📢 Registration Opened 8/31 at 3:30 PM EDT, and one of my workshops is already sold out, with a few others nearing capacity as well. Here's what I'm teaching, with the direct links:
Getting Started With Solo Ukulele (Level 3)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/all-other-instruments/p/17uk004
Go beyond accompaniment and learn to make your ukulele sing on its own. We’ll explore how scales and chord shapes fit together to create arrangements with both melody and harmony. You’ll come away with techniques that let you perform complete, satisfying pieces without a backing track or another player.
Unlocking Ukulele Rhythms for Any Genre (Level 2)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/all-other-instruments/p/17uk002
Rhythm drives the music, and your strumming hand is in charge. Explore chucking, muting, splaying, accents, dynamics, and other approaches to add punch and personality to your playing. These techniques will help you lock in the groove for any style of music.
Mountain Dulcimer Delta Blues (Level 2)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md022
2016 International Blues Challenge Finalist Bing Futch offers up this fun and fascinating class on playing authentic Mississippi Delta Blues on the mountain dulcimer. Three chords and heartbeat rhythms lead to us adding layer upon layer of new elements, all while strumming and playing the blues! Bing won the "Best Guitarist" award in the solo-duo category at the International Blues Challenge while playing the mountain dulcimer!
The Secret to Chord Melody Style (Level 4)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md110
Unlock the secret to making your dulcimer arrangements stand out! This workshop shows you how to keep the melody front and center while weaving in countermelody and rhythm for a rich, full sound. You’ll learn step-by-step how to transform a simple tune into a polished, performance-ready piece that turns heads and captures hearts.
Exploring the Seven Modes (Level 3)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md057
Discover the seven modern modes and unlock a new world of sound on your dulcimer. You’ll learn where each mode lives on the fretboard, how it connects to familiar scales, and how to use it to add color and emotion to your music. We’ll explore the unique flavor of each mode and put them to work in exercises and tunes you can use right away.
Evolutionary Exercises for Finger Dexterity (Level 3)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md058 (Sold Out)
Break out of your playing rut with these original exercises designed to build finger dexterity and control. We’ll work on selective strumming for melodic precision, explore inversions for variety, add cross-picking for rhythmic drive, and multiple-finger drills to develop and strengthen muscle memory. Each exercise is brand new for this class and will be applied to a great tune so you can hear and feel the results in your playing right away.
Creating Strums That Fit the Tune (Level 4)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md111
Every tune has its own rhythmic fingerprint, and the right strum can make it shine. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to match your strumming to a song’s natural groove so it supports, propels, and energizes the music. We’ll explore what to listen for, where to add emphasis, and how to bring the rhythm you imagine in your head to life. Then we will try it out on a variety of great tunes.
Learn to Play Bass Dulcimer (Level 2)
https://www.virtualdulcimerfest.com/mountain-dulcimers/p/17md023
The bass is the foundation of any great arrangement, adding depth, rhythm, and drive. In this workshop, you will learn simple and effective ways to create bass parts on the mountain dulcimer. We will explore different playing styles using familiar tunes and look at options for getting that low-end sound, from using digital effects to playing a dedicated bass dulcimer.