Friday, December 20, 2024

Episode 733 - "Last Christmas"

 


Bing performs "Last Christmas" on mountain dulcimer with beats programmed on the Novation Circuit Tracks.
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Friday, December 13, 2024

Episode 731 - "All I Want For Christmas Is You"

 


Part Stark Session, and part test drive of a new arrangement of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on the mountain dulcimer by Bing Futch.
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Friday, December 06, 2024

Episode 730 - "White Christmas"

 


The Stark Sessions are bare-bones song studies usually shot in high contrast black and white with no dialogue, allowing viewers to focus on the tune at hand. Bing chose to go with color for this episode to highlight his Christmas attire. The tune is Irving Berlin's classic “White Christmas.”
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, November 29, 2024

Episode 729 - "Live Scoring A Balloon Launch"

 


Bing performs a live soundtrack for the hot-air balloon ascension at the 2024 Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville, North Carolina.
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Friday, November 22, 2024

Episode 728 - "A 'Spoonful' Of Evart"

 


Bing Futch performs the old Willie Dixon blues tune, “Spoonful”, on July 19th, 2024 at the ODPC Funfest in Evart, Michigan.
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Friday, November 15, 2024

Episode 727 - "Harmonizing the Melody"

 


Bing wraps up a series on cadences by harmonizing last week's melody on the mountain dulcimer. Download the tune from: https://www.patreon.com/posts/116028572
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Friday, November 08, 2024

Episode 726 - "Melodic Cadence Exercise 2"

 


Going the next step, Bing writes a longer, more complex melody using open and closed cadences, demonstrating how to play “keep away” with the key. Download the exercise material from: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115503512
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Friday, November 01, 2024

Episode 725 - Harmonic Cadence Exercise

 


Bing takes the melody from the last episode and harmonizes it using cadences, while also going a step further into song arranging options. Download the exercise resources at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/115095568
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Friday, October 25, 2024

Episode 724 - "Melodic Cadence Exercise"

 


Bing demonstrates the use of melodic cadences with the beginnings of a tune on the mountain dulcimer. Download the exercise from this episode for free at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/114658415
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Friday, October 18, 2024

Episode 723 - "Journey to Celine Dion"

 


The finale, and encore, from Bing's set at the Old Jail in Statesville, North Carolina for Piedmont Folkways, presented by the Iredell Arts Council. After ending his set with “Don't Stop Believing”, Bing performs “My Heart Will Go On”, using the guitar synthesizer to add live strings.
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Friday, October 11, 2024

Episode 722 - "Understanding Cadences"

 


Bing describes and demonstrates four types of musical cadences for tune writing, using melodies and harmonies on the mountain dulcimer.
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Friday, October 04, 2024

Episode 721 - "Going to Winfield Pt. 2"

 


Bing and Abby the Spoon Lady get after some “Old Joe Clark” at the 52nd Walnut Valley Festival after they perform onstage during the fest.
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Friday, September 27, 2024

Episode 720 - "Going To Winfield Pt. 1"

 


Bing arrives in Winfield, Kansas for the 52nd Walnut Valley Festival and immediately dives into the music, and the lifestyle. Features a premiere performance of “Going To Winfield”, with Kara Barnard and Troy Johnson.
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Saturday, September 21, 2024

Episode 719 - "Beginning Rhythms"

 


An excerpt from the September session of The Ionian Institute, a free monthly online workshop available through Bing Futch's Patreon (which is free to join at www.Patreon.com/BingFutch Basic note durations are covered, along with a special practice cadence for developing your strum.
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Friday, September 13, 2024

Episode 718 - "U2 Can Play U2"

 


Garryowen Irish Pub co- owner Joanne McCready captured this cel phone footage of Bing jamming U2's “With Or Without You” on mountain dulcimer with Gerry Muldoon, a longtime friend of Kevin McCready's from Ireland, on cajon.
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Friday, September 06, 2024

Episode 717 - "Melody and Chord Exercise"

 


Back home from summer tour, Bing shares a mountain dulcimer exercise that he taught over the summer using melodies and chords. The basic chord shapes in DAD are covered, and “I Think We're Alone Now” makes a cameo.
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Friday, August 30, 2024

Episode 716 - "Hallelujah"

 


Bing's encore from the July 11th show at Bob's Barn Jamborees in Lake Odessa, Michigan. This is “Hallelujah” on mountain dulcimer. Bob Warner, owner of Bob's Barn Jams, also makes an appearance. Check out Bob's YouTube Channel at: youtube.com/BobWarnerBarn
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Friday, August 23, 2024

Episode 715 - "John Henry"

 


Bing's actual opening song from the July 11th show at Bob's Barn Jamborees in Lake Odessa, Michigan. This is “The Ballad of John Henry” on mountain dulcimer. This month's episodes have all been from the livestream recording.
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Friday, August 16, 2024

Episode 714 - "Promentory (LIVE!)"

