This is a listing of the blog posts from the oldest to the newest
Welcome to our Lagniappe Dulcimer Society - Welcome to our Lagniappe Dulcimer Society blog on WordPress. Come back often to visit my musings about the mountain dulcimer and our clubs activities! Check
Not going to Mardi Gras? Join our “old tyme” fiddle jam - If you want to beat the Mardi Gras crowds this year, then think about joining our “old tyme” fiddle jam instead of heading to a
Dulcimer Dad and His Amazing Musical Instruments: You Rock, Quintin - With creativity and talent; the sky is the limit on playing a musical instrument. Quintin Stephens shows this with the traditional Appalachian dulcimer; taking it to another
“Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” A Sentimental Valentine’s Day Song - “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” is a sentimental song for Valentine’s Day. However, it can present a challenge for mountain dulcimer players. Most dulcimers are tuned to
Irish Lover’s Basket for the Dulcimer Player - Our Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete is just around the corner in a couple of weeks, March 12-14, 2015, at the Port Allen, LA, Community Center. Come
McSpadden Dulcimer for Raffle - Do you have too many mountain dulcimers? There’s always room for one more! 
Joyce Bedell – Louisiana Folk Artist and Dulcimer Player - Our Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete is in full swing with many talented performers and players in attendance. Some are multi-talented. Meet Joyce Bedell, Louisiana folk artist
West Baton Rouge Museum: Great Place for Dulcimer Workshops - What is Dan Delancey doing teaching a guitar class in a room full of aprons at a dulcimer festival? The West Baton Rouge Museum is perhaps
“Dulcimers for David”; That’s David Schnaufer - The smile on Henny’s face is because she just has received her first dulcimer, thanks to a very generous Debbie Porter, at the Lagniappe Dulcimer
The Courting Dulcimer and Romance - Millard and Larie Chaney celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary on May 29, 2015. I like to think that this courting dulcimer has had something to
Off They Go — to Cullowhee - Helen Bankston and Peggy Broussard will be traveling soon to the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina for the 16th Annual Dulcimer U Summer Week. Lucky
A Tribute to Jean Ritchie, Mountain Dulcimer Legend - Several weeks ago I was searching through my bookshelf and ran across some of Jean Ritchie’s music books. Upon opening one of the books, I
Tuesday Nights at the Library and Tips for Playing the Dulcimer - Bonnie Guelfo, Children’s Librarian at Bluebonnet Library in Baton Rouge, observed that there are really no places in town to teach children how to play
The Littlest Dulcimer - Marie Williams, Lagniappe Dulcimer Society member, has several mountain dulcimers including standard, small, little and tiny. She’s holding the smallest, playable dulcimer I’ve ever seen. 
Meet Jane Wilson, Our 90-Year-Old Dulcimer Player - When Jane turned 90-years-old this past year, I couldn’t believe it. She’s active, sharp, witty; still sings and plays her dulcimer. She is a member
The Story of Two Walnut Dulcimers - Seeing double? These two walnut dulcimers are made from the same wood at the same time. One is a standard dulcimer and the other is a baritone;
Playing Duets on a Baritone Dulcimer - My new baritone dulcimer from McSpadden Dulcimers has provided a chance to try out playing several songs. Songs with a deep pitch such as Grandfather’s
15th Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête – River Rat Strummers - Join the Lagniappe Dulcimer Society in March 2016 for our 15th Annual Dulcimer Festival. We have many activities planned around the theme of “River Rat Strummers.”
