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jam survival

Jam Tracks added to the Backing Tracks Library

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by Steve Eulberg

Jam Tracks added to the Backing Tracks Library

There have been several updates that we've been making to the Backing Tracks Library in DulcimerCrossing this past year.  In addition to NEW TRACKS, we've added the description of the track so players know whether there is an introduction or not, and how many times the track is repeated.

As I have spent more time in this library, it is clear that several of our tracks are aimed toward LEARNING and others are aimed at JAMMIN…

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Behind the Shower Curtain

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Why is it that I can sing so well behind the shower curtain? My pitch is perfect, I remember all the words, and my vibrato is amazing. I feel like I could go on stage to be a professional vocalist. However, my confidence and perfect pitch go into hiding when I try to sing in front of someone.

It’s the same with playing my instruments. I have a great assortment of instruments and we moved recently to a new neighborhood. When my new neighbors come into the house for a get-to-know-you visit, the…

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Returning to Jam: New Survival Tips

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Returning to Jam!

Survival Tips from DJ Hamouris, our Baritone and Standard Mountain Dulcimer Instructor

by Deborah (DJ) Hamouris

After such a long social isolation, I was excited to join nightly jams at an in-person dulcimer camp this summer!

What I had *not* counted on was how much it would hurt to continuously strum for a couple of hours. Though I teach & play a lot, most of what I do is less strumming & more picking.

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But my advancing arthritis in fingers & hands changed how I felt abo…

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Say NO to Boring

by Linda Ratcliff



Are you bored of being bored, because being bored is BORING?





Say NO To Boring
 



Have you ever been to a jam session and wondered how many times they're going to repeat the same tune?



Have you ever gone to the nursing home to share your music, and watched your audience nodding off to sleep - bored by your performance?



Just as "gorgeous" is the ultimate compliment for a woman, "boring" is the most dreaded description of a performance a musician can hear.



So let's say "NO…

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Top 10 Tips for Jam Sessions

by Linda Ratcliff

Relax and enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll realize they were the big things. - Kurt Vonnegut

Top Ten Tips for Jam Sessions



i.e. Jam Etiquette
Going to jam sessions can be intimidating. And yet, they can also be the most fun and rewarding music experiences of your dulcimer life. So how can you move past your fears and inhibitions, and just have a great time?
  1. First of all, tell yourself it’s ok to make mistakes. This is not a performance. You’re just there to…

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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!

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Tips for Jam Survival

by Steve Eulberg

The Summer Festival season is fast approaching (can you feel the buzz of excitement in the air?)  Many of us set aside our winter rhythms and venture out to play music with others in new settings: out of doors, at picnics and cookouts, at public parks, at the beach, at festivals, at week-long learning opportunities.

Some of us are also a little anxious about these meetings because we're not quite certain how we will survive when jamming with other people whom we don't know!

So her…

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