Thank you thank you! i do fingerpick a 12 string guitar, but when a friend gifted me this stick dulcimer, I was kinda lost. I did single notes, strummed all 4 together, checked a few videos. ( Thank you for explaining the tuning on an earlier video!!) I think I'm beginning to see a light here, . . . .. great teaching style, thank you.
Wonderful! I love hearing when people are finding the material helpful. If you haven't, please subscribe, and do check out all the downloads (some free!) on the site: www.stickdulcimer.com/collections/downloads
I've been trying to teach myself to get a more "banjo-y" "bluegrass-y" sound out of my strumstick by learning 3-finger rolls like 1-3-2-1-3-2-1-3 and similar. I haven't learned fingerpicking on any instrument before. I find I can get to a point where if I'm _only_ playing with my right hand, I can play rolls rapidly and steadily, switching between different rolls at will to highlight different strings, etc. Once I put the left hand in and start trying to play chords and melodies, it's not that it gets more difficult. It's like my right hand _absolutely completely forgets_ what a roll is. I can painstakingly memorize the song I want to play note by note, but I want to get to a point where I can just independently roll with my right, chord/melody with my left, as an improvisatory thing rather than having to painstakingly memorize a sequence finger-motion by finger-motion. Normally should I expect to reach the point of being able to do some of that after... a dozen hours of practice? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? Aside from strumstick my musical experience includes strumming guitar and playing improvised and self-written stuff on piano, so I'm not coming from absolute zero here. But I'm certainly kind of a perpetual advanced beginner at all music I've played so far, even though I've been doing it off and on for decades.
Well, without seeing how you're approaching it, I can't say for sure, but I assume it's a matter of slowing everything way down and stripping down the complexities, then building them back up. So, it could look like, picking a simple left hand move to make, even just fretting one note with one finger. USE A METRONOME so you have a reference point to know if you're moving everything in sync, and not losing your right hand's timing. And set that metronome to something like 50% of what you can do when you have just your right hand moving. [NOTE: you will naturally want to keep the metronome at a higher /faster speed than you should because you're used to playing faster and slowing down feels like walking backwards... don't heed the temptation, slow.it.down.] Then start the metronome and with no left hand motion, start your right hand picking for 1-2 measures (the full pattern), then move your left hand to do whatever you decided would be your next step (index on top string, 2nd fret, for example), and go for 1-2 measures with that, then take your index off so the strings are open again, and repeat over and over. (I would discourage trying to use a song you know for now, just practice random notes or chords with your left hand. A song will make you want to move faster.) DID I MENTION YOU SHOULD USE THE METRONOME?? When you have that down, add a new left motion to it. Maybe index up one fret for 1 measure, then back down for a measure, then open, then onto 4th fret, etc. No set way, just start experimenting, but keep your initial practice pattern the same: change the left hand on the down beat of each measure only, so your right hand pattern and your left hand change start at the same time. And then when you have the single finger working well, try doing more complexity with the left hand. That could be using more than just your index finger for the same notes, or trying to make a full chord. The chords are more complex, so just pick 2 to start with and go back and forth between them every measure, changing on 1. Once you have a few of those motions feeling good, notch the metronome up a few clicks and do it again. Then repeat, then repeat, etc. When all of that is feeling comfortable, start making your left hand changes on 1 and 3 (every half measure), so you're forcing a new left hand change IN THE MIDDLE of your right hand pattern. You should probably slow the metronome down again, and then build back up, but you'll know you can because you already started slow with the simpler single-finger method. I can't say how long it'll take to get where you want to be, but I can say with 100% certainty that the ways to do it are (1) slowing it down and following the metronome, and (2) practicing at least 20min/day. That incremental per day discipline will get you there faster than a 2 hour block of time 2x/wk will. And with the metronome you should be able to see (almost chart) your progress. As in, on day 1 you're practicing 1-finger left hand motions at tempo 60. Day 2 you're comfortable with a little more complexity in the left hand. Day 3 is all of that, but at 5 clicks faster. Day 4 is 5 clicks faster. Day 6 is same tempo, but a little more left hand complexity, etc. Even if that's not how it maps for you (and it won't be) you should be able to see those incremental gains every day or two if you stick with it and build slloooowwwwlly. This is not a time to rush. Lots of words... hopefully some of them were helpful!
Thank you for your strumstick videos. As a piano student years ago, I absolutely hated the metronome. It threw me off. I'll try it with my strumstick since you say it's important. Do I have it click on every pluck; in other words, 1&2&3&4&? What threw me on piano was playing a note in between clicks. I wanted to play a note only on clicks! I hope this question makes sense.
