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Mountain Dulcimer Workshops - REGISTER NOW!
🔶 Dwain Wilder will be our Dulcimer Doctor. 🔶
To make an appointment for your instrument,
contact him in advance at this LINK.
14-Mountain Dulcimer 101 – Carol Walker (BEG) Fri 3:00
Even if you've never played a dulcimer before, you'll be playing a tune after just five -- yes, that's 5! -- minutes of instruction. We'll start with all the basic elements (comfortable playing position, tuning the instrument, playing simple chords, reading tablature, and simple strumming techniques) to get you off to a flying start! DAD tuning
24-Mountain Dulcimer 102 - Carolyn Brodginski (BEG) Fri 4:15
Now that you know the basics of playing, we’ll discuss some important basics about the instrument, like why don’t we all have the same number of strings and frets? What is VSL, and why should you care? Tips for changing strings. We’ll also discuss note values, and why it’s important to understand them. And of course, we’ll have some time to play a few jam tunes.
65-Duets, Canons, and Rounds, Oh MY!! – Carol Walker (NOV-INT) Sat 3:00
In this workshop you'll learn surprising new ways to play those old familiar rounds, along with other arrangements of your favorite tunes. Ensemble playing increases confidence and allows all players to contribute something to the total sound, regardless of level of experience. And it's just plain fun!! DAD tuning
19-Dulcimer Building from a Woodworking Standpoint - Gerry Heinrich (ALL) Fri 3:00
How do you get wood to sing? Most dulcimer builders approach it as luthiers, or instrument makers. I came to it after spending 50 years as a woodworker, which has led me to do some things in different, but effective, ways.
25-Fingerpicking for the First Time - Aubrey Atwater (NOV) Fri 4:15
Aubrey will present simple fingerpicking patterns in 3/4 and 4/4 time for song accompaniment as well as an introduction to fingerpicking the melody as an instrumental. Bring fingerpicks or just your fingers!
37-Flowing Fingerstyles - The Next Phase - Aubrey Atwater (ADV) Sat 10:15
Students will learn and explore fingerpicking on the mountain dulcimer in greater depth. Aubrey will provide a framework for fingerpicking: participants will learn several patterns for vocal accompaniment as well as a method for fingerpicking a melody as an instrumental.
16-Folksongs of the World – Sasha Bogdanowitsch (INT) Fri 3:00
Broaden your horizons and repertoire by getting acquainted with arrangements of global folk music for mountain dulcimer from around the world, focusing on Africa, India and Asia. Players will get insight into new ways of thinking about modes, song forms and rhythms as well as how to address issues raised by playing musics from other cultures where traditional Western harmony may be used differently or not at all. Capo and 1+ fret recommended.
46-Going to the Cleaners - Aubrey Atwater (INT-ADV) Sat 11:30
This workshop addresses cleaning up your playing. We will have students play songs and pieces they already know and discuss how they might refine and improve technique. Come prepared to present one piece.
57-Hi-Yo Silver and AWAY – Carol Walker … (ADV) Sat 1:30
The iconic “William Tell Overture” is famous for this one short segment found in an Italian opera! Using the original orchestral score, Carol has created a solo dulcimer transcription that will both challenge and delight you! Step by step, we’ll deconstruct this classic to conquer all the Tricky Bits, and then put it back together again as we gallop down the mountain on a very fast horse! DAD tuning
27-Instrumental Dance Music of the Middle Ages – Sasha Bogdanowitsch (ADV) Fri 4:15
Participants will get familiar with several medieval European dance forms, such as the estampie, saltarello and ductia, which were the popular music of the day prior to 1420 AD. We’ll dive into this intriguing repertoire through arrangements for the mountain dulcimer based on actual manuscripts from that time, having their origins in France, England and Italy. Participants will also create their own melodies inspired by these forms, modes and rhythms. Capo and 1+ fret recommended.
