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chromatic mountain dulcimer
How Long Does it Take?
by Linda Ratcliff
How Long Does It Take?
Playing your dulcimer with confidence is evidence of time well spent.
- Linda Ratcliff
How Long Does It Take?
How long does it take to learn to play the dulcimer if you have no musical experience? Well, I'd like to give you a definite answer like ... "By three months, you should be able to jam with the best." And that is true for many people.
But there are others who still aren't able to play "Boil Dem Cabbage" without their tabs after six months. It's totally an individu…
But there are others who still aren't able to play "Boil Dem Cabbage" without their tabs after six months. It's totally an individu…
Map Out Your Practice like a Workout
by Linda Ratcliff
Map out your practice session out like a workout. When athletes are getting ready to go for a run, they usually warm up first with some stretches to loosen their muscles. Then they walk for 3-5 minutes, gradually working up to a brisk walk, then jogging, and finally breaking out into a full-steam-ahead run. As they end their run and the workout, most athletes cool down by walking briskly at first and then slower, and finally ending with a few more stretches.
For musicians, a pret…
Map out your practice session out like a workout. When athletes are getting ready to go for a run, they usually warm up first with some stretches to loosen their muscles. Then they walk for 3-5 minutes, gradually working up to a brisk walk, then jogging, and finally breaking out into a full-steam-ahead run. As they end their run and the workout, most athletes cool down by walking briskly at first and then slower, and finally ending with a few more stretches.
For musicians, a pret…
Are You a Teacher?
by Linda Ratcliff
A good teacher is like a candle. It consumes itself to light the way for others. - Unknown
Are You a Teacher?
Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up soon on May 8, 2018. If you are a dulcimer student with an awesome teacher, you might want to start thinking of a way you could surprise your teacher on this occasion. Maybe you could learn a new tune - all on your own. Or maybe you could give your teacher a handmade gift certificate for a dinner out with you; the gift of time i…
Free Lesson: Jam Session Strategy
by Steve Eulberg My mother was right. Boredom is a choice. If I am bored in a Jam Session because the other players are playing the tune too fast, or too slow, or too many times (is that even POSSible?) do you know whose job it is to fix that? MINE.
In this free lesson, Steve offers a suggestion about what do to participate, support the other players AND keep yourself awake and interested in a jam session. Try it and let us know how it goes for you!
Hug Someone with your Dulcimer
by Linda Ratcliff
One day, someone is going to hug you so tight that all your broken pieces will stick back together. - Author Unknown Hug Someone with Your Dulcimer
I used to be an awkward hugger. Oh yeah ... it looked like a hug from the outside, but there was nothing real about it. There were just a few forced pats on your back, a bit of nervous smiling, and I might have been rolling my eyes behind your back.
But then I joined a church that was big on hugging, and I got a LOT of practice. …
But then I joined a church that was big on hugging, and I got a LOT of practice. …
Learning to Learn Free Lesson
by Steve Eulberg We often overlook the basics, don't we? How DO we learn?
] Of course there are many different learning styles and we bounce between them as individuals, but Steve presents some ideas here that you might find helpful in learning new tunes on your instrument. Try them out and let us know how they go for you!
Teacher or Self-Taught?
by Linda Ratcliff
Teacher or Self-Taught?
A self-taught man usually has a poor teacher and a worse student.
- Henry Youngman
Teacher or Self-Taught?
I am pretty much self taught. Peggy Carter got me started with a few lessons in Houston. And then I joined Rick Thum’s Song of the Month Club to learn several jammin’ tunes over time. And I had the opportunity to attend a few festivals in the early days. But, for the most part, my arrangements are self taught.
I went …
What do you think ... is that the best way to go?
New Navigation FAQ Video
Here at DulcimerCrossing we are always seeking to improve the learning experience and the latest is a new system of Navigation on the Lessons Page. [Note: this is an historical video. The website has been reorganized since this was recorded.]
Steve has created a new FAQ video which explains these new features. Here is summary: Lessons arranged by Playing Level. Lessons arranged by Genre. Lessons arranged by Teacher/Instrument. Please ask us if you have any questions so that we can help…
Skill Levels? How do I compare?
by Steve Eulberg
All of us ask this question at some time or another.
What is my skill level as a musician? What is my skill level on THIS instrument that I am learning to play?From a practical perspective, this is how many festivals and workshops ask us to assess ourselves as we enroll in classes and workshops. I learned this first hand when I started the Colorado Dulcimer Festival many years ago. This was the question asked both by the students and the teachers with whom we contracted to pr…
Blue Water Thinking
by Linda Ratcliff
Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye. - Dorothy Parker
My husband and I moved this week, and we now live in our RV on Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee. We have a beautiful view of the lake, right out our back window. Actually, we’re parked on a peninsula, so we can see water from every window in the RV.
I began to wonder if the change in scenery would have any impact on my creativity, so I did some research. I found an article about how our surroundings impact creative think…
Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye. - Dorothy Parker
My husband and I moved this week, and we now live in our RV on Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee. We have a beautiful view of the lake, right out our back window. Actually, we’re parked on a peninsula, so we can see water from every window in the RV.
I began to wonder if the change in scenery would have any impact on my creativity, so I did some research. I found an article about how our surroundings impact creative think…
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