I've had this book and cd for perhaps four years and love it! I could listen to Jean talk and play for hours-- and have! Strumelia said:

Perhaps if you don't like it you can sell it used on Amazon.comFor a whole different approach, perhaps next try Jean Ritchie's recent teaching dvd? She is a good beginner level teacher, and it'd be interesting for you to observe the difference in playing style. Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Mountain-Dulcimer-Homespun-Tapes/dp/063406293X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1277476190&sr=8-3


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Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Like your attitude Littlebird " Anne Littlebird said:

Hi Katie;David Schnaufer was a great dulcimer musician, but not a god. I've been playing for over 30 years; and when I saw his "learn to play" video, I was lost after the first ten minutes. IMHO David was not a particularly good teacher, and that is one of the poorest teaching videos I've ever seen. I will now don my flame-proof armor and stoically await the wrath of the Schnauferites. More people play the dulcimer flat than tilted at an angle. Especially beginners. Forget the holding it at an angle nonsense until you learn to play flat.Second. You cannot sit lady-like with your knees primly together. Sit with your feet flat on the floor (or use a riser if you have short lower legs. Sit "hip-shot" with your left leg leading. Open your legs and place the first fret over your left kneecap. Pull the body of the dulcimer back towards your left hip. Don't try to place the dulcimer at right angles across your body.As far as which fingers (or thumbs) get used for what -- again, the mantra "there is no right way or wrong way to play the dulcimer. There is just your way" comes to mind. Whatever works for you is what you should do.Personally I'd like to see you learn to play a couple songs using one or more finger just on the melody string(s) - without trying to learn chords right from the outset.Frankly I really dislike seeing beginners who think "I have to learn to play exactly like Robert Force, or David Schnaufer, or Stephen Seifert.... or any other dulcimer player out there!

Katie,Most teaching materials present that particular teacher's approach to playing- and that's as it should be, because we should be teaching what we do best. However, there is no one best way to play, or to hold the instrument, or strum, etc.Most people do play with the dulcimer flat on their laps, not angled up like a guitar. It's ok to do that!I believe most people also use their left thumb as well, because they feel it lengthens their useable stretch when making chords and moving about from note to note. That's ok too! lol!When i used to play chord/flatpicking style, i kept my dulcimer flat on my lap and used a strap to keep it from sliding around. I also learned that if I keep the tail end of the dulcimer firmly against my right hip and the peghead end out more sitting right on my left knee area, it enabled me to have much easier access to fretting the entire fretboard without bumping into my stomach. The angle was better for both my strumming and my fretting hands, plus the dulcimer was more stable and didn't rock or tip about. A strap enabled me to do this better.You can either have a music store or luthier add a strap button either or both ends of your instrument (cheap and easy), OR you can figure out more creative ways to attach a home made strap....see my video here: http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/video/noter-style-beginner-7-home I myself can't imagine trying to make chords without using my left thumb, but then some people don't use it. Go figure. Everyone has to find their own most comfortable and practical way to play. It's YOUR style, and you get to decide what your playing style will be like. Don't be afraid to try different things, and to check out some additional teaching methods by various teachers- there are many many great teachers out there, and they all play slightly differently. That's part of the fun.Keep it happy and try lots of things- that way you will discover what's right for you .


--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Don't worry about using your left thumb, loads of players do.That angled position that David and Stephen use is quite distinctive and does free up the back - but it is not a common playing position.A strap completely solved "dancing dulcimer syndrome" for me. I can relax way more with a strap and get my MD into a position that suits my style of playing - no matter what I'm sitting on!

Robin

Hello Katie, appro the 18th July, I have no firm detail as of now, but it will almost certainly run into late afternoon, I shall not be leaving Bristol until after lunch, and I know that others will be travelling from Bath and Frome. As soon as Geoff informs me of his arrangements, I will let you know of them. You could contact him thr' this site, he will not mind. He has already said that it would be good if you could get attend, and there will be a mix abilities and styles, of that you can be sureI am sometimes described as a 'vigourous' player, and therefore have need to anchor my dulcimer, either by the non-slip mesh which is freely available, or by a strap, for which you may need 'buttons' on your instrument, tho' some people make do with less rigid arrangements. Being male, I am able to spread by knees widely, thus helping to stabilise the instrument and also to help in its projection somewhat, and I do use my thumb, despite John Shaws best efforts!!! LOLbest wishes JohnH

Sorry Katie, I forgot to respond to your point about using the left thumb. I don't use my left thumb either, because it doesn't feel comfortable or natural to me to do so, but lots of players do use it - probably the majority! I haven't seen the Schnaufer instructional DVD, but I suspect his reason for advising against thumb use is to encourage a more upright, vertical position in the left hand digits viv-a-vis the fretboard. (Thumb use tends to flatten the hand a little, and might tend to encourage a less positive finger action.) Bear this in mind, but remember that lots of players do use their thumb!

Hello Katie - David was a wonderful player and there is good theory behind the tilted position he advocates (as the back of the dulcimer is freer to vibrate and project sound than if it is damped by the knees). Stephen Seifert uses the same position. However I've never been able to get this position to work for me, and like most players I have the MD flat on my lap. I put non-slip mesh on my lap under the MD to stop it slipping around. (Some people use a strap on the the instrument, with the strap going under their knees or around their back, for the same reason.)If you look at most of the videos on this site and elsewhere you'll see most people adopting the flat lap position rather than the Schnaufer position. If the Schnaufer position doesn't work for you I wouldn't worry about it at all!
updated by @john-shaw: 02/13/16 10:38:36AM