If you think you are too old or too slow to play an instrument you will be surprised by the simplicity of the dulcimer. Tabledit tablature editor tabledit for mountain dulcimer. Dulcimers online shopping ar online store dulcimer ar. The mountain dulcimer, even in its simplicity, holds more than a few secrets. If you know the notes in a chord and want to find if you can play it on the dulcimer a fret board map can be useful. Make friends with other appalachian mountain dulcimer players and share your music join and become a member of. Bear in mind that the supply of chromatic notes allows for many more chords than with modal tunings. Those who pick it up for the first time are struck with its unique droning tones and find they can play simple melodies rather quickly, sometimes within a matter of minutes.
This is from the on the wing cd, also appearing on the masters of mountain dulcimer, vol. They give you the normal d major and d minor scales, starting on the open melody string and. Over 500 mountain dulcimer chords for the five widely used modes mixolydian, ionian, lydian, dorian, and aeolian plus jazz and fourstring. Dulcimer school is a great resource for those seeking valuable instruction in the art of dulcimer playing. Download these free tabs for the dulcimer and enjoy using them. Note to dulcimer players chords for dad tuning plays in the.
Dulcimer tablature dulcimer music mountain dulcimer mountain music guitar chord chart violin. Dulcimer accessoriess ron gibson mountain dulcimers. If you havent seen dulcimer tab before, it is laid out in three lines which represent the three dulcimer strings seen from above. Also available is a tablature pc cd containing tab and lyrics for all of the tunes, plus mp3 music files of the strummed version of each tune. Wendy songe king of the fairies on mountain dulcimer.
Everyones hands are a little different so use whatever works for you. I can find chords that work with my short little fingers so i can play in any key. If you do not have the capability to print out tablature, a limited number of copies. Have fun learning to play the dulcimer, a traditional fretted string instrument born here in the appalachian region of the united states. The mountain dulcimer is primarily used in folk music. As promised, ive started building a chord chart for dgd ionian mode mountain dulcimer. The solid cherry wood back, neck, and sides provide the user with the beautiful, rich sound that they can expect from such an instrument. G ypsywindcomposed by gary gallier 1993, strong intermediate, dad, key em. Jul 12, 2012 a beautiful morning with nature, inspires wendy songes practice time on the mountain dulcimer. This collection for mountain dulcimer players includes two dozen wedding pieces in dad tuning derived from the folk traditions of the british isles and americas appalachian community. Monthly dulcimer lessons with cddvd from stephen seifert the best dulcimer method yet by albert gamse contact sweet sounds dulcimer house you can teach yourself to play dulcimer by madeline macneil first lessons on dulcimer by joyce. Folkcraft instruments endorsee bing futch performs a bit of drowsy maggie, spotted pony, lees waltz and turkey in the straw on three new mountain dulcimers for sale.
Arrangements for a second dulcimer player are also included. So, what if we see this i vii vi our first clue that something is different is that our root chord is minor lowercase. We offer mountain dulcimers and other folk instruments for an experience reminiscent of days gone by. After a few emails back and forth, carolyn had provided us with the basics of mountain dulcimer tablature and notation. Gig bag case mountain dulcimers cedar creek dulcimers. Youll need a copy for our february meeting and for lindas power of chords workshop, plus its just handy to have around. Joe collins fell in love with the mountain dulcimer back in 1978. There are at least six pages of chords scribbled into my handydandy 6. Like most of my tab, this should be played using the alternating pick stroke. Wendy songe plays king of the fairies, with the divine accompaniment of a refreshing wind and the.
That is, the unusual pattern of frets on a mountain dulcimer renders a seventone scale. First two parts are a quick fiddle style, and the third part goes into a more airy lull in the storm. Major there is more than one way to play the chord. If you want something a bit higher quality right out of the case, and that sounds the best that it can, the professional european cherry mountain dulcimer w case might be the dulcimer for you. Feb 24, 2015 popular chords for dulcimer in daa tuning. Version 1, version 2, version 3, version 4, version 5 good christian men rejoice dulcimer tab. A beginning method for the appalachian dulcimer with a unique new approach to solo melody and chord playing. Check out our resources for adapting to these times. The mountain dulcimer, in its traditional form, is a dronal, not a chordal instrument. At the time he was doing occasional coffeehouses as a college student in eastern north carolina, and a good friend thought that he might be interested in tackling another instrument besides the guitar. Dad and daa tunings and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Its ancestor, the scheitholt, was found in the late 1700s in pennsylvania.
