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Jewish Repertoire – We'll cover a dance tune and also one of the sweet tunes from this exotic repertoire.
"Absinthe" – a great (new) E harmonic minor waltz
Playing the Dulcimer to its Fullest - learn how to make your instrument ring out and sound like several musicians with a few simple techniques!
Playing the Mountain Dulcimer by Ear (with Elwood Donnelly) - Learn to work out melodies, harmonies, and simple chords to familiar songs by ear. This approach is truly a traditional way to play the instrument in the oral, folk tradition. Not using instructional tablature or books helps to train the ear as the player takes on a different relationship to the music.
Improvising on the Mountain Dulcimer - Related to playing by ear, learn to play along with the group in an informal, loosely structured manner. The workshop will discuss how to improvise with chords, lead and bass note playing and will articulate some of the tricks and structure behind what appears to be pure artistic "happening."
Using the Dulcimer as a Harmony Voice - Aubrey will share what she has learned over the years from Jean Ritchie: creating a second voice with the dulcimer while singing.
Creating a Folk Band Ear (with Elwood Donnelly) - Aubrey and Elwood give guidance in how to start up a musical group. Topics such as collaboration, arranging music, performing, rehearsing, and more will be covered as time allows.
Beginning Bowed Dulcimer - this class is for anyone who wants to know about the bowed dulcimer, try a bowed dulcimer, or for someone who already has one but wants to become more familiar with the fundamentals of playing. All questions will be answered and all mysteries made clear.
Concert Zither - when the old sheitholt or zitter became our mountain dulcimer, something completely different happened in Europe. Responding to very different musical pressures the concert zither developed from what was a very simple instrument. This lecture/demonstration/ mini-concert will show the many sides of the concert zither and how it relates to the mountain dulcimer. All are welcome.
Bloom's General Store - bowed dulcimer teaching workshop for BD players using tunes from Ken’s latest album.
Developing Good Practice Habits – This workshop covers basic principles of good practice, offering advice and useful exercises to get the most out of one’s practice time. Most of the material here is also covered in the workshop entitled “Playing with Grace, Humor, and Smiles.” This workshop, however, has a greater focus on practice habits while “Playing with Grace, Humor, and Smiles” focuses more on preparing for performance. Because of the overlap, one should choose one or the other of these workshops instead of both.
Strummin' Along and Sounding GOOD! -
a workshop on basic strumming skills designed to help inexperienced players develop versatility in the strumming hand. Focus is on learning to strum well in both directions, using dynamics with the strum, develop effect patterns of strumming, and how to hold the pick for greatest effectiveness.
Being "Chordial" in DAA -
a workshop for understanding chord structures in the DAA tuning. This is a workshop for those DAA players who want go into full chording while staying in the DAA tuning. Covers the basic chords in the key of D and how to play them anywhere on the neck of the dulcimer. Also includes some exercises on finding the right chord to play when given only the melody note and a chord symbol.
Preparing for Mountain Dulcimer Competitions -
This workshop will focus on little things that many champions have shared about their song selection and arrangements, their practice habits, and their mental preparation. If time and numbers allow, we may also play competition pieces for one another and discuss possibilities for improving chances of competing well with those pieces.
Tin Pan Alley Tunes - from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, the American popular music publishing business was centered within a 5-block area of New York City called "Tin Pan Alley".
Repertoire - Many of America's greatest composers and lyricists got their start there, and lots of the music that came out of that time has survived into today's pop culture. This class will focus on learning some of the repertoire from that era, and also a bit about the history of the music publishing industry. D-A-d tuning, capo may be required from some tunes.
Mountain Dulcimer Ensemble - the dulcimer is a very social instrument, and there’s something magical that happens when a group of players get together to share some music. The principle of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” definitely applies. A number of multi-part arrangements will be presented, with the various parts suitable for different skill levels. D-A-d tuning.
Introduction to Flat Picking - Learn how the technique of flat-picking can be used as an effective back-up technique, and also as a means of playing the melody "across the fret board" - learn a number of tunes representing a variety of styles. Capo may be required for some tunes.
How to Do a Festival -
A panel discussion with some folks who have been doing festivals. Send your questions ahead and we will try to address them.
