Step on the Scale Drill (Instructional Video)
Whenever you go to the doctor, he may ask you to step on the scale as part of your checkup. Your weight is insightful to the status of your overall health! In the same way, when you “step on the scale” of your dulcimer, it will give you an awareness to your development and/or health as a hammer dulcimer player.
This video demostrates a drill that I have used to help improve my scale work. This is just one of many scale drills that you should add to your practice routine.
In the video, I must admit that I played the scales rather quickly in order to make the video shorter. Many beginning or intermediate players may not be able to handle it at this speed, and I don’t want you to feel frustrated or intimidated! While speed is important to strive for, be more concerned about timing consistency, intentional note volumes, and accuracy. The speed will eventually fall into place.
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The Ladder Drill (Instructional Video)
The primary goal of the ladder drill is to assist with developing hand independence.
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Special Effects Without Electricity (Instructional Video)
Through the years, I have come across many of these effects either on my own or by learning them from other players. After demonstrating them to many hammer dulcimer players, I was amazed to find how many players did not know that many of them even existed! Some of these effects may not be learned in typical workshop settings, so I thought it would be useful to share them here.
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I have broken down the effects into two categories, “Cool Tools” and “Dulcimer Onomatopoeia”. The descriptions of each effect are not meant to be complete but a supplemental guide to the instructional video.
Cool Tools
Bending
Strike or pluck a string, then use your finger to bend the string from the opposite side of the same bridge where the note was played.
Finger-Dampening
With one finger, dampen the string by pushing on the bridge directly on any course. With your other hand, strike or pluck the dampened course.
Harmonics
With one finger, gently touch the middle or fifth of a string. With your other hand strike or pluck the string. Harmonics will sound the best on the bass bridge.
Stops
Strike or pluck a string, then stop the sustain with your hand before it naturally fades. The effect is most prominent if you stop a note soon after striking it.
Octave With One Hammer
Played on the far left of your instrument, where the octave from the left and right bridges become adjacent to each other. May not be possible on all hammer dulcimers.
Dulcimer “Onomatopoeia”
Harp Dulcimer
Pluck the dulcimer in a way that the harp would be played. This is done with long, extended arpeggios.
Chimes
Find the middle of any string on the right bridge and pluck it. It should sound similar to a chime. (Remember! You can use the chime effect to make your dulcimer sound similar to a doorbell or grandfather clock!!)
Autoharp Dulcimer
Use one hand to mute the strings that you don’t want and with the other hand strum a chord.
Tags: bend, chime, chimes, dampers, effects, harmonic, octave, pluck, stop
Desire for Departure (Demonstrational Video)
A lot of people have been asking me how Desire for Departure is played. One day, I do hope to release the notation for it. But for now, this is a live demonstration of my composition, Desire for Departure.
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This is a solo version of the song. When originally arranged, I had the instrumentation in mind. Since the song is largely repetitive and doesn’t rely on tune variations/additional embellishments to enhance the arrangement, the gradual speed increase is intentional to create tension and interest in order to keep it from dragging. Normally, I would not recommend this approach.
The secondary purpose for showing this demonstration is that hand independence is used throughout the song. I am sure that I will be referencing this video in future posts discussing the advantages of hand independence.
For a full-version free download of what appears on my CD release, please check out the listen section to the right
Tags: Demonstration, live, playing, video
How I Started Playing
Mar 4, 2009 Development Zone
I have had a few recent conversations that inspired me to tell how I started playing the hammer dulcimer. Without question, it is something that God led me to and has a purpose for bringing into my life. It is an interesting story on how God equips us with talents and desires, even at a young age.
Some may be wondering why this is in the development tactics category, but I think it is a good fit here because it gives insight into my motives for playing the dulcimer, and motives are an important element to overall development.
I first heard it played at about 3 years of age on a recording by Russell Cook. I still remember my soul being moved by the beauty of the instrument, and at that time I promised my mom I wanted to learn how to play hammer dulcimer by the time I was 30 years old.
My interest with musical instruments initially resulted since Dad had two mountain dulcimers since I was an infant. I remember first having an interest with them at roughly 5 years old. When I was 7, Mom and Dad noticed that I maintained my interest in music and decided to get me started with piano lessons.
