Stephen Seifert

Mountain Dulcimer Player

(615) 829-6828

Homepage of Mountain Dulcimer performer and teacher Stephen Seifert.

Two-Day Intensive with Stephen Seifert

For Intermediate and Up Mountain Dulcimer Players

April 16 & 17, 2026 - The Thursday and Friday BEFORE the 2026 Buckeye Dulcimer Festival

GREAT Location: https://recreationunlimited.org in Ashley, OH

Register now for this special intensive -> Buckeye Dulcimer Festival Registration

Choose to join me live in-person Thursday and Friday or via Zoom if you prefer online.

If you already play dulcimer and want to go deeper, come join me for two days of real progress, good music, and serious fun.

We’ll work side-by-side as we focus on the techniques that make the difference — strumming, flat-picking, finger-picking, and blending both simple and fancy chording into your playing. I’ll show you clear, efficient left-hand fingerings for both thumb-and-non-thumb players, and we’ll make music that’s not only good — it’s fun to play for and with others.

You’ll receive tablature for everything we do, and you’re welcome to video record my demonstrations so you can keep learning and reinforcing at your own pace. Expect a friendly, focused environment and lots of great music.

And don’t forget

The full in-person festival begins Friday night and runs through Sunday morning. If you’re onsite, you’re encouraged to register for the full weekend of workshops, jams, concerts and community. For full festival details and registration , Buckeye Dulcimer Festival Registration.

Thursday and Friday Intensive Schedule

Thursday

(Intermediate and Up – Same students Thursday and Friday)

8:45-10:15 · Strong Foundations: Strumming, Fingering, and Playing by Ear

We’ll start by reviewing the essential right- and left-hand techniques that make everything else work better—relaxed strumming, clean fingering, and using bar-chords for simple backup. You’ll also learn how to follow by ear and read hands through call-and-response exercises.

10:15-10:30 · Short Break

10:30-11:45 · Simplify and Strengthen Your Playing

Learn how to take something fancy and turn it into a bare-bones foundational version you can build on far into the future. We’ll explore playing in different octaves and how to use variety in your strumming to bring tunes to life.

Lunch Break

1:15-2:15 · Minimal Chord-Melody and Improvised Arrangements

Learn a minimal approach for fitting easy chords with melodies. I learned this from my mentor David Schnaufer and it’s a great middle point between drone-melody playing and three-finger chord-melody.

2:15-2:30 · Short Break

2:30-3:15 · Making It Fancy: Fiddle-Style Dulcimer Playing

We’ll take bare-bones versions of jam tunes and explore how to add tasteful notes between melody phrases, just like fiddlers do. This kind of playing is perfect when you really want to impress your listeners.

Friday

(Intermediate and Up – Same students Thursday and Friday)

8:45-9:30 · Review and Reinforce: Putting It All Together

We’ll revisit Thursday’s material and connect all the dots—strumming, chording, fingering, melody and rhythm—while learning a new tune by ear and watching hands.

9:30-10:15 · Finger-picking Foundations

Learn a relaxed, musical approach to finger-picking that takes a simple melody to a fuller improvised arrangement using filler picking, brushes, and simple chording.

10:15-10:30 · Short Break

10:30-11:15 · The Three Main Chord Shapes

I’ll give you the big picture on the three main chord shapes that help you play any major or minor chord anywhere on the fingerboard. I’ll also give you some ideas on why I call this my secret weapon.

Lunch Break

1:15-2:00 · Flat-picking and Pick-Strum Techniques

Turn any melody into a rich, across-the-strings version. You’ll learn how to move comfortably between single-string and cross-string styles and how to add strums naturally into your picking patterns. Includes some great exercises to get your hands working right.

2:00-2:15 · Short Break

2:15-3:15 · The Music of David Schnaufer – One Easy and One Challenging

We’ll close with two arrangements celebrating the music and teaching style of my mentor, Texas dulcimer master David Schnaufer. You’ll learn two of his classic tunes while applying many ideas covered in this intensive.

You’ll leave with

  • Clear tablature for everything we do.

  • Multiple recorded examples you can revisit anytime if you’re willing to shoot the video with your phone. There will be times for this.

  • A stronger, more musical approach to your playing.

  • Tunes and techniques you’ll build on for years.

  • The inspiration and tools to keep growing long after the festival.

✅ Ready to register? Click here: Buckeye Dulcimer Festival Registration

Saturday Workshops

Just in case you’re wondering, here’s what I’ll be teaching at the main festival on Saturday:

  1. Past Beginner/Early Intermediate – 9:00-10:15

    Find the Tune Fast in Key of D – By Ear and Barebones Tab

    We’ll learn one or two of the easiest of some of the best mountain dulcimer jam tunes in D major using DAD (no capo). You’ll learn each tune by ear AND with my simple, readable barebones tablature that helps you remember the melody fast. We’ll focus on accurate, interesting strumming and relaxed left-hand fingering. I’ll tune you up if you need help. You’ll get a video of me playing each tune three ways — beginner slow, intermediate medium, and jam up to speed. (You’ll have to shoot the video with your phone. I’ll set aside time for this.)

  2. Past Beginner/Early Intermediate – 10:30-11:45

    Groove and Grow – By Ear Meets Easy Tab

    We’ll play one or two fresh but trusted jam tunes in G major using DAD (capo 3) OR DGD (no capo) – your choice. You’ll learn by ear with supportive barebones tab so you can see and remember what your ears are hearing. We’ll polish rhythm and timing and add a touch of variety by playing melodies in one or two spots on the fingerboard. You’ll also get a video of me playing each tune slow, medium, and jam speed. (You’ll have to shoot the video with your phone. I’ll set aside time for this.)

  3. Intermediate and Up – 1:15-2:30

    Old-Time Sound in Key of A – Hear It, Play It, Remember It

    We’ll explore that earthy old-time mountain dulcimer sound in A modal using DAD (capo 4) OR DGD (capo 1) – your choice. You’ll learn by ear with matching barebones tab that locks in what you hear. We’ll focus on steady rhythm, slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs for color, and on shifting melodies around the fingerboard for variety. You’ll also receive a video showing one or two tunes at three speeds. (You’ll have to shoot the video with your phone. I’ll set aside time for this.)

  4. All Levels – 2:45-4:00

    Sound Like a Dulcimer Orchestra

    Using one piece of music, I’ll show you how to play the melody in different octaves, generate simple harmonies on the spot, strum with accuracy and variety, and play backup chords. We’ll also do some chopping and tremolo like the mandolin players do. You and your friends can sound like an orchestra, and just from one page.

To register for the two-day intensive, the Friday through Sunday festival, or all of it, please visit Buckeye Dulcimer Festival Registration.