Novice and up
Some beautiful, easy paced tunes like “Annie Laurie,” “All Through the Night,” “Bonnie Doon,” and others from the Celtic Tradition.
Hymns of Fanny Power for Beginners
A repertoire workshop designed for inexperienced players. This is a simpler version of the one offered by Joe during Session. Fanny Crosby was one of America’s most famous and prolific hymn writers, with 9000 hymns to her credit. Like the great poets Homer and Milton, this great poet of America was also blind.
Workshops by Linda Weber Collins
Start Well: Ergonomics and More – Beginner Level – DAd tuning
Let’s begin with a playing position that is comfortable and helps keep you injury free. Learn right and left hand “neutral position,” basic strumming and fingering and how to read TAB. Play fun, easy tunes.
Irish Songs to Play and/or Sing – Novice Level – DAd tuning
Learn to play traditional Irish songs that are popular in singing pubs in Ireland (for when we can travel again!) Singing is not required.
Celtic Music around the World – Intermediate Level – DAd Tuning
This workshop features beautiful Celtic tunes, both familiar and new, from Linda’s recent research. Celtic peoples have settled in many places in the world. We explore how their music reflects where they came from as well as where they landed.
Angled Strums – Intermediate Level – DAd Tuning
Useful for bringing out a melody or a bassline, angled strums make arrangements shine! They are not picked notes, but targeted forearm strums that are easily added at any tempo, without changing one’s strumming pattern. Have a CD or DVD case handy.
Tunes from the Scottish Isles – Intermediate/Advanced Level – DAd Tuning
An attendee favorite. Discover the haunting, lilting tunes of various Scottish isles, played in several keys without retuning or using a capo. So refreshing to the ear!
Arrange Music using Dulcimer-specific Chord Theory – Intermediate/Advanced Level – DAd Tuning
Using Linda’s custom chord charts, plan arrangements that enhance the melody. Then use them to create duet parts for provided TAB.
Workshops by Elwood Donnelly
Chording, Strumming Fingerpicking AND Singing:
Participants will learn basic chords for the D-A-D Mixolydian tuning and how to strum accompanying rhythms while singing and playing at the same time! We will also learn finger-picking patterns in 4/4 and ¾ time signatures, using some of Elwood’s favorite traditional ballads. Bring a flatpick and fingerpicks.
Songs of the Carter Family
Discover the wonders of this early pioneering American country music group. Using songs from Elwood’s book: Such Singing You Will Hear – 35 Songs of the Carter Family. Participants will use the noting stick, chords and fingerpicking styles in D-A-D, in order to build a repertoire of these glorious songs. Bring a noting stick, flatpick and fingerpicks.
Coping in a Jam Session
Learn to address various ways a mountain dulcimer player might deal with key changes typical to a multi-instrument jam session; the focus here on learning I, IV, V chords in different keys without retuning from D-A-D. We will experiment with these challenges while learning songs and tunes. Bring a capo
Writing Your Own Tab in D-A-D
If you ever wanted to uncover the mystery of tabbing your favorite songs by hand, this workshop is designed to teach just that. We will first tab the melody of a song, then determine the main chords and their positions. Finally, we will turn each note into its own special chord until the song is completely tabbed to our pleasing. Bring a pencil.
Workshops by Sam Edelston
Playing in G and C with a 1½ Fret — Intermediate
You already know the basics with your 1+ Fret. For rock and pop music, it gives you much more than just basic C, F, G7, and D7 chords. We’ll use it to rock out with some of the chords and chord progressions, and some of the riffs, that your 1+ fret makes possible. DAD tuning. Suitable for Intermediates and higher.*** This can be adapted for Have-Nots. In that case, specify that participants will need a capo.
Even Dulcimists Get the Blues — Intermediate/Advanced
Playing good, spirited blues on dulcimer requires some different techniques than normal American and British Isles folk music. We’ll go through the 12-bar blues chord progression, but we’ll also hit some bluesy licks and bends, edgier chords, and generally playing with feeling. If you have a dulcimer with a 1+ fret, bring it, and we can spend some time talking about that, too (though you’ll be fine if you don’t have one). DAD
Chord Cadences — Intermediate/Advanced
The most useful thing I got out of 5 years of piano lessons was the concept of chord progressions, or cadences. By the time I started playing guitar (and other instruments), this had taught me to understand the structure of songs. It’s a powerful tool for understanding songs on the dulcimer.
