1. Appalachian Ballads for Mountain Dulcimer – This is
a repertoire building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants
will be taught several songs from the Appalachian Mountain Region. (DAD tuning)
2. Celtic Ballads for Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire
building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants will be taught
several songs from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. (DAD tuning)
3. French Dances and Licks – This is a repertoire building
workshop for novice to intermediate mountain dulcimer players. Participants
will be taught three French tunes: a “Bouree” from France, “Branle
du Village” from Brittany and “Mes Parents” from Cajun country.
Participants will also be shown some licks to add interest to the tunes. (DAD
tuning)
4. Canal Songs for Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire
building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants will explore
several songs by Pearl Nye that describe life on the Ohio and Erie Canal at
the turn of the century. (DAD tuning)
5. Dance Around the World - This is a workshop for novice to intermediate mountain dulcimer players. Participants will try different dance tunes including a French Bouree, a German waltz, a court dance and a modern waltz. Participants will also get the chance to see and hear an epinette which is a relative of the dulcimer. (DAD tuning)
6. Nature Songs for the Mountain Dulcimer – This is a
repertoire building workshop for novice dulcimer players. Participants will
be taught several songs about the outdoors including “O How Lovely is
the Evening,” “I Walk in Beauty,” and others. (DAD tuning)
7. Going Cuckoo – In this workshop, participants will
first learn how to play the Appalachian ballad “Cuckoo” on the mountain
dulcimer. Participants will then be shown several variations of the tune as
an example of how to enhance and add variety to a performance. This workshop
is geared towards novice to intermediate player. (DAD tuning)
8. Starting from Scratch on the Mountain Dulcimer – This
is a workshop for the very beginner. Participants will be shown how to tune
the mountain dulcimer and how to play several easy melodies. (DAD or DAA tuning)
9. Spicing Up Melodies – This is a workshop for a novice
mountain dulcimer player who can play simple melodies but would like to add
a little more interest to them. Participants will be shown how to add a few
chords and harmonies to may their songs fuller. (DAD tuning)
10. Minor Melodies for the Mountain Dulcimer – In this
workshop, participants will learn several ways to produce minor tunes on the
mountain dulcimer including DAC and DAG tuning and the use of a capo. This workshop
is geared towards novice players.
11. Easy Fiddle Tunes – This workshop if for the beginner
to novice player to learn some easy fiddle such as Old Joe Clark, Gray Cat on
a Tennessee Farm, Liza Jane and others.
12. Playing Harmony on the Mountain Dulcimer – In this
workshop, participants will start with a simple song and will be shown how to
make harmonies using octaves, thirds and fifths. Rounds will also be explored
as a method of harmonizing. (DAD tuning)
13. Mountain Dulcimer Styles – In this workshop, beginning
to novice players will get a chance to try several different styles of playing
the mountain dulcimer including fingerpicking, bowing and using a noter. (DAD
tuning)
14. Appalachian Clogging – Clogging is a dance style
that is traditional to the Appalachian Mountains. In this beginning workshop,
participants will be shown how to do several clogging steps including the “shuffle,”
“basic,” “bertha,” “Alamo” and “kick
the cat.” The steps will then be used in a simple dance routine.
Last Updated: May 26, 2006