Stephen Seifert’s 2026 Early Spring Six-Week Online Group Dulcimer, Ukulele, and Whistle Courses
Classes begins March 10.
Join me for six weeks of focused, supportive online group learning. Each class meets once a week for one hour. All times are listed as Central / Eastern. Choose your level below to find the right fit. (NO CLASS the week of April 14/15.)
Watch this video for a general overview of the six-week courses. Scroll down further for the demo videos I made for each of the eight workshops.
These are online workshops via Zoom. You’ll receive a meeting link and handouts by email shortly before the first session, and sometimes handouts a day before other sessions. For dulcimer classes, please bring a capo. Each week, you’ll receive a video recording of the class, usually within 24 hours and often right after the session.
Attending live is not required. You’ll get full session videos whether you’re in class or not. Some folks prefer it this way. do what works for you.
🌟 Multi-Course Bundle – 10% Off
If you add two or more courses to your cart, use the coupon code COURSEBUNDLE at checkout to save 10%. If, for any reason, you don’t receive your discount, email me at stephen@stephenseifert.com. This usually happens when someone purchases courses one at a time over multiple days and later wishes they’d used the bundle.
Whatever you need, just include your full name and email address, and I’ll straighten it out.
Right below here you’ll see courses organized by level. Below that, you’ll see courses sorted chronologically.
Beginner and Early Novice Classes
PRACTICE LAB: Get Better at Both Reading Tablature and Learning by Ear
Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner and Early Novice
Tuesdays • 10:00–11:00 am / 11:00 am–12:00 pm
March 10, 24, 31 - April 7, 21, 28
To play well with others, or even by yourself, you don’t have to choose between reading tablature and learning by ear. You will probably be stronger in one than the other, but I believe you’ll have the best experience as a musician if you spend time developing both, no matter where you’re starting from.
Each week, we’ll spend the first thirty minutes practicing how to read rhythms, melodies, and chords. The last thirty minutes will focus on how to learn by ear. I’ll show you a clear, systematic approach to both, but most of our time will be spent in guided, hands-on practice.
I’ve taught classes like this before, but never one designed specifically for beginners, so be ready to start with the basics and build solid skills from the ground up.
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Tuesday, March 10 – Session 1 of 6 - Review of reading basic tablature, strumming whole-notes, half-notes, quarter-notes, and eighth-notes in 4/4 time. The rest of this half-hour will be spent sight-reading a large amount of music that starts out very easy and gradually progresses to more complex music. This is known as PROGRESSIVE SIGHT-READING. You learn as you go, and there’s plenty of repetition. For the second half of the class, I’ll introduce you to the most basic ways to learn music by ear. We’ll spend most of this time practicing this method.
Tuesday, March 17 – Class Cancelled
Tuesday, March 24 – Session 2 of 6 - Introduction to dotted notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Mostly melody with some chording.)
Tuesday, March 31 – Session 3 of 6 - Introduction to 3/4 (waltz) time as well as dotted half-notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Mostly melody with some chording.)
Tuesday, April 7 – Session 4 of 6 - Tied notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Mostly melody with some chording.)
Tuesday, April 14 – No Class
Tuesday, April 21 – Session 5 of 6 - Slides. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Mostly melody with some chording.)
Tuesday, April 28 – Session 6 of 6 - Hammer-ons and pull-offs. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Mostly melody with some chording.)
Really Get Down Twelve Tunes and Improve Your Technique
Mountain Dulcimer - Beginner and Early Novice
Tuesdays • 11:30 am–12:30 pm / 12:30–1:30 pm
March 10, 24, 31 - April 7, 21, 28
Beginners often come to me wanting a better strum and stronger left-hand fingering strategies. Most would rather play simple things well, with confidence and variety, than play fancy things poorly. They want to learn how to use backup chords. More than anything, they want to walk away with a solid set of good tunes.
I’ll help you build a strong technical foundation you can rely on, whether you decide later to get fancier or keep things simple. My goal is to show you how to truly enjoy playing your dulcimer, both for yourself and for others.
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Tuesday, March 10 – Session 1 of 6 - Holding your instrument. Tuning. Holding a pick. Basic strumming. Reading hands and super simple written music (tablature). Two good tunes.
Tuesday, March 17 – Class Cancelled
Tuesday, March 24 – Session 2 of 6 - Simple backup chords. Fingering advice. Two good tunes.
