Mountain Dulcimer Instruction Books

TK O'Brien's Guide To Playing The Mountain Dulcimer Ionian (DAA) Mode by Karin Lyle

Description: Easy beginners book in DAA tuning. Introduces some chord techniques. In notation and tablature.

Item # AMD-IB

TK O'Brien's Guide To Playing The Mountain Dulcimer Mixolydian (DAD) Mode by Karin Lyle

Description: Easy beginners book in DAD tuning. Introduces some chord techniques. In notation and tablature.

Item # AMD-MB

First Lessons Dulcimer: DAD Tuning by Joyce Ochs

Description: Beginners book for DAD tuning. Introduces chord techniques. In notation and tablature.

Item # 98388BCD

You Can Teach Yourself Dulcimer by Madeline MacNeil

Description: In this book master dulcimer player Madeline MacNeil teaches beginning players tuning, scales, strumming, fingering, chord studies, alternate tunings, use of the capo, and how to use the "noter." She endorses both playing by ear and learning to read standard notation. In twelve intensive lessons, she explains everything from the basics to some very complex concepts in easily understood language, making this a particularly valuable book for the beginning instrumentalist. The lessons and songs are written in both standard notation and tablature. This package also includes the companion DVD in which MacNeil demonstrates the techniques and songs taught in the book. CD also included.

Item # 94304SET

Learn to Play Mountain Dulcimer by Mark Biggs

Description: All of the songs on this DVD are in the mixolydian tuning. One main goal of this method is to teach you to take a melody line and put the appropriate chord structure behind it. This DVD will lead you through a series of finger warm-ups, scale practice, crossovers, walking the scale and many other exercises. 90 minutes.

Item # 94385DVD

Complete Dulcimer Handbook by Mark Biggs

Description: This book was written as a basic guide and source book for all dulcimer players, from the novice to the most advanced picker. With its 53 songs in various modes and tunings, The Complete Dulcimer Handbook is meant to be used as a songbook, a lesson plan book, and a step-by-step guide from beginner to intermediate or advanced level. The mountain dulcimer's history, stringing, tuning, and repair are all covered along with finger exercises, chording, strumming, transposing keys and bowing techniques. Songs and exercises are written in tablature and standard notation. 195 pages.

Item # 94047BCD

Hands-On Dulcimerby Mike Casey

Description: Designed to help the dulcimer player grown in technical ability by developing strength, precision, control and flexibility in both hands. Explores flatpicking, fingerpicking, slurs, chords, strumming, left hand precision and placement, right hand strength and control, volume, tone, articulation and more. Most tunes and exercises are in DAD with a few exceptions. Some exercises are included for four string and five string dulcimers. 6+ fret required. The accompanying CD demonstrates key exercises and most of the tunes in the book. 176 pages.

Song List: 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

Item # 98392BCD

Dulcimer Chord Book by Neal Hellman

Description: Over 500 mountain dulcimer chords for the five widely used modes -- Mixolydian, Ionian, Lydian, Dorian, and Aeolian--plus jazz and four-string chromatic tunings. Includes an explanation and history of modes, transposition, using a capo, playing dulcimer in jam sessions, and more. Special case size (4½ in. by 12 in.). 64 pages. 

Item # 94662

Dulcimer Chords DVD by Joe Carr

Description: DVD that shows clearly how to make different chords. Many experienced dulcimer players are surprised to learn that they can change chrods just like other instruments. Using the popular DAD tuning, Joe Carr shows step-by-step for many useful chord forms.

Item #96851DVD

School of Dulcimer - A Musical Notation Journey with Modes, Tunings and Songs by Madeline MacNeil

Description: The dulcimer is a unique instrument in many ways, with the modal layout of the fretboard prime among them. Early in its days in the Appalachian Mountains players would retune a string, bringing the dulcimer from major to minor and other modes. Today's players work in different tunings also, and this book shows why and how all of this happens. Music is a language that comes from the soul rather than solely from the dots and line. However, the dots and lines have their own stories. Learn where the notes fall on the fretboard and how they fit into the modes most dulcimer players know: Ionian/Major, Aeolian/Minor, Mixolydian and Dorian. Scale variations, pentatonic and hexatonic, are also outlined. Fifteen songs and tunes are written in musical notation as well as dulcimer tablature. A CD, with the tunings and count-offs, enable one to play all of the songs in the book along with the recording.
* Location of musical notes on the dulcimer.
* Study of modes: Ionian/Major, Aeolian/Minor, Mixolydian and Dorian.
* Study of scale variations: pentatonic and hexatonic
* Songs and tunes written in musical notation and tablature.
* Accompanying CD with which students can play.

Item # 21815BCD