Traditional Music for the Mountain Dulcimer

(for Advanced Beginners thru Advanced participants)

Instructors, Left to Right:  Betty Smith, Don Pedi, Jim & Phyllis Gaskins, and Randy Adams. (See STAFF page for bios.)

The beautiful traditional sounds and colorful history of the Southern Appalachian mountain dulcimer are essential to thoroughly understand the instrument and its playing. The music is like “time travel” and has roots in American history. This course, team-taught by renowned traditional players and music collectors, brings you the best of traditional Southern Appalachian music and authentic playing styles.

Music taught will be played mainly in the historic drone/melody style (melody played on first string with a noter or your fingers, strummed so you hear the drone harmony on the other strings). You will learn to play approximately 20 pieces of music – most new for 2012. Learning and playing by ear will be practiced in a relaxed, personal way, but dulcimer tablatures for the pieces will also be distributed. It is recommended that students bring an audio recording device to record music for future practice. The classroom environment will be non-competitive, sharing, and both the music and the dulcimer’s traditions will be savored. Each piece of music has its own “story.” Your teachers have researched those stories and will include them so you can relate to the music authentically, and become a link in the chain of musicians who have played these pieces for centuries.

Playing Techniques:
• Straightforward single-string, melody/drone style playing.
• Both noter style playing and simple finger noting as well - no complicated left-hand chord work.
• Right-hand will focus mainly on strummed style.
• Emphasis will be on developing clear, rhythmic playing.
• Basic traditional tunings (DAA, DAC, DAD) and DGD tuning for the key of G will be taught and used to bring out the dulcimer’s varied voices.
• Simple chords for accompanying singing.
• There will be music taught from paper, but true to tradition, there will be training in picking out music by ear and memorizing.
• You will return home at the end of the week a better traditional player with 20 new pieces and a better understanding and ability to play traditional music.

Schedule (Tues. thru Sat. mornings):
Throughout the week a Slide Show and recordings of historic dulcimers, players and music with Don Pedi.

9:00a.m.-12:15 p.m. each morning (with coffee/tea break from 10:30-11:00):

• Tuesday morning: Don Pedi will present his slide show and recordings of  of historic mountain dulcimer players and instruments, and will teach playing techniques (using his left-hand finger style), and the class will learn music for Southern dance tunes, songs and hymns, along with characteristics of each music.

• Wednesday morning:  Betty Smith will present basic noter style playing and strumming, simple chords to accompany singing, and the class will learn authentic ballads, hymns and perhaps a playparty song that represent music traditionally played on the mountain dulcimer.

• Thursday morning:  Phyllis & Jim Gaskins will teach Galax, Virginia-style noter playing style for songs and traditional dance tunes from Southern Appalachia, both in the keys of D and in G. Phyllis will also bring along several historic dulcimers she recently acquired, plus some dulcimers strung in ddd tuning for students to experience the exciting drones and smooth harmonies of that traditional Galax tuning.

• Friday morning:  Randy Adams will teach his unique noter style, using the noter on middle and bass strings, and how he plays fretless dulcimer, and the class will learn mostly old-time string band tunes and songs.

• Saturday morning (10:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m., after General Closing Session & Coffee Break):  Don Pedi

Do you have a historical/vintage mountain dulcimer to bring to class?
We invite you to bring it, tell what you know of its history, and if it is in playing condition, let us hear its voice. Please let moderator Don Pedi know in advance. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .