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What Do I Want to Accomplish Today?
by Linda Ratcliff
Sometimes I practice from a list. For example, right now every chance I get, I am playing through all the patriotic tunes I know – since the 4th of July is right around the corner.
However, just playing through my list isn't the same thing as practicing.
Before I begin to practice, I need to think more about what I want to accomplish with my limited practice time.
Maybe I should focus more on the patriotic tune I find the hardest, breaking it down line by line.
Maybe I should …
New Video Explains DulcimerCrossing
We are excited to unveil a new 30 second explanation of what DulcimerCrossing is all about! Watch below:
Click here to join today! Spread the news! Like this video using the heart icon. Share this video with your friends using the little paper airplane icon.
[note: this is an historical video, our website looks differently today.]
Introducing a New Instructor!
DulcimerCrossing is excited to welcome Aubrey Atwater 
(of Atwater-Donnelly) to the instructional team. Aubrey teaches mountain dulcimer, from the Jean Ritchie family tradition. Visit the Teacher Page and watch her introduction video. Or, visit the Live Events page and watch the highlight video of her recent Premium Concert Window Show. Subscribe here, to have access to all of her lessons!
Neal Hellman Featured in Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast
Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich host this informative conversation with players of the mountain dulcimer across the country and across genres. This edition features samples of music from several of Steve's recordings:
Neal Hellman has played the mountain dulcimer for more than 40 years and is the founder, director, and one of the primary artists on the Gourd Music record label. Gourd Music recordings ar…
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast
Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich host this informative conversation with players of the mountain dulcimer across the country and across genres. This edition features samples of music from several of Steve's recordings:
Music: • Black Tail Weasel from the CD Old School Old Time (2012) • Spotted Pony from the CD Old School Old Time (2012) • Dancing with Wu-Li from the CD I Celebrate Life! (2005) • Seto…
Playing with a Backing Track
Steve Eulberg demonstrates the beginning of a new Lesson Series at DulcimerCrossing.com: Playing Mountain Dulcimer with a Blues Backing Track.
He will demonstrate the Pentatonic Minor Box and how to move it around the fretboard to find the notes that will work for playing Blues in the key of E on an instrument tuned to DAd. (He also describes this process in his book, Playing Blues on the Mountain Dulcimer, which is available for sale on his website here: OR, Free to his Patrons on Pa…
Backing Tracks Library
Here is a view of the new Backing Tracks Library which is a resource at DulcimerCrossing.com for Premium Members. Backing tracks are a way to play along with a "band" while not having to worry about any egos (yours or theirs!) or other people who are going to get knocked off track when you make an error. (You'll notice I didn't say "if"!) Steve uses these to get comfortable making and recovering from the errors and slips that inevitably come when playing music. And sometimes, these "happy acci…
Scenes from the 28th CWA Congress
The Cimbalom World Association (CWA) held its 28th Congress in the UK, sponsored by the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club. This gathering brings players of hammered dulcimers, yangqin, cimbalom, hackbrett, salterio and santurs together for what one can imagine is an amazing musical time!
The 2017 CWA Gathering will be held in the Slovak Republic (formerly Slovakia, part of Czechoslavakia).
Here are concert highlights fro…
Habits From The Muse
The Music Lesson by Steve Eulberg This new promised resource is now available to you here! Habits from the Muse is a short, weekly email sent to your in-box, with ideas, suggestions and tidbits we've collected to help support your daily practice of music. We all know that habits come from repetition and that habits, once set, are hard to break. Our intention is to help you set some good habits in place, habits to help you make progress toward your musical goals! Sign up here (We don't share you…
DulcimerCrossing Live Event Concert Window Highlight
We are starting a NEW thing in 2016! [NOTE: this is an historical post. The Live Events are still happening as Live Workshops and are archived on our Live Events page. 4.16.22]
LIVE EVENTS from our Instructors and other Mentors. Last night our co-founder, Steve Eulberg, offered the Inaugural DulcimerCrossing Live Event using the ConcertWindow.com Platform. Below is a Highlight Video from that show. We will be offering these Live Events on a Quarterly Basis for our Basic Membership level.
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