Each monthly lesson is presented in a similar format. We begin with a presentation of the complete song, played at the intermediate level at standard speed. This is followed by separate tracks for novice level demo and instruction, backup chords, intermediate level demo and instruction, duet demo and instruction, and an introduction and ending.
The average length of a lesson is about one hour. Individual sections are broken up into two or more tracks. This allows you to reset the CD player to the beginning of the part you wish to review, without having to listen to a lot of what you don’t need to hear again. Track lists are included with the printed lesson, and on the CD. A complete track list of the lesson from which our sample tracks are taken, is shown below. The lesson is “English Country Gardens,” our monthly lesson for July, 2008.
Click on an underlined track with an “(MP3 and text)” at the end, and you will see the printed music, and begin hearing the audio track from the CD. The sound can be paused and re-started with the little icons like the ones on your CD player. If you see “(MP3 only)” at the end, this will send you to an MP3 file with no printed music. To come back to this page, you can click on the word “Return” under the printed music.
Note: I call the chords from the melody string to the bass string. Also, you may hear reference to things such as “L-shaped chords,” or other terms that might not be familiar. These are all covered in detail in the two Dulcimer Basics CDs and printed instructions included with your first lesson.
Have fun!
“Lessons in Your Living Room”
Englisn Country Gardens
Track List-
1. Country Gardens (MP3 only)
2. Chord melody demo
3. Right hand strum, measure 4
4. Right hand strum, all lines
5. “New players”/ Novice instruction, lines 1&2 (MP3 and text)
6. “New players”/ Novice instruction, measures 9-12
7. Chord melody instruction, line 1 (MP3 and text)
8. Chord melody instruction, measures 9-12
9. Slow, with counting
10. Slow, without counting
11. Fingerpick demo (MP3 only)
12. Right hand fingerpick technique
13. Right hand fingerpick, line 1
14. Fingerpick instruction, line 1
15. Right hand fingerpick instruction, measures 9-12
16. Fingerpick instruction, measures 9-12
17. Fingerpick VERY slow, with counting
18. Fingerpick slow, with counting
19. Fingerpick slow, without counting
20. Back-up chords instruction
21. Back-up chords
22. Duet demo (MP3 only)
23. Duet instruction, lines 1 & 2
24. Duet instruction, lines 3 – 5
25. Duet slow, with counting
26. Intro & ending