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Music Improvisation for Mountain Dulcimer | Mountain Dulcimer - Patterned Chord Arpeggios for Melody
Chord Patterns on the Hammered Dulcimer

"When you move with music, and sing and play in tune with it, you are feeding its energy, and it is feeding yours. This is the musician's heaven world. As you become more conscious of resonance, that heaven grows wider, more vivid, and more down to earth, where people can use it."

"The sounds in your life are part of a circle of listening; a tiny arc on a great circumference. When you begin a note, it comes from somewhere and keeps going forever after you have finished. It comes from your impulse to sing, from your mind and heart, all the way back to the beginning of time. It goes into thin air, into walls, patient trees, open sky, molecules, heat, radiation, and on into vibrations there aren't names for. Part of it does, anyway. The rest goes into the hearts and minds of others. Nothing is lost. Everything keeps going around."

         The Listening Book by W.A. Mathieu*

In the world of physical science, music is energy. Music is the only art form that is pure energy. This energy occurs when something (like an instrument, drum or human voice) vibrates and transfers that vibration into the air surrounding the instrument. The resonance eventually reaches our ears and is translated by our brains into music. Music is a vehicle that allows us to experience and communicate our deepest feelings and thoughts into a universal language. Think about how happy you feel when you listen to, or play, an Irish jig - the music makes you want to tap your toes and get up and dance. Playing or listening to a melody in a minor key can make you feel sad and melancholy.

One of the most profound elements of music occurs when two or more people create music together. Orchestras, choruses, ensembles, bands, duets, trios, quartets, jam sessions etc. all allow us to join together to make music. Music improvisation is a moment to moment experience which allows a musician to take a leap from the familiar into the unknown. When two or more musicians choose to improvise together, magic can happen.

Several ingredients must be present to let this magic occur. Some of these ingredients are: listening, spontaneity, and risk taking. In a true verbal dialogue, each member listens to the other and then expresses his/her opinions and thoughts- there is a give and take between all the individuals. There are times when silence is required. All these elements are essential when a musician improvises with others. The biggest difference between verbal dialogue and musical dialogue, is that musicians can all play together at the same time. If everyone spoke at once, chaos would result. But, when sensitive musicians create music all at once, harmony and serendipity occur.

Listening to oneself, as well as to your musical partners at the same time is essential- it's almost like talking and chewing gum at the same time. As musicians begin an improvisational activity, a conversation begins to occur. Sometimes they will play at the same time; sometimes one will drop out and listen and fill the space with silence. A satisfying musical dialogue happens when each participant listens with an intuitive ear.

Spontaneity is easy for children to achieve. Their playful, unguarded natures allow them to take risks. Letting go of expectations and fears allow a musician to explore music with a childlike attitude. There are no wrong notes. Approaching music with an instinctive and fearless spirit will allow a musician to step outside written and tabbed music and into the magic of improvisation.

At Music for People, we learn simple, specific techniques that provide a structure or framework for musicians to be able to find their own improvisational music with their instruments and voices. Three of these simple techniques are: Descending Scale, Ostinato, and Repeating Pattern.

1. Descending Scale under a Pentatonic Improvisation
Tune your mountain dulcimer to DAD and play the following easy descending scale pattern in 4/4 time (notice that all the chords are "L" shaped chords):

A descending scale is simply the "Do Re Me" scale song played or sung from the top down: do, te, la, sol, fa, me, re, do. While one member of the improvisational group continues to repeat the descending scale pattern, another member can play a solo using notes from a pentatonic scale. A pentatonic scale consists of five different notes or tones. Penta means five and tonic means sound or tone. The word scale comes from the Latin word scala, meaning "ladder." In a pentatonic scale, you would play only the first, second, third, fifth and sixth notes of a major/Ionian scale and all the octaves of those notes, in any order. An easier way to remember this to not play the small frets (3rd, 6th, and 6 1/2 frets.) This means that in the key of "D major- DAD" you could play the following notes on the treble or bass string string: D, E, F#, A, and B (frets: open, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, etc.) Limiting oneself to the option of playing only five notes can make it easier for a newcomer to launch into the world of improvisation.

