Beginning and Beginning/Intermediate Levels


Start your journey.

Mountain Dulcimer for Absolute Beginners: D-A-D Tuning

Beginning Level. For the first time player. You will learn about accessories and care for your dulcimer, plus how to tune, strum, and play a few easy tunes.

Jackie Armstrong

Jackie Armstrong

Beginning Mountain Dulcimer: The Next Step Up!

Beginning Level. This class is the next step up from Beginning D-A-D Mountain Dulcimer. In this class you will learn to double strum and play with chords.

Jackie Armstrong

Jackie Armstrong

Basic Strumming Rhythms

Beginning Level. Learn the most basic mountain dulcimer strum, a strum with a bounce, and a basic waltz rhythm in 3/4 time.

Joellen Lapidus

Joellen Lapidus

Fingerpicking Basics I

Beginning Level. We'll focus on right hand technique and basic fingerpicking patterns through a step-by-step approach using simple exercises to get you started.

Sue Carpenter

Sue Carpenter

Fingerpicking Basics II

Beginning Level. Continuing with the basic fingerpicking patterns, learn how to apply those patterns to change a strummed arrangement into a fingerpicked one.

Sue Carpenter

Sue Carpenter

The 1.5 Fret Dulcimer

Beginning/Intermediate. Learn to play in the key of G without a capo. Use strum and flat pick in “The Riddle Song.” Learn the D modal tune “Clinch Mountain.”

Jackie Armstrong

Jackie Armstrong

Making the Music Flow: I. Introduction to Left Hand Technique for Fingerpicking Barre Chords

Beginning/Intermediate Level. We will be in a C-G-C Mixolydian tuning.

Ruth Barrett

Ruth Barrett

Making the Music Flow: II. Identifying Diagonal Chords and Chord Shapes

Beginning/Intermediate Level. Left Hand Technique for Identifying Diagonal Chords and Other Chord Shapes. We will be in a C-G-C Mixolydian tuning.

Ruth Barrett

Ruth Barrett

Drone Noter

Beginning/Intermediate Level & Up. We'll explore the techniques and history of drone-noter style playing, with an emphasis on right hand technique.

Butch Ross

Butch Ross

Intermediate Level & Up


Grow your skills.

Hymns and Harmony in D-A-D

Intermediate Level. You will learn the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” in basic strum and a flat picked version, and two ways to play harmony with it.

Jackie Armstrong

Jackie Armstrong

Hineh Ma Tov

Intermediate Level. This lesson includes two fingerpicked versions of the Hebrew song, Hineh Ma Tov.

Ruth Barrett

Ruth Barrett

Waltz for Susan: Duet and Solo

Intermediate Level & Up. This strummed, upbeat waltz written by Bob Webb features parts for both a melody player and a harmony player.

Heidi Muller and Bob Webb

Heidi Muller and Bob Webb

Fingerpicking Ragtime I

Intermediate/Advanced Level. Put some bounce in your fingerpicking by using an alternating bass picking pattern and then turn your picking into ragtime.

Sue Carpenter

Sue Carpenter

Basic Blues on the Mountain Dulcimer

Intermediate & Up. Learn how to apply the 12-bar blues pattern to the mountain dulcimer while tuned to D-A-D.

Steven K. Smith

Steven K. Smith

Leaving Ru Vaternish, with Ornamentation

Intermediate/Advanced Level. Playing a more advanced fingerpicked tune with chords in the lower and upper ranges of the fretboard.

Ruth Barrett

Ruth Barrett

Using Ornamentation to Create and Ease Texture

Intermediate/Advanced Level. Using ornamentation as a way to create ease and musical texture to play a traditional strummed Breton pipe tune.

Ruth Barrett

Ruth Barrett

Renaissance Music Repertoire I

Intermediate/Advanced Level. Learn several tunes from the Renaissance Era: Maiden Lane, Beggar Boy, Now is the Month of Maying, and Frog Galliard.

Steven K. Smith

Steven K. Smith

Renaissance Music Repertoire II

Intermediate/Advanced Level. Learn several more tunes from the Renaissance Era: Salterello, Kemp's Jig, Earl of Salisbury Pavan, and Greensleeves.

Steven K. Smith

Steven K. Smith

All Skill Levels


Shady Grove and Such

All Skill Levels. Lecture/Demonstration on "Shady Grove". A variety of versions and related songs and tunes.

Don Pedi

Don Pedi

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