One of the most exciting parts of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival is the opportunity to participate in workshops with local and nationally renowned Dulcimer players and experts, teaching both Hammered Dulcimer (HD) and Mountain Dulcimer (MD) as well as a variety of other instruments and skills. This page provides descriptions of the workshops being offered at the 2023 Festival.
Workshops will take place during the workshop times shown on the Festival Schedule.
Following the workshop descriptions are definitions of the skill levels to which each workshop is geared so attendees can choose according to their level, including Absolute Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Sam Edelston (Teaching Hammered Dulcimer and Mountain Dulcimer)
Hammered Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – Hammered Dulcimer 101
It may look bewildering to the uninitiated, but your hammered dulcimer actually is laid out according to a simple, logical pattern that makes it easy to play melodies. In this hour, you’ll learn how to understand the dulcimer’s layout, and you’ll play some songs on it. In addition, you’ll get the lowdown on essentials like
hammers, stands, and tuning.
Hammered Dulcimer – Intermediate – How to Jam
Jamming can be one of the most exhilarating and rewarding musical experiences, but it can also be daunting. In this workshop, you’ll learn how jamming works … how to cope if you don’t know the tune (or can’t play it fast enough) … ways to prepare for when it’s your turn … ways to make the music more
interesting (and easier). We’ll also look at a few common jam tunes, so you’ll know how to play them when they do come up.
Mountain Dulcimer – Beginner – Easy Harmony
Years before I ever learned to play the mountain dulcimer, somebody taught me how to play harmony on one. Parallel harmonies are a simple way to prettify a tune – and a tool that keeps coming back as you become a more experienced player. DAD tuning.
Mountain Dulcimer – Intermediate – Chord Cadences
The first time a kid picks up a guitar, he/she learns a few chords and almost immediately can play hundred of songs. You’ll learn several common chord progressions, or ‘cadences’, so you can
do the same on your dulcimer. This workshop can really liberate your playing! DAD tuning.
Mountain Dulcimer – Advanced – Hot Hammer & Pulloffs
Learn a fun-to-play, beautiful, flowing piece (from the masterful guitar playing of John Renbourne) full of hammer-ons, pulloffs, slides, and even a bit of tapping – all guaranteed to add an extra level of “snap” to your left hand. DAD tuning.
Steve Eulberg (Teaching Mountain Dulcimer )
Workshop Descriptions will be posted soon.
Workshop Descriptions will be posted soon.
Tina Gugeler (Teaching Hammered Dulcimer and Bodhran)
Workshop Descriptions will be posted soon.
Erin Mae (Teaching Mountain Dulcimer)
Workshop Descriptions will be posted soon.
Joshua Messick (Teaching Hammered Dulcimer)
Workshop Descriptions will be posted soon.
Diana Willson (Teaching Mountain Dulcimer)
Mountain Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – String side up!
By the end of this workshop you will be playing your first tunes! Along the way, you will learn how to sit, hold the dulcimer and tune the strings. You will learn what to do with your left hand and your right. And, you will learn to read tab. Woo hoo! You are on your way!
Mountain Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – And the beat goes on!
Review and build on the skills learned in Workshop 1. Play more fun tunes while learning some necessary music theory like time signatures and counting. Expand on your basic strumming skills and learn how to play eighth notes, quarter and whole notes. Expand on your fretting skills and start to increase speed. Learn to use all your fingers and how to smooth out your playing. Add Bum Diddys to tunes just because you can!
Mountain Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – Stay Tuned!
Review and build on the skills learned in Workshops 1 & 2. Continue to expand your repertoire while discovering the joys of the metronome. Learn the notes you are playing and learn about different tunings that are possible. Learn why and how to use a capo. Play tunes in different tunings and that
use a capo.
Mountain Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – What else can I do with my dulcimer?
Learn the first easy chords and the efficient ways to finger them. Practice playing the chords as backup chords to familiar or unfamiliar tunes. Now that you are using all the strings, learn about other styles of playing: fingerpicking, flatpicking, chord melody, arpeggios, and multipart tunes that are possible with the dulcimer. There is so much more beautiful music that awaits you!
Mountain Dulcimer – Absolute Beginner – You be jammin’!
Stop being afraid to join in with all people clearly having lots of fun in a jam! Learn jam etiquette and the tips for enjoying yourself while playing well with others. Practice these jam skills by playing tunes learned in the previous workshops and learning some new tunes. By the end of this workshop, you will be confident and prepared to join the Slow MD JAM! Love playing the dulcimer and want more? Discover some of the enormous number of resources available to you in the dulcimer community: in-person festivals, zoom festivals, websites, free tab, books and sheet music, online lessons, and more!