Cool Resources

Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer (fotmd.com)

• If you are not already a member, consider joining this fantastic dulcimer site. Players from all over the world have joined and share audio and video of traditional songs as well as original compositions in a supportive community.For example, I posted the link for A Touch of Spring on the fotmd site. A woman from Germany, Ariane, commented and we shared music we liked. After a few chat exchanges Ariane offered a shared folder and we uploaded our sound files back and forth. What resulted was a magical collaboration on the song Cerise, Cerise: https://elvensong.com/collaborations/Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer is an outstanding resource for beginners to advanced players! Join the fun!"

Where to buy Mountain Dulcimers:

• Entry level Sweet Woods dulcimer (Student model is $139 plus shipping). http://www.sweetwoodsinstruments.com/dulcimers.php
• Ron Gibson’s dulcimers:  http://gibsondulcimers.com/kentucky_dulcimers.html  ($330 to start)
• McSpadden Dulcimers:  https://mcspaddendulcimers.com  — but it can be hard to know what you want when you first start out. 
• Terry McCafferty Dulcimers: https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/ -- maker of fabulous diatonic and chromatic duclimers as well as an amazing capo.
• Search Everything Dulcimer Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/165673533442748/
• Search Playable Strings Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/319531855458977/
• Check Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer: https://fotmd.com/
• Check Ebay
• Google it!

Beginners to Intermediates

• A great place to begin is with Stephen Seifert at http://dulcimerschool.com and http://www.stephenseifert.com
• Bing Futch is terrific with his Dulcimerica YouTube clips. His books and CD’s are for sale at: http://www.bingfutch.com
• Aubrey Atwater makes things clear and moves us along into chording and fingerpicking. She’s at http://www.atwater-donnelly.com
• David Haas is a favorite with his clear and easily read Tabulature. He's at http://www.davehaasmusic.com

Growth to Intermediate

• Neal Hellman is a long time master and has oodles of cool stuff at http://www.gourd.com
• The incredibly nice and talented Janita Baker can lead you through fingerpicking and adding a fourth string.
• http://www.bluelioninstruments.com/jb.html

Festivals

• Columbia River Gorge Festival: http://menucha.org/programs/dulcimer-festival
• Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas - Hosted by Heidi Muller: https://wallowadulcimer.com/dulcimer-week/
• The Kindred Gathering happens each summer on the West Coast (or virtual). See: https://sites.google.com/view/kg-forever/