39-Laparoscopic Dulcimer Surgery - Dwain Wilder (ALL) Sat 10:15
The story of a particularly challenging repair job, where the dulcimer couldn’t be opened up, so methods of performing the internal repair from outside had to be devised. Hear the story, and see the demo. Of interest to builders, repairers, and players of any wooden instrument, as well as people who just like to see clever things. Note: Repair kits will be available for purchase.
35-Learn to Play in EAA – Lori Keddell (NOV-INT) Sat 10:15
Playing in EAA tuning is similar to playing in DAD, but with the melody pitched 3 notes lower (great for those who can’t sing the high notes in DAD!), and the harmony notes in the chords turned “upside down”. You’ll enjoy this versatile way of playing new tunes as well as ones you already know in DAD tuning. Come tuned to EAA, or come a bit early if you need help retuning.
66-The Many Moods/Modes of the Capo – Ron Ewing (MID-ADV) Sat 3:00
For starters, you can't play it ALL in D! There many fines tunes played in other keys and modes and we'll be exploring the possibilities out of the DAD and DGD tunings, including one using the 1 1/2 fret (as well as alternatives). We'll be playing a variety of tunes and also touching on how to play with baritones and other instruments - the capo being an especially handy tool for that. Variety and flexibility are good things! (I will have extra capos with me for those needing to borrow one.)
45-Minor Modes in DAC Tuning – Lori Keddell (NOV-INT) Sat 11:30
DAC is a versatile tuning that can be used to play tunes in either the Aeolian mode or the Dorian mode, as long as your dulcimer has a 6½ fret. In fact, many minor tunes use a hexatonic scale which has only 6 tones (in DAC, no B or B flat). While songs in DAC often sound beautiful with just the melody and drones, adding chords adds a new dimension that will be sure to delight you. We’ll learn several tunes with chords that will leave you begging for more. DAC tuning
67-New Ways of Improvising with a Group – Sasha Bogdanowitsch (ADV) Sat 3:00
Want to free up your tune mind and try new ways of exploring improvisation in an ensemble setting? We’ll use various improvisational structures, games and repertoire to do just that. All techniques shared are inspired by the instructor’s studies in world music and contemporary music.
55-Old Songs Become New - Carolyn Brodginski (NOV) Sat 1:30
Why do some of those old roots songs sound so familiar? For years, musicians have written new lyrics to old melodies, and made contemporary hits out of them. We’ll play a few of those songs by Elvis and Bob Dylan.
44-Picking Out Melodies – Sam Edelston (BEG) Sat 11:30
The mountain dulcimer has been a melody instrument ever since it was born. Using familiar songs, so you can easily tell what they’re supposed to sound like, we’ll work on your picking technique, left-hand movement on the fretboard, and rhythm. The songs will be chosen to highlight certain important concepts.
56-Playing Interlocking Parts: Creating Musical Conversations - Butch Ross (INT) Sat 1:30
Discover the magic of interlocking parts—where each player contributes a unique, complementary line that weaves together into a rich musical tapestry. Unlike standard multi-part arrangements, interlocking parts rely on rhythmic and melodic interplay for a lively, conversational sound. Learn techniques for listening, fitting your part in, and creating dynamic group music that grooves!
36-Playing With Others – Instruments, That Is – Carolyn Brodginski (INT) Sat 10:15
What happens when you're the only dulcimer player at a jam? Even scarier, they are playing music you don't have tab for? OH NO! Yes, dulcimer players can play with others. This workshop will give you the tools you need to hold your own, by helping you recognize chords played on the guitar, and familiarize you with the most common chords played in different keys. You'll also learn a cool and easy blues riff, in case a harmonica player shows up.
15-Rock-Solid Fundamentals - Butch Ross (NOV) Fri 3:00
Take your playing to the next level by mastering the essential building blocks of dulcimer technique. We’ll cover tuning, posture, solid strumming, clean fretting, and how to get the very best sound from your instrument. Perfect for those who know a few tunes but want to solidify their skills and develop great musical habits.