Tuesday, March 31 – Session 3 of 6 - Two good tunes.
Tuesday, April 7 – Session 4 of 6 - Slides. Introduction to basic fingerpicking. Two good tunes.
Tuesday, April 14 – No Class
Tuesday, April 21 – Session 5 of 6 - Hammer-ons. How to use a capo. Two good tunes.
Tuesday, April 28 – Session 6 of 6 - Pull-offs. Slightly fancier backup chords. Two good tunes.
Experienced Beginner to Lower Intermediate Classes (Novice into Intermediate)
Songs of Old Hawaii
Ukulele - Experienced Beginner to Lower Intermediate (Novice into Intermediate)
Wednesdays • 12:30–1:30 pm / 1:30–2:30 pm
March 11, 25 - April 1, 8, 22, 29
Over six sessions, I’ll share some of my favorite classic songs about Hawaii from the 1920s and 1930s. Many were written in Hawaii.
We’ll work on chording and strumming for sure, and we’ll sometimes do a little chord-melody (melody and chords at the same time). Expect to learn one, and sometimes two, songs each week.
If you’re ready for a little musical vacation, I’ve got you covered. Meet me over on the Beach at Waikiki!
Lesson Plan
Wednesday, March 11 – Session 1 of 6 - Review of holding the uke and basic strumming. Review of easiest chords. One or two songs using chords.
Wednesday, March 18 – Class Cancelled
Wednesday, March 25 – Session 2 of 6 - Some fancier chords. One or two songs using chords.
Wednesday, April 1 – Session 3 of 6 - Seven chords. One or two songs using chords.
Wednesday, April 8 – Session 4 of 6 - Basic fingerpicking. Introduction to chord-melody. One or two songs using chords.
Wednesday, April 15 – No Class
Wednesday, April 22 – Session 5 of 6 - The easiest of the movable chords shapes. Chord-melody continued. One of two songs.
Wednesday, April 29 – Session 6 of 6 - One or two songs using chord-melody.
Irish Whistle Airs, Polkas, and Jigs
Key of D Major Pennywhistle - Experienced Beginner to Lower Intermediate (Novice into Intermediate)
Wednesdays • 2:00–3:00 pm / 3:00–4:00 pm
March 11, 25 - April 1, 8, 22, 29
Whether you have just a little experience on the whistle or can already play a handful of Irish tunes in two or three keys, I can help you get better.
We’ll spend some time working on clean octave and register jumps, scales, arpeggios, and basic ornaments, but most of our time will be devoted to learning complete tunes that you will eventually be able to play from memory. I’m not concerned with pushing everything up to top speed. We’re going to focus on quality.
I love Ireland, Irish music, and the Irish whistle. I’ve learned a lot about this tradition over the years, and I’m looking forward to sharing what I know with you.
Lesson Plan
Wednesday, March 11 – Session 1 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Slow airs Key of D. Slides.
Wednesday, March 18 – Class Cancelled
Wednesday, March 25 – Session 2 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Medium polka key of A minor. Separating two identical notes with a cut.
Wednesday, April 1 – Session 3 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Slow reel key of G. Taps and rolls.
Wednesday, April 8 – Session 4 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Medium hornpipe key of D. Swing.
Wednesday, April 15 – No Class
Wednesday, April 22 – Session 5 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Medium jig key of G.
Wednesday, April 29 – Session 6 of 6 - Open with scale and arpeggio practice. Medium slip-jig key of E minor. Crans.
Intermediate Classes (and Experienced Novice)
Old Irish Songs and a Few Good Jigs
Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate (and Experienced Novice)
Tuesdays • 1:30–2:30 pm / 2:30–3:30 pm
March 10, 24, 31 - April 7, 21, 28
Irish music works beautifully on the mountain dulcimer. We’ve got just the right notes, and the instrument naturally fits the keys and modes this music requires.
We’ll work through several slower melodies and medium-speed jigs, usually about two songs/tunes each session. Along the way, I’ll show you a variety of right- and left-hand techniques to help you get it all flowing comfortably and confidently.
Put on something green and come join me!
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Tuesday, March 10 – Session 1 of 6 - Slow air and a polka. Picking vs. simple fingerpicking. Strumming.
Tuesday, March 17 – Class Cancelled
Tuesday, March 24 – Session 2 of 6 - Slow air and a polka. Hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides.
