Workshop Descriptions

2009 Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival

LAST YEAR'S

Click the workshop leader's name to see biographical information

Hammered Dulcimer Workshops

 

Hammered Dulcimer 101 ... Jody Marshall  (BEG)  This workshop is designed for those starting from scratch, as well as those who may have had their instruments for a while but who want to review the basics, including exercises designed to increase skill and confidence. If time permits, we’ll also learn a simple tune to play together as a class. Rental instruments will be available – see registration form.  10:00 Sat.


Hammered Dulcimer 102 ... Jody Marshall  (BEG)  In this class we’ll focus on some simple chord patterns and learn the basics of accompaniment. We’ll also work on learning to hear chord changes.   11:30 Sat.


African Music 1 ... Max ZT  (ADV) We will use the hammered dulcimer to explore traditional Senegalese music, where a basic underlying structure complements, or accompanies, an improvisational lead, in order to create an ensemble sound.1:45 Sat.


African Music 2 ... Max ZT  (ADV) In this workshop we will continue with our look at traditional Senegalese music, but will do so from a improvisational and compositional standpoint. We will look for patterns within the instrument to develop a way to improvise and compose effectively. Understanding these patterns can open a lot of doors in terms of composing one’s own pieces.3:15 Sat.


Chord Smorgasbord ... Jem Moore (MID)  Once you’ve reached a certain level of proficiency on the dulcimer, there often comes a thirst for knowledge: What do these shapes mean ? This workshop is designed to take on the wide variety of chords, and how changing small elements in them can help create large changes in the feel of a piece. Avoiding the dreaded word, “theory,” I use simple analogies and demonstrations to help people reach a deeper understanding of chord structure and usage.  4:30 Sat.


"Comping" -- Chord Progressions ... Max ZT  (MID)  The hammered dulcimer is mostly used as an instrument that takes a melodic lead. But because of it’s natural sustain and resonance, it’s an ideal candidate for playing a backup role, as well. In this workshop we are going to learn what it means and how to “comp,” and what can happen when we transfer to a new way of seeing the dulcimer and its patterns.  11:30 Sat.


Deck the Dulcimer ... Jody Marshall  (ADV)  We’ll use the dulcimer’s bell-like tones to their best advantage as we work on both festive favorites and rarely heard gems. Techniques such as plucking and hand independence will be covered, and arrangements for more than one instrument will be provided. Ability to read music is recommended.  4:30 Sat.


Flash & Pizzazz ... Jem Moore  (ADV) This workshop focuses on those moments in my playing when I hear people say, 'How did he do that ?”  We’ll talk about things like 14-note chords, cross-handing, buzz rolls, giant leaps, harmonics, and other stuff that you only get to learn if you know the secret handshake.  10:00 Sat.


How to Speak Freygish ... Joshua Horowitz  (MID)  The Freygish scale used in a lot of Klezmer music is also common in a number of other cultures in Europe and the Mideast.  Learn how to recognize it, how to play and use it, and how it gives much Jewish music its distinctive sound.  10:00 Sat.


Klezmer Tsimbl on Your HD ... Joshua Horowitz  (ADV)  Klezmer sticking patterns, accompaniment patterns, ornaments and melody, arranging all into a class finale of the tune(s).   11:30 Sat.


Map of Your Dulcimer ... Jem Moore  (BEG)  This workshop was designed for absolute beginners, but even players with some experience can benefit from it. It starts at the beginning, with how to hold hammers and striking technique, and then moves on to naming the courses (strings) and discussing the layout of the dulcimer. By the end of the workshop, even total novice players are able to name, and play, every major and minor chord available on their dulcimer. As a bonus, we discover the Grand Unified Playing Pattern, Y’all, or GUPPY.  1:45 Sat.


My Favorite Things on HD ... Mike Kachuba (ALL)  Mike will share what has worked for him in 30+ years of playing and encourages participants to share what works for them when it comes to learning a tune, tune selection, learning hammering patterns, etc.  3:30 Fri.


