Peggy's Workshop Topics

After many years teaching school music Peggy is now teaching and performing
music on the hammer dulcimer and Appalachian Mountain dulcimer across the USA
and abroad. She has won both the Texas Hammer Dulcimer Championship and the
Southern Regional Hammer Dulcimer Championship and several of her students
participate in dulcimer competitions. One of them, Josh Messick recently won the
National Hammer Dulcimer championship at the age of 18.

Workshops

Hammer Dulcimer Workshops by
Peggy Carter

Beginner Hammer, Level One

Square One: The BASICS of playing the hammer dulcimer...hammering techniques
plus simple songs played in the same square. Guaranteed success with no
musical background.

Shape Up: Three triangles help you play chords on the treble bridge. Use
these chords to practice hammering techniques, build musicianship, and harmonize a
melody.

Gee! I'm in D! Don't get stuck in the same key. Learn how to play the same
tunes in G and D. "Liza Jane", "Cripple Creek", and/or "Little Brown Jug."

Quick Tricks For that Dulcimery Sound: Using the Left Hand to Drone on "Liza
Jane"and "Skip to My Lou".

Two Hymns: "Amazing Grace", & "Ode To Joy": Two easy hymns to play and
harmonize. Use "Instant Harmony" to embellish these beautiful hymns.

Beginner HD Level Two

Let the Left Hand Lead: The right had is freed up to find embellishment
notes. "Julie Ann Johnson", and "Angelina Baker".

Beyond Melody Part 1: Learn drone and instant harmony to play with many
folk tunes. "Down In The Valley", "You Are My Sunshine".

Beyond Melody Part 2: Use intervals and chord shapes to embellish the melody.
"Brother John", and "Boil That Cabbage".

Think Like a fiddler: Add passing tones and upper and lower "neighbbors" to
"Old Joe Clark" and "Cotton Eyed Joe".

Great Beginnings and Endings: Adding introductions and tags to polish your
performances. "Shenandoah"and "Greensleeves".

Lazy Left Hand Syndrome: Sharpen left hand skill ...on both sides of the
treble bridge, plus the secret of playing jigs & reels. "Whiskey Before
Breakfast"and "Thompson's Jig".

"Clawhammer" Dulcimer: Borrow licks from banjo players for "Old Dan
Tucker", and "Cluck, Ol' Hen", and/or "Wildwood Flower".

"Cut and Paste" to Fill In the Dead Spots:
Create and compose phrases to fill in the dead space. Delete the dead notes
and insert a hammering rhythm or quick phrase.

A Russian Waltz for Beginners: Learn to sound like a balalaika on "WillowTree".

Intermediate Level One

Playing Back-up "Ragamuffin" Style: Learn four basic chord shapes and two
basic rhythms to accompany praise songs, gospel music or fiddle tunes,

Two Jigs For Int. HD: Hammering patterns that teach the "feel" of the jig
rhythm in a challenging warm-up exercise. "Regan's Jig"and "Banks of
Newfoundland".

Bonnie Prince Charlie: A beautiful Scottish lament in e minor with open
harmonies and simple ornaments.

Czech It Out: Two exciting Czech folks tunes learned while visiting the Czech
Republic., "By The Singing Water" and "Trnky Brnky".

Gay 90s Parlor Music: A variety of embellishments for "Little Brown Jug",
"Maggie" and/or "Golden Slippers".

Two North CarolinaTunes: An old fiddle tune, "Pear Tree" and a recently
composed tune by Jerry Reed Smith, "One Wintery Night".

Red, White and Bluegrass: Three popular dance tunes, "Red Wing,", "White
Cockade" and "Blackberry Blossom".

Intermediate Level 2

Two Celtic Hymns: Use "diamond" shape chords and "triangle" chords to
embellish these two lovely hymns; "Lladaw" a Welsh hymn, and "St Denis" from
Ireland.

Ode to Joy: Take it to the limit with "triangle" chords in triplet and 16th
note rhythms to embellish this stately hymn.

