Sorry, no post this week … blame it on spring fever!

Out standing in her field

Monday's Muse

"To analyze the charms of flowers is like dissecting music; it is one of those things which is far better to enjoy than to attempt to fully understand."  ~ Henry T. Tuckerman

CTO … Beat that!

No dulcimers here, but imagine what could be done with one hand behind your back and your eyes closed!

Check This Out … Serious musical fun.  Шутка ) from Elena Terebus 

Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 20th Annual Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival

1. Affordable
2. Located in our "back yard"
3. Old friends will be there
4. New friends are waiting to meet you
5. Lots of different instruments to see / hear
6. Books, CDs, accessories for sale
7. Swap table - bring your own instruments and accessories to sell
8. Jam sessions at all levels
9. Nationally acclaimed instructors
10. Inspiring performances

May 2-3, 2014

20th annual Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival

College Park Baptist Church

Winston Salem, NC 

Register today!

Monday's Muse

"Music gives a soul to the universe, 
wings to the mind, 
flight to the imagination, 
and life to everything." 
~ Plato

CTO … Music, the "Quickening Art"

In support of playing familiar music ...

Check This Out … An old man, mostly unresponsive after living a decade in a nursing home, comes back to himself as he listens to some of his favorite music from earlier days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKDXuCE7LeQ&feature=share

1-2-3-5

Do you know the 1-2-3-5 pattern? If not, you should. Sometimes, it's just the thing for filling space. It works starting from a marked course of strings (for a major chord) and from strings one above the mark (for a minor chord). But beware! It doesn't work played from one below the mark.

Try this:

• Go to the marked G mid-way up the right treble bridge on your instrument
• Play G with your left hand, alternate hands as you move through the pattern
• Continue straight up the treble bridge, through the notes of the scale …               G - A - B, skipping C, strike D  See that? 1-2-3-(skip4)-5 (L-R-L-R)

Want to continue on into the next octave?

• Your left hand will lead you across the treble bridge to strike the octave G on the left side of the treble bridge
• Continue through the pattern … G - A - B, skip C, strike D

You've been moving up the treble bridge, but like other patterns on the hammered dulcimer, this one works across the valley, too.

• Go to the low G on your bass bridge
• Play the pattern, 1-2-3-5, straight up the bass bridge (LRLR)
• Left hand leads you across the valley and strikes the octave G on the right side of the treble bridge
• Continue up the right treble bridge, 1-2-3-5
• Left hand leads you across the treble bridge to the next octave G
• Continue up the left treble bridge, 1-2-3-5
• Congratulations! You've just played three octaves of the 1-2-3-5 pattern!

Extra credit:

• Play the Am pattern
• Now try it in D, and Em, and all over your instrument
• You've been moving UP the pattern, now move DOWN!  5-3-2-1 Figure out where to cross the bridge and valley

Incorporate this into your warm-up exercises. It's fun. It's useful. It even sounds pretty in practice!