Afternoon Electives

Dulcimer U Summer Week 2023

MONDAY

Beginner Review of Morning Skills (Exclusively for Laurie Alsobrook’s Level I class)
A continuation/review of the beginning morning skills class. This will give the participants time to ask questions they thought of over lunch or get extra help. It is recommended that new players choose this class each afternoon.

Shape Note Singing for All – Carol Crocker (suitable for all skill levels)
Come join in learning about the tradition of “shaped note” singing. Shape- note music is an American four-part harmony, acapella singing tradition dating from early 1800s. “Shape-notes” refers to the different shapes of the note heads of the music scale. We will learn and sing from the 4-shape tradition and we learn multi-part “choral” arrangements of shape note hymn tunes arranged for mountain dulcimers. Materials will be provided from the traditional shaped note tune books.

Bluesy, Boogie Duets for Standard and Bass Dulcimer - Butch Ross & Elaine Conger (suitable for Level III and up) *Offered as a 4-day elective – Sign up once and attend all four afternoons. In this class, Butch Ross will take some ol’ dulcimer chestnuts (that you might even be gettin’ a little tired of) and turn them into fun, swingin' and bluesy versions of the songs you all know and love. Elaine Conger will show you a slick bass line to go with it and THEN we’ll play the tune altogether. The techniques utilized in the arrangements presented will be emphasized during each day of this 4-day elective culminating in a class participant performance at the Closing Session of Dulcimer U 2023.  Participants should bring both instruments to class (if they have them) so both parts can be taught to all attending.

Play Us a Story – Carolyn Brodgniski (Level II Advancing Beginners)
Who doesn't love a good story? Put one to music and it becomes a ballad. Learn about the history of ballads, different types of ballads, and what makes a song a ballad. Then play some good juicy stories. Lyrics will be included for those who want to sing a along. Come tuned to DAD and bring a capo.

Improving Your Left Hand – Jeff Furman (Level III and up)
If you want to improve your sound, fluidity, and smoothness of your left hand, this workshop is for you!  We will focus on techniques and exercises to help you improve your left hand, including: getting good sound, fingering for smooth transitions, anchoring, back fretting, hammer-on's and pull-off's, ornaments, and more.  Even if you already know some of these techniques and principles, this workshop will help you improve your ability to easily incorporate them into any music you play.  Of course, we'll apply all this to some great tunes, too!

Celebrating Summertime – Irma Reeder (Level IV and V)
Here are songs that recall fond memories of bright sunny days and warm summer nights.  We’ll explore the background of the compositions, then work through the music.  All arrangements are for standard dulcimer, tuned to DAD.  Have your capo handy just in case.

Pop Songs of the 60s - Larry Conger - DAD tuning - Requires a 1+ fret and a capo. (Level V)
In this class, you will learn an arrangement of “House of the Rising Sun” a great old tune made popular by Eric Burdon and the Animals and “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” by Elvis Presley.  One song will make extensive use of the 1+ fret.  A challenge for the intermediate level player and perfect for the more advanced player. Bring a capo.

TUESDAY

Beginner Review of Morning Skills (Exclusively for Laurie Alsobrook’s Level I class)
A continuation/review of the beginning morning skills class. This will give the participants time to ask questions they thought of over lunch or get extra help. it is recommended that new players choose this class each afternoon.

Bluesy, Boogie Duets for Standard and Bass Dulcimer - Butch Ross & Elaine Conger (a continuation from Monday) *Offered as a 4-day elective – Sign up once and attend all four afternoons. In this class, Butch Ross will take some ol’ dulcimer chestnuts (that you might even be gettin’ a little tired of) and turn them into fun, swingin' and bluesy versions of the songs you all know and love. Elaine Conger will show you a slick bass line to go with it and THEN we’ll play the tune altogether. The techniques utilized in the arrangements presented will be emphasized during each day of this 4-day elective culminating in a class participant performance at the Closing Session of Dulcimer U 2023.  Participants should bring both instruments to class (if they have them) so both parts can be taught to all attending.

