Dulcimer Lessons Lesson 3

by Mickey Cochran

Folk of the Wood Acoustic Music Instruction

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Strumming Your Dulcimer

Now that you're in tune, you're prepared to start strumming your dulcimer. We're going to start by learning how to keep a steady 4/4 rhythm while playing our first chords: D G & A in what is called a chord progression. We will be using the ionian tuning of DAA within this first chord progression. The top line in the tablature is the D string, the middle line the A string, and the bottom line the A strings.

Be careful to follow the 4 beats as indicated below the tablature...To start, try counting to 4 repeatedly while tapping your foot. This will establish your innate sense of rhythm. Keep the tempo even such as when you clap your hands to a song. Now, let's do this while strumming the dulcimer on every count one down beat to one strum. To apply this to a chord progression, follow the chords indicated by the diagrams above the standard notation, and indicated by the finger positions on the tablature...each slash, in the standard notation, represents a down-strum...the "D" also indicates a down-strum--4 strums within each measure (divided by the vertical lines) equaling 8 strums for each chord.

Hold the pick steady and strum near the right position of your dulcimer...above or within the strum well.

Click here for the Video/Sound Sampler D Chordal Study #1

Click here for the Video/Sound Sampler D Chordal Study #2

D Chord Progression using the first lesson in strumming and keeping rhythm:

Click here for the Video/Sound Sampler D Chordal Study #1

Click here for the Video/Sound Sampler D Chordal Study #2

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