The piano and I never got along very well. My brain was always active and I wanted to kind of do my own thing without having to be structured with the technicalities of sheet music. Thankfully, my piano teacher recognized this as a potential strength and assisted with me learning how to play by ear. I remember always adding my own twists on the songs that I had to play by the music.
Because of my suffering relationship with the piano, when I was 9 my parents remembered my interest on the mountain dulcimer and decided that it might be a good idea to get me started on lessons. If I remember correctly they had run across a flyer for a mountain dulcimer teacher. One thing is for certain–she was my new teacher, Peggy Carter.
I took a few lessons on the mountain dulcimer, and things weren’t going too well with that either. During one of the final attempts to see if I would take to the mountain dulcimer, I noticed this strange “triangular instrument” in the corner of Peggy’s front room. I asked her what it was and she said it was a hammer dulcimer. Immediately, I remembered the promise that I had made to my mother when I was 3 years old to learn the hammer dulcimer. I went and picked up the hammers, started playing it, and showed a definite interest in it. Wisely, Peggy noticed my peeked appeal to the instrument, and decided that we should take that day’s lesson on the hammer dulcimer.
It didn’t take long for me to progress. I remember taking lessons weekly before I owned an instrument, and even made progress without my own to practice at home. Mom and dad bought me my first hammer dulcimer for Christmas of that year. Unfortunately, it was not yet completed on Christmas day, so Peggy loaned my parents 12/11 Hudson hammer dulcimer, which I unwrapped. Here is a picture of that Christmas Day. Soon, my Hudson 16/15 arrived. I continued regularly taking lessons from Peggy until I was about 14.
There is more about my pursuits that I would like to share, but I think I’ll save that for future posts. For now, this is available as a resource for those who ask me how I started playing.
Everybody has a Gift
Everybody has a gift and purpose in this world. Some may be greater or smaller when viewed through man’s eyes, but through God’s eyes all He asks for is obedience. I’ve learned that He equips us with the tools or resources in order for us to fulfill His plan for our lives. God works everything in, and we work out through obedience.
Allow me to give an illustration:
It is a sign of human strength and discipline when a weight lifter does what it takes to get his body into great shape. I’ve met my share of weight lifters who carry an egotistical approach and want their muscles looked at for the sole purpose of showing off so the world can see what they’ve done.
But, I’ve got one question for them–who gave you the muscles? God gave the muscles. Furthermore, God gave the ability in the human mind for discipline and goals. All that the weight lifter did was work out what God had already put in by being obedient to goals and desires.
In the same way, I want people to know that all I’ve done is work out the gift of music that God put in. He gave me gift, the right parents, and also Peggy Carter into my life to teach me the hammer dulcimer. My talents and gifts would be nothing without the work of God by his direct gift and use of other people’s investments in my life.
No matter what your purpose or place is yours in this world, know there is peace through humility, obedience, and a surrendered life to your Maker.
Tags: Hammer Dulcimer Lessons
Winning Practice Habits
Mar 2, 2009 Development Zone
Any person who is dedicated to improving their skills will recognize the value of effective practice. It has been said that practice makes perfect. I have also heard it taken a step farther to state that practice makes permanent and perfect practice makes perfect. I tend to agree with the later two statements
This raises the next obvious question. What is perfect practice? As I have stated in a previous post, all people are different. To this I will add that perfect practice will depend largely on your personality and character. You need to develop a good program as well as effective habits.
Practice Program
Here are some helpful questions for you to develop a productive practice program.
- On a 1 to 10 scale, what priority do you give to practicing? What priority should you give to keep that good ole’ conscience clear?
- Are you most productive in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings?
- What time of day will you have the least distractions and is it at the same time of day that you are the most productive?
- How much time can you commit to practicing? In order to achieve your goals, how much time should you commit to practicing?
Next, here are some helpful tips.
- Clear your mind before practicing.
- As with everything else in life, sleep is essential to quality production. With out enough sleep, you may not only find your practice to be less effective, but you will also find that your routine may soon be compromised for less involving activities, such as the TV or other mind-numbing event.
- Eliminate or reduce all possible distractions. Common distractions include: TV, cell phone (turn it to vibrate if it absolutely must be on), and spouses, children, or siblings who are inconsiderate. One thing that I love about my wife is that when it is time for me to practice, she does not cause me any distractions and only asks me questions that are absolutely essential. Thanks, Lizzi!
