Rick Thum

Friday 8:45-10:00 Session 1F Hammered Dulcimer Beginner

              “Making Your Dulcimer Easy to Understand and Play”. You will learn the basics needed to start playing your dulcimer. You do not need to read music. I will show you the tricks to make learning a song easier and your first embellishments. You will understand how your instrument works and will be able to make it sound like what made you want to play it. Come get started!

Friday 10:15-11:30 Session 2H Hammered Dulcimer Advanced

              “How To Use Substitution”. You will learn what chords get used as substitutions and how to use them. We will use several examples to try your skills at first picking the chords and then being able to play them. Should be fun with lots of playing.!

Friday 1:00-2:15 Session 3G Hammered Dulcimer Intermediate

              “Chords Unlock Your Dulcimer”. You will learn how to play chords, using the whole dulcimer without knowing the names of your notes. Chording does not have to be hard. Chords unlock your instrument. This is the first class to begin to understand how to play chords. A fun and easy way to start using more of your dulcimer. See you in class!

Saturday 8:45-10:00 Session 6G Hammered Dulcimer Intermediate

              “Harmonies and Drones Made Easy”. Thirds make great harmonies until they don’t work. Find out why and how to make them work. Drones create that definitive hammered dulcimer sound. Playing harmonies with drones will make your playing sound magical. This is a fun class with lots of playing. You will use “Ode to Joy” to try out your new skills. Come have fun learning!

Saturday 10:15-11:30 Session 7H Hammered Dulcimer Advanced

              “How to Embellish a Fiddle Tune”. Learn how to play a fiddle tune repeatedly and not be boring. You will learn how to fill your empty spots and how to change your tunes, without the listener hearing the change. This is the art of subtle change to create interest. You will have more fun playing your fiddle tunes using this technique. Come take your fiddle tune playing to the next level!

Saturday 2:30-3:15 Session 9H Hammered Dulcimer Advanced

              Learn the tune “Squirrel Hunters”. A great old timey tune made popular by John Hartford. This is just starting to show up at the dulcimer jams. You can be the one to take it back to your area. It will be called in the jam tonight. (Saturday)

Saturday 4:15-5:30 Session 10G Hammered Dulcimer Intermediate

              “Playing Backup” You will learn how to play chords in a way that creates the beat and pushes the song forward. You will also learn how to know what chords make up a song and how to find them quickly. We will be using the chord patterns you learned Friday. Lots of playing and fun.  This will help your jamming and your arranging skills.