Dulcimer Basics - Contents

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  Page
Acknowledgements ii
How to Use This Book 1
   
Beginner Tunes in the DAd Tuning  
  Boil ‘em Cabbage Down 3
  Aunt Rhodie 4
  Mary Had a Little Lamb 5
  Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star 6
  Junebug 7
  Amazing Grace 8
  Down by the Station 9
  Liza Jane 10
  When the Saints Go Marching In 11
  Sweet Hour of Prayer 12
  We Gather Together 14
  London Bridge 15
  Southwind 16
  Kum Ba Yah 17
  God Is So Good 18
  This Old Man 19
  Get Along, Little Dogies 20
  We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder 22
  On Top of Old Smokey 23
  Itsy, Bitsy Spider 24
  Hush, Little Baby 25
Beginner Tunes in the DGd Tuning  
  Clementine 26
  She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain 27
  Down in the Valley 28
  Father, I Adore You 29
  Gentle Mary Laid Her Child 30
  Mary Had a Little Lamb 31
  Simple Gifts 32
  When I Survey the Wondrous Cross 34
  Ain’t Gonna Rain No More 35
  O, My Dearest Augustine 36
Beginner Tunes in the DAc Tuning  
  What Child is This? 37
  O Come, O Come, Immanuel 38
   
Your First Eight Mountain Dulcimer Lessons 39
Lesson One – Getting the Dulcimer in Tune 41
* Skill 1 - Using an Electronic Tuner 41
* Skill 2 – Tuning by Ear 43
Lesson Two – Holding the Dulcimer 46
* Skill 3 – Playing in a Sitting Position 46
* Skill 4 – Playing in a Standing Position 48
Lesson Three – Simple, Effective Strumming 49
* Skill 5 – Holding the Pick 49
* Skill 6 – The Strumming Motion 49
Lesson Four – Simple Noting 51
* Skill 7 – Simple Noting Technique 51
Lesson Five – Reading Dulcimer Tablature 55
* Skill 8 – Reading Dulcimer Tablature 55
Lesson Six – Developing Your Strum 57
* Skill 9 – Strumming Back 57
* Skill 10 – Combining Out and Back Strums 57
Lesson Seven – Developing Your Noting 61
* Skill 11 – Coordinating Two Noting Fingers (including thumb) on One String 61
* Skill 12 – Determining Where to Anchor When Using Multiple Fingers 62
* Skill 13 – Noting Sequences Using Multiple Fingers 64
* Skill 14 – Using Multiple Fingers to Note All the Strings 66
Lesson Eight – Joining a Jam 68
   

Appendices

  
  Appendix 1 - Parts of a Dulcimer 71
  Appendix 2 - Common Fretting Patterns on Modern Mountain Dulcimer 72
  Appendix 3 - Caring for Your Mountain Dulcimer 73
  Appendix 4 - A Short History of the Mountain Dulcimer 74
  Appendix 5 - About the Author 75
   
Alphabetical Index of Tunes      76
Companion CD 77
Index for Companion CD Track Numbers 78