Arranging Songs from Musicals for Hammered Dulcimer

Due to the nature of arranging, this will be a lecture-heavy workshop with opportunity to questions, answers, and the sharing of ideas.

Class video will be posted here after the event concludes.

Songs from musicals often make great pieces for Hammered Dulcimer repertoire because they are often both familiar to listeners AND contain melodic lines that make for feasible instrumental music. Popular music is great for grabbing audiences' attention, but arranging instrumental reductions of pop music comes with challenges due to the small melodic range they often occupy. Musical theater is often more melody-driven while still being recognizable by large audiences. For the sake of this workshop, popular films (ex: Disney) with break-out musical numbers will also used as examples.

Where to start

These are all opinions based on my own experiences. Simply put, it’s best to start with music from a musical you enjoy. You will want to watch for several red flags before deciding to arrange a piece. None are dealbreakers, but they should serve as a warning of challenges you will need to troubleshoot in your process.

Things that will make arranging easier or more worthwhile:

  • A dulcimer-friendly key

  • Know the song and be able to sing it

  • A recognizable “hook” & movement in the melody

  • The song doesn’t rely on instrumental back-up.

  • Duets

Things to watch out for:

  • Lots of breaks for talking

  • Lots of spoken lyrics (different than breaks for talking)

  • Key Changes.

  • Long monotone passages

  • Bridges

  • Significant tempo changes

  • The melody that doesn’t repeat much or repeats itself ad nauseam.

  • Un-singable songs

  • Too much going on / too many voices / instrumental back-up carries the song

There is always a way around these challenges; almost every piece has at least one. If they begin to pile up, it may indicate that the song is not a good fit for the hammered dulcimer. We will discuss ways around each problem. If you love a piece, there’s a way to make it work.

We will look at the pros and cons of examples and troubleshoot how to deal with the red flags that present themselves within the examples I have prepared.