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What Can I Learn from a Concert?

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It is an interesting phenomenon.

Public performance is how many of us "discover" dulcimers, or the style of music that catches our fancy.  Sometimes this sows the seeds of "I've gotta learn how to do this for myself!" or "I've got to get an instrument" or "I've got to get a teacher" and "I've got to share this music, this instrument, what I've learned, with other people."

Yes I hear this observation from many people who host and organize dulcimer festivals:

"We are so surprised at the number …

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DulcimerCrossing as a Way to Invest in Yourself

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by Steve Eulberg

Investing in your own musical growth and development only takes your decisions:

1. To try it

2.  To try it again

3.  To learn how to remember what you've tried

4.  To discover what you DON'T get or don't (yet) understand

5.  To search for the answers to decision #4.

6.  To connect with others who may be a step ahead of you on the path

7.  To connect with others who are well-traveled guides on this path.

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ALL of us who teach at DulcimerCrossing have faced and made these…

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Can You Make Progress Without Playing?

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All too often, our busy lives prevent us from picking up our dulcimer or our hammers, and spending time in practice. I look on practice time as a gift to myself, a reward for being a good girl and getting everything done that needs to be done. But sometimes I get so busy doing the things I ought to do, time runs out before I even get close to playing my instruments.

First of all, if we were face-to-face, you’d probably tell me I need to re-order my priorities. And I know you’d be right. But e…

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Go SLOW to Go Fast


Last weekend, I watched the movie “Second Chances,” an uplifting tale of a little girl's physical and emotional reawakening after a car crash claims the life of her father, and leaves her unable to walk without crutches. In the movie, Sunny bonds with a crippled horse, and together they begin to walk, even run, together again.

However, throughout the film, the horse trainer and her coach warned Sunny and another young girl about the importance of warming up their horses, starting them out slowl…

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Vi Wickam wins at Weiser

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Vi Wickam, our fiddling instructor, wins at Weiser!

by Steve Eulberg

The National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest and Festival has been held annually (except for Covid) since 1953 in Weiser, Idaho.  

I have been hearing about this event for years, since meeting a returning fiddler on the GreenRide commute back from the Denver airport when I was returning from Kentucky Music Week which is held annually at the same time.

 Vi and Steve  Vi has been attending, competing, judging and teaching workshops at this f…

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New Feature: Sample Lessons

NEW FEATURE: Sample Lessons

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We've added a new feature on our DulcimerCrossing.com website:  Sample Lessons by several of our instructors for each of the instruments for which we teach Courses.

Click here to Sample them!

Mountain Dulcimer:

These are sample mountain dulcimer lessons from DulcimerCrossing's curriculum, one from each level we teach:

Absolute Beginning-Level 1-Steve Eulberg

Beyond Beginning-Level 2-Butch Ross

Intermediate-Level 3-Neal Hellman

Advanced-Level 4-Nina Zanetti

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Leap Forward with Matthew Dickerson today!



National Hammered Dulcimer Champion and DulcimerCrossing instructor, Matthew Dickerson, will share his knowledge and experience in our March Leap Forward in Your Musical Understanding Live Event for Premium Members today.



Log in with your Premium Membership to access this lesson today:



4 pm PDT | 5 pm MDT | 6 pm CDT | 7 pm EDT



That Membership also lets you view the Archive Videos of the previous lessons:



Circle of 5ths/Ionian Mode Week 1





Dorian Mode Week 2





Aeolian Mode Week 3





M…

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Leap Forward Week 3

Performance Tasks/Learning Objectives from this lesson:





1. Find an E Aeolian Scale (Natural/Pure Minor) on your instrument 



2. Use that knowledge to Play God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen or Wayfaring Stranger



3. Name the notes that the student used to play this scale



4. Define the Aeolian scale 



5. For Mountain Dulcimer: What do I have and what Drones do I need?



A. If I use a Capo how do I tune and where do I start?



B. How can I re-tune and play Aeolian in some different Keycenters?



Aeoli…

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New Theory Quiz

Following our first two Live Music Theory classes for Premium Members of DulcimerCrossing.com, Erin Mae and I have a new Quiz, this time comparing the Ionian and Dorian Modes.



Click here to try it out and test your understanding!



Later today [4 pm PST = 5 pm MST = 6 pm CST = 7 pm EST] is the 3rd lesson, this one focusing on the Aeolian Mode.



Premium Members have access on the Live events page at DulcimerCrossing.com.



(Be certain that you have logged in and the background is blue and th…

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Leap Forward Week 2 Homework

Here is the Handout for this week's Class.



Student Assessment Lesson 2 Leap Forward in Your Music Understanding



Homework



1. Compare what we did in Dorian of E to Dorian of D



2. Look through your music and see if you can identify what key the songs are and whether or not they are in the Dorian (Mountain Minor) Mode.



3. Play Along with the Backing Tracks Library on DulcimerCrossing (listed above). 



4. Report back with questions, insights, “aha” experiences in the comment section of the Ho…

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