Silent Night’s Story; Sing and Play Dulcimer in the Key of G - The music to “Silent Night”, was composed at the last minute for a Christmas Eve Mass in 1818. However, the organ was broken. At the
Greensleeves on the Dulcimer: Carols for All Seasons - I look forward to the holiday season each December, especially the music. Christmas carols have been a part of my holiday tradition for as long as
Joe Besse is Jamin’ at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park - Longtime Lagniappe club dulcimer member, Joe Besse, is our “Cajun Dulcimer Ambassador.” He lives in Scott, Louisiana, in the heart of Cajun country of southwest Louisiana
Paul Andry’s Mardi Gras Music for the Dulcimer - Mardi Gras comes early this year–February 9, 2016. This is carnival time in south Louisiana — parades, pageantry, costumes, balls, parties, king cakes. We play
Classic Vinyl Dulcimer Records – What a Treasure! - Several days ago, a gentleman walked into one of our local libraries and handed the librarian–a dulcimer player–a stack of 22 classic dulcimer records from
15th Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête Highlights - Our 15th Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête is history. The weather was rainy, damp and humid. It didn’t dampen the spirits of the dulcimer players —
Meet the Performers: Joe Collins - Our annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête in March brings dulcimer players from all over the country to teach workshops and perform in concert. It’s a good
15th Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete: Mardi Gras Extravaganza - Our Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete in March of 2016 featured a Mardi Gras extravaganza complete with a pageant and a Mardi Gras Krewe with king and queen. The
15 Fête Years in T-shirts - What a milestone this year for the Lagniappe Dulcimer Society: This is our 15th year of hosting a highly successful dulcimer festival. It is alot
Library Book Comes Alive to the Music of the Dulcimer - Last summer our librarian dulcimer member, Bonnie, lead a very successful community out-reach program, “Teaching Children to Play the Dulcimer.” This summer she had the
Galax-Style Dulcimer: Playing the Appalachian Dulcimer in DDD Tuning - I recently visited my mother, who lives in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and was fortunate to sit in on a Galax-style dulcimer and old-time
More Galax-Style Dulcimers; Primer on Changing Strings - After attending the Galax-style old-time string band jam in Virginia in May, I became intrigued with this type of dulcimer and decided to learn more about
Yankee Doodle Dulcimer: Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2017 - Welcome to our music festival. “Yankee Doodle Dulcimer” is the theme of our 2017 Lagniappe Fete. Yankee Doodle comes to the bayous and swamps of
Haunted Tunes for Halloween on the Dulcimer - A good tune for Halloween is one that sounds haunted, eerie, spooky. On the dulcimer, these tunes are played in a minor mode or key
Mike Anderson: The Dulcimer Guy - Mike Anderson, the Dulcimer Guy from Illinois, is coming to Baton Rouge to the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd. on December 8 to give two
Auld Lang Syne on Dulcimer - Ring in the New Year of 2017 by playing “Auld Lang Syne” on your dulcimer. Surprise your family and guests as you play and sing
Revolutionary War Era Songs for our Fête - Our 16th annual dulcimer festival is coming quickly. It’s March 9- 12, 2017, in Port Allen, Louisiana. We have a great line-up of musicians and
Here we go…to our Fete - Our Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete is in less that 2 weeks. Lots of great music with hammered and mountain dulcimers. Lets meet our featured performers and
Best Ever Dulcimer Fête - Perhaps I’m a bit biased since I was this year’s co-chairman, but I thought that this was one of our best mountain dulcimer festivals ever. Lots
Beautiful Dreamer - While sorting through stacks and stacks of dulcimer tablature that I have accumulated over the years, I ran across a partially finished version of Stephen
Shape Note Hymnal - We took a trip to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia a couple of weeks ago. A side trip just a few miles off Interstate 81
“Bon Anniversaire, Lagnaippe” - Next year, 2018, marks our 20th year as a dulcimer organization. We celebrate the successes of our group at the next fête, March 8-11, 2018.
Bonnie Doon for Dulcimer and Penny Whistle in Key of G - After playing the mountain dulcimer for an number of years; it is challenging to branch out to learn new instruments. So I’ve taken up the
Doodling on the Dulcimer: Jamaican Folk Tune, “Day O” - I like to doodle around on the dulcimer and see what songs I can play. It is especially pleasing when I discover a song that
Dulcimer Fête 2018 - Plans are in progress for our next dulcimer fête in March 2018. It’s going to be a great birthday party celebration. Our organization will be
Leatherwing Bat – Tune to DAC - I love October and autumn. The weather is cool and crisp; the leaves change colors and the produce markets are full of pumpkins, gourds and
Appalachian Christmas Folk Tune – Playing with Barre Chords - “I Wonder as I Wander” is a hauntingly beautiful Christmas folk tune from the Appalachian Mountains. It was collected and published by John Jacob Niles.