Tuesday, March 31 – Session 3 of 6 - A jig. Jig strum.
Tuesday, April 7 – Session 4 of 6 - Slow air and a jig.
Tuesday, April 14 – No Class
Tuesday, April 21 – Session 5 of 6 - Slow air and a slip jig.
Tuesday, April 28 – Session 6 of 6 - Slow air and a jig.
PRACTICE LAB: Get Better at Both Reading Tablature and Learning by Ear
Mountain Dulcimer - Intermediate (and Experienced Novice)
Tuesdays • 3:00–4:00 pm / 4:00–5:00 pm
March 10, 24, 31 - April 7, 21, 28
Most players have one main way they learn new music, either by reading tablature and sheet music or by learning by ear. This class will help you get even better at your favorite method while also strengthening the other one. I believe it is important for musicians to spend time on both.
We’ll work through progressive sight-reading from the ground up. If you’ve taken this class with me before, expect new tablature and new tunes. We’ll begin with a brief review, then build forward together.
Compared to the beginner version, this class will go further. We’ll spend more time on more advanced rhythms, chords, and melodies.
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Tuesday, March 10 – Session 1 of 6 - Review of reading basic tablature. Strumming different note values in 4/4 and 3/4. The rest of this half-hour will be spent sight-reading a large amount of music that starts out experienced beginner and early intermediate and gradually progresses to more complex music. This is known as PROGRESSIVE SIGHT-READING. You learn as you go, and there’s plenty of repetition. For the second half of the class, we’ll begin to cover how to learn music by ear. We’ll spend most of this time practicing.
Tuesday, March 17 – Class Cancelled
Tuesday, March 24 – Session 2 of 6 - Dotted notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Backup, Melody, and Chord-Melody)
Tuesday, March 31 – Session 3 of 6 - 3/4 (waltz) time as well as dotted half-notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Backup, Melody, and Chord-Melody)
Tuesday, April 7 – Session 4 of 6 - Slides. Tied notes. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Backup, Melody, and Chord-Melody)
Tuesday, April 14 – No Class
Tuesday, April 21 – Session 5 of 6 - Sixteenth notes. Hammer-ons. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Backup, Melody, and Chord-Melody)
Tuesday, April 28 – Session 6 of 6 - Pull-offs. 6/8 and 9/8 jigs. 30 minutes of progressive sight-reading followed by 30 minutes of ear training. (Backup, Melody, and Chord-Melody)
Experienced Intermediate and Up Classes
Tunes and Techniques for Four-String Equidistant Dulcimer
Mountain Dulcimer - Experienced Intermediate and Up
Wednesdays • 9:00–10:00 am / 10:00–11:00 am
March 11, 25 - April 1, 8, 22, 29
You’ve got some good experience under your belt, and you’re ready to try some new things with your dulcimer. Maybe you’re already playing this way and want to get a lot better. Either way, I’m going to show you everything I love about this special string setup.
If you didn’t know, most dulcimers are already have a nut with extra slots just in case you want to switch to four-string equidistant spacing. The main tuning that I, and many others, use is DAdd, from bass to melody. With evenly spaced strings, you can comfortably play full four-note chords.
I have a lot to share, including techniques and arrangements. I especially enjoy turning pre-existing three-string arrangements into four-string versions. This is a magical tuning, and I’m looking forward to helping you level up.
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Wednesday, March 11 – Session 1 of 6 - Proper string setup. A little history. Two useful approaches to playing three-string music on a four-string equidistant. One or two nice arrangements.
Wednesday, March 18 – Class Cancelled
Wednesday, March 25 – Session 2 of 6 - Beautiful chords. One or two nice arrangements.
Wednesday, April 1 – Session 3 of 6 - Harp scales. One or two nice arrangements.
Wednesday, April 8 – Session 4 of 6 - Using a capo. One or two nice arrangements.
Wednesday, April 15 – No Class
Wednesday, April 22 – Session 5 of 6 - Try a different tuning. One or two nice arrangements.
Wednesday, April 29 – Session 6 of 6 - Harmonics. One or two nice arrangements.
