Teaching
Personalized instruction for players of all ages and skill levels
My Teaching Philosophy
Learning the mountain dulcimer should be a joyful experience. My teaching approach focuses on building a strong foundation while keeping the music fun and engaging from the very first lesson.
I offer private lessons tailored to your goals — whether you want to play traditional Appalachian tunes, folk songs, hymns, or contemporary pieces.
I believe every student learns differently. My lessons are customized to your pace, musical interests, and goals. We'll work on technique, music theory (as much or as little as you like), and building a repertoire you love.
Beginners are always welcome — the dulcimer is one of the most accessible instruments to start, and I'll have you playing real music in your very first lesson.
What I Offer
Beginner Lessons
Start from scratch with proper technique, basic chords, and simple melodies. No prior musical experience needed.
Intermediate & Advanced
Expand your skills with more complex arrangements, fingerpicking patterns, and advanced techniques.
Online Lessons
Can't meet in person? Online lessons via video call are available for students anywhere in the world.
Workshops & Group Classes
Join a group workshop for a fun, social learning experience. Great for dulcimer festivals and community events.
Workshop Topics
I teach a variety of dulcimer workshops to all skill levels from basic beginner to intermediate/advanced. Each workshop is customized to the individual group or venue. Below are some of the general workshop topics I offer.
- Top Secrets to Becoming a Better Player — Based on the skill level of the group I try to identify the 3–5 techniques that often need the most reinforcement or correction. (strumming, fingering, etc.)
- Technique through Repertoire — Everyone is always looking to expand their repertoire so I like to offer a variety of genres such as contemporary, traditional, classical, etc. and incorporate new techniques in the process.
- Getting to Know Your Dulcimer — This class teaches the vital framework of the dulcimer in DAD tuning including chord shapes, individual frets/notes along with some basic music theory. It is recommended for levels beyond beginner and up.
- "Playing Pretty" — This class focuses on adding expression and dynamics, such as harmonics, hammer-on's, pull-off's, slides, mordents, etc. to enhance not only new tunes but also the songs you already play.
- The 1½ Fret — This class is geared to folks who have recently added or purchased a dulcimer with a 1½ fret. We will cover the basics such as the new chords and melody notes as we learn new tunes and learn how to enhance tunes they already play.
- Fingerpick-style Playing — In this class students learn the basics of playing the dulcimer without a pick but instead plucking with their fingertips. This includes which fingers to use, how to arpeggiate and strum chords while adding some beautiful melodies to their song library.
- Chromatic Dulcimer — This instrument is becoming more and more popular. The class can be geared to the folks new to the chromatic or those who already play but want to add to their repertoire for more of a challenge.
- Banjo-dulcimer — In this class I teach a method of playing the banjo-dulcimer I refer to as "finger-pick and strum" to enhance the sound of the instrument to sound like a banjo. The class can be geared to any level of playing except beginner.
Ready to Start Playing?
Contact me to schedule your first lesson or ask any questions about getting started.
Get in Touch