Country Music — Beginner
To repurpose an old line from Loretta Lynn, “When you’re lookin’ at dulcimers, you’re lookin’ and country.” Y’all will pick up some easy licks, fills, and backup ideas that will be useful even if Nashville isn’t normally your style.
Easy Chords: How to Play 1,000 Songs — Beginner
Yes, really! When you’re comfortable playing just a few basic chords, you can do tons of songs.
Led Zeppelin: Blues With A Stack Of Marshalls
Jimmy Page & company had a big blues streak. In fact, they borrowed a number of songs from Willie Dixon, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and others – sometimes giving credit, and sometimes not. We’ll look at some of the songs they borrowed from, what they did with them, and how you can adapt them to the dulcimer. We’ll be playing unplugged, but bring a capo.
Many Ways to Sound Good — Beginner
We’ll use a well-known, easy-to-play song as a vehicle to teach several options for strumming, fretting, making it sound more musical, and making any song more interesting. Along with some basics, we’ll touch on simple chords, simple harmony, and even how to get a traditional-style dulcimer sound. DAD tuning.
Playing Fills (or, Filling the Times Between Melody Lines) — Intermediate or Advanced/Intermediate
This is useful in songs with long pauses in the melody … or in a jam where everyone is playing the melody or chords. One special contribution you can add is “fills” in between the phrases. We’ll examine several ways you can add extra interest in those spaces. And – one great thing about being online – everybody will have plenty of opportunity to try things for themselves! “Extra” frets will be welcome, but not needed.
Workshops by Bing Futch
The Magic of Inversions — Intermediate
One of the nicest things about DAD (1-5-8) tuning is the ability to easily invert chords to change the way they sound. But inversions are also excellent shapes to know for the purpose of percolating melodies and lovely descending bass lines. You’ll learn three basic shapes and then, through exercises, learn how to harness the hidden power of the inversion and add great expression and colors to your playing
Crooked Fiddle Tunes: Crookednado! — Beginner/Intermediate
And if you get that reference, then you’re probably twisted enough to enjoy this workshop featuring a whole bunch of crooked fiddle tunes. A tune is “crooked” if it has uneven beats and/or measures, so it’s not “squared.” Crooked tunes have an appealingly janky sound and have been described as “instinctively right, not technically right”, so come join us for a bunch of fun, addictive, off-kilter jams!
Fingerpickin’ Good — Intermediate
Once you’ve gained some experience with flatpicking, you’ll want to broaden your musical horizons and begin to explore fingerpicking. We’ll use some pretty tunes that sound great when fingerpicked and I’ll show you some patterns for each song you play. We’ll also get into some techniques that will help you put a “pinch” of pizzaz in your songs
Key Changes Made Easy! — Intermediate
Key changes are an exciting element of music and you don’t need a chromatic instrument to make them happen! Taking a simple tune in one key and then switching keys somewhere in the song is a fabulous way of adding depth, complexity and emotion to your playing. We’ll look at the so-called “truck-driver modulation” and the “parallel modulation”, but will focus mainly on the stealthy “pivot chord modulation” for changing keys mid-song. You will need a 1+ fret for this workshop and a capo!
A Pick Is Worth A Thousand Notes — Beginner/Intermediate
Once you’ve strummed and strummed the dulcimer, there is only one place to go and that’s into the world of flatpicking. Picking one note at a time can create beautiful cascades of chords or flash a hot lick with a Nashville twang. Mixed together with strumming, it’s the next step in your evolutionary journey with the mountain dulcimer. We’ll cover proper pick selection and usage.
“Hallelujah: A Study In Song” — Beginner/Intermediate
Have a blast in this classic workshop that builds Leonard Cohen’s haunting masterpiece “Hallelujah” from single melody plucked on the mountain dulcimer to adding, bit by bit, chords, harmonies, arpeggios and strums. We’ll also learn how to “feel” the song, which is so important for any piece of music, but especially this piece!
The Secret to Chord Melody Style — Intermediate/Advanced
There is a secret to creating a compelling arrangement on the mountain dulcimer. It involves keeping the melody as the focus while still allowing for dynamics of countermelody and rhythm. In this workshop, you will learn how to take a simple melody into a full-fledged arrangement.