Amazing Grace: With an Amazing Countermelody to play along with other
instruments.

Carter Creek Fiddlin': A medley of two fiddle tunes inspired by hometown and
family memories of Western North Carolina.

Hammering in Russia: A medley of three Russian folksongs; "Troika",
"Korobuska" and "Drinking Song".

President Garfield's Hornpipe: An American fiddle tune from the 19th century
learned from a left-handed English dulcimer player in Ireland.

Isle Of Innisfree: A Lovely Scottish aire learned from a music box.

A Stephen Foster Lullaby: "Slumber My Darling".

Advanced Level Hammer Dulcimer

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 1: Three 4X32 jigs for Posties' Jig;
"Cardiff Caledonians", "Hundred Pipers" and "Mrs. Stewarts Jig".

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 2: Three 4X32 reels; "My Love, She's
But a Lassie", "The White Cockade", & "Judy's Reel".

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 3:
Three 8X48 Jigs to dance "Waverly Jig"; "The Lawland Lads Think They Are
Fine", "The New Rigged Ship" and "The Harmonica".

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 4:
Three 8X32 Strathspeys to dance "John McAlpine"; "John McAlpine", "Rose
Among the Heather" and "Lord Byron's Strathspey".

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 5:
Three 3X32 Strathspeys by Robert Burns; "The Wren's Nest", "For A' That
an' A' That" and "The Lea Rig".

Playing for Scottish Country Dancing 6:
Three 8X32 to dance "Lady Home's Jig"; "Carolan's Fancy", "Greensleeves &
Yellow Lace" and "Cock O' The North".

Two Scottish Waltzes: "Dark Island" and "Gentle Maiden".

Playing Irish Jigs and Reels: "Kesh Jig" and "Miss McCloud's Reel".

Three Irish Jigs: Here's a set from The Roadside Inn in Lisdoonvarna;
"Congress Reel", "Sailor's Bonnet" and "Glass of Beer".

A Slip-Jig from Boghill in County Clare, Ireland: Learned from Irish
fiddler, Sonja O'Brien during Y2K Ireland tour -"Fig For a Kiss".

A Welsh Jig and a Welsh Reel: "The Druid" and "Fflaniglen"

Playing Swiss Hackbret Tunes 1: Two Walzers: "Toggenburger Walzer" and
"Steig Walzer"

Playing Swiss Hackbret Tunes 2: Two Polkas; "Polka # 6" and "Hackbrett
Polka"

Playing Swiss Hackbret Tunes 3: Two Swiss folk songs; "Taari Nod e Bizili."
and "De Emil spilt Hackbrett"

"After The Ball": w. arpeggio accompaniment.

Int. /Adv.Level Dulcimer Ensemble

Two Lovely French Dances: With lead and countermelody with back-up parts for
two hammer dulcimers or a full dulcimer ensemble.

Pachabel's Canon for Three Dulcimers: Parts are respectively, Beg. II,
Novice, and Int. level. Each dulcimer can repeat the same section or play all
sections as a true canon.

O'Carolan Duets: "Fanny Power" and "Shebheg Shemohr"

He Is Born: A Christmas Carol for three dulcimers...mix up hammer and mt.
dulcimers.

Calypso Tunes for Dulcimers: "Yellow Bird" and "Water Come 'a Me Eye".
Parts for Mt. dulcimer and hammer dulcimer.

Blow The Wind Southerly: Irish Aire in hree parts for MD & HD.

Star Of Hope: An original Christmas tune arranged for Int. 1 level HD and MD.

Star of Hope: An orignal Christmas tune arranged for three hammer dulcimers
adv. level.

Mt. Dulcimer Workshops by
Peggy Carter

Beginner Mt. Dulcimer

String Side UP: Absolute basics; tuning, strumming, fretting, and reading
tablature. This workshop uses DAA tuning and introduces frets 0 - 7. LARGE-PRINT
Music makes it user-friendly. Learn to play three familiar tunes ; "Amazing
Grace", "Brother John" and "Down In The Valley".