64-Singalong Chords – Lori Keddell (BEG-NOV) Sat 3:00
The dulcimer is great for accompanying singing. (Even if you don’t sing, you have friends or family members who can.) All you need is 3 or 4 basic (and very simple) chords, and you will soon find yourself strumming along with ease on many familiar folk songs. Come tuned in DAD. We’ll also talk about DAA tuning, which is widely used in traditional music. A chart with chords in both DAD and DAA tunings (both in the key of D) will be provided for those who want to “stretch themselves” and try more challenging chord patterns in either tuning.
17-Take a Song and Make It Better - Carolyn Brodginski (INT-ADV) Fri 3:00
Tired of playing the same songs the same way over and over? Let’s take a fresh approach using improvisation, creating a mashup, or changing the time signature of a song.
34-Two-Chord Songs - Butch Ross (BEG) Sat 10:15
Start your mountain dulcimer journey with this enlightening introduction to playing real music right away! We’ll play a bunch of fun, familiar songs that use only two chords, making it easy to build confidence and enjoy making music from the very first strum. No prior experience needed—just bring your dulcimer and your enthusiasm.
54-Using the Noter – Aubrey Atwater (BEG) Sat 1:30
Participants will learn how to play the mountain dulcimer using the noting stick: one of the most ancient and haunting, yet quite simple, methods of playing. Aubrey will teach how to hold the noter most effectively, as well as a few tricks for ornamentation including sliding, hammering down, and pulling off.
26-Welsh Love Songs – Carol Walker (INT) Fri 4:15
Follow Carol's progress as she completes her next book and shares some of her newest arrangements in this workshop for advancing players. Similar in scope to her Manx project, these poignant and lesser-known ballads will become favorites in your repertoire. Watch for the complete collection to be released in early 2026. Oh, and be sure to bring tissues to this workshop! (Your workshop packet will contain some new songs not previously taught.) Various tunings
47-You Don’t Need Any More Notes - Butch Ross (ADV) Sat 11:30
An exploration of unusual, but really useful tunings. Incl. Bagpipe and 1-3-5 tunings. New strings STRONGLY suggested.
Hammered Dulcimer Workshops - REGISTER
NOW!
11-Hammered Dulcimer 101 – Dave Neiman (BEG) Fri 3:00
Kickstart your learning with a few simple, familiar melodies both quickly and easily, at first using only one hand – the hand of your choice. We then move on to trying these melodies using both hands which will be helpful in improving hammering skills. This workshop is a great way to gain quick success on your path to learning the hammered dulcimer. Reading music is not necessary. For those never having touched a dulcimer, we will have a few for you to try – we’ll go over how to hold the hammers and how to hit the strings.
21-Hammered Dulcimer 102 - Jody Marshall (BEG) Fri 4:15
Build on your budding knowledge of the hammered dulcimer! In this workshop we’ll focus on visual patterns, delve into some skill-building exercises, and learn an easy tune as we continue to explore our crazy wire-strung trapezoids.
61-Beginning Backup – Dave Neiman (BEG) Sat 3:00
Ever wanted to play backup while someone else is playing melody? We’ll start out playing one note, then two, and possibly 3-note chords to backup a couple of simple, common fiddle tunes. Learn some tricks on how to figure out how to start backup on a tune and where to go next. We’ll review the tunes in advance and spend plenty of time working on backup.
52-Blues on Hammered Dulcimer – Cliff Cole (MID) Sat 1:30
Yes, you really can play the blues on the hammered dulcimer, and it’s totally fun! In this workshop, we will explore some common blues scales and chording patterns and learn a blues tune. We will find the “blue” notes in the scale and learn how to bend notes. Don’t forget your cheap sunglasses!
