Mountain Dulcimer Styles
and Techniques Books

Folk Notes Music Books
 


Hands-On Dulcimer
Developing Technique Through Exercises and Studies
by Mike Casey 


This book is designed to help fretted dulcimer players at all levels grow in their technical abilities by developing strength, precision, control and flexibility in both the right and left hands. Exercises explore flatpicking, fingerpicking, slurs, chords, strumming, left hand precision and placement, right hand strength and control, volume, tone, articulation, and more using both dulcimer tablature and standard music notation. In this book, Mike has used ideas drawn from classical guitar study plus years of teaching dulcimer to develop exercises that will inspire and challenge players at all levels. The tunes and exercises are in the common dulcimer tuning of D-A-D, with a few exceptions. Some exercises are included for the four-string and five-string dulcimers, and a 6+ fret is required. The accompanying CD demonstrates key exercises and most of the tunes in the book.  176 pages

$22.95 - Hands On Book and CD -
 
Tunes combining flatpicking and chords - The First Noel, The South Wind, Loch Lomond, The Languor of Love
Old Time Fiddle Tunes - Old Molly Hare, Shooting Creek, Sally in the Garden
Fingerpicking - The South Wind, Megan's Daughter, The Munster Buttermilk
Challenging Pieces - The Scotch Cap, Harvest Home
Four and Five-String Arrangements - The Ash Grove, The South Wind, Grace Nugent

 

Fingerpicking Dulcimer by Janita Baker

A collection of 21 songs arranged in a fingerpicking style for the mountain dulcimer, this book offers a wide variety of musical genres and playing levels. Divided equally between arrangements for three and four equidistant strings, the songs progress in difficulty within each section from beginner to advanced level. Each piece is written in both standard music notation and dulcimer tablature, and is accompanied by performance tips for playing that song. Many arrangements utilize the 6 1/2 fret, and tunings range from standard modal tunings to four-string variations. The arrangements cover a wide range of song styles including traditional ragtime, blues, and classical standards. There is an extensive introduction on playing techniques for both left and right hands, tunings, reading tablature, and dulcimer embellishments. The accompanying CD is an instrumental recording of solo dulcimer, designed to give the student a note-for-note reference to each written arrangement while providing a performance-quality listening experience.
 
Fingerpicking Dulcimer BCD - $21.95

Three String Four String
In Christ There Is No East or West  Greensleeves
House of the Rising Sun Andante
Country Gardens Für Elise
Londonderry Air My Old Kentucky Home
Ode to Joy Aura Lee
Grandfather's Clock Rondo
All Through the Night Careless Love
Trumpet Voluntary Bink's Waltz
Medley: The Minstrel Boy/Scotland the Brave The Entertainer
Spanish Fandango The Ragtime Dance
Minuet in G Major The Old Piano Roll Blues





Dulcimer Chord BookDulcimer Chord Book
by Neal Hellman


Over 500 mountain dulcimer chords for five widely used tunings-- DAD, DAA, DAG, DAC, and C,G,D--plus jazz(D,A,AD) and four-string chromatic tunings. Includes an explanation and history of modes, transpositions, using a capo, playing dulcimer in jam sessions, and more.  Specially sized to fit in instrument case.

Dulcimer Chord Book - $7.95




EZ Chord FinderEasy Chord Finder for
The Mountain Dulcimer
by Bob Wiesman

Chord reference book for DAD tuning.  Each page shows all possible finger and fret positions for a given chord, on a fretboard diagram.  Every note that can be used in that chord is named on the fretboard, so  you will learn where all the notes on the fretboard are as well as finger positions for the chords.  Shows all major, minor, and 7th chords in DAD.