- If possible, be in a room with a door that is closed. I find the closed room to get me in the mindset that this is the time I have committed to just me and my dulcimer, with nothing else to think about. Also, the closed room can be mutually beneficial to others in your abode! Your practicing won’t annoy them as much and will allow you to practice without them asking you to hurry up and finish your practicing so they can start thinking strait again!
Habits
Next, we move on to effective habits.You can have the world’s best practice program, but if you do not develop quality habits, than your practice will not be as fruitful.
Part of your practice time should be committed to studying your instrument. Places, such as this blog, will assist in increasing your understanding.There are also great books available. But do not confine yourself to studying only the dulcimer. Be a student of music. Listen to it. Read it. Feel it. Live it.
Not only should you study your instrument, but you should know what your weaknesses are and constantly be seeking to improve them. Have a weak hand? Then find practice drills that strengthens it. Lack coordination? Do not surrender to that weakness. Make it better.
In order to develop more strengths, you should always, always, always be in contact with an accomplished player (preferably a teacher if possible) who can give you an honest assessment of your playing. One thing I have found is that my weaknesses often times exist because they are blind spots. Even today, I ask accomplished musicians to give me their honest opinion of my playing. I want to know what my weaknesses are so that I can improve.
Please do not get the impression that weaknesses are the only things that need practice. Strengths do as well! One thing I have always kept in mind is that there is always room for improvement, no matter how strong a certain area of my playing is. But, you should not practice your strengths only to improve them, you should practice them to make sure that you maintain them.
Drills. Yes, we hate them. But where would we be without them? Two things I have found that many dulcimer players can stand to improve on are scales and arpeggios. Play them. A lot. Play them until your dog bites you in the leg. Just make sure he does it in your leg and not your arm… you can keep on practicing without a leg but not as well without an arm. You get the picture. Don’t ever abandon drills in your practice habits.
Allow me to leave you with a motto that I have personally lived by. I wrote it, but I am sure there are similar variations on the market.
Practice correctly. Practice with purpose. Practice to fulfill your dreams.
Tags: practice
Dampers
Mar 2, 2009 Opinions
After not having a hammer dulcimer with dampers for 13 years, I finally had my opportunity to acquire some on a Master Works Russell Cook Edition. I have been using them for quite some time, and I am going to come out with my opinion of dampers.
I will say it up front and right now. I like them! However, I think that there must be an appropriate understand of what dampers will and will not do.
What Dampers Don’t Do
- They will absolutely not make you a better player. Dampers do nothing to improve the essential skills.
- They do not improve the tone of your instrument. It is just different.
- They do not make your dulcimer easier to carry. Porting a peddle and accompanied strings or cables can be labor intensive.
- They do not make your instrument more durable. In fact, dampers are fragile and can be damaged if not properly taken care of.
- They do not make your instrument cheaper. Dampers can get expensive.
What Dampers Do
- They do create an alternative sound that is beneficial to arrangements.
- They do add the ability to stop the sustain, assisting in smooth transitions.
- They do add a desirable element of showmanship for performances.
The Bottom Line
As you can see there are quite a few elements involved in deciding if the pros outweigh the cons of dampers. Additionally, not all builders make dampers, so you may not find them teamed up with your favorite builder. Unless you have the cash or this is a serious hobby or career, I would advise to never, ever, ever purchase a dulcimer simply because it has dampers if you are not 100% satisfied with the instrument itself, independent of the dampers.
Dampers are a nice effect and can add some great groove and showmanship to a song. But, I would advise that you be cautious and make sure that you actually want them. Do not get computer geeks syndrome, which is wanting something better and faster simply because it is and not because you will need or use it.
Tags: dampers
Being in Tune to Yourself
Mar 2, 2009 Development Zone
How well in tune are you to your yourself? Many of you are saying, “I thought it was dulcimer was supposed to be in tune to my Korg!” Well, you’re right. But, that’s not the motive of this accumulation of 961 English words. Allow me to begin…
You’re driving your car down the road when your cell phone rings. You quickly rummage to find your phone with the intent of answering it, not because you want to talk, but because you want to turn off that annoying ring tone that you paid $1.99 for.
