1A  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Hammer ons, Pull offs, & Slides"

2A  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced - "Eleanor Rigby"

We will be learning Kara's duet arrangement embellished with a few harmonic chimes. *Capo required

3A  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Playing in Parts"

Staying in your lane when playing multiple parts. 

4A   Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner - "Starting from Scratch"

Basic strumming work and how to read tablature.

5A  Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner - "Beginning Mountain Dulcimer

One easy chord shape that will get you through any jam session. Learn several songs with Kara in multiple keys.

6A  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Three Finger Chords"

Three finer chords, efficient finger shifting exercises, and stamina building workouts.

7A  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate/Advanced - "Edelweiss"

Learn Kara's duet arrangement embellished with a few harmonic chimes.                                                                                                                8A - Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced - "False Harmonics and Finger Taps"

 

 

1B  Hammered Dulcimer - Adv. Beginner - "Oh The Things You Can Learn From One Little Scale!" Part 1

Simple harmony, triangles, line chords, sweep chords, open fifths! Five different methods of embellishment from just one scale! This is a two part class. The first part will be spent learning the methods using the scale and the second part will be spent applying the methods to tunes. Note to those who took this class last year: There's more! This is a revamped method that you are going to love!

2B  Hammered Dulcimer - Adv. Beginner - "Oh The Things You Can Learn From One Little Scale" Part 2

This is a continuation of the early morning class (Part 1). We will take what we learned using the scales as exercises and apply them to a few tunes. You'll leave the class several ideas for embellishing each tune, according to the methods that you've learned.

3B  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Christmas Is Coming! Be Ready!"

"In The Bleak Mid-Winter" We'll start with just melody and add embellishments as time allows. You'll leave with a beautiful arrangement of this timeless carol that you'll love playing, AND you'll learn several methods of adorning the melody along the way. WIN-WIN!

4B  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - Turlough O'Carolan - "Need I Say More?"

Every hammered dulcimer player needs at least 4 or 5 O'Carolan tunes in their repertoire in my humble opinion. Let's work on one together! Planxty Irwin is my all time  favorite, and you learn it, you'll also learn more chord structure and embellishment techniques and Irish "fixin's"!

5B  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "June's Lullaby" 

Come and learn this absolutely gorgeous lullaby written by Richard Woods. In the key of D, with slides, strumming, crosspicking (optional), and abundant use of beautiful chords!

6B  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginner - "Adding All The Things"

All the things that you may noy be adding but maybe should be for your solo playing, to make it more interesting and accomplished.

7B  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginner - "Finger Picking 101"

When you need a softer sound,,, when you want to sing... when you're only playing chords... when you're playing a slow tune... when you want to brong out the melody... These are all good times to finger pick.

8B  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Christmas Is Coming! Away In The Manger"

The American version and the traditional version - Fingerpicked and arranged for solo dulcimer or as a duet!

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1C  Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner - "Jam Without Paper"

You'll learn basic jamming survival techniques, basic chord positions, practice hearing chord changed, and learn how to keep up youir strum with the beat as the jam gets faster. D-A-D Tuning.

2C  Mountain Dulcimer - Novice and Up - Strum On the "Off Beat"

Get out of that bump-ditty rut and strum tunes with a bluegrass or gospel feel by emphasizing the "off beat". Learn strumming techniques you can use to play melodies as well as chord back-up for tunes that you already know. D-A-D Tuning;

3C  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate and Up - "Cool A Model Tunes"

Learn some old fiddle tunes in the key of A that have a groovy rhythmic drive like Hangman's Reel and Cold Frosty Morn. D-A-D Tuning *Capo required

4C  Mountain Dulcimer - Novice-Intermediate - "Christmas in Appalachia"

Learn some sweet Appalachian tunes for the holidays that sound great on the mountain dulcimer. D-A-D Tuning. 

5C  Mountain Dulcimer - All Levels - "Singing with your Dulcimer"

Learn easy ways to accompany yourself or others with your mountain dulcimer. We'll cover ways to do this in the Key of D as well as the Keys of G and A. D-A-D Tuning. *Capo required

6C  Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner/Novice - "Easy Tunes from the Mountains"

Learn some easy traditional tunes straight from the Appalchian mountains that are meant to be played and sung on the dulcimer. D-A-D Tuning.

7C  Mountain Dulcimer - Novice and Up - "Toe-Tapping Fiddle Tunes"

Learn some new catchy fiddle tunes that fit well on the mountain dulcimer like "Moses Hoe the Corn" and "Walking Jaybird". You'll catch on to these uncommon and addictive melodies in no time. D-A-D Tuning.

8C  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate and Up - "Cool Celtic Fiddle Tunes"

Learn some upbeat Celtic fiddle tunes that you won't hear at most dulcimer jams like "Riding on a Load of Hay" and "Old Favorite".       D-A-D Tuning. *Capo required

 

 

1D  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate/Upper Intermediate - "Turn an Exercise into a Tune"

Exercises are a great way to develop skills, but the challenge lies in figuring out how to apply them to what you play. One method for application is to take an exercise and make a tune out of it. This can allow you to see the exercise as something more!

2D  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate/Upper Intermediate - "Do You Hear What I Hear"

A perfect example of how to incorporate an exercise into a tune, this full arrangement of a popular Christmas song will get your hands working independently in time for the holiday season!

3D  Hammered Dulcimer - Beginner/Novice - "Learn and Embellish a Jam Tune"

"Liberty" is a fiddle tune played at almost every jam. It's fun and easy to play, and offers a great starting point for beginning embellishments.

4D  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice - "Christmas for the Novice Player"

Learn a full arrangement of "Joy to the World" that is embellished and approachable for the past beginner/novice player.