Delta Blues — All Skill Levels
2016 International Blues Challenge Finalist Bing Futch offers up this fun and fascinating class on playing authentic Mississippi Delta Blues on the mountain dulcimer. Three chords and heartbeat rhythms lead to us adding layer upon layer of new elements, all while strumming and playing the blues! Bing won the “Best Guitarist” award in the solo-duo category at the International Blues Challenge while playing the mountain dulcimer!
Workshops by Judy House
About that Strum — Advanced Beginner & up
In this workshop we will concentrate on your right hand – what it’s doing and how it’s doing it! Then we’ll take a look at what else it can be doing to make your music more smooth and interesting. Come learn several strum techniques and how to incorporate them into your music to make it more rhythmic and beautiful.
Introduction to Jamming — Beginner and up
If you are new to playing the dulcimer or new to jamming, come join in the fun! We will be learning what it means to “jam”, jam etiquette, basic songs you should know in order to join others in a jam, and have loads and loads of fun and laughs too! I hope to see you there!
Lending Support by Playing Backup — Advanced Beginner and up
Learning to play back-up chords is great fun. It adds another dimension to the sound of your group. It is also handy to help you participate in a group when you don’t know the song! Plus, if you ever want to sing with your dulcimer, you will want to know how to do this! Come learn some great backup techniques for supporting your group or yourself!
Multi-Part Arrangements — All Levels
Playing with a group requires additional skills along with those used when we play alone. Playing in a group where there are several different parts can even be more nerve-racking, but fun at the same time, not to mention more full and beautiful. In this workshop, we will talk about how to accomplish this and what skills we need to implement it. We will work on 2 or 3 songs with 3 to 6 parts. Bring your standard instrument as well as bass, baritone and/or Ginger to join in.
Keys to the Kingdom — Advanced Beginner and up
We often learn how to use a capo and are told where to put it. But, have you ever wished you knew how to play a D song in another key without retuning your dulcimer? In this class we will experiment with capo placement, look for fretboard patterns, and identify major and minor tunes with our ear by using some very familiar tunes written in D. Come get your Keys to the Kingdom! And….Be sure you bring your capo!
Hand Exercises for Musicians’ Fingers, Thumbs, and Hands
As we age, we often begin to have issues with our hands and fingers! I often get asked what one can do to help with hand problems. In this workshop, I have several warm-up exercises to strengthen fingers, increase range of motion, improve flexibility, help with pain and/or stiffness, and help for the thumb. Another problem I often encounter especially with beginners is small hands and dulcimers that are too large, so I am offering an exercise to help stretch your fingers.
Improving your Fingering — Advanced Beginner and up
All hands are different, but if you find a fingering system that works, you should stick to it! Developing a fingering system often feels awkward at first, because you aren’t used to it, but with time and practice, it will become a habit. Come take a look at some various fingering ideas and start developing your personal system today!
Use your Pick for Something Besides Strumming!
An Introduction to Flatpicking — Advanced Beginner and up
When we begin to learn how to play the dulcimer, most of us learn to strum across all strings by fretting one string and letting the other strings drone. Once you have learned to play by fretting all 3 strings, there is another beautiful way to play those slower songs. This is what we call playing arpeggios (also known as flatpicking). In this workshop, I will teach how to take a chord and play it by picking one string at a time, and I will show you how to do this in an easy sequence to help with your timing. After we’ve practiced a bit, we will take some well-known chord-melody tunes and learn how to convert them painlessly into beautiful arpeggiated music. After that, the sky is the limit!
Workshops by Kirk House
Introduction to Bass Dulcimer (Bass Dulcimer 101) — Beginner (but not new to playing the dulcimer)
This class will provide an introduction to playing the bass dulcimer. It is designed for students who are new at playing the bass dulcimer (but who have had some experience playing a standard dulcimer); it is also appropriate for anyone just thinking about learning the bass dulcimer, or is otherwise interested. It is not necessary to bring a bass dulcimer to class if you don’t have one already; all of the exercises can be done on a standard dulcimer, tuned to DAD.
We will cover fundamental principles of playing bass dulcimer “as a bass” – beginning with understanding common rhythms used in Old-Time and Bluegrass songs. We will learn how the bass player’s line is built upon chord structure (root / fifth), and how to find those notes on the dulcimer fretboard. We will also do some “ear training” exercises, to help learn to recognize when chord changes occur in a song. Can you play chords with the bass dulcimer? We will use a variety of instructional resources to answer that question, and more, as we accomplish our class goals.