12-Christmas Ensemble - Jody Marshall (MID-ADV) Fri 3:00
Christmas music sounds great on the hammered dulcimer—but with two or more dulcimers, it sparkles like a Christmas tree! We’ll focus on “Il est Né, le Divin Enfant” and “Patapan,” two beautiful French carols, and create a festive ensemble as we layer in lush harmony parts and fun rhythmic effects.
43-Crooked Tunes – Cliff Cole (ADV) Sat 11:30
Crooked tunes are tunes that deviate from reel timing which are usually 16 measures. They are sometimes played in old-time music sessions. Over time some crooked tunes have become "rounded out” to make them work for contra or square dance… We will use the reel "Five Miles from Town" as a crooked example, exploring what makes it crooked, and how you can catch on to the crooked riff. If there is time we will explore some other crooked tunes. All instruments welcome.
63-How to Shift Accents - Mary Lynn Michal (ADV) Sat 3:00
Have you ever heard the expression “friends don’t let friends clap on 1 and 3”? Coming from a symphonic background, Mary Lynn struggled to unlearn her natural pull toward making beat 1 the primary emphasis. That journey has shaped a teaching style designed to help you build the flexibility and freedom to place your accents wherever the music calls for them. In this class, she will help you move your emphasis between downbeats and backbeats (beats 2 and 4) with confidence—giving your playing more groove, flexibility, and control.
41-How to Use Chords - Ken Kolodner (BEG) Sat 11:30
Do you see those letters above the written music? What do they mean, and how do we use them? This workshop will help you decipher the hidden code behind those symbols.
53-Improvisation in Traditional Music - Ken Kolodner (ADV) Sat 1:30
Instead of just playing the melody over and over again in a jam, wouldn’t it be fun to be to vary your playing? We will take a standard jam tune and explore what you can do “on the fly”. This workshop will introduce concrete steps and concepts to achieve this goal.
32-Lefthand Lead - Ken Kolodner (MID-ADV) Sat 10:15
Have you heard things like … “You need to be lefthanded to use a lefthand lead,” “Start with your left hand,” “The lefthand plays melody,” “This tune requires a righthand lead,” or even “The harmony should be above melody.” We will start with what lefthand lead (LHL) does and does NOT mean. We will use LHL to learn one piece and demonstrate how the approach can open the bass bridge for chords, basslines, and especially separating harmony from melody, without switching your lead hand.
33-Learn to Play "Yesterday" - Jody Marshall (ADV) Sat 10:15
This Beatles classic sits beautifully on the hammered dulcimer! For copyright reasons, participants will be required to purchase the sheet music online in advance, and the cost will be reimbursed at the class; you’ll receive the necessary details before the festival. Note that you’ll need a high D# (D#5, a little more than an octave above middle C) for this arrangement. You’ll need D#4 too, but most standard 16/15 setups already have this note on the bottom of the left treble.
22-Managing Your Bounces – Sam Edelston (MID) Fri 4:15
There’s a whole bouquet of hammering skills that can make your playing sound more musical and make things easier to play. We’ll use songs and exercises to work on accenting notes in a melody … single vs double vs triple hits … and using double hits to help you reach difficult notes and play one-handed melodies.
31-Mapping the Dulcimer with Scales and Chords – Cliff Cole (BEG) Sat 10:15
In this workshop, we’ll map out the hammered dulcimer and explore common patterns to play scales and chords. We will navigate the layout of the instrument by using patterns inherent to the hammered dulcimer’s layout. Workshop participants will learn how to better utilize redundant notes to make sticking patterns easier and faster to play. One goal of this workshop is for participants to become comfortable playing notes over the whole instrument.
42-Mixing and Matching - Mary Lynn Michal (MID) Sat 11:30
Do you ever find yourself playing a tune the same way over and over again? Wouldn’t it be fun to take several basic ideas and be able to mix and match them to create variations in the way you play your tune? In this workshop, we will learn how to be less dependent on someone else’s arrangement and more free to create your own.
