Mountain Dulcimers with a southwestern flair from New Mexico.Mountain Dulcimers with a southwestern flair from New Mexico.Mountain Dulcimers with a southwestern flair from New Mexico.

Mountain Dulcimer Lessons



A look at DAA Tuning
Contributed by Merv Rowley

These tables show the "movable" chords of any 1-5-5 Diatonic dulcimer tuning.

Each of these finger placement patterns can be played up and down the fretboard, keeping the same finger separations to form the succesive chords shown in the table.  (Some teachers refer to these as "moveable chords".)  You will also note that these patterns give a succession of chords which are major, minor, or otherwise, none of which forms a recognizable "scale".  This is the problem with chord encyclopedias (which group chords according to names but not according to the treble fret on which they are formed).

It is a simple matter, from these groupings, to select those that comprise major and minor chord scales, as shown.

To really understand chords, the dulcimer student must do two things: (1) forget about the use of drones and (2) learn basic chord theory.  It won't hurt, honest!!!
Pattern #1:
1
0
2		 2
1
3		 3
2
4		 4
3
5		 5
4
6		 6
5
7		 7
6
8		 8
7
9		 9
8
10
Bm
ABmA7DEmD7GABm

Pattern #2:
  2
0
3		 3
1
4		 4
2
5		 5
3
6		 6
4
7		 7
5
8		 7
6
8		 9
7
10
 DEmF#mGAmBmA7D

Pattern #3:
2
0
2		 3
1
3		 4
2
4		 5
3
5		 6
4
6		 7
5
7		 8
6
8		 9
7
9		 10
8
10
F#mGABmCDEmF#mG
If you want to play a Major Chord scale pattern:

Major Scale:
(The Ionian Mode starts on the third fret.)
2
0
0		 3
1
1		 1
0
2		 2
0
3		 4
2
4		 4
3
5		 5
3
6		 7
5
7		 7
6
8		 8
7
9		 9
7
10
DGADA DGDGAD
If you want to play a minor chord scale pattern:

minor scale:
(The Aeolian Mode starts on the first fret.)
2
1
1		 2
0
2		 2
1
3		 3
1
4		 5
3
5		 5
4
6		 6
4
7		 8
6
8		 9
7
9		 9
8
10
BmF#mBmEmBmEmAmEmF#mBm
Other miscellaneous chords for 1-5-5 tuning:

Major:
 3
1
3		 6
4
6		 5
4
6+		 6+
4
7		 10
8
10
minor:
 4
2
5		 7
5
8
 GCEAG F#mBm

Dominant Seventh:
 3
0
2		 3
2
4		 4
2
6		 7
4
6+		 6
5
7		 8
6
9
 A7A7A7E7D7A7

Another look at DAA Tuning
Contributed by Bud and Donna Ford

When you are in any of the positions on the bass and middle strings, you can freely play passing tones and chordal variants without danger of a dissonance (watch out for the 6+ fret).  When playing harmony, just move your position ahead of the melody by 2 positions for a simple parallel third.

An easy formula for converting tab from DAA to DAd:
Subtract three from the tab number on the treble string. When your result is -1, -2, or -3, you need to move to the middle string at 2, 1, and open, respectively.

Another Ionian Melody chord scale pattern:
0
0
0		 0
0
1		 1
0
2		 2
0
3		 3
2
4		 4
3
5		 5
4
6		 7
5
7		 7
6
8		 8
7
9		 9
7
10		 10
9
11		 11
10
12		 12
11
13		 14
12
14
SolLaTiDoReMiFa SolLaTiDoReMiFa Sol


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