Timothy's Blog

Timothy's blog on dulcimers, music, nature and life!
FEB
24

My 'eureka' recording moment in 1979

My 'eureka' recording moment in 1979

From 1974 to 1984 I had the great experience of playing flute and singing in a trio with my college roommate, Hallett Hullinger, and at first our friend from upstairs, Steve Goad, in a sort of a Peter, Paul, and Mary type of style using mostly Hallett’s exceptional original songs.  Soon Steve moved away and was providentially replaced by a young lady named Ro Tucker, who… um… interested me a lot and later allowed me to marry her!

In 1978 people got together and asked us to make a record of Hallett’s songs, and we collected preorder money to finance a series of trips to Nashville to record it with an independent producer, excellent session men, and a first-rate studio situation.  We had an invaluable experience learning the recording process and developing an authentic final product.

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14803 Hits
FEB
09

'All Through the Night' using hammered dulcimer chord rolls

'All Through the Night' using hammered dulcimer chord rolls

There are many different ways we can arrange an exquisitely slow melody! 

One option is to mix and match all sorts of techniques for a colorful and interesting presentation.

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11639 Hits
JAN
31

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 3

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 3

The third and final installment of our series of ideas for hammered dulcimer arrangement of simple tunes brings up yet more significant challenges, but all of these are extremely useful if you want to make your music really sing! 

Numbers 16 and 17 take a bit more focus and practice, but when you develop them you’ll find that in the resulting effect ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts!’

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11643 Hits
JAN
30

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 2

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 2

Continuing the list of ideas for arranging a melody, here are six techniques you can mix and match to fill out and color and personalize a piece!  Sometimes I stick to just one technique for an entire arrangement, and sometimes I use many of them in a very complex (but fun) pattern of uses, and most are a combination somewhere in the middle of the spectrum of complexity.

7. Arpeggio chords -- chords suggested between melody notes by adding notes that complement the melody, resembling the effect of a fingerpicked guitar.

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22397 Hits
JAN
29

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 1

Some simple techniques for hammered dulcimer arranging, part 1

When I start to play a new solo tune on the hammered dulcimer, I tend to look right away for approaches I can take that will make it my own: arranging so it says something I want it to say.

Usually I start simply: either choosing a slow and simple but exceptional melody, or I take a faster one and slow it down a bit to make room for adding arrangement details.  (Faster tunes can be arranged with lots of colorings and special details too, but often I do choose to work with a slower melody line that allows lots of room for additions.)

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14915 Hits

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