Ken Kolodner
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  • Home
  • Shop
  • About
    • Reviews
    • Brad and Ken
    • Ken and Elke
  • WINTER SOLSTICE CONCERT
  • Thanksgiving Concert
  • Schedule
  • Baltimore Old-Time Jam
  • Ken & Brad Kolodner
  • Ken Kolodner & Mary Lynn Michal
  • Lessons & Workshops
    • Hammered Dulcimer
    • Fiddle Lessons
    • Distance Lessons
    • Workshops
    • School Programs
  • Dulcimer Video Lessons
  • Fiddle Video Lessons
  • Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreat
  • Watkins Glen Hammered Dulcimer Retreat
  • Sandfiddlers Retreat
  • Weddings
  • Contact

The Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Video Project

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Since 2005, I have conducted The Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats. For the 35+ years of teaching privately and at countless festivals and workshops, my intention at every workshop & lesson, especially at Sandbridge is to give students way more than can be absorbed in a week. At Sandbridge, we prepared a comprehensive summary video recording of each tune that was covered in the workshop – available only for workshop participants.

I am pleased to now make many of these recordings available for everyone. Many of the tunes included here can be found in The Sandbridge Dance Tune Collection and The Sandbridge Waltz and Slow Air Collection. However, I have often updated and expanded upon what was printed in those collections.
My general philosophy is that a well-rounded musician should strive to develop four areas: (1) technical skills; (2) listening skills; (3) understanding and applying theory; (4) musicality. In The Sandbridge Dance Tune Collection book, I discuss each of these areas and why each is so important.

​The selections in this video series are intended to cover all of these areas. I selected the pieces based on the many concepts that I use to create arrangements and backup parts. As of Feb 2022, I have 98 tunes available and five major Foundational Skills modules.  
​For each tune, we typically present an average of 8 videos. 

Topics covered in most of the videos:

  • Basic melody
  • Rationale for hammering choices
  • Development of the chord progression with chord substitutions
  • Application of many arranging techniques
  • Application of theory
  • How to create variations for most pieces
  • Backup/accompaniment for most tunes  
  • Variety of repertoire (Celtic, old-time, Bluegrass, Classical, Quebecois, Israeli, Norwegian, Belgian and more)  
The scope of material presented for each tune is comparable to at least 4-5 private lessons

What People Are Saying:

“The Foundational Skills units are truly amazing!!! An invaluable addition to the learning process of lessons and workshops.  And the bonus is you can be asked to repeat the same concept, if it wasn't clear the first time indefinitely. Thank you Ken!” –  SG, Maryland
 
“No sleep for me tonight! Just purchased the entire set of Foundational Skills modules. What a goldmine of information!” – ML, North Carolina
 
“I'm starting with Johnny Cope - Using Transcribe when playing with Ken in his play-through.... I'm already making progress. It is just like having a private lesson at my speed.” NG, Arizona
 
“So exciting. I just ordered the foundation videos to work on at my leisure. A lot less stressful than trying to keep up at a workshop!” YP, Massachusetts

Video Lessons ($32) per piece

  • All sheet music + updates
  • Play-through video
  • Multi-part video lessons (view from above) for each tune including basic tune, hammering suggestions, backups, variations, theory of the chord progression and arrangements 
  • A total of 6-15 videos per tune

Technical Details

***all videos can be downloaded or streamed online***
(after you buy, you may create an account with Gumroad to access all purchases on your computer,
​and download their app for phones & tablets)
Please do not share your purchased sheet music or videos!
​ALL PURCHASES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Click a button for a guide to your first (and all) purchases:
First time buyer
Repeat customer
Note 1: Always log into your Gumroad Library account before making any purchase.
Note 2: Gumroad is in the middle of a big revamp of their site (Jan 2022). Contact Laurie if you are stymied in the buying process!
Note 3: Looking for previous purchases? Log into your account with Gumroad
ALL PURCHASES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE

Links for tune lessons

New: January 2023
  • Accordion Crimes (Andrew Marcus, Canada)
  • The “Clock Waltz” – Valse Clog Guillemette (Joseph Guillemette, Quebec)
  • Ding Dong Merrily on High (16th century France)
  • Ian Robertson (Tom Anderson, Shetland Islands)
  • Louisiana Fairytale (J Fred Coots, U.S.) 
  • Valse Pompadour (Alfred Montmarquette, Quebec)
Updated January 2023
  • The Circle (Ken Kolodner)
  • Morag's Waltz (Tom Anderson, Shetland Island)
  • Quince Dillon's High D (Old Time)


