Dulcimer Players News - Current Issue

Volume 34, No. 2 - Spring 2008

The Spring 2008 edition of DPN has more stories and music than ever. You'll find tips on improving your timing, learning theory from a simple song like Boil Dem Cabbage, arranging music, hammer-making, using the pizzacato technique, and much more. There's a great list of festivals and announcements from all the major summer fests inviting you to join in the fun.

Contributors to this issue include Bob Alfeld, Bob Bedard, Nick Blanon, Ken Bloom, Christie Burns, Sam Edelston, Grahame Hood, Adrian Kosky, Dan Landrum, Roger Nicholson, Butch Ross, Steve Schneider, Ralph Lee Smith, Neal Walters, Mark Alan Wade, and Kendra Ward.

			The Spring 2008 Sampler CD, available to subscribers and advertisers, has over 70 minutes of material. The selections are from our reviews and stories. Below you'll find the track listing for this issue's sampler CD.
Introduction - Dan Landrum, Butch Ross, and Neal Walters Paspie Menuet - Karen Ashbrook Crazy Feels Like - Bing Futch Breton Lullaby - Neal Hellman & Friends Journeying: Babel's Streams /Pilgrim (John Barleycorn)/Bound/For The Promised Land - Timothy Seamon En Gedi - Hammer On! Road Trip - Adrian Kosky Howie's Tune - Roger Nicholson Little Liza Jane - Betty Smith Wild Mountain Thyme - Betty Smith				Tabac Alegria - Robert Force and Al d'Ossche Salvador De Bahia - Robert Force and Al d'Ossche The Butterfly - Randy Clepper Lil West Arm Shuffle - Jan Hammond Fiddle Tune Medley - TNT:The Nameless Trio Sakura - Harry Vayo Polska - Robert Fishbone Blackhawk Waltz - Gary and Toni Sager Just a Closer Walk WIth Thee - John Sackenheim Logan Water - Mark Wade Hammer Demonstration - Angie Landrum Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway - Steve Schneider

In This Issue...
	It's Time We Get Together - Dan Landrum Does the thought of practicing with a metronome make you cringe? If so, you are not alone. Armed with a results driven practice plan and a decent metronome, any musician, regardless of skill level, can become a better musician. Click here to read the article.

	Arranging Music- Steve Schneider Thanks to DPN readers Kendon Stubbs and Ken Sheller, both of whom share my enthusiastic appreciation for the music of Stephen Foster, I’ve chosen the song, Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway! as the melody that we’ll work on for the next few issues. Click here to read the article.

	Hammers Bob Alfeld, Kendra Ward, Rick Fogel, Brad Prill, Bob Bedard, and more contributed hammers and words to this article. It includes sound samples of various hammers on the Sampler CD, and a video guide (see link below) by Bob Bedard on making your own hammers. Click here to read the article.
Web Extra!!!	Bob Bedard's Hammer Making Videos will be available April 1, 2008.

	People You Should Know, Roger Nicholson - Grahame Hood Roger is perhaps Britain's most influentual player. It all happened because “It was a cool thing to do, and attracted girls.”

	MODES - Roger Nicholson A mode is not a key but an arrangement of the seven tones and semi-tones of a diatonic scale, and can be played at any pitch, so there are seven modes for each of the twelve keys. Roger explains them both technically and in the context of their origins.
Correction	The Dorian Mode on page 22 should read "C, D, Eb, F, G, A, Bb, C"

	All You Need to Know About Theory in Boil Dem Cabbage - Butch Ross You can spend your entire life studying music theory without learning everything. Why not learn all you may need from what you already know?

	Playing Pizzicato on Hammered Dulcimer - Mark Alan Wade Pizzicato, or plucking your strings with your fingers - when used properly, this technique can add a whole new dimension to your playing. It takes some time and sore fingers to get it down, but it is far worth it! Click here to see a YouTube video of Mark playing Logan Water. Click here to see a YouTube video of Mark with more tips for playing pizzicato.

	Tuning Pins, A Guided Tour - Nick Blanton Hammers that tune, dulcimer pins for harpsichords, and piano pins for dulcimers. Nick helps make sense of it all.
Included Sheet Music	Ah, May the Red Rose Live Alway - Presented by Steve Schneider. This is a single-line melody version of the classic Stephen Foster song. Steve will be building upon this arrangement in coming issues. Howie’s Tune - A tune written for Howie Mitchell by Roger Nicholson. This is from Roger’s out of print album Nonsuch for Dulcimer. Paspie Menuet - This is a bonus performance track from Karen Ashbrook’s new Learn to Play Hammered Dulcimer DVD. Just a Closer Walk with Thee - This arrangement is from John Sackenheim’s book The Mountain Dulcimer Plays Patsy Cline. Logan Water - An arrangement by Mark Wade. This piece is from Mark’s T.N.T. book and is used to illustrate the pizzacato technique on hammered dulcimer. Black Hawk Waltz - This traditional tune is featured on Gary and Tony Sager’s CD Rats in the Fence Corner. Breton Lullabye - This arrangement of a traditional Breton tune is by Neal Hellman. It is from his newest CD Emma’s Waltz, which is reviewed on page 55.

	Bowed Dulcimer, Onward! - Ken Bloom Even a renaissance man rethinks things now and again.

	Walkabout with Adrian Kosky This is the second in a series of articles by Adrian Kosky, reflecting on his experiences exploring and absorbing roots music and dulcimer culture in America. This time he takes a road trip with Robert Force that results in good times, and a new song.

	Looking for Langeleiks - Ralph Lee Smith The Fall 2007 issue of DPN contained Ralph's article on a beautiful Norwegian langeleik. This issue we have the plans. Use the link below.
Web Extra!!!	Download the plans here.