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Tis the Season:
Hammered Dulcimer Collection
by Jeanne Page

Leading of the Star

An Irish Christmas Tune

Christmas and Irish music, what a combination! I discovered this beautiful Irish melody in a guitar Christmas book and quickly realized it would be wonderful on the hammered dulcimer. It is a lovely tune just by itself, or maybe with a few open 5^th harmonies, but it also has some great possibilities for chord and other embellishments. This is what we will focus on in this session.

Now, let's look at its placement on the dulcimer. Most of the notes are in the "D" box, but some extend into the higher octave, on the left side of the bridge. The numbers on the music indicate the scale degrees, with prime numbers representing the higher octave. Play through the basic melody several times and observe where it lies in relation to the marked courses. Note as well how many times the important key notes of D and A (the 1^st and 5^th of the scale) appear.

Now comes the fun part, creating an arrangement using ornamentation and fill techniques. Keep in mind that this arrangement is only a suggestion of possibilities and ideas. Hopefully, you will "noodle" around and experiment with the techniques, giving yourself license to apply them in musically satisfying ways that fit your particular style of playing.

"Leading of the Star" is harmonized with the D, G and A chord, but also makes use of the b and f# minor chords, adding a rich harmonic color to the melody. I will assume you are familiar with the basic chord triangles and shapes, which we all tend to roll from bottom to top when we first learn them. I want to explore, through this tune, ways to vary the use of the basic notes making up the chord triangles or arpeggios. Within the first eight measures are at least four different ways to embellish with chord notes. In the first full measure, the D chord is outlined by playing chord notes separately after the melody note is sounded. The b minor chord is outlined by playing two notes of the chord together (adding the 3rd below the melody) followed by the third note of the chord played separately. This technique is also used in the G chord of the next measure and in several places throughout the arrangement, sometimes followed by walking scale notes as in measure 8. The notes of the arpeggio can also be continued downward, as in measures 11, 12 and 16.

Measure 3 makes use of a flam (indicated by the downward arrow) for the first chord, still a D. This is a more advanced technique, but well worth the effort (and frustration) of practicing. It is a combination of a strike bounce with the right hammer for the two lower notes followed by a strike with the left hammer for the melody note on the left side of the bridge. Strike the A with the right hammer on the right side of the treble bridge a glancing blow, moving it to the base bridge to bounce on the lower D. As mentioned above, this is followed immediately with the high D. The low D is then repeated, followed by a D arpeggio back up to the high D. This is a nice horizontal movement using the D on the base bridge, the F# and A on the right side of the treble and the high D on the left. Another flam appears in measure 13, this time with the melody note being the high F#. The flam technique gives a haunting, open sound to the chord and usually allows space for adding more notes of the arpeggio.

In measure 4, I have indicated a 4 note rolled chord. Starting with the left hammer, play the F# on the right side of the bridge, the A above it with the right hammer, moving across the bridge to the D with the left hammer, ending on the F# above that with the right hammer. Measures 6 and 15 make use of a three note rolled chord triangle. The only other technique I have suggested is a bounced or rolled note on the high G in measure 13. This is a multiple bounce with one hammer and is indicated by the slashes through the stem of the note.

The final and most important step in considering and presenting this tune is to make it musically expressive. Think about the qualities of this melody that make it beautiful and the emotion or mood you want to create. Keep the melody flowing, with dynamic inflections and accents as if you were reciting a lovely poem. Slight pauses in the rhythm, or holds on certain notes (called rubato) for emphasis are very effective in a slow melody like this. Always MAKE SURE the fill and ornamentation stays in the background. REMEMBER, its purpose is to enhance, not overpower the melody! I emphasize this because I have heard many otherwise beautiful arrangements ruined because of adding too much, too loudly to the melody.

Enjoy this tune, make it your own and have a Joyous Christmas, filled with beautiful music!