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/