Customer Reviews

The Magic Dulcimer

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is great for beginning players. Instructions cover beginning techniques from soup to nuts, the songs are great and fun to learn -you won't be gritting your teeth as you zing through Yet Another Round of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" - Hammond gives the reader the good stuff right off the bat, written for beginners who will play on only the first string for awhile - instructions on how to get jiggy and start chording creatively follow soon after. Tablature is easy to read, songs come with lyrics, illustrations are lovely woodblock prints, and the casette is a good quality recording.

As a long term dulcimer maker/player, I was impressed with the scope and clarity of this book.

The song selections are wonderful.
I am using this book with two friends; we have a dulcimer, a fiddle, and a guitar. The book works for all of us. I can't comment on how the book works for learning dulcimer, but as an ensemble guide, it's great.

I am just getting started with the mountain dulcimer, although I do have some musical experience and I can read music. I found this book rather hard to follow. The tunings were not what I was familiar with and if there were any finger-picking techniques, I missed them. So far David Schnaufer's video has helped me the most. I now know one song!