After nearly driving your vehicle past the dead end into a group of trees, a friend (who isn’t very musical) says to you, “Turn your radio on! They’re playing that dulmier thing you do!” You think “Finally! The dulcimer has made it onto my biggest, local music station!”
Amidst the frustration of being on the wrong road, you tune into the station to realize that it wasn’t a dulcimer. It was a mandolin in the middle of a country song talking about the memories had with a pair of boots and pickup truck.
There are three really big points in this story. One–don’t pay $1.99 for a ring tone which you’ll end up hating. Two–know where you’re going. Three–shoot the guy who doesn’t know how the dulcimer is pronounced or what it sounds like. (OK, Mr. Lawyer, I didn’t mean that literally)
Alright, so where does this whole tuning thing fit in? In order for things to be in tune, there must be a standard by which you tune to. In this particular case, I will mostly discuss the subjective standard–yourself. You must learn to be in tune to what your personal tastes and goals are with your dulcimer. A desperate individual just exclaimed, “But what if my dulcimer is a democrat?” (For my un-humored audience, please substitute in the word republican to make the joke funny.)
One of the beauties of human beings is that we’re not all alike. We’re different. We have different strengths, weaknesses, preferences, methods, etc. All of these play an enormous factor into your relationship with your instrument.
Now, on to elaborating my three really big points…
1. Don’t pay $1.99 for a ring tone which you’ll end up hating.
One of the most important things of being a musician is to find the instrument(s) that you’re happy with. Plenty of quality articles have been written about choosing the right dulcimer, so that is not the overall motive of this article. There are black and white rights and wrongs with choosing dulcimers. But, much of choosing the right dulcimer is being in tune to what your personal preferences are. This can take time! I’ve owned many instruments. Some, I decided I liked. Others, I didn’t. To summarize, if you’re not happy with the instrument that you’ve purchased, odds are that you’ll end up seeking to “turn it off” rather than to play it.
2. Know where you’re going
It is crucial to make an intentional effort to know where you’re going. This includes your motives, habits, and development progress. Too often, I’ve seen musicians who found themselves at a dead end because little attention was given to where they were headed as a musician.
Something that I ask all my students is, “How good do you want to get and why?”
These two questions answer a lot of questions and are extremely revealing to being in tune to your personal goals and motives. If you’re honest with yourself, you may discover that some are healthy and others are not!
Once your goals are set, write your plan. This can include how often to take lessons, when, what, and how often to practice, attending festivals, your budget, distance learning, etc. The glue is steadfastness. Never quit and never procrastinate. Stay with your goal and one day you’ll be satisfied with the results.
The next step is to reward yourself with milestones. Stair-step your milestones. Example: if I were to have a goal of running 10 miles non-stop, I would personally set milestone markers at 2 mile intervals. My first goal would be to run 2 miles, then 4, then 6, etc. If I set my sights on the 10 miles to begin with, the road would seem too long, unattainable, and I might quit. However, if I set milestone markers, I know exactly where I’m at, that I am making progress, and also have satisfaction of achieving personal milestones.
This ties into music as well. You may have a long-term goal of playing in a successful band. But in order to get there, set different milestones along the way. It could start as simple as playing a scale 2x in a row without mistakes, followed by knowing how to play a scale in 3rds, learning the chromatic scale, completing your first arrangement or compositions, etc.
I’m not saying that everybody has to be the next Yo-Yo Ma, but what I am saying is that you need to be in tune to your motives and development progress or else you may find your days as a musician coming to screeching halt.
3. Shoot the guy who doesn’t know how the dulcimer is pronounced or what it sounds like.
Once again, this is meant comically. However, I think that it proves a good point. We should only listen to those who know what they’re talking about. If possible, find a quality teacher who has credentials. If that isn’t possible, look into taking Internet lessons or attending festivals to learn from teachers who know what they’re talking about. Also, listen to quality music by established players. This doesn’t just have to be dulcimer music. It could be any type of music. But the key is that if you listen to those who are accomplished, you will make yourself better. Input=Output.
Tags: habits, Hammer Dulcimer Lessons, method, methods, tune
Effective Bouncing (Instructional Video)
This video demonstrates how to effectively utilize bouncing into your arrangements.
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