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hammered dulcimer
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!
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…
Don't Miss the Bus! Back to School Special
SAVE! You don't need new school clothes if you are choosing our homeschool method of dulcimer learning at www.dulcimercrossing.com! And with our Back to School Special (Aug 24-Sept 2), you can save even more AND build your dulcimer skills!
Bridging the Gap between
what you know
and where you want
Your Music to go!
Technique or Repertoire?
by Steve Eulberg
Here is the chicken-or-egg question, regardless of whether one is a student or a teacher.
Which is more important in learning to play an instrument: Technique or Repertoire?
Both are necessary, of course, but how would you answer the question?
Perhaps one of these phrases describes you as a Student, whether you are working with a private instructor, or making workshop decisions when you attend a festival:
Student A: "Tunes! There are so many tunes! I want to learn to play them al…
Here is the chicken-or-egg question, regardless of whether one is a student or a teacher.
Which is more important in learning to play an instrument: Technique or Repertoire?
Both are necessary, of course, but how would you answer the question?
Perhaps one of these phrases describes you as a Student, whether you are working with a private instructor, or making workshop decisions when you attend a festival:
Student A: "Tunes! There are so many tunes! I want to learn to play them al…
Playing Authentic and Plagal Tunes
by Steve Eulberg
Here are two words that may be unfamiliar to you, but which I find most helpful for determining where to look to play tunes on both mountain and hammered dulcimers: Authentic and Plagal. (for more on Plagal, see below)
Authentic Tunes are those whose notes are generally found between Do and the octave do.
Plagal Tunes (in a use of the term by ethnomusicicologists) are those which are centered on Do, from Sol below Do to sol above Do. This is illustrated by the chart below:
Here are two words that may be unfamiliar to you, but which I find most helpful for determining where to look to play tunes on both mountain and hammered dulcimers: Authentic and Plagal. (for more on Plagal, see below)
Authentic Tunes are those whose notes are generally found between Do and the octave do.
Plagal Tunes (in a use of the term by ethnomusicicologists) are those which are centered on Do, from Sol below Do to sol above Do. This is illustrated by the chart below:
Now ho…
Give the Gift of Dulcimer Lessons!
by Steve Eulberg
Finding just the right gift for someone who plays dulcimers can be difficult because the preferred instruments and accessories are so personal. My father-in-law once said that about camera lenses when I asked to have one as a gift; and he was right! They can't be picked off of the rack—they have to be tailored to each individual.
So here is the perfect gift: support and challenge that nurtures each individual's growing skill-set and helps them play the music they want to play, i…
Finding just the right gift for someone who plays dulcimers can be difficult because the preferred instruments and accessories are so personal. My father-in-law once said that about camera lenses when I asked to have one as a gift; and he was right! They can't be picked off of the rack—they have to be tailored to each individual.So here is the perfect gift: support and challenge that nurtures each individual's growing skill-set and helps them play the music they want to play, i…
String-Side Up/Absolute Beginner Lesson Series
by Steve Eulberg Congratulations! You've got a dulcimer and now you're ready to play it. And we've got a brand-new series of lessons to help you successfully meet that goal.
This String-Side Up/Absolute Beginner Hammered Dulcimer and String-Side Up/Absolute Beginner Mountain Dulcimer lessons on www.dulcimercrossing.com is designed to take you from square one in a step-by-step fashion, through sequential lessons designed to answer your questions, demonstrate and encourage best practices and …
Learning the notes on hammered dulcimer (Tuning Game)
by Steve Eulberg 
People always ask me if it is necessary to read music in order to play the hammered dulcimer. My answer is always the same, "No, it is not necessary. But it can be good tool." It IS necessary to know which notes you have on your instrument in order to tune it, however. And learning that is a LOT more fun if you have a game to play to help you learn! 
When I first started playing hammered dulcimer, I used a vocal pitch pipe to match pitches with the strings and I found it a lo…
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