Four Styles of Strumming: Strum the rhythm of the words, strum a steady beat,
back-and-forth strumming, and "bum-Biddy" strum. Use these strategies to
play "Boil That Cabbage", "Black Them Boots" and "Cripple Creek" in DAA.
Easy to read LARGE PRINT music.

Oh, Brother, Here We Are: Three really old Gospel tunes in DAA from Oh
Brother, Where Art Thou with LARGE PRINT music ; "Down To The River To Pray", "In
The Highways And The Hedges" and "Angel Band".

Two Texas Folk Dances: Use a basic strum and an advanced strum to play
"Cotton Eyed Joe" and "Cindy" in DAA. LARGE PRINT avaible.

Instant Harmony: Use a "frozen hand" position to play a harmony part. Its
easy in DAA with "You Are My Sunshine" and "Infant Holy".

Beginner, Too Mt. Dulcimer in DAA

Why Not Play in DAA?: This tuning keeps it easy for the left hand and helps
focus on right hand techniques. Use frets 0 - 8 for "Columbus Stockade" and an
old hymn, "Foundation".

Uneven Rhythms: "Michael, Row The Boat Ashore" and "O Suzanna". (DAA or
DAD) Learn to mix and match strumming patterns.

Easy Spirituals to Sing and Play in DAA: "He's Got The Whole World In His
Hands" and "Lonesome Valley"

Songs to Sing and Play in DAA: "Gypsy Rover", "The Rattlin' Bog" and
"Hush-A-Bye".

Finger Picking in DAA: "Barbry Ellen" and "Pretty Saro". Focus on right
hand strategies.

More Finger Picking in DAA: "Amazing Grace" and "The Water Is Wide". Left
hand learns to "hold the line" while the thumb picks the melody and right hand
fingers pick a gentle pattern.

Three Fast Fun Tunes in DAA: "Old Dan Tucker", "Holy Manna" and "We Wish
You a Merry Christmas".

Beg. Too MD in DAD

What IS "Mixolydian", anyway?: Learn the mixolydian scale in DAD, and learn
how to play the Ionian scale in the same tuning ; "Old Joe Clark" and
"Goin To Boston".

Two Old Time Tunes In DAD: "Wildwood Flower" and "June Apple".

E-Z Chords in DAD: Learn left hand strategies as you play "Boil That
Cabbage" and "Liza Jane" with simple chords to embellish the melody.

E Z Finger Picking in DAD: Learn right hand strategies as you play "Every
Night When The Sun Goes In" and "Shenandoah".

Two Christmas Carols in DAD: "Joy To The World" and "Marching Song of The
Shepherds".

Hammer-Ons, Pull-Offs & String-Bends: Using passing tones and upper and lower
"neighbors" to embellish "Cotton Eyed Joe". Get a special effect by
bending strings on "Cluck Ol'Hen".

Julie Ann Johnson: An old fiddle tune to play in two octaves.

Intermediate Level One Mt. Dulcimer in DAA

Hymns to Sing and Play in DAA: "Pisgah" and "Ode To Joy".

Spirituals to Sing and Play in DAA: "Swing Low, Sweet Chariott" and "Walk
In Jerusalem".

Int. MD Level One in DAD

Let your Right Hand Know What Your Left Hand Is Doing: Learn strategies for
left hand finger placement, hammer ons & pull offs, string bending, playing
harmonics. Examples from lots of tunes.

Let your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Is Doing: Learn right hand
strategies to use with many tunes, strumming styles, finger picking, cross
picking, flat picking.

Two Fast Fiddle Tunes to Learn and Love: Use DAD tuning for "Sally Ann" and
"Angelina Baker".

Balalaika Strum: A Russian Waltz, "Willow Tree"; Learn new left and right
hand strategies.

Singing With Your Dulcimer: Accompany singing with chords in DAD. "I Will Bow
And Be Simple", "Babylon Is Fallen" and "The Fox".

