Blog
Benefits and Limitations of Different Tunings on Mountain Dulcimer? Part 1
by Steve Eulberg
So how does one choose between the benefits and the limitations of different tunings when playing mountain dulcimer? To me the most important factors in this decision are:
1) What kind of dulcimer do I have? Is it "traditional" (with no extra frets like 6-1/2 or 1-1/2)?
2) What kind of music do I want to play?
3) In what style do I want to play this music? Do I want to play in the traditional noter or drone style? Do I want to play back-up chords? Do I want to …
Practicing in the Dark
by Linda Ratcliff
I'm spending the winter in sunny California, but I know many of you have been getting hit with some pretty cold weather. Brrrr. That reminds me of the way I used to practice piano. I usually arrived at school, during both my high school and college years, at about 6:30 in the morning, and I always went straight to the practice rooms. Now the school didn't turn on the heaters full blast until about 7:30 a.m., so to challenge myself (and because no one was looking), I would st…
What is Drone Style?
by Steve Eulberg
Once we have learned the melody of a tune we can begin adding notes in order "fill out" the sound of the tune. The easiest way to do this is to play "drone style". This is actually the traditional way to play the old mountain dulcimers which did not have frets that extended all the way across the fretboard, but only were present under the melody strings.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player plays the melody on the string(s) which are required for the melody and simply strums all…
Once we have learned the melody of a tune we can begin adding notes in order "fill out" the sound of the tune. The easiest way to do this is to play "drone style". This is actually the traditional way to play the old mountain dulcimers which did not have frets that extended all the way across the fretboard, but only were present under the melody strings.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player plays the melody on the string(s) which are required for the melody and simply strums all…
Koto--the Japanese Cousin of the Mountain Dulcimer
by Steve Eulberg
I thought I had caught a glimpse of this long, distinctive instrument while passing by one of the Private (Guerilla) Showcases on the music floor of the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, but it wasn't until I was rewarded by meeting its owner in the hall in the early evening (before all the craziness of the late-night schedule of "concertettes" begins) that I was certain.
It WAS a Japanese Koto, in the hands of (and nearly as tall as) a Londoner who, after exploring his music degree…
I thought I had caught a glimpse of this long, distinctive instrument while passing by one of the Private (Guerilla) Showcases on the music floor of the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, but it wasn't until I was rewarded by meeting its owner in the hall in the early evening (before all the craziness of the late-night schedule of "concertettes" begins) that I was certain.It WAS a Japanese Koto, in the hands of (and nearly as tall as) a Londoner who, after exploring his music degree…
What is Melody-Only Style?
by Steve Eulberg
When we are playing the melody of a tune, without adding any chords, bass notes, harmony notes or drones, this is playing our dulcimers like they are melody-only instruments like flutes, trumpets, clarinets or trombones. This way of playing focuses on the melody and doesn't have the distraction of other notes.
On the hammered dulcimer, the player is playing only the melody of the tune.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player is playing on the string(s) which are required for the me…
When we are playing the melody of a tune, without adding any chords, bass notes, harmony notes or drones, this is playing our dulcimers like they are melody-only instruments like flutes, trumpets, clarinets or trombones. This way of playing focuses on the melody and doesn't have the distraction of other notes.
On the hammered dulcimer, the player is playing only the melody of the tune.
On the mountain dulcimer, the player is playing on the string(s) which are required for the me…
New Hammered Dulcimer Instructor!
We are pleased to introduce Bill Robinson our newest Hammered Dulcimer Instructor at DulcimerCrossing.com!
Teaching the Old-Time Tunes...for fiddle!
Part 2 of the Update 
Now you already KNOW that DulcimerCrossing teaches lessons for both kinds of dulcimer, but did you know that the tunes on the Old School Old-Time FiddleWhamdiddle CD are being taught for fiddle players on Vi Wickman and Matthew Hartz's MyTalentForge.com? If you don't play fiddle, please pass this on to your friends who do!
Fiddle Whamdiddle CD Old School Old-Time
Psst...Here is part 1 of the update I promised you.
Vi and I recorded and released a recording of some of our favorite Old-Time tunes in December. Old School Old-Time is what we call it...and we even got to do our photo shoot in the oldest one-room schoolhouse in Larimer County, Colorado--the Upper Box Elder School!
We had a foot-stomping, hootin and hollerin' good time at Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins as a CD Release party, and now we're getting the word out about the CD.
Some people like it b…
Fiddle-Tune-A-Day
Late in 2011, my fiddling pardner, Vi Wickam, committed to filming a Fiddle-Tune-A-Day throughout the year of 2012. 366 days...(it was a leap year!). That's a lot of fiddle tunes! You can see the entire collection on his Youtube Channel (which can be overwhelming)--OR, you can sign up on his email list to get one emailed to you once a day--for a whole year!He played some old chestnuts, he solicited suggestions from people, he paged through Coleman's, he chose some he'd written, he found new e…
Introduction to New Fingerstyle Lessons
Nina Zanetti, the 2008 National Dulcimer Champion, has provided us with a very clear and inspiring lessons on how to get started playing Fingerstyle Mountain Dulcimer.
Here is the Introduction to her Lesson Series on DulcimerCrossing.com:
Here is the Introduction to her Lesson Series on DulcimerCrossing.com:
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