Tune Library:
  • Abide with Me (William Henry Monk, 1847)
  • Amelia's Waltz (Bob McQuillen, U.S.)
  • Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch (Scotland)
  • Are You Sleeping Maggie (Scotland)
  • Autumn in Paris (John Sheehan, Ireland)
  • Bay of Fundy (Bill Guest, Canada)
  • Bethany Beach (Ken Kolodner)
  • Bill Cheatham (Old-time/Bluegrass)
  • B & W Rag (George Botsford, 1908, U.S.)
  • Black Nag (English country dance)
  • Boda Waltz (Sweden)
  • Bonny at Morn (North Umberland)
  • Bradley's Tune (Brad Kolodner)
  • Breton Wedding March (Brittany, France)
  • The Bride's Farewell (Finland)
  • By the Waters of Babylon (Bm)
  • Carolan’s Cup (O'Carolan)
  • Caspian Lake (Ken Kolodner)
  • Cattle in the Cane (Old-time, Bluegrass)
  • Citi Na gCumman (Ireland)
  • Coleman's March (Old-time)
  • Columbito Tecumano (Bolivia)
  • Come by the Hills (Ireland/Scotland)
  • Constantine Maguire (O'Carolan)
  • Danny Boy (Ireland, Londonderry Air; lyrics Frederic Weatherly)
  • Da Slockit Light (Tom Anderson, The Shetland Islands)
  • Down Home Waltz (Buck White, U.S.)
  • Dull Chisel  (Garry Harrison, U.S)
  • Durang's Hornpipe (Old-time)
  • The Eagle's Whistle​ (Ireland)
  • East Tennessee Blues (Charlie Bowman, U.S.)
  • Eleanor Plunket (O'Carolan)
  • Evening of Roses (Israel)
  • Fanny Power (O'Carolan)
  • Farewell Trion (Old-time)
  • Forvantan (Sweden)
  • ​Galway Hornpipe (Ireland)
  • Gentle Maiden (Ireland)
  • Georgianna Moon (Clayton McMichen, 1934, U.S.)
  • Grandpa’s Waltz (from Paul van Arsdale)
  • Greensleeves (What Child is This?, England)
  • Half Past Four (from Ed Haley)
  • Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
  • Hard Times (Stephen Foster)
  • Hommage à Edmund Parizeau (Marcel Messervier)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (Holst)
  • Johnny Cope (Scotland?/Old Time)
  • Josefin's Dopvals (Roger Tallroth, Sweden)
  • Kelvingrove (The Summons)​ (Scotland) ​
  • Kentucky Waltz (Bill Monroe, 1946)
  • La Partida (Victor Jara, Chile)
  • Lay Down Your Arms (Doron Levinson, 1973, Israel)
  • Lonesome John (Old-time)
  • ​MacPherson's Lament (James MacPherson, Scotland)
  • Mademosielle de Paris (France)
  • Maguire and Paterson (Robbie Overson, Ireland)
  • March de Mont St Louis (Alfred Montmarquette, Quebec)
  • Mi Despedida (Félix Pérez Cardozo, Paraguay)
  • Minuetto (Quantz)
  • Miss Murphy (Turlough O'Carolan, Ireland)
  • Missouri (Mike Dappert, U.S.)
  • Mouth of the Tobique (Quebec)
  • My Cape Breton Home (Jerry Holland, Cape Breton Island)
  • North Carolina Breakdown (Fiddlin' Arthur Smith, U.S.)
  • O'Carolan's Quarrel with the Landlady (O'Carolan)
  • Out from The Shadows (Ken Kolodner & Mary Lynn Michal, 2020)
  • Out the Buckhorn Way (Leonard Sexsmith, Canada)​
  • Peacock Rag (Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith)
  • Peelers Creek (Old Time)
  • Polska (Sweden)
  • Possum's Tail is Bare (Old Time)
  • Quebec Waltz (Quebec)
  • Red Apple Rag (Old Time/Bluegrass)
  • Return from Helsinki (Ian Stephenson, Sweden)
  • A Roof for the Rain (Ken Kolodner)
  • Round the Horn (Jay Ungar, U.S.)
  • Rumbling Quadrille (Traditional, Denmark)
  • Saastopankki (Finland)
  • Sadie at the Back Door (Greg Canote, U.S.)
  • Sandbridge Lullaby (Ken Kolodner)
  • Shaking Down the Acorns (U.S.)​
  • Shenandoah Falls, (A) (Traditional, U.S.)
  • Silver Bells (from Bill Spence)
  • Snow Drop (Old Time)
  • Southwind (Ireland)
  • Stone's Rag (Old Time)
  • Summer's End (Ken Kolodner)
  • Swingin' with the Eighties (Graham Townsend, Canada) 
  • Tam Lin (also known as The Glasgow Reel) (Davey Arthur, Ireland)​
  • Tanz (Germany)
  • Tombigbee's Waltz (Old Time)
  • Turkey in the Pea Patch (D) (Old-time)
  • Valse Frontenac (Quebec)
  • Waiting for the Boatsman (Old Time)
  • Walking in My Sleep (Old Time)
  • Wednesday Night Waltz (Old Time)
  • Water is Wide, The (Scotland)
  • ​Wayfaring Stranger (Am) (American gospel).
  • Winter is Past, The (Denmark)
  • ​YZ Hamilton's Breakdown (Old Time)

Foundational Skills

These five modules are intended to provide a foundation for the more than 100 pieces in the full series of video lessons. In these modules, I cover a wide variety of playing techniques, the complete organization of the instrument, basic and more advanced chord theory, many root and inversion arpeggio patterns, the derivation of three note chords and the relationship to harmonizing a scale, various exercises, backup skills, and more.

Each module - $40
***Buy all 5 modules together
Click here to save $50 


  • Hammered Dulcimer Fundamentals and Exercises 
    (6 videos-26 minutes): hammering, scales, three note chords and arpeggio exercises. For ALL levels

  • The Pachelbel Exercise
    (3 videos-42 minutes):
     
    great for learning arpeggios, inversions and thinking chords!

  • Ken's Fireside Theory Chat
    (8 videos-68 minutes)
    : triads, major & minor 7 chords, secondary dominants, the Circle of Fifths, and modes

  • Backup for 4/4 Tunes
    (7 videos-31 minutes)​: 
    simple vamps, bass line construction, grooves and more
​
  • Hammered Dulcimer Techniques
    (23 videos-75 minutes)​: a massive checklist of techniques

    Vote for future tunes:

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Video recording, marketing, tune survey compilation and general technical assistance by Laurie McCarriar
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