This class will dovetail nicely into the next Bass Dulcimer class in the series that I teach (Bass Dulcimer 102), but it is not necessary to take both classes; each class is complete in itself. Also: a 1.5 fret is not mandatory but is highly recommended.
Some useful techniques for the advancing beginner in Bass Dulcimer (Bass Dulcimer 102) — Advancing beginner
This class will dovetail nicely into the first Bass Dulcimer class in the series I teach (Bass Dulcimer 101); but each class is complete in itself (i.e., you do not have to take the first class if you already know the basics of playing bass).
In this class we will explore additional rhythms, beyond playing the basic “1st and 3rd” beats in 4/4 time. In particular we will look at how to play bass in 3/4 time (waltzes) and 6/8 time.
We will also briefly touch on the following three topics (but see note below):
- The role of the bass player as “time-keeper” in the band; some ways to develop your own time-keeping ability.
- Introduction to the basics of how to write your own bass lines, for songs you don’t have “tab” for.
- (if time permits) Playing blues rhythms on the bass.
(Note: Each of the these three topics are explored in more detail in separate courses in my series: Bass Dulcimer 201, 202, and 203.)
If you do not have a bass dulcimer at this point, you are welcome to join the class using a standard dulcimer, tuned to DAD. Also, a 1.5 fret is not mandatory but is highly recommended.
Bass Dulcimer 203: Common riffs that I use when playing bass, and where to use them — Intermediate and up
This workshop will focus on “walking bass” patterns – both short/simple and longer. Put these into your toolbox and know when to pull them out.
Bass Dulcimer 302: Playing in the box on the bass dulcimer – how to improvise using the pentatonic scale — Intermediate and up
This workshop will explore a technique known to guitarists as ‘playing in the box’; it was used almost exclusively by the great bluesman B.B. King, as well as many others. We will learn what the pentatonic scale is, and where it lies on the dulcimer fretboard.
Why YOU should be a bass dulcimer player! – All Levels
This workshop is based on two foundational principles that I stress to my bass dulcimer students; but they are skills that any musician should have (and can probably improve on). The first is maintaining a good sense of rhythm; the second is developing and improving your ‘ear’ skills (hearing chord changes, identifying ‘intervals’ between pitches). We will discuss techniques and practice tips that will help you improve these skills.
Multi-Part Arrangements – All Levels
Playing with a group requires additional skills along with those used when we play alone. Playing in a group, where there are several different parts, can even be nerve-wracking, but fun at the same time – not to mention more full and beautiful. In this workshop, we will talk about how to accomplish this and what skills we need to implement it. We will work on 2 or 3 songs with 3 to 6 parts. Bring your standard instrument as well as bass, baritone and/or Ginger to join in.
Workshops by Sarah Kate Morgan
Instant Variations for New Players — Novice
I’ll be sharing a simple tune, then showing you at least 7 ways to instantaneously add variation and make it your own, no hours of laborious practice needed. These techniques can be applied to any tune, not just the one we learn in class. DAD tuning.
Kentucky Fiddle Tunes — Upper Intermediate
We’ll learn a set of two fiddle tunes from the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. These tunes are not often played in mountain dulcimer circles but are really fun to play and catchy. Be prepared to play in both DAD and other tunings (I’ll walk you through the retuning process) and have a capo handy.
Playing Melodies All Over the Fretboard I — Intermediate
One of the most musically interesting things you can do to advance your playing and understanding of the dulcimer is be able to transfer melodies to multiple different locations on the fretboard. We’ll start by mapping out a couple melodic “zones” on the fretboard. Then we’ll take a simple fiddle tune on the melody string and translate it to many other locations. This is a repeated class from QuarenTune 1.0; I’ll be teaching the same concepts and different tunes. DAD tuning.
Approaches to Improvisation — Advanced
I wanna show you how to loosen up and liven up your playing. I’m gonna give you the tools to be able to make up interesting and musical things on the fly. We’ll start with learning two ways I approach improvisation. Then I’ll be teaching a simple tune with lots of room to experiment, then using these approaches to improvise within the structure of the tune. Knowledge of chords and/or chord shapes will be very helpful for the class. DAD tuning.
Goodbye Honey I’m Gone — Intermediate/Advanced
This is a really weird, crooked, and fun tune in the unusual key of Gm. From the playing of Eastern Ky fiddler, George Lee Hawkins. CGC, capo needed.
