Blog

practice

How to Fix "I CAN'T"

ICant

I think I’ve told you before, I get pretty nervous when I perform. Now I did OK at the craft mall and the Butterfly Palace in Branson where I played 6 to 8 hours a day. While I was playing, people were walking around, and only a few sat down and really focused their undivided attention on what I was doing. But put me in front of a crowd to do a solo and my hammers start shaking.

This goes back to my childhood. My grandmother was a concert pianist who even played for Queen Elizabeth. My mother…

Read more…

Are You Stuck?

CarStuckinSnow

If you live in one of the northern states, this time of year getting stuck in the snow is a real concern. If you’re retired, you just stay home when there’s a fresh snowfall that the city hasn’t yet cleared. But if you have a job, you have to get out in it anyway. And sometimes you get stuck.

The same can happen with your music. Let me ask you a few questions.

  • Are you satisfied with the pace of your progress?
  • Do you have a clear understanding of what you should be practicing next?
  • Do you…

Read more…

It’s Not WHAT … It’s HOW You’re Practicing

DeliberatePractice

Too often, our focus lands on what we are practicing – whether it’s your dulcimer, a sport, a language, or a skill. However, the true essence of mastery lies not just in the act of practicing, but in how that practice is approached and executed. It's a subtle yet profound distinction: it's not what you're practicing; it's how you're practicing that truly matters.

Quality Over Quantity:
Mindless repetition of tunes or exercises does not lead to improvement. The key lies in the quality of pra…

Read more…

Why Don't I Practice More???

PracticeasifyouretheworstPlayasifyourethebest

Weren't you totally excited the day you brought home your first dulcimer?  I imagine you practiced 'til your fingertips were sore, or your arms felt like they were falling off from wielding those two hammers.  But then, as days or weeks went by, the time you invested in practicing decreased ... maybe even stopped altogether.  You found excuses to push practice time to the back burner.  I wonder why this has happened to so many of us.  

Well, I have some thoughts about this (of course).  Let's …

Read more…

Behind Every Performance

EmbroideryFrontBack

One of the privileges we have, living in today’s world, is access to pristine, note-perfect recordings on YouTube, the radio, CDs. But this privilege comes at a cost. Performers, as well as our audiences, have developed the mind-set that such perfection should be possible every time we play for others – whether we are hanging out with friends on the front porch or attending a performance in a concert hall. And, Lord knows, we performers try our best. I’ve spent most of my adult life feeling like…

Read more…

Winning at Winfield

stevewinfield2000-e1528065369599

The Value of Contests

SteveWinfield

by Steve Eulberg

Defining what “winning” means to you.

For some people the notion of combining “competition” and “dulcimer” is oxymoronic.  They just don’t go together!  I see music competitions as an opportunity to prepare some music to share with appreciative listeners.  (Where else can you buy such an attentive audience for $.05 a head?) ($10 entry fee/200 people)  The process of preparing tunes for this kind of presentation is an intensive artistic endeavor!

I’ve …

Read more…

How Do You Eat an Elephant?


Eating an elephant can be daunting and overwhelming. So can setting and achieving lifetime goals. How can you accomplish something as big as eating an elephant? By doing it the SMART way, of course … eating it one bite at a time.

Everything in life that seems daunting, overwhelming, and even impossible can be accomplished gradually by taking on just a little at a time. If you can learn how to break down large goals in to smaller more manageable goals, you will be well on your way to reaching yo…

Read more…

Rhythm & Timing

If you want to become a good musician, it’s necessary to develop your ear for rhythm and timing. Musicians often have problems with their rhythm and timing because they don’t match the level of their skills with the complexity of composition they chose to play. If you fall in this category, here are some things you can do to improve.

  • Count out loud. Amazing Grace is written in ¾ time. In other words, when you play it, you will count 1 – 2 – 3, 1 – 2 – 3 etc. But I have written a hammered du…

Read more…

Celebrate Milestones

Are you a list maker? I’m kind of OCD and I like to work from a goal list. Sometimes I do something that wasn’t on the list, and I feel compelled to go back and add it to the list – just so I can have the satisfaction of scratching it off the list. I like to recognize my own accomplishments and milestones.

And the same is true when I’m playing my instruments. Each day we can find the time to play is a treasured gift. However, certain days mark significant moments in our musical journey. I wan…

Read more…

Am I a Defensive Person?

My husband and I went to South Padre Island a couple of weeks ago, to celebrate my 76th birthday. While we were waiting for our food, I entertained myself by watching the seagulls.

Seagulls are highly adaptable feeders that advantage of every opportunity for a bite. They will eat fish, both alive and dead, insects and earthworms, rodents, eggs, carrion, reptiles, amphibians, and seeds and fruit.  The type of food they eat depends on circumstances and, while we were watching, their main prey w…

Read more…

Categories