 


Bing's closing number from the July 11th show at Bob's Barn Jamborees in Lake Odessa, Michigan. This is “Promentory” from “The Last of the Mohicans” with mountain dulcimer and looper.
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Friday, August 09, 2024

Episode 713 - "Birds of a Feather (LIVE)"

 


More from the Bob's Barn Jamborees show in Lake Odessa, Michigan, on July 11th. Bing performs his original song, “Birds of a Feather”, on mountain dulcimer. Natch!
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Friday, August 02, 2024

Episode 712 - "3 Original Blues"

 


On July 11th at Bob's Barn Jamborees in Lake Odessa, Michigan, Bing performs three original blues songs; "The Flip Side", "That's What You Done To Me", and "Red Headed Lover."
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Friday, July 26, 2024

Episode 711 - "West Michigan Trek"

 


Picking up where the last episode left off, Bing continues a grand circle tour of Michigan state, including the Grand Traverse Bay, before winding up in Lake Odessa at Bob's Barn Jamborees for M.O.D.E. Workshops and a concert.
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Friday, July 19, 2024

Episode 710 - "Travels With Bing"

 


From a house concert in Columbus, Ohio to Mackinac Island, Michigan, this episode takes a look at Bing's adventures on summer tour in the first part of July. Includes a live rendition of “Hallelujah” and “Can't Help Falling In Love”.
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, July 12, 2024

Episode 709 - "Mountain Dulcimer Museum Tour"

 


From Sharonville, Ohio, Bing takes us inside the American Folk Music School & National Mountain Dulcimer Museum with director Vickey Sasser.
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Friday, July 05, 2024

Episode 708 - "KMW Through the Lens"

 


Bing offers a brief glimpse into his time at Kentucky Music Week through video and music, including a performance of “ADHD Blues” on mountain dulcimer.
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Friday, June 28, 2024

Episode 707 - "Groovy Cabbage"

 


Back at White Acres Campground, Bing brings some of his teachings from Kentucky Music Week in an episode focused on rhythms and strum-building for songs. A demo of a 3-measure cadence for muscle memory, the palm mute, and turning drums into strums gets applied to “Boil Dem Cabbage Down”
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Friday, June 21, 2024

Episode 706 - "Mountain Dulcimer Quick-Start"

 


Bing takes a no-frills approach to getting started with mountain dulcimer. Here he demonstrates how to 1) figure out tunes you know, 2) make up your own tunes, 3) noodle around, all after a quick tutorial on how to play the drone melody style. A great beginners resource, or for the passing curious.
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Friday, June 14, 2024

Episode 705 - "The DulciVox Pro"

 


Bing arrives at Folkcraft Instruments in Woodburn, Indiana, and gets a behind-the-scenes look at production of the new DulciVox mountain dulcimers. He also takes his new DulciVox Pro for a test-drive through some fiddle tunes, O'Carolan, and Meatloaf.
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, June 07, 2024

Episode 704 - "New Tune: 'Gebhard'"

 


Arriving at his first tour stop, Bing writes a new tune inspired by the Gebhard Woods Dulcimer & Traditional Music Festival, taking place this weekend at Goold Park in Morris, Illinois (That's June 8th and 9th for you in the present.)
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Friday, May 31, 2024

Episode 703 - “One Last Bit of New Jam Book!”

 


One last bit of music from Mountain Dulcimer in the Band (Book 8) featuring a walk-through of “Hard Times” by Stephen Foster and some fancy interlude chords.
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Friday, May 24, 2024

Episode 702 - "Even More New Jam Book!"

 


Another snippet of the May 8th edition of Mountain Dulcimer in the JAM!, a monthly online workshop/jam sprung from the pages of the tune-and-backing-track series, Mountain Dulcimer in the Band. Today's episode features “Wild Mountain Thyme” in the style of Dire Straits!
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Friday, May 17, 2024

Episode 701 - "More New Jam Book!"

 


Another snippet of the May 8th edition of Mountain Dulcimer in the JAM!, a monthly online workshop/jam sprung from the pages of the tune-and-backing-track series, Mountain Dulcimer in the Band. Today's episode features “Wild Mountain Thyme” in the style of Dire Straits!
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, May 10, 2024

Episode 700 - "New Jam Book!"

 


Episode 700 shares a snippet of the May 8th edition of Mountain Dulcimer in the JAM!, a monthly online workshop/jam sprung from the pages of the tune-and-backing-track series, Mountain Dulcimer in the Band. With Book 8 newly released, Bing walks through "Keep on the Sunny Side", and then sets everyone loose on the backing track. Play along!
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Friday, May 03, 2024

Episode 699 - "Can't Help Starkly"

 


Continuing with the Stark Session series, featuring the Folkcraft Instruments DulciVox mountain dulcimer, Bing works up “Can't Help Falling In Love” from melody to full arrangement with chords and rhythm.
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Friday, April 26, 2024

Episode 698 - The DulciVox

 


In a continuing series of episodes featuring The Stark Sessions, Bing deconstructs “Lean On Me”, distilling it to the melody, then adding harmony and support. He is playing the third prototype of the Folkcraft Instruments DulciVox, which is now officially available to order from Folkcraft.com
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, April 19, 2024

Episode 697 - "Lean On Me Starkly"

 


