Note that an open strum on your dulcimer is a Bar chord. [ Bar | Diagonal | L | Stretch | Vee | Arrow | How to Apply ]. The 3 4 5 diagonal chord is an E chord, but this one is an E minor. Just trust your ears. Come learn how to find all the D, G, A, Em, F#m chords, and more, using these simple shapes. 1 1 3 is a minor chord, for example, and so is the 4 4 6. Numbers tell your left hand which fret to press that string on. Read more . Chord shapes are an easy and fairly intuitive way of finding chords on your dulcimer, without having to think too much about what you are doing. If there’s a narrow gap (half step) between two of the frets in the diagonal chord, it may be either a major chord or a diminished chord. The name of the chord is the same the note that’s on the middle string. 0 1 0 and 4 5 4 are examples. Jerry Rockwell certainly must have had a hand in my understanding of this, for example, but his specific input has been assimilated into my subconscious long ago. A half step on your dulcimer is the interval between two “narrow gap” frets, the “2” and the “3” frets, for example. Now the dulcimers match in tuning, and adds a nice lower tone to the arrangement. In this case the name of the chord is on the (now omitted) stretched note. If there are two full steps up to the top of the L, (two wide gaps) the chord is a major chord. The thing is, sometimes it’ll be the 6+ and the 7 fret that count as the same one. Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2018. For instance, a 6 6+ 7 chord does NOT count as a diagonal chord according to this, because the 6 and 6+ sort of count as the same fret. 12 10 Signal Mountain Clarifying Difference Between Strumming Flatpicking and Crosspicking mp4 If you're new to chords, try this first. If you know the notes in a chord and want to find if you can play it on the dulcimer a fret board map can be useful. See the Chord Building article in the Virtual Classroom for example. Give it a try. The chord name is the same as the note that is on melody string. For those of you who have the full or partial "1 1/2" fret... frets that are not "traditional" are given names like 1 1/2 or 6 1/2 to not disturb the numbering order used in so many tablature systems. Each has their assets and liabilities. You can find links to each instructor’s website on the INSTRUCTOR page. Dulcimer Instrument Dulcimer Tablature Dulcimer Music Mountain Dulcimer Mountain Music Cigar Box Guitar Music Guitar Ukulele Tablature. to construct more chords if you know the notes that make up the chord. July 2020. Figuring out a name for this chord shape is a little different from the other types, since the root note of the chord you are playing is not necessarily included within the actual tones you are sounding with the chord. Everyone's hands are a little different so use whatever works for you. In other words - you would need to use a mirror image of these chords on the Mountain Dulcimers. Dulcimer Collection by Robin Wood. For the most part, though, it has no major bearing on how you hold the instrument. 46 Here are all of the notes on the fretboard. Generally, where there’s two full steps between the three frets that make up a diagonal chord (wide gaps on the fretboard) the chord will be a minor chord. The Stretch chord starts out like the diagonal, with the fret on the middle string one higher than that on the bass string, but then you go up two frets on the melody string from there. For example, if you hold down all the strings at the first string, the chord is an E. This chord is ambiguous between major and minor, since it doesn’t contain a musical interval of a third between any of the notes. Before you check out any of the other material on Dulcimer School, make sure you go through this first. The dominant feature of this song is the dulcimer, so this is what I have transcribed here. Oct 7, 2017 - Explore Martha McIntosh's board "Dulcimer music" on Pinterest. Well, to actually use this, you don’t need to worry about almost any of the above. The chords and tab are in G. 18.8 KB This is likewise true with playing. There are some great two chord songs that you can play. Is probably better for intermediates and up but is PERFECT for hungry beginners. Mel Bay Presents Hammered Dulcimer chords 7. In this case you would consider the 0 1 0 chord to be a B chord, since the middle note of a diagonal chord is the name of the chord. 4. The hourglass also has a wonderfully balanced voice, when played across the fretboard. The Shape of Things to Come – Chord Shapes in DAd (Advanced Beginner and Up) Once you start wanting to play more than one string at a time on your dulcimer, it is easier if you know how to form chords in 4 main shapes. First Steps to Learning Basic Chord Shapes. Because of the way the strings are laid out, you can take a single chord shape and move it to different places on the instrument to play an entire song. Jerry Rockwell’s Music Theory and Chord Reference book is also a good reference. You need to be careful how you count extra frets, using this system. The dulcimer comes in a variety of different shapes. Try using the fretboard map below. Here are some simple dulcimer chords to get you started. Move to a different key by starting at a different mark on the right treble bridge or on the bass bridge. For reference, here is a “fretboad map.” It’s just a diagram of a dulcimer fretboard with the names of the note at each fret marked on it: The Bar shape is the simplest. If you're new to chords, try this first. Saved by Debbie Waldrop Lefties, use the second diagram. You want to make a chord-melody arrangement of the tune, so you need to put in some chords. This is likewise true with playing. Lesson 11: Chord Shapes, Reviews, and Triangles. You’ll hear the difference. You can make the stretched note on the bass string as