You Can Teach Yourself Hammered Dulcimer

This comprehensive book and accompanying online resources cover every aspect of the hammered dulcimer and its playing techniques. Written by masterful teacher Madeline MacNeil in an engaging, informal tone, the text provides a firm foundation for beginners while exceeding the expectations of an introductory guide. With detailed discussions on dulcimer layout, hammers, tuning, and stands, plus extensive performance notes on every tune, this book is an asset to beginning through intermediate players. From “Oh, Suzanna” to “Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring”, Madeline shows the novice dulcimer player how to "map your way through" a new piece of music, finding clear, musical directions through what at first must seem like a maze of strings. All tunes are in standard notation. The book is illustrated with photos, quaint woodcuts, engravings, and pen/ink drawings. The companion 85-minute video and audio provide essential information on playing the hammered dulcimer, including tuning, major and minor keys, duplicated notes, repeated notes, modulations, walking bass lines, chromatic notes, drone harmony, backup chords, interval harmony, and more! Also contains Madeline MacNeil's hammered dulcimer solos on 25 tunes. Online audio and video are available.