Thursday, November 18, 2021 – Saturday, November 20, 2021

SCHEDULE

Thursday 11/18

Session 3 8:30-9:30 PST

A Pair of English Country Dances L5
Part of the living tradition of English Country Dances, these tunes come from the 18th century or earlier. “Jenny Pluck Pears”, an infectious melody in A minor, changes meters from a lively 6/8, to a more measured 3/4. “Gathering Peascods”, in G, is played in a skipping rhythm, mimicking the slip-steps of this circle dance. Both arrangements have some fun and fancy fingering. DAD tuning, capo required

Session 5 11-12 PST
Easy Holiday Tunes on the Middle String L2
“Good King Wenceslas” and “The Cherry Tree Carol” both lie beautifully on the middle string of the standard dulcimer, tuned DAD. Each of these arrangements also has a harmony to add at will. Simple enough to learn by the holidays! DAD tuning

Session 7 1:30-2:30 PST
Adapting Tunes to the Baritone Dulcimer L3
A good step to getting to know your baritone dulcimer is to take tunes you already play and move them directly over. You will explore tunes normally played in the keys of D & A, examining both melody & chord progressions. A baritone chord chart will be provided. AEA tuning

Session 8 2:45-3:34 PST
Ashokan Farewell L4
Known most famously as the theme for Ken Burns’ “Civil War”, this popular folk waltz was written by Jay Ungar in 1984, and named for the Ashokan Music & Dance Camp in upstate New York. Written in D (yay!) this arrangement moves fluidly across the strings with a couple of hammers & pulls. You can do a lot to make it yours. You’ll also get the back-up part. Get it under your fingers for the next dance! DAD tuning

Friday 11/19

Session 3 8:30-9:30 PST
Bring Your Baritone to the Dance! L3
Two early music dance tune arrangements for baritone dulcimer: an English country dance and a 17th-century Italian tune. “Gathering Peascods” has both a melody and counter-melody part in GDG (or AEA) tuning. “Ballo di Mantua” is a slower-paced piece in AEG tuning (1-5-7, like DAC on a standard). GDG/AEA & AEG tunings

Session 5 11-12 PST
Song of the Wandering Aengus L4
Here’s an original finger-picked composition, inspired by the poem of the same name by W. B Yates. This tune in B minor is full of arpeggios delicately plucked in a flowing 3/4 time. You’ll spend a few minutes on fingerpicking exercises before learning the tune, as well as get tips on keeping strings ringing and using dynamics. DAD tuning

Session 7 1:30-2:30 PST
Something Old, Something New on Baritone L4
An original etude and a Civil War-era song for the baritone dulcimer. “Bari Etude #1” is in the key of G and features the 1+ fret. A chordal back-up part is included. “Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still,” a sweet melody and song in the key of D, has a chord/melody arrangement. Lyrics and a chord chart for creating your own back-up are included. AEA tuning

Saturday, 11/20

Session 3 8:30-9:30 PST

Ashokan Farewell L4
Known most famously as the theme for Ken Burns’ “Civil War”, this popular folk waltz was written by Jay Ungar in 1984, and named for the Ashokan Music & Dance Camp in upstate New York. Written in D (yay!) this arrangement moves fluidly across the strings with a couple of hammers & pulls. You can do a lot to make it yours. You’ll also get the back-up part. Get it under your fingers for the next dance! DAD tuning

Session 5 11-12 PST
Amazing Grace Across the Strings, Part 1 L2
Moving from melody/drone style to cross-string technique, you’ll work through this beloved tune, gaining facility on all 3 strings and playing what you want, when you want it. There will be flat-picking exercises, a box-scale, playing all, one, or 2 strings, and a three-quarter time strum to hold it all together. DAD tuning

Session 7 1:30-2:30 PST
Amazing Grace Across the Strings, Part 2 L2
Continuing with cross-string technique, you’ll learn to add ornaments and alternate harmony to “Amazing Grace”, coordinating them with both the simple melody and three-quarter time strum you learned in part 1. Ornaments, such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides, add a great deal of facility to tunes on the dulcimer. You’ll go away with exercises on all three to become proficient in each of them! DAD tuning

10 classes total