well as the melody string and it works the same way. The name of the chord is the same as the note that’s “stretched” to. The root, naturally, is a D. If your dulcimer is tuned to DAd, then you can find this note on the open fret of either your bass, or melody strings. It sounds pretty of rough anyway. Most beginning guitar players soon learn that if you make the shape of an E chord at the first fret it is an E, but if you move it up to the 5th fret the same shape is an A chord. Like the vee chord, you can also think of this chord shape as a fragment of a diagonal chord, but this time with the top note of the diagonal omitted and the bottom note doubled. You don’t need to know the chord name at this point, just that, “Ooo, the L chord at the fifth fret of the melody string sounds good at the beginning of the second measure,” or what ever. If you use the 6+ fret, you have an F# minor. This is actually one of the best things about knowing this system. BEG. The melody note at the point of the chord change is almost certainly one of the chord tones at that point in the song. 157 Pins • 55 Followers. What You Can Play Dulcimers With – (how to play a dulcimer pt. If you're new to chords, try this first. What I’m going to discuss here is limited to DAD tuning. What gives with THAT? If you’re a righty, use the chord shapes in the first diagram. The bass and melody strings are held at a fret one below the one on the middle string. In this edition of the virtual classroom I’ll introduce a method of finding chords on the mountain dulcimer, and talk a bit about their use in playing accompaniments. Lots of tunes use only or mainly the three major chords — I, IV, and V — so we’ll start there. Key of C = C, F, G Chords. All you really need to remember are the actual shapes.Let’s say you’re working on an arrangement of some tune on your mountain dulcimer tuned to DAD. I welcome questions. Classical Hammered Dulcimer Solos and Duets for all Levels Linda Lowe Thompson 8. The 2 3 4 chord, for example is a D chord, since the third fret of the middle string is a D. This one happens to be a major chord. I walk up to this chord on the line "Wings to fly...." in Water is Wide. The chord name is the note that’s on the “toe” of the L. In the case of the 3 3 5 chord the 3 on the bass string is a G, so this one is a G chord. First Steps to Learning Basic Chord Shapes. 4-6 Please note that some of these books are $20 each new. Try fretting the first or melody string at the 2nd fret instead of the bass, as shown and see how it sounds. Get out your "Rise up Singing" book and see what you can find. Introduction: Aubrey begins by explaining a little about her music background, which included very little formal training. Choose a different chord shape for the I chord. If you have extra frets, you may need to work around them some. We encourage you to visit their websites and check out what they all have to offer as far as teaching, performing, and merchandise. This is assuming you're in DAD tuning. For as you should know, one should never think while playing music. New to the mountain dulcimer or just want a review? Later on, when you’re writing down your arrangement, you might, if you want, take the time to figure out that this is a G major chord, but that’s not your main issue at the moment. The 4 4 6+ is a major chord, however. As others have suggested start with a single key and learn the three primary chords for that key. This file includes tab for DAD and CGC mountain dulcimer along with lyrics and guitar chords. For the case of the 0 1 0 chord, corresponding stretch chord is 0 1 3, which is a G major. It's from Jerry Rockwell's theory newsletter you can find. This principle holds for all of the chord shapes, and any other chord as well. For as you should know, one should never think while playing music. For the 4 5 4 chord the corresponding stretch chord is 4 5 7, which is a D major.This means that arrow chords are also ambiguous, but not just between major and minor of the same chord. These are just a few chords to get you started: Lap Dulcimer Chord Shapes, Key Of D. Course: Lap Dulcimers In WorshipThemes: Lap Dulcimer. The name of the chord is the same as the note on the middle string. Now with the relative minor chord another gazillion songs open up to you. *Beginning Mountain Dulcimer Skills *Little Fingers and the Mountain Dulcimer (Working with children) *Joining the Jam (Tips for new players joining the Jam) *A Chord for You (Review basic chords combined with some gentle ear-training and just a little bit of theory) *The Mountain Dulcimer and Entertaining Older Adults. She plays entirely by ear, and has taught herself how to use about 20 different tunings - by retuning, by using a capo, by playing chords only, or by adding frets to her dulcimer. Key of D = D, G, A chords. 5. Before you check out any of the other material on Dulcimer School, make sure you go through this first. Verified Purchase. 46 Here are all of the notes on the fretboard. This is all the traditional melody, I just had some fun with the chords. I tend to use my thumb on the melody string and my index finger on the bass string. You cannot view this unit as you're not logged in yet. Repeat Notes 1 and 2. Strategies: #3a Retune to A-D-a: Steve retuned his baritone dulcimer from A-E-a to A-d-A. The dominant feature of this song is the dulcimer, so this is what I have transcribed here. Here are some simple dulcimer chords to get you started. BEG. 4 people found this helpful. Some of these chords will be major, some minor. How about, oh, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? Thinking gets in the way of the creativity, and takes too long anyway. The 3 3 5 chord is probably the most familiar, but the 0 0 2 chord is also an “L” chord. 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