Singing With the Dulcimer – Carolyn Brodginski (Level II Advancing Beginner and Up)
Why is it that so many people don’t sing when they play the dulcimer? Maybe because it has its own beautiful voice? Maybe because the key of D is not in your vocal range? This workshop will focus on using the dulcimer as a rhythm instrument while you do the singing, playing chords rather than melody, so we’ll spend time learning different ways to play some of the most common chords in DAD tuning. For those who don’t like singing in the key of D, we’ll learn an easy way to transpose into a key that suits your vocal range. We’ll also talk about the new options you’ll have for arranging a song once you add vocals. Come tuned to DAD, bring a capo and be prepared to sing!

Dulcimer Voices – Irma Reeder (Level III Lower Intermediate)
Enjoy playing in parts!  Discover how this reminds us to focus on timing as we hear how parts are woven together in each arrangement.  Explore each section then put them all together.  Songs are arranged for standard (melody, harmony) and bass dulcimers, tuned to DAD.

Exploring the Modes on Mountain Dulcimer - Carol Crocker (Level IV Upper Intermediate)
You may have heard of these terms Ionian, Aeolian, Mixolydian, and Dorian, associated with folk tunes when describing their sound or tuning. In this workshop we will learn a little of the music theory of these modes as well as learn to play a tune in these modes to hear their special musical characteristics.

Expand Your Repertoire in the Key of A! – Jeff Furman (Level V Beyond Intermediate)
This workshop will focus on giving you more practice and expanding your repertoire in the key of A!  This key has a brightness and an energy that works very well with the dulcimer, but there are also some other types of tunes (in addition to old-time fiddle tunes) that also work well in the key of A.  In addition to expanding your repertoire, this will be a good chance to get more practice playing with capo 4!!!   Please bring a CAPO!

WEDNESDAY

Beginner Review of Morning Skills (Exclusively for Laurie Alsobrook’s Level I class)
A continuation/review of the beginning morning skills class. This will give the participants time to ask questions they thought of over lunch or get extra help. It is recommended that new players choose this class each afternoon.

Bluesy, Boogie Duets for Standard and Bass Dulcimer - Butch Ross & Elaine Conger (a continuation from Monday & Tuesday) *Offered as a 4-day elective – Sign up once and attend all four afternoons. In this class, Butch Ross will take some ol’ dulcimer chestnuts (that you might even be gettin’ a little tired of) and turn them into fun, swingin' and bluesy versions of the songs you all know and love. Elaine Conger will show you a slick bass line to go with it and THEN we’ll play the tune altogether. The techniques utilized in the arrangements presented will be emphasized during each day of this 4-day elective culminating in a class participant performance at the Closing Session of Dulcimer U 2023.  Participants should bring both instruments to class (if they have them) so both parts can be taught to all attending.

Improving Your Right Hand – Jeff Furman (Level II Advancing Beginners)
The drive, energy, and heart of your playing comes from your right hand. This workshop will focus on improving your strumming, rhythm, and flatpicking to enhance your playing. You will get exercises to practice and several tunes to practice and learn how to incorporate these ideas into any music you play!

One Tune 3 Keys No Capo - Carol Crocker - (Level III and up)
Forgot your capo for the jam, or you just want to learn something different? In this workshop we will focus on playing a few traditional folk tunes in the keys of D, G, and A without using a capo. We will be doing some retuning to change keys and look at how that works.

Sweet Songs for the Dulcimer – Carolyn Brodgniski (Level III Lower Intermediate)
Did you know the name dulcimer comes from the Latin and Greek works dulce and melos, which combine to mean "sweet tune"? While we love our jammin’ roots songs, sometimes it’s just nice to focus on the sweet songs that gave the instrument its name. Carolyn will teach her original song “Letting Go”, as well as a number of lovely lullabies. Put down that pick and be prepared to do some finger picking. Other skills used in these pieces include hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides. Capo and 1+ fret needed. Come tuned to DAD

Dulcimer Blues - Larry Conger – Level IV Upper Intermediate) - 1+ fret is required.
Spend the afternoon learning two great old blues songs – “C.C. Rider” is a traditional 12 bar blues tune and “Midnight Special” has more of a country blues feel.  Both songs will make use of a shuffling blues rhythm and use the 1+ fret extensively.  Along the way, the art of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and muted strings will be addressed in an effort to add some zing to the arrangements.

