Getting the most out of your classes:
Don’t forget to bring a recording device with batteries or music paper to the fest. You’ll want to get down things to work on long after the fest is over. It’s a great opportunity to get down pieces during jams and classes.
It is not permissible
to
record concerts.
Classes
Students in intermediate and advanced classes should have a familiarity with their instruments and be able to learn tunes either from sheet music or by ear.
Friday Afternoon Hammered Dulcimer Classes
- Melodic Figures: Sam Rizzetta - Advanced Beginning
Explore essential melody patterns and hammer skills. Some melodies sound like scales and some sound like chord arpeggios. We will learn hammering techniques and patterns for both, with tips to develop speed and add flavor. Sam will teach by ear but will have written music available. - County Clare Dulcimer: Andy Young - Advanced-Beginning/Intermediate
Clare is a region in Ireland whose fluid, unhurried style of music is reflective of its people and its geography. This workshop will use this elusive dialect of Irish Traditional Music as a framework in which to teach a few tunes and examine ornamentation for the hammered dulcimer that is culturally relevant, respectful of tradition, yet innovative. - Arranging Fiddle Tunes: Cindy Ribet - Intermediate/Advanced Hammered Dulcimer
With a focus on strong rhythm and chord theory, we'll work on arranging some traditional fiddle tunes for hammered dulcimer. Students should know basic root-third-fifth chord shapes on their instruments. - The Essential Accompanist: Patti Amelotte - Advanced Dulcimer Technique
Relinquish the melody; learn some great skills to enhance your ability to accompany fast tunes like jigs and reels in sessions with chords, bass runs, and other techniques. A review of chords, scales, modes and hammering patterns, how to work with a metronome and other techniques and exercises to make it fun and easy to accompany fiddles and other lead instruments.
Weekend Classes: Saturday & Sunday
- Dulcimer Basics for New Players: Cindy Ribet - Beginning Hammered Dulcimer
This class hones basic skills of hammering patterns, recognizing scale patterns, simple chord theory, dynamics, embellishments and more using a lively, traditional American repertoire. Pre-tuned rental instruments are available for new players! - Practical Tools for Developing Players: Patti Amelotte - Advanced Beginning HD
Learn some new repertoire that you'll be able to use in jam sessions and performances, and new techniques for your “bag of tricks” to spice up any tune. - Mixed Melodies: Sam Rizzetta - Intermediate Hammered Dulcimer
When old-time musicians say a tune is "modal," they often mean the tune is in the haunting mixolydian mode, a scale like the major scale but with the 7th note of the scale flatted. Join Sam for some pleasantly twisty tunes that switch from one mode to another. Easier than you’d think on the dulcimer! Class will be taught by ear, but written music will be available. - Gypsy Swing and Parisian Musette: Andy Young - Advanced HD Technique
Using a repertoire from Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz to Parisian musette, we’ll expand our skills with jazz chords, scales, chromatics, hammering skills and techniques exercises to explore ways to get the most out of these two styles of music. - Dr. Oorts' Social Orchestra: Paul Oorts - Intermediate/Advanced Mixed-Instrument Repertoire
An unusual gig awaits members of the orchestra who will combine music from Latin American and Irish traditions for a new-world wedding. The Social Orchestra is open to a variety of instruments at a variety of levels. Music and sound files will be available (in dulcimer-friendly keys) at http://www.pauloorts.com/dr-oorts-social-orchestra for advance preparation. Sight readers will especially enjoy this class.
Late Afternoon Mini Classes:
Students offering to teach a useful one hour mini-class may receive a $50 tuition discount. Call or email us by March 1, if you would like to teach a class for this discount.
Upper Potomac Music Weekends