48-Music for Healing and Comfort: The HD's Super Power - Jody Marshall (MID-ADV) … Sat 3:00
Becoming a certified music practitioner has really opened my eyes to the dulcimer’s special ability to provide comfort and solace to those in need. We’ll explore the dulcimer’s potential as a therapeutic instrument, and work through one or more arrangements that make use of this dulcimer “super power.”
23-Solo Arranging – Dave Neiman (ADV) Fri 4:15
Learn how to take a melody and use the underlying chords to create your own unique arrangement. We’ll explore what notes to play as harmony and different techniques for adding them to the melody such as rolled chords, valley rolls, descending bass lines, and possibly “inside out chords”. You’ll also learn various tricks of the trade to make it look like you are doing more by doing less. Some knowledge of music theory could be helpful which we might touch on during the class.
51-Tips to Make Everything You Play Sound Better - Mary Lynn Michal (BEG) Sat 1:30
Do you want to take your musical skills to the next level? Mary Lynn will share her list of things she wished she had focused on as a new player. These fundamentals are important for improving the sound of everything we play. Don't miss this opportunity to improve your musical abilities and have fun at the same time.
62-What HD Players Can Learn From Fiddlers - Ken Kolodner (MID) Sat 3:00
Fiddlers want HD players to match their “groove” by playing with swing, accent shifts, anticipations, syncopations, dynamics, AND know how to play backup! OK, that might seem like a lot! Using a relatively straightforward old-time tune, we will explore the concepts of swing and accent shifts which are used by nearly all fiddlers. We will focus on identifying the chord progression and creating an effective backup that includes vamps and moving bass lines.
All-instrument Workshops
19-Dulcimer Building from a Woodworking Standpoint - Gerry Heinrich (ALL) … Sat 11:30
How do you get wood to sing? Most dulcimer builders approach it as luthiers, or instrument makers. I came to it after spending 50 years as a woodworker, which has led me to do some things in different, but effective, ways.
28-Finding Your Voice: Beginner’s Guide to Lyric Writing - Kayte Devlin (ALL) … Fri 4:15
You’ve known songs all your life. Learn from an award-winning songwriter: What makes a successful lyric stand out, song structures, and the different roles of verses, choruses, and bridges. Explore strategies to spark your creativity, overcome writer’s block, and turn your own experiences and inspirations into meaningful lyrics. We’ll do a mini writing exercise to help you start getting your words onto paper in a relaxed and encouraging setting, and you’ll learn next steps to take it further.
58-Guided Jam Session – Dave Neiman (NOV/MID/INT) … Sat 1:30
This year we will have the first guided jam and use a new, limited “Nutmeg Common Tune List” so everyone can see in advance some of the tunes we will be using during the jam session. Tunes will be played at a slow to moderate tempo so that it will be easier to play along with either the melody or backup. Based on past experience, several of these tunes have been popular with dulcimer players for many years. This will be a great chance to get accustomed to playing with others.
39-Laparoscopic Dulcimer Surgery - Dwain Wilder (ALL) … Sat 10:15
The story of a particularly challenging repair job, where the dulcimer couldn’t be opened up, so methods of performing the internal repair from outside had to be devised. Hear the story, and see the demo. Of interest to builders, repairers, and players of any wooden instrument, as well as people who just like to see clever things. Note: Repair kits will be available for purchase.
38-Playing for Others Doesn’t Need to Be Scary - Mary Lynn Michal (ALL) … Sat 10:15
You may have wondered, "Am I the only one who gets nervous playing in front of others?" (You are NOT!) Do your hands shake so badly you drop your hammers or can't strum? Can't even remember how the tune goes? It's totally OK to be nervous—it's how we learn to manage the jitters that is important. Let's learn some strategies in a supportive environment where we can test the waters of performing for your peers. Come with a couple of tunes you know well. All levels and all instruments welcome.