Practical Music Theory for Mountain Dulcimer, Intermediate

Schedule update: All five sessions have moved one week later. This course now runs September 29–October 27, 2026, at the same time. If you can’t attend the new final date, you’ll still receive the complete session video within 24 hours afterward. Your existing registration carries over. Please email me if the change causes a problem.

Tuesdays: September 29; October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2026.

3:00–4:00 p.m. Central / 4:00–5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Five 60-minute sessions. $120 per course.

How do you choose a chord when there isn’t one printed above the melody? And once you choose it, where do you put your fingers? I’ll show you how I use three main chord shapes to find major and minor chords, then put them to work with real music.

We’ll start with the shapes, find them in different places, and use melody notes to choose chords that fit. Then we’ll turn it around and use chords to find notes for melodies, harmonies, and fills. We’ll also use the shapes for backup and simple chord-melody.

We’ll work with familiar musical examples as we look at chord families, common progressions, keys, and the number system. I want you to hear why a chord works and know how to try another choice. You don’t have to memorize a thick chord book.

I’ll use my new dulcimer visualization tool to show exactly where to put your fingers and how the notes, chords, and shapes fit together. It also lets me create chord handouts for individual tunes when needed.

You should be comfortable reading tablature and playing a few common chords. DAD tuning. Bring a capo. Tablature and printed chord reference materials will be provided.

Tunes covered include:

• “Morning Has Broken” in D

• “Southwind” in D and G (capo 3 for G)

• “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” in D

• “El Cóndor Pasa” in E minor (capo 1)

• “The Star-Spangled Banner” in D

All the arrangements and handouts for this course are new and have never been shared with my students. I’ll email each session’s handouts at least 24 hours before we meet, so you have time to print them and look through the music.

I’ll record each entire live session from beginning to end and email you the complete video within 24 hours after each session, whether or not you attend live. You’ll receive all five complete session videos to review and practice along at your own pace. Videos will be available for the foreseeable future.

Taking two or more different courses in this series? Use COURSEBUNDLE at checkout for 10% off. Current Mountain Dulcimer A to Z subscribers receive 20% off with their subscriber code. Use one discount per order; discounts do not combine. If you register on different days or forget the code, email me and I’ll help you get the discount.