Hammers

INSTRUCTION VIDEO REVIEWS:

Thank you, Jess. I have watched your first 3 videos and they were very easy to understand and I really appreciated how they were presented. I have been on other websites and have an instructor, and your beginning lessons were the most helpful of them all. I look forward to receiving your book and want you to know that I will recommend you and your book to everyone interested in HD! Have a great day,
MERIDITH CLANTON, HENDERSON, NC

Jess, . . . Your video lessons are excellent. I am an experienced musician (recorder, viol, a bit of keyboard, baritone vocals) fairly new to the hammered dulcimer. Your lessons so far provide what I need to move past “playing tunes” and into really using the instrument as it should be played. I look forward to the book.
BLAKE MORRIS, RICHMOND, VA

Dear Jess ... I am thoroughly enjoying your tutorial videos . Many of the H.D. videos I tried on YouTube take a person thru tuning/the box/scales /chords, and then expect the person to be ready for full and fast songs. But your videos continue on with the theory. I appreciate that... I am a ragtime/boogie woogy/Blues fan and would be very excited to hear and learn more tunes like Milk Cow Blues.
LINDA LATHROP

Hello Jess ... I came across your YouTube instructions and I just love them! I purchased my hammered dulcimer more than 5 years ago and was trying to learn it on my own, only to become frustrated. Then I found your instruction videos....WOW, I learned more in two days than I did in five years!!!! I am planning on purchasing your instruction book, I it know it will help me tremendously. You mentioned on your website that you might be able to post some sheet music for a song I like. I have been searching for sheet music on a song that I heard on Scott William's CD "The Road to Lisdoonvarna." It is called A'Soulin. It is the reason I purchased my dulcimer in the first place. I want to play that song! Unfortunately, I cannot find the sheet music for it anywhere. [NOTE: IT HAS BEEN POSTED] Thank you so much for making the instruction videos available, I have searched a long time for instructions and now I can finally learn to play my beautiful instrument. Sincerely,
SUZANNE LEWIS

"I have participated in 2 beginner and 1 novice HD classes over the past 2 years, and NOTHING compares with what I have learned in just your first 3 videos. Thanks for your patience and clear method of assisting me in appreciating this beautiful instrument!
RONALD WEEKS - RICHMOND, VA

"Hi Jess, I have been doing your lessons online and I think they are the best I’ve seen out there. Unfortunately there are no HD players or instructors in my area so I’m on my own. I can’t wait to get the book to go along with the lessons. Best,"
WENDY GAY - GREENFIELD, MA

BOOK REVIEWS:

"Morning Jess, . . . First of all, I want to say I absolutely love your new book, The Essential ... Hammered Dulcimer Basic Instruction Manual. I think it's absolutely wonderful! The beautiful paper used and the spiral binding is worth the price alone. The spiral binding allows me to lay it flat on my music stand while I study the lessons given. Excellent choice! When I received my book, I sat down and read it from cover-to-cover. Awesome is the word that came to mind! The lessons are easy to understand and the fully illustrated diagrams accompanying each and every part of the lessons makes understanding what you are saying in the written word so much easier to grasp. I can see the book does exactly what it says it will - 'takes you from the very beginning to the intermediate level.' I've already started in on the practice sessions using that magic number of 30! Thanks, Jess, for an instruction manual well done. Hope you're hard at work on the one that takes you from "intermediate level to advanced!"
MARY BOARDMAN, DES MOINES, IA
[Ed. note: See Mary Bordman's article "Here I Come" in the winter, 2011 edition of DPN]

"Jess Dickinson's book is the best instruction manual I've encountered. It's chock full of well-illustrated and clear exercises and steps that cover all aspects of playing, from chords and scales, to hammering techniques."
MICHAEL FRAZIER - PITTSBURG, PA

"Jess . . . your book is wonderful! I am learning so much! It's really different from the others I have read. Worth every penny! Thank you!"
LINDA ALLISON - CHARLESTON, MS

"WOW! What a beautifully done book! The quality of the printing, photos, and diagrams on high-quality, glossy, heavy stock paper shows quality was of prime importance. And after reading through Basic Skill Exercise #1, I see this is truly a book to teach me how to play the hammered dulcimer, not just another book of tunes."
JOHN HODGKIN - WINSTED, CT

For Site

$27.00 to order CLICK HERE [tuners back-ordered] $12.00 to order CLICK HERE

PRICES INCLUDE SHIPPING!!!

MY FAVORITE HAMMERS
Jess Dickinson

The best hammered dulcimer in the world will not sound good, when played with bad hammers. Of the dozens of makes and models of hammers I have played over the years, here are my favorites:

#1 Bob Bedard double sided Harlequin maple and ebony hammers. These are the best all-around hammers I have every played. Visit Bob Bedard Hammers Please tell Bob I referred you!

Bedard-Harliquin

#2 Dusty Strings double sided wood and leather, oval head (#5 on the Dusty Strings chart). Dusty Strings

Dusty-Strings-no-5

#3 Dusty Strings double sided wood and leather, large head (#7 on the Dusty Strings chart below).Dusty Strings

DS-no-7

Below is an interesting series of videos made by Dan Landrum and Dulcimer Players News.These seven short videos show master hammer maker Bob Bedard making hammers for the hammered dulcimer. You will see why his hammers are my very favorite.

Making Hammers-Part 1
Making Hammers-Part 2
Making Hammers-Part 3
Making Hammers-Part 4
Making Hammers-Part 5
Making Hammers-Part 6
Making Hammers-Part 7

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