They are in a higher register than the melody, so it gives the duet more depth. Appalachian dulcimer amy fabbri the mountain traditions. A chord consists of two or more notes that are related to each other in a harmonic manner. They are versatile and straightforward, with decent sounding relative chords c and g readily to hand. Homepage of mountain dulcimer performer and teacher stephen seifert. The experience gained in building over 62,000 dulcimers gives us the confidence to offer you a highquality instrument at an affordable price, covered by a guarantee you can count on at the dulcimer shoppe in mountain view, ar. Try playing it on your mountain dulcimer or whatever instrument youve got with you. The mountain dulcimer is a unique american folk instrument and is very easy to play.
Stephen seifert mark gilston is a lap dulcimer virtuosonow theres two words you dont often hear used together in the same. She was a mountain dulcimer player and couldnt create tablature for her music using any of the mainstream notation programs, including tabledit. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Version 1, version 2, version 3, version 4 god rest ye merry gentleman dulcimer tab.
See more ideas about mountain dulcimer, dulcimer music and mountain music. Free dulcimer tabs these free arrangements of tunes or songs for mountain dulcimer all use tablature and musical notation. Apr 22, 2015 mel bay dulcimer chord encyclopedia james major on. Mark stands alone in his astounding ability to adapt world roots music to the mountain dulcimer. Shady grove mountain dulcimer i play unconventional like a guitar. Join groups and forum discussions that interest you, connect with new music friends, share photos, music clips, and videos, explore resources for buying instruments, music, and learning. Studies in d for diatonic and chromatic mountain dulcimer. Version 1, version 2, version 3, version 4, version 5, version 6 angels from the realms of glory dulcimer tab. The body extends the length of the fingerboard, and its. Over 500 mountain dulcimer chords for the five widely used. Contact us to play for your for organization, church, business. Dulcimer chord book book mel bay publications, inc.
Shady grove mountain dulcimer i hope ill be able to play like this some day. Chord patterns for the 5 tuning tend to be much like the barre chord, lchord and slantchord shapes of the dad tuning. This is the octave point so 8 9 10 is like 1 2 3 but an octave higher. Official website of mountain dulcimer player stephen seifert. Northeast texas dulcimer chorus pittsburg texas chapter. Lets get started learning some chords in dad tuning. The appalachian people changed this instrument and came up with the dulcimer in the 1800s. Browse or selection of mountain dulcimer tablature and music books below. Mountain dulcimer sheet music, songbooks, and music books at sheet music plus. Friends of the mountain dulcimer is the most active and extensive site for appalachian mountain dulcimer players and builders on the internet. My dulcimer is a clemmer wwormy chestnut top and black walnut back and sides. Dulcimer tunings the most commonly used tunings today are dad and dac reading from furthest, bass, string, to nearest, melody, string. If your playing calls for a d chord, you can just as well use the chord at fret 5 or 7 as the one at fret 3.
Playing chords on a mountain dulcimer is a basic technique that you should learn if you want to play this instrument. All dulcimer people welcome to share your photos, songs, gatherings. The how to read tab excerpts from this book will aid any aspiring musician in understanding standardized musical notation and, specifically, the tablature developed for the american appalachian mountain dulcimer. Note to dulcimer players chords for dad tuning plays in.
You can use the chart on the left to construct more chords if you know the notes that make up the chord. Mountain dulcimer sheet music and music books sheet music plus. My dulcimers are versatile for all tunings and are easy to note, chord, and finger pick. Oct 09, 2015 mountain dulcimer lessons recommended books and recordings easy dulcimer books and resources for children or beginning players. This is a book everyone needs whether you area beginner or seasoned player. Both sections will then display possible fret positions to play the chord. These are the songs that we will work on at our monthly jams in both bridgewater and fishersville read more. Lee drew andrews childrens dulcimer chord book, prussia.
Dulcimer dulcimer instrument, dulcimer music, dulcimer. The melodies appear in both dulcimer tablature and music notation with suggested backup chords. Free dulcimer tabs revels music mountain dulcimers. Each music cd has tunes played slowly on just the mountain dulcimer melody string, and then again up to speed with chords. Playing beautiful music on the mountain or lap dulcimer does not require any previous musical experience. The relaxing sounds of the mountain dulcimer jerry rockwell. By this i mean that the traditional style of play for the mountain dulcimer consists of a single line of melody played against a drone consisting of usually the root and the fifth of the key in which the melody is played. While the sound of the appalachian mountain dulcimer may conjure images of scottish highland bagpipes or ancient english cottages tucked deep in a misty glen it is actually a fairly recent instrument in historical terms. A comprehensive chord encyclopedia for the mountain dulcimer in the common mixolydian, ionian, dorian, lydian. A chord book written for the young beginner or even beginners of any age showing a creative and simple way to learn and play dulcimer chords in dad tuning. I am playing the chord shapes for g, and i am capod to the second fret, so that puts me in the key of a.