Learn the Tune, “Road to Maysville”
Practice Drills to Improve Your Skills — Intermediate/Advanced
Instead of learning tunes, in this workshop I’ll share a variety of drills that you can incorporate into your practice. I’ve designed these 6 drills to help with issues like finger dexterity and choice, flatpicking speed and accuracy, and right and left hand connection. DAD tuning.
Workshops by Butch Ross
Chopsticks — Intermediate and up
Yes, that same beginner piano song. easy on piano, not so much on the dulcimer. We’ll be using it as a springboard to fun and unique concepts using both left and right hand techniques. Everything from the fun and easy ideas to truly insane and ill-advised ideas.
Thinking Outside the Hourglass — Intermediate/Advanced
Learn how to take traditional tunes and turn them on their heads. Or adapt non-traditional songs into dulcimer tunes. Find the hidden beauty in contemporary tunes. Students learn Chord Substitution, Adaptation, Re-harmonization, time signatures and how to abuse them.
Rhythms Beyond 4/4 -—Advanced beginner and up
An exploration of the rhythms that exist beyond common 4/4 time. Jigs, Hornpipes, Bluesy shuffles and even odd time signatures will be explored.
Weird Tunings — Beginner/Intermediate and up
An exploration of unusual, but really useful tunings. Incl. Bagpipe and 1-3-5 tunings. New strings STRONGLY suggested.
Flat pick, Strum, Half-Strum — Intermediate and up
Basically, everything you need to know to develop a solid and great sounding strum hand.
The Right Stuff — Beginner/Intermediate or all levels
Unless you’re a southpaw, you’ll be using your left hand for drinking coffee in this workshop. We’ll be concentrating on the right-hand fundamentals, rhythm, strumming, accented rhythms, and dynamics.
Almost Crooked Tunes — Novice to Intermediate
Crooked tunes are a fun part of old-time music, but can be tricky to play (that’s part of what makes ’em fun) This tune isn’t really crooked, but ain’t quite “square” either.
Songs of the 60’s — Novice and up
They say if you remember the 60s you weren’t there. That’s ok though, we’ll have the tab. Some singing, some chord melody, all fun. Bring a capo
Ukulele Workshop
“UKE” can play the Ukulele
The hardest part about learning the Ukulele is spelling it right. In this from-the-ground-up class we’ll learn the basics of strumming and fingering chords, as well as learning how to integrate your new found skill to play with your group, in jam sessions and even your significant other.
Workshops by Susan Trump
Niel Gow (1727–1807) was the most famous Scottish fiddler of the eighteenth century. Between him and his son Nathaniel, they composed approximately 300 lovely dance tunes.I think of him as the Scottish O’Carolan. DAD Tuning, maybe a capo.
Hornpipes — Intermediate/Advanced
That lovely step-hop rhythm makes hornpipes some of my favorites to play (and they don’t go too fast!) Learn the right hand technique you’ll need to enjoy them too. DAD tuning, New Repertoire for Dutchland ’21.
Understanding Hammer-ons, Pull-offs and Slides — Advanced Beginner/ Intermediate
These techniques can add some zip to your playing. We’ll work on the “how to’s” and then apply them in a few pieces. You’ll be surprised at how easy it can be, and what fun you’ll have! DAD Tuning
Chords, Shapes and Fingerings Made Easy! — Advanced Beginner
Look at chords in a new way. Recognizing shapes and “partner” shapes will help you discover the best fingerings to use as you move from one chord to another and make learning new songs a snap! DAD Tuning
Music from the Muse – Susan’s Originals — Intermediate
In the thirty years I’ve been playing, sometimes tunes just seem to fall out of the dulcimer. Several have been included in the Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer CD series. They are fun to play and I’d like to share them. DAD Tuning
Whiskey Songs — Intermediate/Advanced
Niel Gow’s “Farewell to Whiskey,” O’Carolan’s “Ode to Whiskey,” “Whiskey in the Jar.”This is a wonderful topic for these times. You don’t have to drink it to play these tunes and feel good.
DAD Tuning
NEW – Sea Shanties — Intermediate
These robust work songs have strong rhythms are great fun to play on the dulcimer. We’ll learn a few and the history behind these songs of the sea.DAD Tuning, and maybe a capo.