“I'm so glad I found her! Very professional and informative!” - Debbie C.
— online lessons
“I'm inspired and improved in so many ways after spending a week with you. Your extensive knowledge of music amazes me. Your ear astounds me. I love your selections and your particular arrangements. I appreciate your interest in equipping musicians. Your bubbly, genuine personality is refreshing. Thank you for the beautiful addition to my music and life!” - Carrie P.
— Kentucky Music Week 2018
Dulcimers in Ireland 2015
Private Lessons
•Private hammered dulcimer lessons for all levels $65/45 minutes in Karen's Silver Spring, Maryland studio. It is a spacious studio with a separate entrance and private bath, so it is easy to maintain safe social distancing!
•Online private lessons are $70/45 minutes.
•Click HERE for a guide to using Zoom in music lessons.
•Click HERE for a quick resource on how reading music. NOTE: In beginning dulcimer lessons, we work by ear for students to learn the wonderful visual patterns on the instrument, because playing in every key looks the same!
•Children's lessons on hammered dulcimer or beginning Irish pennywhistle are $45/30 minutes- in person or online.
Rental hammered dulcimers for active students are available for an extra fee.
I accept Venmo, Zelle, cash or checks for payment.
My Zoom camera feed for teaching from my home office.
Free Irish Tunebook!
Group Classes & Workshops
Filming the teacher at the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival
Karen offers group hammered dulcimer classes in many topics for all levels. She offers some mixed instrument workshops like her popular Mystery of Modes Workshops. In January, 2023 she will offer a beginners' Learn to Read Music course for hammered dulcimer.
Irish beginning pennywhistle classes for adults or children are also available. Group classes are available at festivals, online, and occasionally at Karen's house in Silver Spring. Contact her for more information.
Click HERE to download my Guide to Using Zoom for Music Lessons.
Video Lessons
Video Lessons
You can purchase pre-recorded (audio and video files) lessons that include the sheet music too.
Visit my Video Lessons page.
Coming in Autumn 2022, a subscription app and website for online HD instruction will be added. It will include monthly jam sessions, a huge variety of music including Irish music, music for wellness and healing and much more! Stay tuned!
“The hammered dulcimer has a wondrous, magical sound... a full, rich tone with glorious sustain. Once it gets into your soul, nothing else quite comes close. The simplest melody can take on an intimacy and a fullness far beyond the actual notes being played. Simply put, this instrument is an incredibly resonant rich mysterious timeless wood-and-wire box of soul...” - Biill Flanagan