Blues for Dulcimers with a 1½ Fret
Mountain Dulcimer - Experienced Intermediate and Up
Wednesdays • 10:30–11:30 am / 11:30 am–12:30 pm
March 11, 25 - April 1, 8, 22, 29
There is so much great blues music to enjoy, and the dulcimer can do a lot more of it than most people realize. Our focus will be on playing backup and taking solos while following the 12-measure form.
You’ll learn some really groovy chords, and I’ll show you which groups of notes work best for creating short melodic ideas across the strings. I’ll share some classic melodies that follow this same form. We’ll also work on subtle micro-bends to bring more authenticity to your playing. You will sound and feel cool.
I’ve taught one- and two-hour classes on this material before, but that has never been enough time to really do the subject justice. With six sessions, I know I can show you some fun and useful tools you’ll enjoy using for years to come.
Bring a capo! I recommend https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos.
Lesson Plan
Wednesday, March 11 – Session 1 of 6 - Basic strumming. 12-bar form. Playing backup in different keys.
Wednesday, March 18 – Class Cancelled
Wednesday, March 25 – Session 2 of 6 - Capo or not? Left-hand muting. Major and minor pentatonic scales for soloing on a single string.
Wednesday, April 1 – Session 3 of 6 - Some cool chords for folks with a one-and-a-half fret.
Wednesday, April 8 – Session 4 of 6 - Right-hand dampening. Vibrato. Subtle string bending. Major and minor pentatonic scales for soloing ACROSS the strings.
Wednesday, April 15 – No Class
Wednesday, April 22 – Session 5 of 6 - Muting with both hands. More bending. The fanciest chords.
Wednesday, April 29 – Session 6 of 6 - More advanced versions of the 12-bar blues. (chord substitutions)
Quick Weekly Schedule (for Easy Reference)
Below is a simple, chronological view of all classes by day and time, just to make planning easier. Please use the listings above for full details. (Remember, NO CLASS the week of April 14/15.)
Tuesdays (Central / Eastern)
10:00–11:00 am / 11:00 am–12:00 pm
PRACTICE LAB: Get Better at Both Reading Tablature and Learning by Ear – BEGINNER and EARLY NOVICE - Mountain Dulcimer
March 10, 17(cancelled), 24, 31
April 7
No class April 14
April 21, 28
11:30 am–12:30 pm / 12:30–1:30 pm
Really Get Down Twelve Tunes and Improve Your Technique – BEGINNER and EARLY NOVICE - Mountain Dulcimer
March 10, 17(cancelled), 24, 31
April 7
No class April 14
April 21, 28
1:30–2:30 pm / 2:30–3:30 pm
Old Irish Songs and a Few Good Jigs – INTERMEDIATE (and Experienced Novice) - Mountain Dulcimer
March 10, 17(cancelled), 24, 31
April 7
No class April 14
April 21, 28
3:00–4:00 pm / 4:00–5:00 pm
PRACTICE LAB: Get Better at Both Reading Tablature and Learning by Ear – INTERMEDIATE (and Experienced Novice)- Mountain Dulcimer
March 10, 17(cancelled), 24, 31
April 7
No class April 14
April 21, 28
Wednesdays (Central / Eastern)
9:00–10:00 am / 10:00–11:00 am
Tunes and Techniques for Four-String Equidistant Dulcimer – EXPERIENCED INTERMEDIATE AND UP - Mountain Dulcimer with Four Strings Spaced Evenly
March 11, 18(cancelled), 25
April 1, 8
No class April 15
April 22, 29
10:30–11:30 am / 11:30 am–12:30 pm
Blues for Dulcimers with a 1½ Fret – EXPERIENCED INTERMEDIATE AND UP - Mountain Dulcimer with 1½ Fret
March 11, 18(cancelled), 25
April 1, 8
No class April 15
April 22, 29
12:30–1:30 pm / 1:30–2:30 pm
Songs of Old Hawaii – EXPERIENCED BEGINNER–LOWER INTERMEDIATE (NOVICE into LOWER-INTERMEDIATE) - Ukulele
March 11, 18(cancelled), 25
April 1, 8
No class April 15
April 22, 29
2:00–3:00 pm / 3:00–4:00 pm
Irish Whistle Airs, Polkas, and Jigs – EXPERIENCED BEGINNER–LOWER INTERMEDIATE (NOVICE into LOWER-INTERMEDIATE) - Key of D Major Pennywhistle
March 11, 18(cancelled), 25
April 1, 8
No class April 15
April 22, 29