First off, you don’t actually HAVE to use a metronome, it’s just really helpful to have something external to keep you accountable for playing in time. Otherwise you can drift on tempo and think you’re going great but actually sound like a mess!! You’re welcome to set the metronome however will keep your sanity. If you’re playing eighth notes (1&2&3&4&) though, you really should have it set that way. But… at the end of the day….. if a metronome is keeping you from enjoying the beauty of music, throw it away
Basically everything ;-) Unless it's a hard driving rock song that needs the jangle of fast strumming, or a waltz style song where a different pattern makes sense, this one should work. Might have to speed up or slow down the tempo of the song (or the speed of your fingers). Amazing Grace Sound of Silence Chasing Cars Speed Trap Town Free Fallin Yellow I recently did "Hurt" and it has this pattern in it. th-cam.com/video/5XlK7eYuZU4/w-d-xo.html You could also alternate this pattern with the 2-Finger Claw trick -- th-cam.com/video/3oTAjt06caQ/w-d-xo.html -- and make for a very tasty transition in one song. I've been messing around with "drivers license" and I'm pretty sure I'll land that arrangement with one or both techniques.
I do not. what are you looking to accomplish? All D chord charts, if transposed, would work... is the transposition the sticking point? (happy to help with that, just making sure I'm on the right path for you!)
Hi! Thank you for the quick reply to my question. I think, you hit upon what I was asking. I’m definitely not a “musically” inclined person. I have noticed there are a few sites that show chords for the DADd tuning. So, I guess I am asking about transposing the DADd chords. I guess I need clarification... for example, is the A maj Chord (for D Merlin) a D maj on the G Merlin? Is my thinking correct? Thank you again for the quick response. My name is Darrell by the way.
sure thing, and HI! I believe you're on the right path. A basic run down of the chord transposition: D = G Em = Am F#m = Bm G = C A = D Bm = Em C#(dim) = A#(dim) (* feel free to ignore this one, as you'll need it almost never for 95% of songs) This transposition works for the scale too, if you take off the m's and such. ;-)
Thank you thank you! i do fingerpick a 12 string guitar, but when a friend gifted me this stick dulcimer, I was kinda lost. I did single notes, strummed all 4 together, checked a few videos. ( Thank you for explaining the tuning on an earlier video!!) I think I'm beginning to see a light here, . . . .. great teaching style, thank you.
Wonderful! I love hearing when people are finding the material helpful. If you haven't, please subscribe, and do check out all the downloads (some free!) on the site: www.stickdulcimer.com/collections/downloads
I ordered this wonderful tool online yesterday, I will follow your advice as soon as I have it in my hands 🇮🇹😁✌🏻
Fantastic!
So happy to find you!! I just got my Merlin!!
Congrats! And welcome!
You’ve given me a light bulb moment! I finally get it (I was missing the fourth note of the roll.) happy!!
Oh that’s great! So glad! I used this technique every time I play. Crucial. 😎
I've been trying to teach myself to get a more "banjo-y" "bluegrass-y" sound out of my strumstick by learning 3-finger rolls like 1-3-2-1-3-2-1-3 and similar. I haven't learned fingerpicking on any instrument before. I find I can get to a point where if I'm _only_ playing with my right hand, I can play rolls rapidly and steadily, switching between different rolls at will to highlight different strings, etc. Once I put the left hand in and start trying to play chords and melodies, it's not that it gets more difficult. It's like my right hand _absolutely completely forgets_ what a roll is.
I can painstakingly memorize the song I want to play note by note, but I want to get to a point where I can just independently roll with my right, chord/melody with my left, as an improvisatory thing rather than having to painstakingly memorize a sequence finger-motion by finger-motion.
Normally should I expect to reach the point of being able to do some of that after... a dozen hours of practice? A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand?
Aside from strumstick my musical experience includes strumming guitar and playing improvised and self-written stuff on piano, so I'm not coming from absolute zero here. But I'm certainly kind of a perpetual advanced beginner at all music I've played so far, even though I've been doing it off and on for decades.
Well, without seeing how you're approaching it, I can't say for sure, but I assume it's a matter of slowing everything way down and stripping down the complexities, then building them back up.
So, it could look like, picking a simple left hand move to make, even just fretting one note with one finger. USE A METRONOME so you have a reference point to know if you're moving everything in sync, and not losing your right hand's timing. And set that metronome to something like 50% of what you can do when you have just your right hand moving. [NOTE: you will naturally want to keep the metronome at a higher /faster speed than you should because you're used to playing faster and slowing down feels like walking backwards... don't heed the temptation, slow.it.down.]
Then start the metronome and with no left hand motion, start your right hand picking for 1-2 measures (the full pattern), then move your left hand to do whatever you decided would be your next step (index on top string, 2nd fret, for example), and go for 1-2 measures with that, then take your index off so the strings are open again, and repeat over and over. (I would discourage trying to use a song you know for now, just practice random notes or chords with your left hand. A song will make you want to move faster.)
