Hunter Walker
Mountain Dulcimer Master Class
“It’s the easiest stringed instrument to get music out of, but it can be more complex than any other one, and that’s what intrigued me.” - Hunter Walker
Hunter Walker is one of the younger generation of musicians dedicated to playing and teaching traditional mountain music. He’s a native of Beckley, West Virginia, and is a frequent and in-demand instructor at workshops around the country. Hunter has learned from many traditional players, most especially his uncle Dave Haas. He has performed at prestigious venues such as Theatre West Virginia, the Vandalia Gathering, and Mountain Stage.
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While proficient at guitar and mandolin, he is best known for his virtuosity and innovation on the mountain dulcimer and the banjo. His skill on the dulcimer has merited him the title (four times!) West Virginia State Dulcimer Champion, Tennessee Open Grand Youth Champion, three time Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention Dulcimer Champion, Mid-Atlantic Regional Dulcimer Champion, as well as numerous other first place finishes at Fiddlers’ Conventions.
Hunter has made one solo recording, Down Yonder.
In 2010, at sixteen years of age, Hunter won the Vandalia Gathering Dulcimer contest in an upset over many older players. (Link to video of this performance).
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He is excited to see the rich Appalachian music heritage passed on.
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Each Master Clinic has TEN spaces for students.
Pre-registration is required for Master Clinics.
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Hunter's Clinic Description:
In Old-Time Music, the mountain dulcimer is often viewed with a stigma that suggests the instrument is not as formidable as other conventional instruments. While the dulcimer does have some limitations, in this class we will delve into innovations of both left and right hand technique that allows the musician to circumvent limitations while maintaining integrity to tradition.
To hone these skills, the class will call upon some degree of music theory and ear training to learn a few challenging an obscure tunes that perhaps would not previously had been considered "dulcimer-friendly." I, too, will discuss my personal modifications to dulcimer technique in context of tunes we will learn.
The class will be taught in D-A-d; four equidistant D-A-d-d tuning is acceptable as well. 6+ fret and capo are required.
