Hey enjoyed your video this morning. I've played a good bit for some years now and have played quite a few gigs and even given some lessons. I just play for fun now. I especially enjoyed seeing you move the melody around on the middle string. I don't usually think about doing that very much, but now I think that I will explore that technique a little more. I play a Mike Clemmer four equidistant string dulcimer and love it. I actually went to one of his workshops years ago and saw you and Aaron O'Rourke play. Enjoyed ya'll so much. Thanks so much for keeping some dulcimer "stuff" in UA-cam land! 😅
Morning Stephen, I really appreciate these videos. This one reminded me of some techniques that I’ve just set aside & I need to use again, and also gave me a couple of new ideas and approaches to my playing. I often prefer the note and drone style of playing but I like adding a little color to tunes especially when I’m playing with others. This is a great synopsis of what it’s like to attend one of your three day intensive which I have really appreciated. Glad to see you are doing well and I really do appreciate these diary sessions. Take care friend.
Hi Stephen. I have been playing about 10 years, but my skill does not reflect that. When I first started, I had teachers say, " IT doesn't matter, just have fun" I developed some very simple strum techniques. I wish I had been instructed better, but since then I am adapting to what our group plays and we all fit in together. Bum-ditty be darned. I am learning flat picking right now using Larry Congers tab for Amazing Grace and I can't help falling in love with you. Learning importance of fingering and planning for the next chord or measure. So, that is what I am doing and always trying to learn and improve. Thanks for your help!
Love the way you play. My first instructor taught me in DAA. He got dementia and I met a new instructor who insisted I needed to move to DAD. I struggled with this and missed my known tunes. I assume your classes that I have been coveting are in DAD. i am elderly and had this dulcimer for years and enjoy it basically and have not embraced it. Suggestions ,before I see a workshop of yours I can go to and have the nerve to attend?
Hey Stephen nice video and tune! I was playing along with you! That's exactly the way I noodle around tunes,especially when I'm on the looper pedal you can really explore a tune that way! Different chord voicings together sounds great I love looping in harmonics also!!🙂 hope you and the dogs have a good day
I also wanted to say I didn't have the privilege of meeting David or you in person but y'all are a huge inspiration on my dulcimer playing! So thank you I plan on getting the book about David soon
These videos are very helpful! And just plain fun 😊 I may sign up for your Chord College class in the online festival in Feb. My experience is in vocals, flute, bass guitar. I started playing tenor guitar and dulcimer, so am working on chord skills. Your playing is inspiring, by the way 🙂🎵
Linda and I really enjoy the "Diary" videos. She doesn't play very much at all, but still loves these. The improving is difficult for me. I've never done it before though. I "skin my knee a lot". But I can't let it bother me. Deep down, it's like I'm afraid of making mistakes. I just gotta shake it off and take another swing at it. Thanks for doing these.
I really love your down-to-earth teaching style, your love of the instrument, and how much valuable information you provide in a short time. One reason you don’t get many questions on your videos may be that you are so good at describing and demonstrating, we just want to go play and experiment. You are full of pearls of wisdom without ever being overly pedantic. I just feel encouraged to experiment with new knowledge, and that’s what music should be. Thank you.
Great video. I find myself playing my middle string the most, and I am a melody guy. That said, I love a nice drone as well... BUT... I find that the drone can often (for me) drowned out my melody. And I find that to be the case when listening to others play heavy in drone..... to avoid this do you just practice somehow playing lighter on the droning strings? I can sort of do this if the strings I drone are the middle and base, but not when I use my preferred middle string. Is this just something we have to deal with, a quirk or feature when doing drone style on the dulcimer?
Going yourself freedom to not get it just right. Harder than it sounds. Growing up playing in band if you didn't get it right you stuck out like a sore thumb. I need to give myself permission to lose the paper and just play. Thank you for the great instruction.
Hey Stephen, This is a timely video lesson in so many ways. I am learning how to take a tune, trim it down and then start to build it up into some sort of an arrangement. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and techniques on how to make this happen. I have already marked this video to be on replay. I will certainly be using it as a guide in the learning process. I am always excited to see a new addition to your Dulcimer Diary series. Even doing another similar to #12 would be helpful. Thanks again.
You want a question ... ok ... the five things a player should do/learrn etc to become a better musician ... i thought this video is so foundational ... do this for six months with favorite tunes and it will be a huge jump i think ... add some of the things Steven did but did not point out ... hammer on ... pull off ... slide ... then flip the chords ... full and partials ... there is so so much here in what 20 minutes .... just great!
There is a question at the end - I promise. I grew up with my father playing a dulcimer that he made. Nice hour glass with friction pegs and always enjoyed hearing him play. I played his some, but it was not until the late 90’s I started to play after picking up David Schnaufer’s CD and became fascinated with the instrument. I attended festivals and even got to see and learn from both you and David at the North Georgia Foothills festivals. Then when my daughter was around 8 or 9 I put down the dulcimer and sold them all! Here 12 years later I just bought a used McSpadden and trying to figure it out again. Long story short I am surprised the songs I remember - muscle memory is crazy. I was never an accomplished player just a living room strummer. Finally, here is the question - how do you develop licks to make the songs more interesting to others and connect the parts A and B? Or for example when playing Annie’s Song build an interesting lead in. I think about how Willie leads in and connects parts of Blue Eyes crying in the rain or just pick any bluegrass song. Simply put looking for ideas here.
I am enjoying your videos so much, and getting a lot from them. You make it look so easy. Not so easy for me but each day I think is a little better.