Lovely Minor Tunes for MD: "Star of The County Down"in DAC with capo, and
"Wayfaring Stranger" in DAD with capo.

Playing Jigs and Reels: Learn a jig-strum for "Regan's Jig" and a straight
strum for "Spotted Pony" in DAD with interesting chords.

Using Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs: Tune in DAD and learn "Single Footin' Horse"
with emphasis on left-hand techniques.

Two Different Types Of Jigs: Tune in DAD for "In Dulci Jubilo" using a
galloping strum; and "Welsh Jig" using hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Three-Finger Chords in DAD 1: Memorize three shapes to use with many
different chords ; "Jesus Loves Me" and "My Wild Irish Rose".

Irish Christmas Tunes: Use Three-Finger Chords in DAD for "Wexford Carol"
and "Christmas Eve Jig".

Using a Capo: "The Jack Fish" and "Shady Grove", two Appalachian
story-songs.

Using a Calypso Strum: An original tune, "Carter Creek Stomp" works on right
hand technique in a song inspired by old family stories.

Intermediate Level 2 - Mt. Dulcimer

Aolean Tuning with a Capo: "Star of The County Down". Left hand technique;
three finger chords. Right hand technique; cross picking.

Wayfaring Stranger: Use a Capo in DAD for E minor. Left hand technique;
three finger chords and pull offs. Right hand technique; strumming and cross
picking.

Blow The Wind Southerly: A Lovely Irish Air to cross pick, or finger pick.

My Wild Irish Rose: Three note chords make this sentimental tune as beautiful
as the title.

Reverse Ionian Tuning: Learn "Maggie" using two and three finger chords.

Performances and Teaching Residencies by
Peggy Carter

Ozark Folk Center, AR
SAMFest , Houston,TX Winterfest, Dallas, TX
Mardi Gras Dulcimer
Festival, Covington, LA
Lagniappe Dulcimer Festival, Baton Rouge, LA
Music Hall. Medicine Pk. OK
Shindig-On-The-Green Asheville, NC.
Bonner County Fair, ID
Gardenia Performance Center, Sandpoint, ID
Carter Country Farm and Feed, Sandpoint, ID
Community Christial School, Sandpoint, ID
Ice Cream Festival, Brenham, TX
Frank Phillips College, Borger, TX
Five performances in County Clare, Ireland
Country Peddler Craft Shows in Richmond, San Marcos,
Brenham, Conroe, Corpus Christi,, TX
and New Orleans LA
First Presbyterian Church, Chula Vista, CA
Mission Hills Galleria, San Diego, CA
Texas Music Educators Convention, TX
Sillsbee Dulcimer Festival, Sillsbee, TX
Lone Star Dulcimer Festival, Glen Rose, TX
Texas Folklife Festival, San Antonio, TX
Texas State Arts and Crafts Show, Kerrville, TX
Fiesta Dulcimer Festival, San Antonio, TX
Texas Dulcimer Retreat, Huntsville, TX
East Texas Folklife Festival, Huntsville, TX
Woodville Heritage Center, TX
Kingwood Arts Festival, Kingwood, TX
Dickens-On-The-Strand, Victorian Christmas Festival, Galveston, TX


A Year in the Life of
Peggy Carter
Solo, and With Texas Bound
2003

January
North Idaho Choral & Instrumental Society Winter Concert, Sandpoint ID
Sandpoint Community Christian School, Sandpoint ID
First Christian Church, Sandpoint ID
Sandpoint Church of the Nazarine, Sandpoint ID
*Country Peddler Craft Show, Rosenberg TX
Spring Shadows Retirement Village, Houston TX
The Forum Retirement Home, Woodlands TX

February
Dulcimer Cruise to Cozumel
Atria Retirement Community, Spring TX
The Hampton-Willowbrook Retirement Center, Cypress TX
*Hickory Hollow Bar-B-Q Restaurant, Houston TX
*Sam Houston Friends of Music-Winter Concert, Huntsville TX

