Customer Reviews

Larkin's Dulcimer Book

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This book/tape combination is the best I've seen for new mountain dulcimer students. Larkin's gentle playing presence comes through on the page in encouraging ways--and her pie-chart description of musical values is invaluable!

Larkin Bryant's book is well organized and easy to follow, as well as being a comprehensive introduction to the wonderful world of mountain dulcimer. She developed these materials for her own students and arranged them into a logical sequence that includes historical, background, dulcimer anatomy, posture, tuning tips, and just enough music theory to get your started (but not overwhelm you) before gently leading you into your first tune, "Go Tell Aunt Rhodie".

What I also like about this book is the progressive level of difficulty, as you go from page to page, she introduces a new technique, it is explained, practiced, and then leads to a slightly more difficult technique. For example, she starts with a simple strum pattern on the beath, then she subdivides the strum evenly, then after that she presents a slightly more complicated pattern, it is practiced, before another one is presented.

Similarly she does this with modes (a sometimes confusing aspect). Instead of covering all of the 7 modes, right up front, as other books do. She starts the student off on Ionian, explains how to tune it, and then sticking to Ionian, she introduces the strumming, the noter playing, then two-finger fingerings, two-finger chords, and holding chords down.

Next she explains the Dorian mode, helps you retune your dulcimer, and then explains rounds, fingerpicking techiques, some music theory, and then fancy fingering techniques such as hammering on, pull offs and harmonics.

Next comes the Aeolian mode, and moving onto chords with fingerpicking. Then Mixolydian mode is presented with parallel chords, barre chords, as well as how to play Ionian melody in Mixolydian tuning, more fingerpicking techniques such as pinching, drags, brushing.

In addition to being a good technical book, I really appreciate the historical and cultural context that is presented every so often. The songs, melodies and tunes are described as to their origin, where they are played, and other interesting facts about the culture of the region with footnotes to the Bibliography allowing for further research. Example: "Scarborough Fair (The Elfin Knight) - Child Ballad No. 2. According to Francis Child, the earliest knwon source of this ballad is a Scottish broadside entitled A Discourse Betwixt A Young Woman and The Elfin Knight, Edinborough, about 1670. The riddle theme, a contest of wits, is prevalent in folk tales and songs all over the world."

Lyrics are included with multiple stanzas given, unlike other books that just include the first verses. 5 stanzas for Amazing Grace, 6 stanzas for Lord Lovel, 7 stanzas of Pretty Polly (in all its gory detail). Not to be missed are the line drawings some by Larkin of people, angels, cats, ducks, and other critters with dulcimers, and others by Peg Nichols who spent many hours drawing hands to illustrate techniques, as well as musicians such as Larkin and her mentor Robert L. Dickey.

Finally the Appendix includes some of the best musical and dulcimer theory you can find. There are pie-charts for musical timing and rhythm, instructions on reading dulcimer Tablature, how to play backup chords, as well as transposition to other keys, and chord charts for DAD, DAC, DAG, DAA tuning, and fret charts for making your own chords. Modes and tunings are then given the complete picture at the end of the book.

If you get the companion CD, there are 84 tracks, (23 tracks with the 23 songs), and the rest describing all of the techniques and examples in the book. After completing this book, you will have had as best a hands-on course as you could possibly have without a live instructor. You'll have learned all the basics of the various popular modes, as well as techniques in noter-drone, strumming and fingerpicking styles, as well as the ability to play 23 melodies and their accompaniment (7 duets). You'll also have an appreciation of origins and of the traditional English, Irish, Scottish and American tunes and hymns you learned.

Ionian (DAA)
Go Tell Aunt Rhodie, Bile Them Cabbage Down, Skip To My Lou, Holy Manna, Liza Jane, Down In The Valley, Wildwood Flower, Sweet Hour of Prayer, Mary Hamilton, Shenandoah, Amazing Grace, Simple Gifts, Brahms' Lullaby

Dorian (DAG)
Hey Ho Nobody Home, Scarborough Fair, Pretty Polly

Aeolian (DAC)
Lord Lovel, Shady Grove, Morning Song

Mixolydian (DAD)
Old Joe Clark, Harrison Town, Down Came An Angel

Ionian (in DAD tuning)
Cripple Creek

I have a number of dulcimer instruction books. It amazes me how while most have good info and a new thing or two to learn. THey all leave out some essential basics. Or fail to SIMPLY explain the steps from absolute beginner to intermediate or beyond musicianship on the MOUNTAIN dulcimer.
Perhaps they assume you know basic music theory and more....or perhaps they themselves simply skip over the stuff they don't know. For plenty of good musicians know how to play by instinct more than by an understood system. That would be 'nice' for the rest of us...BUT beginners need CLEAR & concise step by step information!
To make a long review...'short'...THIS BOOK is the best , most complete & user friendly I have seen . I am sure there are other very good books available..but so-far this is the best. It is too bad it is out of print. IT has charming original drawings by the author...which add an extra bit of style . Its a good book. CJ McG. NM.

I was using a borrowed copy, and wanted my own. The product arrived in good to excellent condition, and in a timely manner.