When I composed the song, "I'm on My Way," I purposely included a descending scale pattern in the instrumental center section of the song in order to have a place in the composition where other instruments could jam and improvise with me. When I play it in concert, I play the descending scale over and over, allowing others to find their own accompaniment with me as we play together. If you choose to play along with me on the recording, tune your dulcimer to the key of "C"- CGC, and here is my mountain dulcimer arrangement of "I'm on My Way":

2. Ostinato
An ostinato is a continual repetition of a melodic pattern. One player would play an ostinato while a musical partner would improvise a solo melody "on top of" the ostinato. These two musical partners can then switch back and forth from being the player of an ostinato, to playing one's own improvising solo. Again, the accompanying partner can limit himself to playing improvised notes from the pentatonic scale. One example of an ostinato is as follows:

3. Repeated Pattern
Create a repeated pattern that would provide a good accompaniment for someone to solo over. Using a rhythmic-melodic pattern let the pattern slowly shift, changing only one or two notes once in a while, creating what is sometimes referred to as minimalism. The soloist could use the notes from the pentatonic scale to create a solo. One example of a repeated pattern is as follows:

It is easy to feel lost in a jam session when you don't know the songs being played, or if they are being played at warp speed. Take a deep breath and remember the pentatonic scale. A quick review reminds us that in a pentatonic scale, you play only the first, second, third, fifth and sixth notes of a major/Ionian scale and all the octaves of those notes, in any order. Another way of saying this is do not play the small frets (i.e. 3rd, 6th, and 6 1/2 frets.) This means that in the key of "D major/DAD" you could play the following notes on the treble or bass string strings: D, E, F#, A, and B (frets: open, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, etc.) So for instance, if the group is playing a song like "Blackberry Blossom," and you want to participate in the session, find back-up notes from the pentatonic scale. Because you are not playing the half-step tones from the small frets, the notes from the pentatonic scale will go with the notes of the melody being played. As you "noodle around" with the notes from the pentatonic scale, you will eventually come up with a back up melody line that will sound pleasing with the jam session song because typically the melody will be played over and over many times in the jam session giving you a chance to experiment and take risks. Try it- it works!

People gather together all around the globe in thousands of diverse venues- from festivals to tribal gatherings to concert halls etc. in order to be able to play music together. You may feel the need for more creative music in your life, if this is true for you, be willing to have fun with some of these exercises as you explore the musical possibilities which exist in you and your instrument.

For more information about music improvisation, Thomasina recommends the following resource: Music for People- www.musicforpeople.org

*from The Listening Book by W.A. Mathieu © 1991 by W.A. Mathieu. By arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston, www.shambhala.com

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Thomasina Levy is an internationally recognized mountain dulcimer player, singer, and song writer whose performances weave together the best of traditional and contemporary folk music throughout the U.S. With a Master of Science degree in Education, she uses music to help students of all ages discover their own creativity. Thomasina is a certified Music for People Music Improvisation Facilitator believing that music is in each one of us and is just waiting for the right time to emerge. Her workshops in Music Improvisation are fun, educational and inspiring. Thomasina has recordings for both children and adults: "Let's Pretend, Original & Traditional Songs for Children"; "A Peaceful Storm, A Mountain Dulcimer Journey Through Songs and Instrumentals"; and "Holding Back the Night." Clips from her most recent CD, "Chasing Cloud Shadows," can be heard at . In the Spring of 2000, Thomasina was included in Mel Bay Publications Dulcimer 2000 book which features solos by the world's best mountain dulcimer players. She may be reached at e-mail: Thomasina9@aol.com or website: www.thomasina.net

2000 Dulcimer
98374BCD
Mel Bays' 2000 Dulcimer anthology is designed to enhance the repertoire of the intermediate to advanced mountain/fretted dulcimer player with a generous collection of challenging pieces.
Book/CD Set, $24.95