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Hammer Dulcimer Arrangements for Special Occasions
by Peggy Carter

Winter's Run and Troika for Hammered Dulcimer

I really enjoy playing and writing jigs. The lilting cadence of many Irish jigs, in particular, makes my hands feel as though they're dancing across the dulcimer. When I wrote the jig "Winter's Run," I had in mind a rollicking ride through a snowy landscape on a horse-drawn sleigh. On my CD Carol of the Bells, I paired it with a melody associated with a childhood memory: On Christmas morning, as dictated by parental law, there was to be no opening of presents until we had eaten a decent breakfast. As we gulped down our scrambled eggs, Dad would put a Christmas tape on his big reel-to-reel "hi fi." Excitement built as the music swelled. Soon it would provide the "soundtrack" for the Great Gift Unveiling!

Though we enjoyed every tune on Dad's Christmas tapes, everyone's favorite piece was the one called "Troika." I later learned that this piece is part of Sergei Prokofiev's Lt. Kijè Suite, and that "troika" is a Russian word referring to a three-horse sleigh. When choosing material for Carol of the Bells, I knew "Troika" had to be a part of the project. I thought it would work well combined with a tune in 6/8, though "Troika" itself is in 4/4. Thus was born the CD's "Sleigh Ride Set," which moves from "Winter's Run" into "Troika" and back again. You can find more information about Carol of the Bells on my website: http://www.jodymarshall.net/recording.html.

Listen to "Winter's Run" and "Troika"

Click to hear WintersRun_Troika.mp3

On "Winter's Run" I double-tracked the dulcimer to have both a melody and rhythm element on the instrument. Below is a written version of each tune for two dulcimers, with the top staff (HD 1) showing the melody and the bottom staff (HD 2) showing the rhythm.

I start out "Winter's Run" by playing an eight-measure introduction using the damper pedal (shown on the bottom staff). The damped dulcimer continues as a rhythm pad throughout the A Part. On the recording, the rhythm element is taken over in the B Part by guitar (played by Paul Oorts). In the written version, I've extended the second dulcimer into the B Part, breaking out of the straight eighth-note rhythm. The fiddle (played by Andrea Hoag) joins the recording on the second pass through "Winter's Run," then drops out as the medley moves into "Troika."

I keep the rolling jig feeling going in "Troika" with a repeating pattern of triplets, shown in the bottom staff. (On the recording this rhythm is played on both dulcimer and piano.) In the first pass through this piece we hear only the first 8 measures (repeated) before going for another jaunt through "Winter's Run." Then it's back to "Troika," this time including the six-measure, mysterious-sounding middle section, and followed by another eight measures of the first section. In the notation I wrote the last eight measures in octaves on the top staff. This can be tricky to play because of the placement of the high C#. To avoid the awkward hammering, you can either leave out the highest C# or have a third player take over one of the octaves.

Finally, after bringing back the rhythm dulcimer to herald a short revival of "Winter's Run," the horse-drawn sleigh jingles off into the distance!

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About the Author

Jody Marshall – hammered dulcimer, piano, vocals

Jody is well known for her lively and expressive playing style, as well as for her creative arrangements of both solo and ensemble pieces. In keeping with her varied musical tastes, she is equally adept at playing Celtic jigs and reels, Renaissance and medieval dance tunes, classical music, and other genres. She is a founding member of the Washington DC-based bands, Ironweed and MoonFire, and currently plays in several ensembles, including Connemara and Emerald Glen. Her performance credits include the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center, and the White House.

Jody is also a popular hammered dulcimer teacher. Her clear and insightful style of instruction has helped hundreds of students become more confident players with a greater understanding of how their instrument "works." She teaches both private lessons and group classes, and is frequently an instructor at workshops and festivals around the country.

Discography

Carol of the Bells - A sparkling collection of Christmas music old and new, featuring hammered dulcimer with Celtic harp, fiddle, recorders, guitar, piano, and other instruments.

Cottage in the Glen (on the Maggie's Music label, MM 232) - Jody's long awaited debut solo recording on the Maggie's Music label includes original and traditional music, with a host of talented guest artists joining in.

MoonFire: Present, Past, and Future - Named "Best Celtic Album" by the Washington Area Music Association. This award-winning CD features Jody on hammered dulcimer, keyboards, and harmony vocals, along with band mates Cathy Palmer on violins and Elise Kress on flutes, tin whistle, and lead vocals.

Jody's CDs are available through her website, http://jodymarshall.net, as well as through CD Baby, Amazon.com, and i-Tunes.