Holiday Gift Picks for the Dulcimer Player - With Christmas in the air, it’s time to think about gift ideas for the dulcimer player. Here are a few of my favorite gadgets and
Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2018 is approaching - We’re getting excited about our rapidly approaching dulcimer festival in March 8 – 10, 2018, with morning gospel sing on March 11. This is our
Fête 2019 “Dulcimers on the Delta” - The theme of our 2019 Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête in March 2019 is “Dulcimers on the Delta.” It seems a long time away, but Lagniappe club
Over the Waterfall - Here’s a lively old-time Virginia fiddle tune, “Over the Waterfall,” that I’ve arranged for the mountain dulcimer. Although this tune is often played on hammered dulcimer;
Dink’s Song – Alto Version for Dulcimer - Dink’s Song is new to me — it was suggested by a club member who found a beautiful version in a dulcimer fingerpicking tablature book,
Lullabies on the Dulcimer - When my children were very young, I often played my dulcimer at bedtime to rock them to sleep. It was a creative and relaxing outlet
September on The Mississippi with Larry and Elaine Conger - September is past, still the mighty Mississippi River flows on. One of the best original songs written for the dulcimer, in my opinion, is about
Joseph Dearest, Joseph – German Christmas Carol - As I was clearing out a bookshelf, I ran across a long-forgotten brochure called “The Dulcimer.” It wasn’t about the dulcimer at all, but was
Gloucestershire Wassail for Dulcimer - Singing Christmas carols as we walked down the streets of our small rural town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia on very cold and snowy
Lead Belly: Music of the Louisiana Delta - Our dulcimer musical festival theme this year is “Dulcimers on the Delta.” Nothing exemplifies the music of the Louisiana Delta more than the songs of
DIY Project: Dulcimer Bag Luggage Tags & Summer Camp Songs - Years ago, a friend from college mailed me a little note. It said, “This song has been nagging at me and I’m going bananas. It’s
An Irish Tune and Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day - This year, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I have an Irish tune to share and also an Irish recipe with an interesting story. The
The May Day Carol - Spring in Louisiana is my most favorite time of the year. Flowers and greenery just seem to burst into bloom and the landscape is a
Jambalaya Jammin’ is our 2020 Fête Theme - Our club members voted; it’s official. The theme of our 2020 fête will be ‘Jambalaya Jammin'”. It is the perfect theme for us to “Pass
A Jig and a Sea Chantey - Several months ago a replica of the tall ship, Nao Santa Maria, docked in Baton Rouge. It was celebrating the 525th year anniversary of Christopher
You’re A Grand Old Flag - A huge flag soars in the blue sky sky overhead, as I drive west along a major street in Baton Rouge. It is the largest
Itsy, Bitsy Spider for Dulcimer in Key of G - I have two grandchildren coming from Germany for a visit in a couple of months and thought it might be nice to learn a few
Cowboy Songs on the Dulcimer - I recently visited Austin, Texas, for a family reunion and that made me think of some of my favorite cowboy songs. Austin is center stage
“Jambalaya Jammin'” Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête - The dates of our 19th Annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête are March 12 – 14, 2020, and the morning of March 15 (Sunday.) Join us for
Flop Eared Mule & Other Fiddle Tunes - Old-time fiddle tunes are great ones to play on the mountain dulcimer. In fact, the first song that most of us learned to play on
DIY Project for Dulcimer Lovers & A Christmas Carol - Here’s a simple “Do It Yourself” project for the dulcimer lover in your family. This easy-to-make tri-fold music holder is something that most dulcimer players
Just a Closer Walk with Thee on the Dulcimer & Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete - Is it possible to make an arrangement of the gospel song, “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” for the mountain dulcimer? The tune is one
Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2020 is History - Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2020 is history! Our March festival, Jambalaya Jammin’, was a very successful event and we slid in just before the outbreak of
Exploring Dulcimer Tunings and Strings with “This Is My Father’s World” - With our “stay at home directive” and extra time on my hands, I decided to pull out and explore a book which I purchased at
Carolan’s Draught – Irish Tune for the Mountain Dulcimer - When I began to play the mountain dulcimer, I soon discovered that Irish tunes sounded great on the mountain dulcimer. Irish tunes were sprinkled throughout
“La Paloma” — a Beautiful Spanish Tango for the Mountain Dulcimer - I first “discovered” the Spanish love song, “La Paloma ” (meaning the dove), several years ago while searching for a sassy Latin tango to play
“White Coral Bells” Arranged for Mountain Dulcimer for a “Lift my Spirit” Song - While on a recent shopping trip, I saw a young man wearing a T-shirt which said, “Without Music, Life would Bb.” How true, yes, life
Bile Them Cabbage Down with a Louisiana Twist - “Bile Them Cabbage Down” is an old, Southern fiddle and banjo tune which is perhaps the first song learned by most dulcimer players. In fact,
Carolan’s Concerto – Another Irish Tune for Mountain Dulcimer - Of all the Irish tunes which I have I have listened to, “Carolan’s Concerto” composed by the blind Irish harper, Turlough O’Caralon, is my favorite.