The online dulcimer shop 401 lotis way louisville, ky, 40207 usa. Free dulcimer lessons by bradley laird basic dulcimer chords in daa tuning. The old time mountain dulcimer society, located in lake odessa, michigan. Mar 18, 2004 to introduce a bit of music theory to the discussion, these tunings can actually be referred to as modal tunings. Special building techniques and final finishing of the kentucky dulcimer make my instruments easy to fret with very clear, mellow, noting qualities for the entire length of the fret scale.
Well, there is a time for all things, and this could be your time. Note to dulcimer players the chords in the following sections will work for mountain dulcimers but they will be reversed. In most cases, the instrument is strong with the melody string on the side facing the player, whilst the bass string is situated on the side facing away from the player. Abide with me dulcimer tab version 1, version 2, version 3, version 4, version 5 amazing grace dulcimer tab. Mountain dulcimers accessories cedar creek dulcimers. The chords displayed above the tab are accompaniment chords for a second dulcimer. Place the capo across the strings at either the 1 st, 3 rd, or 4 th frets just to the left of the fret with the tension knob on the outside of the fretboard on the bass string side of the fretboard.
Over 500 mountain dulcimer chords for the five widely used modes mixolydian, ionian, lydian, dorian. Dulcimer tabs dulcimer books play better bluegrass. The mountain dulcimer is a true american folk instrument developed by the people of the appalachian mountains. The pittsburg chapter of the northeast texas dulcimer chorus meets on the first saturday of each month in the pilgrim bank community room in pittsburg, tx. The mountain sounds dulcimer club, located in murphy, north carolina. You can use any left hand finger you like to form the chord shapes. Instructions for using a capo for mountain dulcimer. Learn more enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Mountain dulcimers by kentucky woodworker warren a. Jam songs of the month blue ridge mountain dulcimer. Chord patterns for the 5 tuning tend to be much like the barre chord, l chord and slant chord shapes of the dad tuning. It needs to go digital, so this morning i entered the g chords into tabledit. The mountain dulcimer is an old stringed instrument.
A look at scales, chord shapes and a quick way to play the i, iv and v chords. Mountain dulcimer players, are you in need of a chord chart. This chord wizard provides tools for playing various chords on the mountain dulcimer. It is also called the appalachian dulcimer because it originated in the appalachian mountain region. For each mode, chords for three different tunings are presented. Similarly, one g chord is good as another and one a chord is as good as another. At folkcraft instruments, we offer some free downloads. Cut out the above chord charts and place on your dulcimer when practicing or learning chords how to read dulcimer chords. Mailing address cedar creek dulcimers 408 river bluff dr. I tend to use my thumb on the melody string and my index finger on the bass string. Learn to play appalachian dulcimer free mountain dulcimer. Example d middle chord 2 top number bass string on 2nd fret 3 middle number middle string on 3rd fret 4 bottom number melody string on 4th fret try this d chord using these fingers. How to play chords on a mountain dulcimer our pastimes. Because a standard mountain dulcimer does not include a fully chromatic scale 12tone, it is considered a modal instrument.
I am learning to play the appalachian mountain dulcimer. Press down on the capo until all strings are held down evenly, and turn the tension knob until the. Wild dulcimer songbook centerstream, columbia pictures publications. An easy play by number method will have anyone making music in minutes. Father stand by me key of g chord shapes see description below i am playing a 4 string equidistant mountain dulcimer, and i have it tuned dgbe. A dulcimer tabs dulcimer sheet music dulcimer music dulcimer songs. The melody string nearest to you is therefore at the bottom, the. In other words you would need to use a mirror image of these chords on the mountain dulcimers. Jerry rockwells gentle and soothing music of the mountain dulcimer. There are also several unique chord shapes and types. It is a comprehensive encylopedia of chords for the mountain dulcimer in the modes of mixolydian, ionian, dorian, lydian and phrygian tunings. He uses all five fingers of his left hand to effectively combine melody and chords like no other. Please wash your hands and practise social distancing. The chords built off of the first, fourth and fifth scale degrees.
Mar 07, 2012 shot over several months in the summer of 2011, the films follow the stories of a mountain dulcimer player, a metalworker, a quilter, a hammer dulcimer maker, a group of homesteaders and a group. Dulcimerica with bing futch episode 423 cgg tuning. Chords for ashokan farewell mark gilston on mountain. From the beginner to the advanced, dulcimer school will guide you through all of the essential techniques.
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