For promotional photos of Neal, click here.
Neal Hellman, nationally acclaimed performer and teacher of the mountain dulcimer, has been active in performing, writing, teaching, and recording acoustic music for the past 40 years.
Neal’s recording, Emma’s Waltz, is a colorful dance through traditional and contemporary acoustic music styles. Featuring seventeen different musicians playing compositions from Ireland, Scotland, Finland, America and France. Neal's other recordings include: Autumn In the Valley, Dream of the Manatee (with Joe Weed) and Oktober County, all on the Gourd Music label. In collaboration with Joe Weed, Neal wrote the score for Princess Furball, a children's video by Weston Woods which won a 1993 American Library Association Commendation.
An original composition, written by Neal and performed by Jay Unger and Molly Mason, is featured on the Ken Burns production Not for Ourselves Alone. Neal has placed a number of other tracks on the films of Ken Burns including Horatio's Drive, National Parks: America's Best Idea and The Dust Bowl (2012). He has also placed music from the Gourd Music Catalog in film and television.
He is the author of many books on the Appalachian dulcimer, including:
Celtic Songs & Slow Airs for Mountain Dulcimer, The Dulcimer Chord Book,
The Hal Leonard Dulcimer Method, Music of the World for Mountain Dulcimer and his latest book:
Mountain Dulcimer Arrangements from Both Sides of the Atlantic.
As founder, director and one of the primary artists of the Gourd Music record label, Neal has produced over forty albums, including Simple Gifts, The Fairie Round, Tender Shepherd, The World Turned Upside Down and Jefferson’s Fiddle, creating a uniquely distinctive sound, featuring a variety of acoustic instrumental ensembles, rich in texture and tonal color.
Neal received a Gail Rich Award in January of 2016.
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Click to hear a clip of Bianco Fiore.
Click to hear a clip of Durango.
Click to hear a clip of Canarios.
Download Only.
A collection of Neal's dulcimer tracks on other Gourd Music recordings.
Click to hear a clip of Emma's Waltz.
available in Vinyl
The Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast.
1. American Tunes & Ballads (Intermediate).
This new workshop will feature arrangements from Neal’s latest book of dulcimer arrangements. Tunes include Colored Aristocracy, Fiddlin’ Bagpipes, Silly Bill and
Gary Owen.
The workshop will also feature ballads collected in the Southern Appalachians and a few American songs: Pretty Saro, Wayfaring Stranger, Johnny Has Gone for A Soldier, Slumber My Darling, I Shall Rise and When Adam Was Created.
2. Scottish Tunes & Ballads for Dulcimer (Intermediate)
Tunes: Loch Lavan Castle, Leaving Lismore, The Heroes of St. Valory
Ballads: Skye Boat Song, If I Were A Blackbird and Both Sides the Tweed, Ye Banks & Braes.
3. Music of the World for Mountain Dulcimer (Intermediate). Featuring arrangements from Neal's book of arrangements for Hal Leonard Publishing. Including: Arirang (Korea), Allemande (Belguim), The Last Time I came Over the Moor (Scotland), Bravery, Courage and Fearless Men (Sweden), Asika Thali (South Africa), C’est l’aviron quis nous mène en haut (French Canadian) and additional arrangements from Ireland, Russia and The Netherlands. Students should be able to perform basic embellishment techniques (hammers, pulls and slides).
4. The Music of the Shakers for Dulcimer(Intermediate) The American Shakers made music an integral part of their daily lives and worship, from lively dance tunes and marches to reverent hymns. Selections include pieces as played on dulcimer from the albums Simple Gifts and Tree of Life: Love is Little, Tree of Life, Back Manner Tunes, I Will Walk with My Children, etc. The wonderful thing about Shaker music is that it has roots both in Europe (Celtic, English, Scottish) and Appalachia. The technique involved in arranging and playing these compositions will be covered as well as the repertoire.
5. Aeolian Mode for Beginners (Beginner)
Students will tune to the Aeolian mode of D (D-A-C where D is the bass string).
This is both a simple and rewarding workshop, especially for beginners.
Students will be taught basic melodies as well as how to utilize the dulcimer to back up the voice.
Selections include The Praties, Kojo no Tuski, Goddesses, Breton Tune and Nonesuch.
6. Italian & Early Music for The Dulcimer (Intermediate)
Ancient and Renaissance Music of Italy and France.
Slow Airs: Laudas (Church Music of the 12th Century): Lauda di Maria Maddelena, Da ciel venne messo novello, O divina virgo, flore, and Voi ch’amate lo Criatore
Dance Music: El Tutu, Bianca Fiore, and Salterello, And just for fun Minuet in G
7. Celtic Ballads & Tunes for Dulcimer (Intermediate). Though it’s not a traditional Irish instrument the Mt. Dulcimer lends itself perfectly to Irish music. In this workshop the student will learn how to utilize the dulcimer in a classic Irish ballad such as The Parting Glass, Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore, and Ye Banks & Braes. Playing the melody of each composition will be illustrated as well.
8. The Music of Celtic harper Turlough O’Carolan (1670-1738): (Intermediate)
In this new workshop the student will learn how to play in G, Em, Bm, D and Am all in the D-A-D tuning while learning the enchanting music of the famous blind Harper Turlough O’Carolan.
Selections include: Catherine Martin (A Dorian), The Dark Plaintive Youth (E Dorian), Separation of The Body from the Soul (B Aeolian), Planxty Connor (D Ionian), Cumha Eoghain Rua Ui Neill (G Ionian) and a few more as time allows.
9. Swedish & Finnish Music on the Dulcimer (Intermediate-Advanced).
Two of the Swedish compositions will be in D-A-C and the melody will be played on one string. However, they will require an ability to execute hammers, pull offs, and slides quickly and succinctly. We will explore the traditional Swedish pipe tune Sackpiplat, a contemporary Swedish tune Konvulsionslaten by Anders Norudde. Also, from Sweden we will learn Bravery, Courage and Fearless Men. From Finland we will learn a popular waltz: Emma’s Waltz (D-A-D capo on 1st fret). These have a wonderful feel to them a represent quite a departure from the traditional Irish and American tunes.
10. Three Polka's: (Intermediate-Advanced) “John Brosnan’s Polka” (Key of D) followed by “Daley’s Polka” (Em) and ending with “The Finnish Polka” (Bm). All three are played in the D-A-D or the1-5-1 tuning. This workshop will illustrate: •How to play in three different keys and modes without retuning the dulcimer.
•How to utilize hammers slides and pull offs in an arrangement.