Not Just Fiddle Tunes -
Color up your mountain dulcimer playing by learning to play some different music styles. This will be a repertoire workshop featuring some Blues, Celtic music, Cajun music, a little Doo-Wop, and a Scandinavian waltz. Tips will be given on how to play these different styles with authenticity.
Teaching Children to Play the Mountain Dulcimer -
There is magic between children and mountain dulcimers. Lois has taught over 19,000 schoolchildren to play since the 1980s and will share her methods and some good repertoire for youngsters.
Beautiful Melodies for the Sweet Music Instrument - Starting tuning DAD. Learn some fairly easy but lovely melodies that feel at home on the mountain dulcimer and use its sweet voice: shape note hymn, Texas folk song, and some French dance tunes.
Marya Katz
String-side up - This workshop is for people who want to learn to play the hammer dulcimer or are just beginning to play and want to expand their confidence and ability to play. No experience is needed. This two-part workshop will provide the building blocks of your playing which will enhance your enjoyment of the dulcimer. We will cover basic aspects of playing the hammer dulcimer, including the instrument itself, tuning, basic chords and chord skill drills, and playing tunes. Recording is allowed. Note-taking is a good idea, too. Bring all your dulcimer questions! And be prepared to have fun!
Really Old Tunes --
music from the Renaissance.
Potted Plan Music --
we will discuss how to choose appropriate music for playing in the background (for example, at receptions or dinner parties), and also learn a couple or three likely tunes for such occasions.
Thomasina Levy
Minor Scales and Songs -
Songs in a minor tuning often have that " haunting" feeling. Some basic music theory will be presented. Learn how to tune and retune your dulcimer to minor modes from DAd. Come tuned to DAd and bring a capo.
Arranging Songs on the Mountain Dulcimer -
This workshop will help to give the participants skills to arrange sings in different keys. Students will be taught a familiar tune (Amazing Grace) four different ways in order to see the various possibilities which can exist for one song. Then, each person will be given blank tab paper and encouraged to try to arrange a song on her/his own.
Left Hand Embellishments -
The key to making your music sound more interesting is to develop some basic skills in your left hand. You'll learn how to hammer on, pull off, slide and vibrato techniques. (It almost sounds like a carpenter's workshop doesn't it?) Appropriate music to reinforce these skills will be presented.
Anne Lough
Easy Hymns -
Old time favorite hymns are so easily and beautifully adapted on this ethereal instrument! Learn some melodies as well as ideas for embellishment.
Heart and Soul -
Playing with Expression and Musicality – Release the muse within and touch the heartstrings of all who hear as we go beyond the technical and explore the beautiful, sensitive and expressive qualities of this lovely instrument.
Freedom and improvisation - Discover the joy of letting go of our note for note concept of playing music. We’ll explore the creative and fun process of improvising on some familiar tunes as well as creating new melodies of our own.
Building Your Repertoire -
Tired of playing the same old songs? Let’s learn some new “standard repertoire” jam tunes as well as tunes for your individual and performance playing.
Paul Oorts and Jeff Sebens
Band Aid -
This class is designed to give musicians some quick and dirty tips and techniques in that field. Topics include: modal accompaniment, chord substitution, the unspoken rules of various genres (tradition vs. innovation), intros and outros, combining tunes into medleys, rhythmic variations, et. al.
Sue Wilson
Playing Syncopated Rhythms-
What is syncopation? How do you play it? Practice musical rhythms that shift the accent from what is expected to be the “strong” beat to what would normally be considered the “weak” beat.
Getting Around the Hammered Dulcimer -
One of the simplest ways to vary an arrangement is to change octaves. But “simple” doesn’t necessarily mean “easy” to execute! Like so many things, it must be practiced. Learn to use the entire range of your instrument when arranging a tune. Learn how to transition from one octave to another smoothly and with intention.
The Power of One -
Who would guess that adding one note could so effectively vary your arrangement? Learn to fill empty space with a drone note, then change it up by doing something rhythmic.
It's All About the Chords - Whether your goal is to arrange a new tune, develop a rhythmic back-up, or improvise during a jam, the chord progression is key to your success. Learn to identify what key a tune is in and what chords are available within that key. Practice using root position arpeggio patterns to follow a suggested chord progression. Learn to use chord inversions to create a bass line.