August Dulcimer Daze

2011 Workshops - new information will be posted soon, please check back!

PLAYING LEVELS

Beginner	New player, no previous playing experience required.
Novice	Familiar with tuning, knows some basic strumming, can play several songs with ease.
After Novice	After Novice player but not quite Intermediate.
Intermediate	Knows basic chording, has a growing repertoire in a variety of styles, jams some.
Advanced	The accomplished musician, transcribes music, perhaps writes own.

WORKSHOPS
- By featured and guest artists on their playing and singing styles and techniques. All levels of instruction will be provided from beginning to advanced.

BECAUSE OF SPACE PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR WORKSHOPS CAREFULLY — YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEM. WORKSHOPS ARE LIMITED TO 30 PARTICIPANTS.

FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

# 1 EASY TUNES IN DAA - George Haggerty will have songs that are fun and easy to play. You will learn how different strums, harmonies, and a few simple chords can enhance a tune. You will gain a better understanding of the simplicity of this instrument. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 2 FOCUSING ON BASIC CHORDS - In this workshop, Joe Collins will teach you how to play in DAD out of primary chords. You will work on a system that allows one to improve his/her ability to change chords efficiently and recognize chord structures up and down the entire dulcimer neck. Includes excercises and songs to improve one's chording. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE and UP

# 3 CREATING INSTRUMENTALS - Aubrey Atwater will show you how to draw out a song's melody while strumming or fingerpicking integral chords. This workshop takes a "by ear" approach but also addresses how to tab or make note of the arrangement being created. Come tuned to DAD. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

# 4 HEALING MUSIC, THE PATIENT, & THE PATIENT'S FAMILY - Bonnie will show you how powerful music can be when it's used to help sick/injured and dying patients. It also helps patients' family members by using songs in a relaxing way. Understand how different types of music can affect a patient in good and bad ways. GENERAL

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS

# 5 LET'S GET STARTED - New to the dulcimer? George Haggerty will show you the basics - tuning, fretting, strumming. You will learn a few simple tunes. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 6 LET'S GET STARTED - PART II - Bonnie Leigh will help you learn a few beginner songs with easy simple chords, and practice strumming techniques. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 7 HOW TO READ DULCIMER TAB - Does dulcimer tab have you just slightly confused? Lori Keddell will have you look at different ways that music is written for dulcimer, and de-mystify all those numbers, letters, strum markings, etc., and then use what you learn to play a few simple tunes in DAA tuning. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 8 SIMPLE & EASY CHORDS - So you don't know the melody? Play backup! - Jan Nieburg will help you learn basic chords and when to play them. You'll learn the most important chords in D in easy positions and work on your ear training. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 9 FINGERPICKING FOR THE FIRST TIME - Aubrey will provide framwork for fingerpicking simple tunes on the mountain dulcimer. You will learn several basic patterns for vocal accompaniment as well as a method for fingerpicking a melody as an instrumental. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 10 DANCING FINGERS - Let's get those fingers dancing! Kristin Gitler will show you how to do hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides, and where and when to add them to a tune. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 11 SHAKER TUNES - With Bonnie, learn some history of the Shakers and their music while learning 3 beautiful Shaker songs. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 12 PLAYING EXPRESSIVELY - Beth Lassi will show you how to play with expression - build on the skills you already possess. You will work on at least three different types of tunes and will focus on dynamics, tempo. and string attack. Listening to yourself and focusing on expressiveness will pay big dividends! Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 13 DULCIMANIAC'S DELIGHT - Minor melodies can be not only melancholy, but joyful, pensive, lively – and definitely addictive. And while songs in DAC often sound beautiful with just the melody and drones, Lori Keddell will show you adding chords adds a new dimension that will be sure to delight you. You'll learn several tunes with chords that will leave you begging for more. Come tuned to DAC. AFTER NOVICE

# 14 HOW TO PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS - Beth & Nina will have you play some beautiful duet arrangements in a variety of musical styles and discuss some techniques that are helpful for playing with another person. The goal is to create a sound that is better than either of you alone! You'll discuss the importance of communication including the use of nonverbal cues so that you start and end at the same and stay together in between. You'll talk about how duets might be structured: lead and backup or fully tabbed duets with equal parts. Come tuned to DAD. AFTER NOVICE

# 15 FINGER-PICKING - A DIFFERENT APPROACH - Sandy says, rather than forcing "finger-picking patterns" upon a tune, this approach is melody led. This method allows for increased creativity and can be applied to any tune you know the melody of. Come tuned to DAD. AFTER NOVICE

