Spring Dulcimer Week
Advanced Beginning and Intermediate Hammered Dulcimer
Sam Rizzetta

This class is an opportunity for players with a bit of experience to boost creativity, learn interesting tunes, improve playing techniques, and explore chords and how they can be used to add interest to dulcimer playing.  We will cover some embellishments, improvisational tricks, and some multi-part ensemble music to add fun and spice to the week.

Additional Class Description:

Two main goals will be to improve our solo playing for increased personal enjoyment and to improve our group playing to fit better into jam sessions. You will have a chance to learn some traditional and original tunes. And we will cover the basics of rhythm, harmony, and chords and how to use them to make tune arrangements fuller and more interesting.  Chords will also be used as a foundation for playing accompaniment. And we will explore musical creativity and a few basic elements of improvisation.

This class is for advanced beginning and intermediate players.  You should have some experience, be able to keep your instrument in tune, and have at least a small repertoire of tunes that can be played with a bit of confidence.  You'll need the ability to play melodies and scales in familiar keys such as D and G.  An intermediate player will usually have a number of tunes that can be played well and be able to join in some jam sessions.  

We will learn tunes by ear as well as from standard notation.  Music reading is helpful but definitely not a requirement.  I will have written music available for most of the tunes we learn.