Playing & Arranging Waltzes ... Jon Weinberg  (BEG) We'll learn to play a simple waltz and then add embellishments that you can be used to dress up any waltz. 4:30 Sat.


Playing Jigs ... Jon Weinberg (MID)  Players are often intimidated by Jigs, but they can be fun to play and really round out a performance and your repertoire.  We'll investigate what makes a jig a jig, different types of jigs, and techniques to make playing them easy.  3:15 Sat.


Smoothing Out Your Playing ... Mike Kachuba (ALL) Many dulcimer players play fast and furious, making playing the dulcimer look like a chore.  Mike will present ideas and tips to make playing the dulcimer look …and sound….like it's the easiest thing going!  4:45 Fri.


Tunes in F (F is for Fun) ... Tim Van Egmond (MID)  The key of F is a less-frequented section of the hammered dulcimer, but there are some lovely tunes that dwell there. We'll get acquainted with some of them, exploring hammering patterns and jumping octaves when needed. A range extending up to at least B-flat on the bass bridge and C/F on the treble will be helpful.  1:45 Sat.


Tunes You Know ... Tim Van Egmond  (BEG)  The easiest tunes to learn are ones we already know well by ear, which allows us to concentrate more on developing skill! Using familiar melodies such as “Frere Jacques” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” we’ll learn to locate the notes on the dulcimer and develop “muscle memory” until we’re playing smoothly and easily.  3:15 Sat.

Mountain Dulcimer Workshops

 

Mountain Dulcimer 101 ... Sandy Lafleur  (BEG) Let's get started!  A "from the beginning" workshop on holding the instrument & pick, fretting and strumming.  DAD tuning.  10:00 Sat.


Mountain Dulcimer 102 ... Laurel Schwartz  (BEG)  Now that you know the basics, come learn some easy tunes.  We'll continue what was covered in 101 with an emphasis on understanding tablature.  DAD  11:30 Sat.



Adding Variations to Fiddle Tunes ... Stephen Seifert (ADV) You’ll learn how to add variation to tunes you already know.  Variations will be split in into rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic variations ... and then put together into a fiddle tuney collage of awesomeness. 1:45 Sat.


All Around the Fretboard (4 strings) ... Lucy Joan Sollogub  (ADV)  Participants will play traditional and baroque tunes in various octaves and styles on their dulcimers.  The arrangements will emphasize the flexibility, waterfall-like, and colorful sounds of using four equidistant strings, as well as the lush sounds of 4-string chords. We will play 2 arrangements of “Cinncinnati,” which employs cross-picking, one or two movements of a Telemann canonic sonata, a round by Purcell, and a winter carol. Techniques include cross-picking, slides, pull-offs across strings, hammers, chord/melody playing, and melodic harmony lines. Bring your dulcimer set-up with 4 equidistant strings and a capo. (Lucy will bring an extra 4-string instrument to share.) Tunings: A-A-d-d and D-G-d-d.  3:15 Sat.


Beginners Round Table ... Lori Keddell  (BEG)  After playing all day, this will be a good chance for you to have some of your questions answered, as well as to share what you’ve learned with other beginning dulcimer players. We’ll even learn a few new tunes, if time permits.   4:30 Sat.


Dazzling Harmonics ... Nina Zanetti  (INT-ADV)  Harmonics are those bell-like high notes that can add dazzle or mystery to an arrangement.  We'll first discuss how to produce a clear sound, both with natural (not-fretted) and artificial (fretted) harmonics. Then we'll learn some tunes that show how they can be incorporated into an arrangement.  DAD.  11:300 Sat.


DGD, Capoed Up 1 ... Sandy Lafleur (NOV-INT)  DGD is a great tuning, let's see where else it can go!  A-minor tunes at your fingertips with that awesome "reverse" tuning drone.  1:45 Sat.