# 16 THE MOST DELIGHTFUL DORIAN - Dallas says, by far the favorite tuning for the Dorian mode is going from DGD into DGC where you will find some very special songs and tunes. Definitely a must for you repertiore. Handouts will explain reverse tunings. A lower and more interesting Dorian than the DAG. Come tuned to DGD. AFTER NOVICE

# 17 PLAYING UPSIDE DOWN! - a workshop on playing inverted chords in DAD. Joe Collins will have you focus on building proficiency in playing out of inverted chords through skill-building exercises and learning songs which emphasize the technique. Come tuned in DAD. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

# 18 THE 1 1/2 FRET - WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT ONE? Sandy will supply temporary 1 1/2 frets, but folks who have that fret already installed are most welcome too. Discover the notes and chords previously unavailable! Come tuned to DAD. INTERMEDIATE

# 19 HOW ABOUT EAE? - Kristin came across this tuning by accident while trying to arrange a tune and get all the notes, and fell in love with it. Come see why you might use this tuning for playing tunes in the key of A. You'll learn some chords, and a few new tunes. Come tuned to DAD, and learn how to tune up to EAE without breaking your strings. INTERMEDIATE

# 20 SOME SWEET CELTIC AIRS - Nina will have you learn some gentle Celtic tunes that bring out the "softer side" of dulcimer. You will discuss ways of playing smoothly and expressively, and also how to use variations to enhance a tune. Come tuned to DAD. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

# 21 WHERE DID THIS INSTRUMENT COME FROM? - With Jan, explore the origins and meet the ancestors of the mountain dulcimer. GENERAL

# 22 SONGS OF THE CARTER FAMILY/AMERICAN FOLK SONGS - Explore the wonders of this early pioneering American country music group. Elwood Donnelly will teach a variety of Carter Family songs with simple chord progressions that can be adapted to many instruments. Bring your voice and the instrument of your choice. It is helpful to know basic chords. ALL VOICES, INSTRUMENTS, & LEVELS.

# 23 PERCUSSION FOR FUN AND ENHANCEMENT - With Elwood learn to play or hone skills on bodhran (Irish hand drum), bones, limberjack, spoons, monkey pods, etc. GENERAL

SUNDAY WORKSHOPS

# 24 MOVING FROM DAA TO DAD - This workshop is for those who have had an introduction to the dulcimer tuned in DAA. Beth will show you how to move into DAD and play a few easy tunes. Help will be given with tuning and you will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of both tunings. Come tuned to DAA. BEGINNER

# 25 EASY TUNES IN DAD - George will have songs that are fun and easy to play. You will learn how different strums and a few simple chords can enhance a tune. You will gain a better understanding of the simplicity of this instrument. Come tuned in DAD. BEGINNER

# 26 NIGHT SONGS AND LULLABIES - Lullabies are not just for children. Lori will have you learn a few beautiful and relaxing melodies, both familiar songs such as "Abide With Me", and less familiar tunes from around the world. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 27 SHAPE NOTE HYMNS - arranged for Appalachian dulcimer. Sandy will have some history of this historical music which got it's start here in New England. The melodies are hauntingly beautiful and the harmonies are unlike those commonly heard today. Come tuned to DAD. NOVICE

# 28 SLOW CELTIC TUNES - With Joe, this is a repertoire workshop featuring a unique arrangement of "Loch Lomond" with a high drone, "Star of the County Down", "From Erin's Shore", and "Gaelic Aire". Come tuned to DAD. AFTER NOVICE

# 29 TUNINGS AND MODES ON THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER - What makes the dulcimer sound so lonesome and beautiful? One answer is tunings and modes. With Aubrey, you will learn the difference between a mode and a tuning and about the different modes and where they come from. You will tune to three commonly used modes: Ionian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian. Come tuned to DAD. AFTER NOVICE

# 30 IN HONOR OF JEAN RITCHIE - Dallas will have four of Jean Ritchie's family songs, and how she brought the dulcimer into our world from the Southern Appalachians. We owe her a great deal of gratitude for her contribution to the joy so many of us have found in playing the dulcimer. Let's celebrate her and her music. Come tuned to DAC. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

#31 THOSE DAZZLING HARMONICS - Harmonics are those bell-like high notes that can add dazzle or mystery to an arrangement. With Nina, you will first discuss how to produce a clear sound, both with natural (not fretted) and artificial (fretted) harmonics. Then you will learn some tunes that show how they can be incorporated into an arrangement. Come tuned to DAD. INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

2011 Workshops - new information will be posted soon, please check back!

Detailed Workshop Schedule