DID I MENTION YOU SHOULD USE THE METRONOME??
When you have that down, add a new left motion to it. Maybe index up one fret for 1 measure, then back down for a measure, then open, then onto 4th fret, etc. No set way, just start experimenting, but keep your initial practice pattern the same: change the left hand on the down beat of each measure only, so your right hand pattern and your left hand change start at the same time.
And then when you have the single finger working well, try doing more complexity with the left hand. That could be using more than just your index finger for the same notes, or trying to make a full chord. The chords are more complex, so just pick 2 to start with and go back and forth between them every measure, changing on 1.
Once you have a few of those motions feeling good, notch the metronome up a few clicks and do it again. Then repeat, then repeat, etc.
When all of that is feeling comfortable, start making your left hand changes on 1 and 3 (every half measure), so you're forcing a new left hand change IN THE MIDDLE of your right hand pattern. You should probably slow the metronome down again, and then build back up, but you'll know you can because you already started slow with the simpler single-finger method.
I can't say how long it'll take to get where you want to be, but I can say with 100% certainty that the ways to do it are (1) slowing it down and following the metronome, and (2) practicing at least 20min/day. That incremental per day discipline will get you there faster than a 2 hour block of time 2x/wk will.
And with the metronome you should be able to see (almost chart) your progress. As in, on day 1 you're practicing 1-finger left hand motions at tempo 60. Day 2 you're comfortable with a little more complexity in the left hand. Day 3 is all of that, but at 5 clicks faster. Day 4 is 5 clicks faster. Day 6 is same tempo, but a little more left hand complexity, etc.
Even if that's not how it maps for you (and it won't be) you should be able to see those incremental gains every day or two if you stick with it and build slloooowwwwlly. This is not a time to rush.
Lots of words... hopefully some of them were helpful!
Yes that was super helpful! I will be practicing this some more after work today :-) thank you!
You're so welcome! Get to practicing!
Thank you for your strumstick videos. As a piano student years ago, I absolutely hated the metronome. It threw me off. I'll try it with my strumstick since you say it's important. Do I have it click on every pluck; in other words, 1&2&3&4&? What threw me on piano was playing a note in between clicks. I wanted to play a note only on clicks! I hope this question makes sense.
First off, you don’t actually HAVE to use a metronome, it’s just really helpful to have something external to keep you accountable for playing in time. Otherwise you can drift on tempo and think you’re going great but actually sound like a mess!! You’re welcome to set the metronome however will keep your sanity. If you’re playing eighth notes (1&2&3&4&) though, you really should have it set that way. But… at the end of the day….. if a metronome is keeping you from enjoying the beauty of music, throw it away
Do you know anyone simple songs that sound good with the three finger roll?
Basically everything ;-)
Unless it's a hard driving rock song that needs the jangle of fast strumming, or a waltz style song where a different pattern makes sense, this one should work. Might have to speed up or slow down the tempo of the song (or the speed of your fingers).
Amazing Grace
Sound of Silence
Chasing Cars
Speed Trap Town
Free Fallin
Yellow
I recently did "Hurt" and it has this pattern in it. th-cam.com/video/5XlK7eYuZU4/w-d-xo.html
You could also alternate this pattern with the 2-Finger Claw trick -- th-cam.com/video/3oTAjt06caQ/w-d-xo.html -- and make for a very tasty transition in one song. I've been messing around with "drivers license" and I'm pretty sure I'll land that arrangement with one or both techniques.
Is there a place I can find a chord chart for the Merlin tuned to GDGg?
I do not. what are you looking to accomplish? All D chord charts, if transposed, would work... is the transposition the sticking point? (happy to help with that, just making sure I'm on the right path for you!)
Hi! Thank you for the quick reply to my question. I think, you hit upon what I was asking. I’m definitely not a “musically” inclined person. I have noticed there are a few sites that show chords for the DADd tuning. So, I guess I am asking about transposing the DADd chords. I guess I need clarification... for example, is the A maj Chord (for D Merlin) a D maj on the G Merlin? Is my thinking correct?
Thank you again for the quick response. My name is Darrell by the way.
sure thing, and HI!
I believe you're on the right path. A basic run down of the chord transposition:
D = G
Em = Am
F#m = Bm
G = C
A = D
Bm = Em
C#(dim) = A#(dim) (* feel free to ignore this one, as you'll need it almost never for 95% of songs)
This transposition works for the scale too, if you take off the m's and such.
;-)
@@HeyInglewood Awesome! Thank you for taking time to explain!!!!
Absolutely!