The Magic of Medleys – Irma Reeder (Level V Beyond Intermediate)
It takes a lot more than mashing to produce a beautiful medley!  Engage your imagination and creativity as you consider the process of weaving together two separate songs.  This is a wonderful adventure that will cause you to dig deep into your toolbox!  A working knowledge of keys, chords, and time signatures is required.  Tune to DAD

THURSDAY

BEGINNER REVIEW OF MORNING SKILLS (Exclusively for Laurie Alsobrook’s Level I class)
A continuation/review of the beginning morning skills class. This will give the participants time to ask questions they thought of over lunch or get extra help. It is recommended that new players choose this class each afternoon.

Bluesy, Boogie Duets for Standard and Bass Dulcimer - Butch Ross & Elaine Conger (a continuation from Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday) *Offered as a 4-day elective – Sign up once and attend all four afternoons. In this class, Butch Ross will take some ol’ dulcimer chestnuts (that you might even be gettin’ a little tired of) and turn them into fun, swingin' and bluesy versions of the songs you all know and love. Elaine Conger will show you a slick bass line to go with it and THEN we’ll play the tune altogether. The techniques utilized in the arrangements presented will be emphasized during each day of this 4-day elective culminating in a class participant performance at the Closing Session of Dulcimer U 2023.  Participants should bring both instruments to class (if they have them) so both parts can be taught to all attending.

Melody, Harmony, & Chords, Oh My! – Irma Reeder (Level II Advancing Beginner). What a fun way to practice our skills!  We’ll have a great time playing tunes in parts, adding harmony and chord accompaniment to new arrangements done just for you.  Tune to DAD

African American Spirituals After the Civil War – Carol Crocker - Level III Lower Intermediate)
Beyond “This Little Light of Mine”, the history of spirituals is the result of a deep expression of emotions among enslaved African-Americans. Many of these songs are very rhythmic and syncopated. We will learn to play a few as well as examine their historical background with a focus on songs after the Civil War. We will use the 1 ½ fret if you have one. There are alternate chords and frets for those who don’t have it.

Putting More Rhythm into Your Playing – Jeff Furman (Level III Lower Intermediate and Up). This workshop will focus on helping get more rhythm into a variety of tunes.  Dulcimer playing should not be limited to bump-ditty or Caribbean rhythms!!! This repertoire workshop will present several tunes with different time signatures, styles, and rhythms.  The goal is to prepare you to play a wide variety of tunes while being true to the tunes themselves, not just playing them like everything else you play!   Please bring a CAPO!

A Classic Approach to the Dulcimer – Carolyn Brodginski (Level IV Upper Intermediate)
An instrument is just a vehicle to make music. Any kind of music. So why not add some classical music to your repertoire? In this workshop we’ll work on three pieces. The Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria”, Handel’s “Prelude in C”, and Mendelssohn’s “Spring Song” (think Bugs Bunny).  These lovely pieces sound best without a pick, so have your fingers ready to play LOTS of arpeggios.   Bring you dulcimer with the 1+ fret and expect DAD and CGC tunings. Suitable for intermediate level and beyond.

Minor Key Hornpipes – Larry Conger (Level V Beyond Intermediate)
Learn “The Rights of Man” and “King of the Fairies” while challenging your abilities to play multiple hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, staccato notes and string mutes.  Challenging due to the sheer number of notes and quick tempo.  No class time will be spent reviewing skills you should have learned as an intermediate level player. 1+ FRET AND CAPO REQUIRED. DAD tuning.