Fast-Track Jump-Start Intro ... Steve Miklos  (YOU) Do you play a stringed fretted instrument already? Guitar, Banjo, mandolin, charanga, tiple, sitar? If so, you already know a lot of what you need for dulcimer playing. This course will jump-start you through chords, accompanied melody playing, history and theory and practice of mountain dulcimer. Much progress, many tabs, in a short time. 10:00 Sat.


First Steps in Fingerpicking ... Nina Zanetti  (NOV) Learn to fingerpick and how to make this style of playing sound pretty. We will also talk about how to take tab arranged for strumming or flatpicking and turn it into a fingerpicked arrangement.  DAD.  1:45 Sat.


Getting Creative ... Laurel Schwartz  (NOV) Tired of playing songs the same way but don't know how to change things? This class will show simple techniques to modify songs. We'll cover 1) creating easy harmonies, 2) varying tunes and endings, and 3) strumming patterns and accents.  4:30 Sat.


How to Learn Tunes ... Rich Carty  (BEG-NOV) The workshop will show the techniques of learning tunes with less effort and remembering them more easily.  A recording device will be helpful.  3:15 Sat.


How to Play Cleanly ... Nina Zanetti (NOV-ADV) Approaches to practicing, smoothing out tricky passages, and more.  We'll work out some examples from provided arrangements, but feel free to bring along your own pieces, too. We’ll brainstorm alternate ways to play them and discuss how to create good habits for them.  3:15 Sat.


Japanese Music ... Moto Fukushima (INT-ADV)  Japanese traditional string instrument "syamisen" has 3 strings and same tuning as mountain dulcimer. I'd like to show the potential of mountain dulcimer which can lead you to world music. Learn some simple melodies from Japanese traditional/folk music.  11:30 Sat.


Learning Tunes from Recordings ... Sandy Lafleur (ALL) Develop your ear and learn new tunes "off the page" from the start!  Tips and tricks to help you decipher what you hear and then play it.  4:45 Fri.


Liberate Your Playing ... Moto Fukushima  (ADV) Approach to mountain dulcimer with different point of view. Right hand finger picking technique, two / three notes voicing, open string technique, and so on.  4:30 Sat.


Playing in a Minor Tuning ... Lucy Joan Sollogub  (NOV)  With the invention and use of capos and extra frets for our dulcimers, players might not “venture” into the (wonderful) world of minor tunings. Historically dulcimer players have re-tuned their instruments to achieve other keys, scales and modal qualities. In this workshop for novice players we will tune our first string down from DAD to DAC. We will play minor melodies, often described as “haunting,” that sound beautiful over the dulcimers drone. We will use slides, hammer-ons and pull offs, and a few chords. Tunes taught may include a Bengali lullaby, a Hebrew round, an Appalachian lullaby, and an American banjo tune.  11:30 Sat.


Playing in Multiple Keys ... Lucy Joan Sollugub  (INT-ADV)  Playing in multiple keys is a big topic, there are many reasons for doing so, and we will try to cover a big slice of it.   We will be based around DAD, and will discuss and demonstrate alternate tunings, use of a capo, extra frets (such as the 1/2, 1 1/2, and 6 1/2),  and related baritone topics including playing nicely together.  The focus will be on traditional music, but the techniques can be used for anything your chromatic heart desires!  Bring your instruments, bring your questions.  10:00  Sat.


Restoring Your Dulcimer's Elegance ... Dwain Wilder  (ALL) We’ll cover how to care for your instrument’s finish, repair dings and scratches, make sure floating bridges are intonated correctly, deal with buzzes, whatever other problems you bring to the table, and anything else that keeps your dulcimer from sounding and looking as good as when it was new.  3:15 Sat.


Reverse Tunings ... Liz Hanahan  (INT-ADV) A reverse tuning is a tuning where the notes of the middle & bass strings have been swapped, putting you into a different key.  We use these reverse tunings to change keys without going beyond the range of the instrument … or to switch to a key you can sing in better.  EAA, DGD (plus handouts about DGC and  EAG,).  3:30 Fri.