Hey enjoyed your video this morning. I've played a good bit for some years now and have played quite a few gigs and even given some lessons. I just play for fun now. I especially enjoyed seeing you move the melody around on the middle string. I don't usually think about doing that very much, but now I think that I will explore that technique a little more. I play a Mike Clemmer four equidistant string dulcimer and love it. I actually went to one of his workshops years ago and saw you and Aaron O'Rourke play. Enjoyed ya'll so much. Thanks so much for keeping some dulcimer "stuff" in UA-cam land! 😅
Morning Stephen,
I really appreciate these videos. This one reminded me of some techniques that I’ve just set aside & I need to use again, and also gave me a couple of new ideas and approaches to my playing. I often prefer the note and drone style of playing but I like adding a little color to tunes especially when I’m playing with others. This is a great synopsis of what it’s like to attend one of your three day intensive which I have really appreciated. Glad to see you are doing well and I really do appreciate these diary sessions. Take care friend.
I remember these lessons!! 😄 (WVBF 2023) I’m working on embellishing a little tune to play in church. This is priceless instruction!!
Hi Stephen. I have been playing about 10 years, but my skill does not reflect that. When I first started, I had teachers say, " IT doesn't matter, just have fun" I developed some very simple strum techniques. I wish I had been instructed better, but since then I am adapting to what our group plays and we all fit in together. Bum-ditty be darned. I am learning flat picking right now using Larry Congers tab for Amazing Grace and I can't help falling in love with you. Learning importance of fingering and planning for the next chord or measure. So, that is what I am doing and always trying to learn and improve. Thanks for your help!
Love the way you play. My first instructor taught me in DAA. He got dementia and I met a new instructor who insisted I needed to move to DAD. I struggled with this and missed my known tunes. I assume your classes that I have been coveting are in DAD. i am elderly and had this dulcimer for years and enjoy it basically and have not embraced it. Suggestions ,before I see a workshop of yours I can go to and have the nerve to attend?
You are amazing on that thing. I draw so much inspiration from your videos.
Hey Stephen nice video and tune! I was playing along with you! That's exactly the way I noodle around tunes,especially when I'm on the looper pedal you can really explore a tune that way! Different chord voicings together sounds great I love looping in harmonics also!!🙂 hope you and the dogs have a good day
I also wanted to say I didn't have the privilege of meeting David or you in person but y'all are a huge inspiration on my dulcimer playing! So thank you I plan on getting the book about David soon
Stephen, just listened to this. Thanks for sharing your methods for the tune playground. Next time, will listen and play along with you.
These videos are very helpful! And just plain fun 😊 I may sign up for your Chord College class in the online festival in Feb. My experience is in vocals, flute, bass guitar. I started playing tenor guitar and dulcimer, so am working on chord skills. Your playing is inspiring, by the way 🙂🎵
Linda and I really enjoy the "Diary" videos. She doesn't play very much at all, but still loves these.
The improving is difficult for me. I've never done it before though. I "skin my knee a lot". But I can't let it bother me. Deep down, it's like I'm afraid of making mistakes. I just gotta shake it off and take another swing at it.
Thanks for doing these.
I really love your down-to-earth teaching style, your love of the instrument, and how much valuable information you provide in a short time. One reason you don’t get many questions on your videos may be that you are so good at describing and demonstrating, we just want to go play and experiment. You are full of pearls of wisdom without ever being overly pedantic. I just feel encouraged to experiment with new knowledge, and that’s what music should be. Thank you.
Great video. I find myself playing my middle string the most, and I am a melody guy. That said, I love a nice drone as well... BUT... I find that the drone can often (for me) drowned out my melody. And I find that to be the case when listening to others play heavy in drone..... to avoid this do you just practice somehow playing lighter on the droning strings? I can sort of do this if the strings I drone are the middle and base, but not when I use my preferred middle string. Is this just something we have to deal with, a quirk or feature when doing drone style on the dulcimer?
Going yourself freedom to not get it just right. Harder than it sounds. Growing up playing in band if you didn't get it right you stuck out like a sore thumb. I need to give myself permission to lose the paper and just play. Thank you for the great instruction.
Hey Stephen, This is a timely video lesson in so many ways. I am learning how to take a tune, trim it down and then start to build it up into some sort of an arrangement. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and techniques on how to make this happen. I have already marked this video to be on replay. I will certainly be using it as a guide in the learning process.
I am always excited to see a new addition to your Dulcimer Diary series. Even doing another similar to #12 would be helpful.
Thanks again.
You want a question ... ok ... the five things a player should do/learrn etc to become a better musician ... i thought this video is so foundational ... do this for six months with favorite tunes and it will be a huge jump i think ... add some of the things Steven did but did not point out ... hammer on ... pull off ... slide ... then flip the chords ... full and partials ... there is so so much here in what 20 minutes .... just great!
There is a question at the end - I promise.
I grew up with my father playing a dulcimer that he made. Nice hour glass with friction pegs and always enjoyed hearing him play. I played his some, but it was not until the late 90’s I started to play after picking up David Schnaufer’s CD and became fascinated with the instrument. I attended festivals and even got to see and learn from both you and David at the North Georgia Foothills festivals. Then when my daughter was around 8 or 9 I put down the dulcimer and sold them all! Here 12 years later I just bought a used McSpadden and trying to figure it out again. Long story short I am surprised the songs I remember - muscle memory is crazy. I was never an accomplished player just a living room strummer. Finally, here is the question - how do you develop licks to make the songs more interesting to others and connect the parts A and B? Or for example when playing Annie’s Song build an interesting lead in. I think about how Willie leads in and connects parts of Blue Eyes crying in the rain or just pick any bluegrass song. Simply put looking for ideas here.
I’ll talk about this soon. Thanks.
Nice ideas. I like it!
Thank you for sharing. As always, you make it look so easy. I am struggling but still making a go of it. Thanks for asking.