5D  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Foggy Dew"-Hand Separation

If you like ethereal sounds and haunting melodies on the hammered dulcimer "Foggy Dew" is worth adding to your repertoire. We will be incorporating hand separation and left-hand melody in this arrangement.

6D  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Develop Creative Exercises"

You will learn the process of developing exercises to improve specific skillsets. Together we will hammer out a new exercise based on class goals and then practice expanding on the exercise we have created together.

7D  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice & Up - "Chord Stacking"

Learn to quickly recognize chord no matter shapes up and down on your instrument no matter what order the notes are played with mnemonic devices and an exercise that shows you a trick for making inversions easier to find and understand.

8D  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice/Upper Intermediate - "Adding Bass to Fiddle Tunes"

Fast fiddle tunes trend to contain melodies that occupy both hands, leaving a player to wonder how it is possible to create a fuller sound with notes on the bass bridge. We'll use excerpts from common fiddle tunes to exp;lore methods of accomplishing this.

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1E  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginner - "The Joy Of Jigs"

Many dulcimer songs are in 4/4 time, and some are in 3/4 time (waltzes). However, playing those fun Irish jigs in 6/8 time can be a challenge! In this class we'll discuss how to strum a jig, practice the rhythm, and play one or two Irish jigs at a nice slow pace.

2E  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginner/Intermediate - "What Was That Chord?"

Have you ever felt fuzzy about where chords are on a dulcimer, or how to strum them? Inn this workshop we will walk through how chords are organized on the mountain dulcimer and how to find them. You will be able to identify the basic chord shapes and how they fit together. We will also discuss different possible strumming patterns for various types of songs. At the end we will play together as a class and apply what we have le arned both to playing some simple songs, and to playing chords in a jam.

3E  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced Beginner/Intermediate - "Introduction To Fingerpicking"

If you consider yourself past the beginner level, but have never really learned how to fingerpick, this class will be a great option for you! We will discuss the basics of fingerpicking, including how I fingerpick and why, along with the other ways people fingerpick. After that we'll work through a few exercises to practice fingerpicking, and end by learning a basic fingerpicking song to put what we've learned in action.

4E  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Fingerpick Or Flatpick?"

In this class we will work on two traditional songs: "The Blackest Cow" and "Rosin the Beau", which I like to play as a medley. I will discuss fingerpicking and flatpicking both of these tunes, and why you might choose to do one or the other. We'll also discuss the options for transitioning between the two songs, and finally play them as a class.

5E  Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate/Advanced  (Chromatic Dulcimer) - "The Old Rugged Cross"

In this class we'll learn an arrangement of The Old Rugged Cross for chromatic dulcimer tuned to DAD. You are welcome to fingerpick or flatpick. Some familiarity with various chord shapes will be helpful.

6E  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced - "Carulli: Dulcimer Style"

Fernando Carulli was an Italian composer born in 1770. We will work through "Andantino in G major" and possibly "Country Dance" if we have time. These will be easier to fingerpick, but you are welcome to flatpick as well. No extra frets beyond 6+ will be required. This will be an opportunity to sharpen your skills of fingerpicking, timing, chord transitions, and left hand fingering.

7E  Mountain Dulcimer - Advanced - "Dowland On The Dulcimer"

John Dowland was an English lute composer born in 1563. We will work through "Mrs. Winter's Jump" and possibly "Mr, Dowland's Midnight" (if we have time) both composed by John Dowland and arranged for diatonic dulcimer. Both are nice tunes and will give you an opportunity to develop your left hand fingering skills.

8E  Mountain Dulcimer - "Reel Joy"

In this class I teach you a song I wrote a couple of years ago called "Reel Joy". You can listen to it here:

https://www youtube.com/watch?v=UydKAo vQyo. The song is diatonic with the 6+ fret, and used DAD tuning. It will be flatpicked, and will give you lots of practice with hammer-ons and pull-offs.

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1F  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice - "Let's Be Musical!"

It's never too early to learn musicality. This isn't about intricate or fast playing. It's about making even the simplest song ear candy for the listener.

2F  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Add Rhythm & Hand Separation to Your Melodies"

Fun ways to make your songs sound bigger and more intricate. With some practice, you canwow you and your listeners with your beautiful instrument.

3F  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate - "Gain Confidence w/ Chords and Change Your Playing Forever"

Chords are an essential foundation for music and the hammered dulcimer. This one approach will get you equipped to play confidently and know what you're playing.

4F Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate/Advanced - "How to Accompany Voice and Play Backup on the Hammered Dulcimer"

One of my favorite topics... Find rhythmic and melodic patterns to play backup for voice, worship teams, and bands.

5F  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice - Part 1 "So You're a Novice- That's OK!"

We'll be covering three topics: 1. Ways to help you memorize the notes, 2. Layout: Scales, fifth tuning, and unisons, & 3. Tuning tips.

6F  Hammered Dulcimer - Novice - Part 2 "So You're a Novice- That's OK!"

We'll be covering three topics: 1. Ways to help you memorize the notes, 2. Layout: Scales, fifth tuning, and unisons, & 3. Tuning tips.

7F  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate/Advanced - "Let's Build an Arrangement! Part 1"

We're going to take a simple pop A/B song, add chords to the melody, substitute chords, write an intro/outro, add musicality, and BOOM! You didn't know you were learning music theory did ya?

8F  Hammered Dulcimer - Intermediate/Advanced - "Let's Build an Arrangement! Part 2"

We're going to take a pop song and do what we did in Part1 (Class 7F) but go even deeper, Adding polyrhythms, melodic changes, chord substituions, and more!

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