Practice

Jan 6, 2022 11:00am

By Linda Ratcliff

Under mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer & Practice

3 min read

4 Things 2 Practice

Do you know the most important question that you can ask as a dulcimer student? I believe it is, “What should I be practicing?” That’s right! How you answer this question will determine your progress and enjoyment in making music. So I am sharing a solid plan on what to practice on your dulcimer (or any instrument, really) every day to become a well-rounded musician. This plan centers around 4 practice pillars:

Technique
Tunes
Memorization
Playing by Ear

If you’re looking for a practice…

Jan 6, 2022 11:00am

By Linda Ratcliff

Under mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer & Practice

3 min read

Nov 18, 2021 02:01pm

By Linda Ratcliff

Under Practice

4 min read

Lessons Learned from Gardeners

"I say, if your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life."
- from Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Winter is coming, and those who planted gardens are seeing their plants wither away once a hard frost has blown through. But watching my neighbors care for their gardens through the spring and summer, I realized that gardening and learning to play an instrument require some of the same basic principles of care. And (of course) I want to share with you…

Nov 18, 2021 02:01pm

By Linda Ratcliff

Under Practice

4 min read

Oct 14, 2021 06:00am

By Linda Ratcliff

Under preparation, strategies, persistence & Practice

4 min read

Avoid Dulcimer Burn-Out

Where does musical burn-out come from? From what I’ve seen, we all start out from the same place.

We want to learn an instrument.
We take lessons.
We keep getting better, day by day.
We leave the house with our instrument and jam with others.
We pursue our musical dreams, some of us with long-range goals.

Our time is filled with playing the dulcimer. We read, eat, breath, live dulcimer music. We put a ton of time into practice, watching tutorials, preparing for contests, attending conc…

Oct 14, 2021 06:00am

By Linda Ratcliff

Under preparation, strategies, persistence & Practice

4 min read

Sep 24, 2021 09:57am

By Steve Eulberg

Under Practice & routine

4 min read

The Importance of Having a Good Routine

The Importance of Having a Good Routine

Our New Family Member

We have a new member of the family. She is 10 weeks old, her name is Mikaela, and she answers to “Kayla.” She is a precious little bundle of joy … well, at times. At other times, she is a frustrating (but still very lovable) bundle of naughtiness.

And isn’t that the way it is with learning to play the dulcimer? At times, it brings us great joy – playing on the porch at sunset, jamming with our friends in the church hall, at…

Sep 24, 2021 09:57am

By Steve Eulberg

Under Practice & routine

4 min read

Blog

Practice

4 Things 2 Practice

Lessons Learned from Gardeners

Avoid Dulcimer Burn-Out

The Importance of Having a Good Routine

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