A ghoulish duet for Halloween on Mountain Dulcimer - You may not recognize the title of this tune, “Funeral March of a Marionette,” but I bet you will know the music when you hear
Simplified arrangement for Dulcimer of an Irish Fiddle Tune - Recently I received a request to tab out an arrangement of the Irish fiddle tune, “The King of the Fairies.” I was not familiar with
Kentucky Wassail for Mountain Dulcimer - Here is a Christmas revelry tune, “Kentucky Wassail,” which is fitting for the winter holiday season. It is similar to other traditional English wassailing songs,
“Pig Ankles” Ragtime Music for dulcimer - I find it very sad that our dulcimer society won’t be hosting our annual Lagniappe Dulcimer Festival –either in person or on-line — in March
Cumberland Gap — Dulcimer Beginnings & Ralph Lee Smith - The dulcimer community lost an iconic mountain dulcimer player and historian when Ralph Lee Smith passed away in December. Ralph said that to play the
An Irish Jig on dulcimer for St. Patrick’s Day - “Smash the Windows” is a lively jig to play on the mountain dulcimer. It is a traditional Irish dance tune with many variations and several
Cinderella Waltz For Ginger Dulcimer – Key of G - Lagniappe Dulcimer club members recently met for a “Theme Nite Jam.” Everyone brought a new waltz tune to share for us to learn and play.
The Manx Cat Song for Dulcimer - Every now and then I play a song on my mountain dulcimer that I just can’t get out of my head. And so I’ve been
Patriotic Song for Mountain Dulcimer - Recently I took an auto trip down the East coast from Boston to Louisiana. The landscape was lush and it really was a beautiful drive
Saturday Night Waltz - Here’s a slow and dreamy waltz for a Saturday Night dance. The song is quite repetitious and monotone, with some subtle harmony notes; it is
It Ain’t Gonna’ Rain No More - Several weeks ago, a weekend television forecaster who was giving the weather report commented that several tropical depressions in the Atlantic looked like “globs of
Sailor’s Hornpipe – Capo 3 - Every now and then it is rewarding to learn and play a “new” tune — just “for fun.” We need a lighter side to balance
Devil Ate the Groundhog - Here’s music for an old-time fiddle tune which I stumbled upon while cleaning up stacks of dulcimer tablature scattered around my house. The title of
“For Health and Strength” on the Dulcimer - Here’s a simple grace arranged for the dulcimer for the Thanksgiving and winter holidays. I can remember singing this song as a blessing before the
“O Chanukah, O Chanukah” - Chanukah, “Festival of Lights,” is a traditional Jewish holiday which falls sometime in late November or December. This year we are celebrating this holiday early.
“Redwing” Tune for the Dulcimer - What do you do with all the Christmas and Hanukah cards after the holiday season is over? I set mine aside with resolution to “deal
“Shenandoah Falls” - “Shenandoah Falls” is a peppy little reel which I first heard played on the hammered dulcimer. The melody makes you “perk up” and tap your
Tips for Beginning Dulcimer Players and a Tune - Most mountain dulcimer players can remember when they first saw and picked up a dulcimer. Although these instruments are easy to play and incredibly rewarding,
Let’s Play Every Other Note — with “Old Yeller Dog” - It is rewarding to play fiddle tunes on the mountain dulcimer but this is not necessarily an easy task. Lively and with a quick tempo,
Bicycle Built for Two - When I think about Mother’s Day, of course I remember my own mother who would have turned 100-years-old this year. She spend the last years
Warning: Tune May Be Hazardous for Dulcimer Players, “And the Band Played On” - Here’s another upbeat “sing along” tune which I really like — the chorus has a lovely melody. It is entitled, “And The Band Played On.”
Take Me Out to the Ball Game - Summer has arrived — with a blast of hot air! The high is around 98 F. for us here in the South, the heat index
An Irish Tune: The Red Haired Boy - Here’s a great Irish Tune, “The Red Haired Boy.” It is one of the first Irish tunes which I learned to play on the mountain
“Whiskey Before Breakfast”–An Easy Version and English “Speed the Plow” - My tune this month is an easy version of “Whiskey Before Breakfast.” A closely related tune to this fiddle tune is the English song, “Speed
The British Grenadiers - For our 2017 Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete which had the theme of “Yankee Doodle Dulcimer,” we researched and compiled of music book of tunes which were
Eclectic Gift Ideas for Dulcimer Players - It’s the holiday season and time for sharing gifts with family and friends. If you have a dulcimer player in your family, I have a
Dulcimer Jambalaya 