Dulcimer Daze
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Volume 29, Number 2 February 2019 Dulcimer Daze Official Newsletter of the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club Editors: Leah Reasor and Claire Hammond The Theory of Chords by Les Williams, KADC President February 24th MEETING AGENDA This month we will continue the theory of chords by using the 8 color box of crayons in relation to the eight triads built above the 8 scales 1:30 steps in major scales. Last month we focused on the three primary Check-in and Fellowship chords of I, IV, V which are all major triads (3 note chords). This month 1:45 - 2:00 we will use all four types of triads- Major, Minor, Diminished, and Aug- General Business Meeting mented. Remember triads in root position are on three consecutive lines or three consecutive spaces of the staff. To change a triad from 2:00-3:00 Class Hour major to minor, lower or flat the third or middle note one half step (down one key on Beginner Lap Dulcimer— the keyboard). To change triad from major to a diminished triad, lower or flat the third Mark Reda (middle note) and the fifth (top note) by one half step each. To change a triad from ma- Beginner Hammered Dulcimer- jor to augmented, raise or sharp the fifth (top note) by one half step. Shown in Figure 1 Nancy Basford are the triad types in the key of C. Figure 2 shows the intervals between notes of the four triad types in root position which applies to all keys. Remember a major third is Novice Lap Dulcimer - Christy Bock two whole steps (large third) and a minor third (small third) is one and one half steps. Angelina Baker/June Apple Diminished means made smaller and the diminished triad is two small or minor thirds Angel Band stacked up. Augmented means made larger, and the augmented triad is two large or Work on rhythm reading skills major thirds stacked up. The major triad has the major third on the bottom and minor third on top. The minor triad has the minor third on the bottom and the major third on Intermediate Lap Dulcimer- top. Some say major sounds happy and minor sounds sad. Evelyn Coomer/Les Williams All I Have To Do Is Dream In The Sweet By and By Blest Be The Tie That Binds Triad types in the key of C Armed Forces Medley (Figure 1) Advanced Lap Dulcimer- Rudy Ryan Emma’s Song Cowboy Waltz 3:00 – 4:00 Triad Intervals in root position Jam—Led by Mark Reda This Land Is Your Land (Figure 2) Simple Gifts Aura Lee You Are My Sunshine Mississippi Sawyer Member Choices-Call Yours! Continued on Page 3 Slow Jam—Led by Rudy Ryan Club Website address: www.knoxvilledulcimers.org Dulcimer Daze Volume 29, Number 2 Our club will have a very special opportunity at our March 24th meeting for all 2019 members of KADC. Rick Thum will be presenting a 2 hour workshop on “Jamming Tips and Tricks” for all levels on all instruments. By way of quick intro, Rick has been ranked as the most influential dulcimer player of the last decade by readers of Dulcimer Player News and is perhaps best known for his festival performances. His workshops and master classes are favorites and he also produces a best-selling instructional CD series for the hammered dulcimer. Rick describes his “Jamming Tips and Tricks” workshop as follows: I will teach you how to know the chords you need to use, and how to hear the tunes in a way that helps you know how to use those chords. Playing the chords is only half of the goal. We also want to try to learn the tune. I will teach you the tricks to being able to start to play the tune right there in the jam the first time you’ve ever heard the tune. Jamming is a craft and learning the tricks of the trade will help you be a better jam. It is a learned skill. I will teach the tools needed for you to be a better jammer. REMINDER!!! Please make sure you have renewed your membership by the February 28th deadline as attendance will be strictly limited to current KADC members. The membership form is available on the KADC website. New members may join the day of the meeting. Your fellow KADC mem- bers would love to get to know you better and • NAMETAGS!! If you ordered a KADC nametag it will be at the sign-in desk at the February meet- maybe discover some com- ing. Please pick it up there. mon interests. Simply answer the questions be- • JAM SESSION!! We will be hosting a Dulcimer Jam in the recital hall at Lane Music on Satur- low or just jot down some day, March 2nd at 2 pm. Lane Music is located in of your own thoughts to West Knoxville at 9648 Kingston Pike. There’s plenty of room for all but please register on Sign send in. You can email your answers to knoxvilledulci- -Up Genius just to insure that we have enough [email protected]. Looking forward to meeting you! to have a good showing. Hope you can join us for this fun opportunity! Contact Christy Bock at Do you come from a musical family, or play additional [email protected] or 865-384-8806 for info. instruments? • PLAYOUT COORDINATOR NEEDED– If you enjoy How did you discover the dulcimer (or your instru- participating in club playouts and would like to ment)? assist in their coordination, please contact Susan How did you find KADC? Gulley at [email protected] What keeps you coming back to KADC? • 2019 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS-Remember to What direction would you like to see the group go, or renew your membership now as memberships in what initiatives would you like to see explored? good standing will be required and verified at the door for the March 24th meeting with Rick Thum’s workshop. Page 2 Dulcimer Daze Volume 29, Number 2 The Theory of Chords (Continued) In every major key or scale, if you build a triad on each step of the scale you get a particular triad type which is common to that scale step in any key. Remember the primary chords ( I, IV, & V) are all major. If you will look at figure 3 this shows the triad type on each scale step in both C major and D major. Notice that chords built on the 2nd, 3rd, & 6th scale steps are minor triads. The triad built on the 7th scale step is a diminished triad. The key of C has no sharps or flats, so only the white keys are used in building all of the triads above the C scale. Notice that all F’s and C’s are sharped in the triads built on the D ma- jor scale. Remember the key of D major has two sharps- F# and C#. Those sharps are applied to all of the notes in the triads in the key of D including the root notes. Notice the major (large) and minor (small) thirds on the keyboard between the three notes of the triad types. Figure 3 Figure 4 It is important to notice that in naming the notes in a triad, it is every other letter as you come to them in the alphabet. To properly spell or notate a chord, you must use the proper note names. Example- a C augmented chord always includes C, E & G#. This is never called or notated as C, E, & Ab (you are skipping more than one letter of the alphabet going from E to A) even though it is the same note on the keyboard and sounds the same pitch. It is because of staying in a particular key or tonality and proper spelling of scales and chords in that key that we have more than one name for the same pitch. Enhar- monic equivalents is the musical term for same sound, same key, different names. F natural, E#, and Gbb (double flat=lowered a whole step) are all the same key on the keyboard and the same sound in the tempered scale. The name that you use for that pitch is determined by the key in which you are working. When we notate a chord for your dulcimer we never notate an E major chord with an Ab in the middle, but always G# because CGB are the notes in the chord using every other note of the alphabet. (A little extra info for no extra charge.) Most all of our club music has chords above the notation for guitars or any instrument that wishes to play chords with the tune. Notice that when Roman Numerals are used under the chords, the minor and diminished Roman Numerals are lower case. The chords symbols have either Dim or a minus (-) sign beside the letter when indicating a diminished chord (Cdim, CDim, or C-). The chord symbol have either Aug or a plus sign (+) beside them when indicating an augmented chord (Caug, CAug, or C+). Minor chords are indicated with an M or m beside the chord letter name. You will find all of these chords used in all three positions. Remember root position has the root note on the bottom, first inversion with the third of the chord on the bottom, and second inversion has the fifth of the chord on the bottom. Some- times in chord symbols above music you will find D/F#. This means a D major chord in first inversion with the F# on the bottom or in the bass line.