In a continuing series of episodes featuring The Stark Sessions, Bing deconstructs “Lean On Me”, distilling it to the melody, then adding harmony and support. He is playing the third prototype of the Folkcraft Instruments DulciVox, which is now officially available to order from Folkcraft.com
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, April 12, 2024

Episode 696 - "Georgia On My Mind Starkly"

 


In a continuing series of episodes featuring The Stark Sessions, Bing deconstructs “Georgia On My Mind”, distilling it to the melody, then adding harmony and support. He is playing the third prototype of the Folkcraft Instruments DulciVox, which is now officially available to order from Folkcraft.com
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, April 05, 2024

Episode 695 - "Georgia On My Mind"

 


Bing debuts a new arrangement of the Georgia State Song, “Georgia On My Mind”, created and workshopped at the first Expedition Dulcimer at Stone Mountain Manor in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Here, a collection of visuals and moments from the week. Www.ExpeditionDulcimer.com For more info
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, March 29, 2024

Episode 694 - "Deep Track On The Road"

 


Another livestreamed workshop from an rv in a North Carolina strip mall parking lot. Bing introduces a series called Deep Track, which takes an immersive approach to study. This episode is for chromatic mountain dulcimer tuned DAD – and the study is in the key of F major, going over the I, IV, and V chords in familiar shapes. Attend workshops for free at www.Patreon.com/BingFutch
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Friday, March 22, 2024

Episode 693 - "II On The Road"

 


Bing livestreams The Ionian Institute from his rv in a North Carolina strip mall parking lot. Attend workshops for free at www.Patreon.com/BingFutch
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Friday, March 15, 2024

Episode 692 - "Found At Sea"

 


“Found At Sea” is a new tune that Bing composed and recorded on March 8th, inspired by the 2024 Castaway Music Cruise. Here, it provides the soundtrack for a glimpse at the seafaring fun aboard the Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. Www.CastawayMusicCruise.com
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Friday, March 08, 2024

Episode 691 - "Celebration of a Decade"

 


A glimpse at the music and merriment that took place at the 10th Annual Florida Gulf Coast Dulcimer Retreat in Homosassa Springs, Florida. GulfCoastDulcimer.com
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Friday, March 01, 2024

Episode 690 - "Simba, Queen of Milagro"

 


A new tune inspired by Bing's oldest cat, Simba. Includes introductions to all five rescued felines at Casa de Milagro, and a tribute to Simba's BFF, Roscoe, who left for Rainbow Bridge in January.
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Friday, February 23, 2024

Episode 689 - "Colored Aristocracy"

 


The Stark Sessions are bare-bones song studies shot in high contrast black and white with no dialogue, allowing viewers to focus on the tune at hand. For this session, the song, “Colored Aristocracy”, is broken down into melody, drone melody and then chords are added along with a backing track.
Bing Futch is endorsed by Folkcraft Instruments, V-Picks and Wolf Hill Woodworking.
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Friday, February 16, 2024

Episode 688 - "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss"

 


Bing teaches the tune “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss” on mountain dulcimer in the key of D, tuned DAD, and then cranks up the backing tracks to audition the song for “Mountain Dulcimer in the Band (Book 8)”. Play along with the band and Bing, plus download tracks at http://www.Patreon.com/BingFutch
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Friday, February 09, 2024

Episode 687 - "Shaving A Dead Man"

 


Bing teaches the tune “Shaving a Dead Man” on a Folkcraft Instruments LAP-JO hybrid mountain dulcimer/banjo. Also, a sneak preview of “Mountain Dulcimer in the Band (Book 8)”, and Bing receives a surprise phone call mid-shoot. Download tablature and backing tracks from Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/posts/98044374
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Friday, February 02, 2024

Episode 686 - "Fun With ChatGPT"

 


A full-blown music video for Bing's new song, “ChatGPT (Been Very Very Good To Me).” It started January 20th with Bing singing the chorus melody for fun, and ended up two weeks later as both a new single, and his first official music video!
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Friday, January 26, 2024

Episode 685 - "Found Blues"

 


8 years ago this week, Bing won the “Best Solo Guitar” award at the 32nd Annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. This episode features recently discovered footage of his finals set at The Orpheum Theater, along with the announcement of his win at the awards ceremony, which had somehow not been included in episode 303.
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Friday, January 19, 2024

Episode 684 - "Equalization"

 


For all the mountain dulcimer players using amplifiers and mixers, this episode is for you! And everyone else who would like a front-row seat to the basics of equalization. This is just a small portion of the full 90-minute free workshop “Putting it into Gear: Equalization” - join for free and take the next class: Patreon.com/BingFutch
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Saturday, January 13, 2024

Episode 683 - "Choosing Strings"

 


A jam-packed 6-minutes that offers insight on how to choose strings for your mountain dulcimer using an Instrument String Tension Calculator like this one right here: https://chordgen.parmakis.co.uk/tensiontool.php
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Friday, January 05, 2024

Episode 682 - "New Year, New Workshops"

 


The 17th season of Dulcimerica launches with a big episode featuring 8 new online workshop series available through Bing's Patreon. Here, Bing shares video from each of the new series, which can be attended for free by joining Bing's Patreon community (also free!) Get hooked up at: Patreon.com/BingFutch
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