Drones  

For Advanced Beginning & Beginning Intermediate students

A drone tone on a hammer dulcimer is a single note or pattern of notes played continuously throughout most of a melody.  Just like the drones of bagpipes, dulcimer drones help to establish the tonality of a melody.  Unlike bagpipe drones, dulcimer drones can help to create the rhythmic feel of a melody.  The drone technique is an essential part of the style of Old Time music.  This workshop will look at using drones through an entire melody and how drones can be employed during small portions of a melody to enhance the effect of a performance.   Special attention will be given to the use of harmonic drones as a technique for playing during jams when a tune is unfamiliar. Demonstration tunes will be drawn from the dance and classical repertoire

Click on the links below to download the pdf of the workshop notes.