Scales and Exercises ... Stephen Seifert (NOV-ADV)  This workshop is designed to improve dexterity, finger independence, knowledge of the entire fingerboard, and get your right and left hands working in sync.  10:00 Sat.


Simple Two-Note Chords ... Liz Hanahan  (BEG) It is such fun to find yourself playing chords and adding a purity to your playing!  In the DAD tuning you will have a chord for each note, from the open chord, on up the neck  to the 10th fret.  We will play three easy tunes using the chords.  Hand-outs with diagrams of the chords will be given to you with the tab for the songs.  Come tuned to DAD  1:45 Sat.


Sing-Along Chords ... Lori Keddell  (BEG-NOV) Most beginning dulcimer classes start out with learning to play simple melodies, but guess what?  You can have a lot of fun with just 3 basic (and very simple) chords in DAD tuning, and will soon find yourself strumming along with ease on many familiar folk songs. (Chord sheets will also be provided for those who want to “stretch themselves” and try more challenging chord patterns.)  3:30 Fri.

Strumming AND Flatpicking Fiddle Tunes ... Stephen Seifert (INT)  How to play some fiery fiddle tunes on the melody string, high on the melody string, and on the bass string. We'll ALSO flatpick the tunes across the three strings using no fret higher than 3. As we work through the tunes and techniques, I'll go over a number of shortcuts for quickly learning and memorizing tunes.  4:30 Sat.


 

Workshops for Other Instruments

 

Ask Drs. Klez ... Joshua Horowitz & Cookie Segelstein.  (ALL) In tonight’s concert, you’ll be hearing a lot of Klezmer music. In this variant of the master class taken to the extreme, the audience can ask virtually anything to two genuine experts!  Open to everyone, this class seamlessly joins talking, demonstration, performance and the playing of rare recorded examples. Topics can include music technique and ensemble secrets ... the history and politics of the German and Polish Klezmer scenes ... cross-cultural connections (Gypsy, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, etc) ... field work and musicological process ... secrets of ear training and transcription ... and just plain fun anecdotes.  4:45 Fri.


Blues Improv ... Moto Fukushima  (All instruments, INT-ADV)  Improvisation is not as hard as you think. Improv over blues is one of the best ways to learn. How to start your melody and then develop it.  1:45 Sat.


Guitar ... Sam Edelston  Pack more punch into your playing, whether you’re backing up your own singing or somebody else’s tunes.  3:15 Sat.


How to Play Well With Others ... Cookie Segelstein  (All instruments, INT-ADV)  Combination of master class and emergency medicine, in this Bandstand 911 class, Cookie Segelstein takes musicians through a series of provocative and fun exercises, to explore issues such as: On the spot arrangement; Secrets for creating and maintaining energy; Communication techniques; Who¹s in charge? Spontaneous combustion and train wrecks (bandstand emergencies).   10:00 Sat.


Irish Fiddle ... MinTze Wu. For beginning and intermediate levels. We will explore the fundamental bowing and fingering techniques through learning a jig and/or a reel. 11:30 Sat.


Irish Phrasing & Ornamentation ... MinTze Wu. For experienced players. All instruments welcome. We will discover and apply ways of ornamenting and lifting up a tune. 4:30 Sat.


Klezmer Fiddle ... Cookie Segelstein (Fiddle All Levels) Cookie will teach students how to articulate, ornament and bow klezmer tunes.  She'll also reveal the secrets to getting the sobbing effect of Jewish music and teach students techniques how to learn a tune by ear. Students will come away having learned a whole tune with the earmarks of klezmer style.  3:15 Sat.


Round Robin ... Don Moore (ALL)  Bring your instruments and your voices if you like to sing, and we will take turns sharing our music!    You may learn new tunes and offer others some music you have learned to play.  Don't worry if you are beginnerish or advanced... each of you has something to add to this fun circle of songs and tunes!  4:45 Fri.