March
*Mt. Man Rendesvous-Traders Village, Cypress TX
*Pine Haven Retirement Home, Woodlands TX
River Pointe Community Church, Sugarland TX
University Place Retirement Community, Houston TX
*Hickory Hollow Bar-B-Q Restaurant, Houston TX
Lagniappe Dulcimer Festival, Baton Rouge, LA

April
Atria Retirement Community, Spring TX
Hampton-Willowbrook Retirement Center, Cypress TX
Spring Shadows Retirement Village, Houston TX
*Hampton-Kempwood Retirement Center, Houston TX
*Country Peddler Craft Show, San Marcos TX
First Presbyterian Church of Sugarland, TX
Apple Tree School, Sugarland, TX
Ozark Folk Center, Mt. View, AK

May
Forum Retirement Community, Woodlands TX
*Ice Cream Festival, Brenham TX
Salem Lutheran Church, Tomball TX
Tiffany Walk Retirement Fiesta Dinner, Tomball TX
*Country Peddler Craft Show, Rosenberg TX
*Texas State Arts & Crafts Festival, Kerrville TX
*Royal Scottish Dance Society Ball, Ft. Worth, TX

June
Tallowood Baptist Church, Houston TX
*Texas Folklife Festival, San Antonio TX
*Westbrae Community Spring Bar-B-Q, Houston TX
*Hampton-Kempwood, Houston TX
Edenbrook Retirement Center, Spring TX
Carriage Inn Retirement Social, Katy TX

July
*Park Plaza Specialty Hospital, Houston TX
Hampton-Kempwood, Houston TX
University Place Retirement Community, Houston TX
*First Unitarian Church, Houston TX
*Houston Heights Scottish Dance Social, Houston TX
*First United Methodist Church-Westpark, Houston TX
*Houston Community College Ceilidh, Houston TX
Post Oak Hampton Retirement Condo, Houston TX
*Summer Acoustic Music Festival, Houston TX
Andrell Childrens Academy Open House, Houston TX

August
Ozark Folk Center (all week), Mt. View AR
Hampton-Willowbrook Retirement Village, Houston TX
Sandpoint Church of the Nazarine, Sandpoint ID
Carter Country Farm & Feed Open House, Sandpoint ID

September
Bonner County Fair, Sandpoint ID
Sandpoint Community Christian School, Sandpoint ID
First Christian Church, Sandpoint ID
*Houston Arboretum Voters Forum, Houston TX
Carriage Inn Retirement Open House, Katy TX
*First Baptist Church Craft Fair, Humble TX
*St. Cyprian's Church Ceilidh, Lufkin TX
*St. Andrews Church Celtic Fair, Houston TX
*Garden-In-The-Heights Celtic Celebration, Houston TX

October
*Country Peddler Craft Show, San Marcos TX
Bayou Bend Childrens Day, Houston TX
Westside Elementary School, Angleton TX
*Houston Heights Scottish Dance Class, Houston TX
*Country Peddler Craft Show, Rosenberg TX

November
University Place Retirees Dinner, Houston TX
*Houston Heights Scottish Dance Social, Houston TX
Pick 'n Hammer Christmas Music Workshop, Pt. 1
*Home-For-The-Holidays Festival, Spring TX

December
*Dickens-On-The-Strand Festival, Galveston TX
*Museum Of Fine Arts Childrens’ Party
Pick 'n Hammer Christmas Music Workshop, Pt. 2
*Carriage Inn Holiday Dinner, Katy TX
Devine Counseling Christmas Luncheon
*Michael Lau Musical Productions Christmas Social
Hampton-Willowbrook Retirement Holiday Social, Spring TX
Westchase Gables Christmas Brunch
GEL Partnership Christmas luncheon
Park Plaza Specialty Hospital
Dec. Sundays @ Memorial City Mall

* Peggy With Band
To get acquainted with Peggy, click on "Peggy Carter"

To contact Peggy
Ph. 281-370-9495
Email: haams@houston.rr.com