Class descriptions - WSDF 2026

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Mountain Dulcimer with Nancy Galambush:

Advanced Beginner

Fingering with Finesse

Why does it matter which fingers you use on your fretboard? Using all of

your fingers and thumb allows you to play more efficiently, resulting in both

smoother sounding music and the ability to play faster. However, how you

use your fingers will depend on your manual dexterity and your instrument.

In this class we will investigate “anchoring” your hand, stretching your hand

and what fingering patterns work best for you to become a smoother or

faster player. (Tuning: DAD)

Intro to Jamming 101 Want to join the jam but don’t feel comfortable? Maybe you don’t know what is expected of you in a jam or don’t know many tunes? This class will give you the confidence to feel more comfortable joining (I don’t think anyone really feels comfortable in a jam until they have attended several). We will go over how to know what chords you need to know, listening for chord changes and jam etiquette. Then we will learn a few jam tunes and have our own jam. Novice and up

Intermediate/Advanced:

What Women Want So many songs about men! Old Joe Clark, even Lil’ Liza Jane and Angelina Baker are sung from a man’s point of view. Men working, men sailing the seas, men lusting after women, men killing women. Where are the songs from a woman's point of view? I came across one and was inspired to look for more. Come and look at the world of old time songs from a woman's point of view. INTERMEDIATE AND UP

Irish Dance Time

Learn a Reel, a Slip Jig and a Hornpipe. Includes some work on Hammer-ons and Pull-offs Bring a capo.

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Hammered Dulcimer with Marya Katz:

Holy Modal (“Beyond Beginner” level)

Most sacred songs are either in major or minor tonality; this course will feature tunes in three of the ancient church modes: Dorian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian (also minor, but without the raised 7th in the harmony – ie., the “natural” minor).  We’ll explore several of these melodies during the morning session; then, in the afternoon, try some 3- or 4-part arrangements of the same tunes.  While this workshop is focused specifically on the hammered dulcimer, other instruments are welcome to come learn the tunes as long as the participants realize that they will simply need to follow standard music notation, with little to no assistance from the instructor.  Be prepared to enjoy some hauntingly lovely music!

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Bowed Dulcimer with Ken Bloom:

  1) Introduction to Bowed Dulcimer- for anyone interested in finding out about this fascinating approach to playing the dulcimer and for those who might have an instrument but don't know where to start. There will be an instrument available to try out.

2) Advancing Bowed Dulcimer-- for those who already play and want to get better. We will talk about bowing and fingering including playing in upper positions . The class will be tailored to the people who take it. Lots of individual attention to both left and right hands along with what I hope will be some interesting music to look at.

3) Playing More Expressively--for both lap and bowed dulcimers. We will examine dynamics and the various ways of achieving them through both volume increases and decreases along with tonal ways of doing the same thing. Be prepared to play a simple piece for us to focus on.

4) Klezmer Music for Chromatic Dulcimer- a look at a couple of pieces that are standard in the repertoire of Jewish music from Eastern Europe. A bit of history and some exploration of the style as it pertains to either lap or bowed dulcimers.

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Butch Ross

upper beginner

Skipping the Third Beat - adv. Beginner and up.

For whatever reason, skipping the third beat of a strumming pattern is a challenge for both beginners and advanced players alike. And yet it's essential for playing island music, show tunes and even rock-n- roll. We'll look at some ways to tame this elusive beast and make you a better strummer overall. 

It’s All Cabbage, Really - Novice

The first song we all learned is a rosetta stone of information. Learn how memorizing this song can open doors for learning tunes, songs, theory and surviving in a jam session. 

int/advanced

Great Is Thy Faithfulness - intermediate and up

Learn this great, but challenging hymn. In addition, we’ll discuss how to create arrangements from standard sheet music, researching multiple versions to create your own and even how to play chords that don’t seem like they should be available on the dulcimer.

Hiccups - intermediate and up

Learn to master the tiny little syncopations that make great tunes so fun and interesting.

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Carla Fosbre

New Players and Beginners (All Day)

This class will meet together all day in order to develop the skills needed to build a good foundation for playing the dulcimer. Topics to be covered in this class will include a brief history of the dulcimer, how to hold, strum, fret, tune, and care for your instrument. You will also learn how to read tab and be introduced to time and rhythm while learning to play a variety of songs in DAd.

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Sheila Hunter

 New Players and Beginners (All Day)

The basics of hammered dulcimer tuning, playing and maintenance will be the focus of this class for brand new dulcimer players and the hammered dulcimer-curious. Students will learn how to hold the hammers to play musically, how the dulcimer is set up in different keys, how to tune, and how to play some simple melodies. Ideally, the students will already have a basic knowledge of written music, such as quarter notes, half notes, etc.; time signatures and key signatures. If you do not own a hammered dulcimer, let us know so that we can provide a rental dulcimer for the class.