To enable children to explore the music of the dulcimer a set of musical parts suitable for classroom tuned and percussion instruments have been provided. Traditional English folk tune Bluff King Hal has been used as it is often played on the dulcimer. See and hear children from Bewdley Primary School in Worcestershire play this arrangement and play along with them and then explore the suggested activities.
Bluff King Hal was a tune collected by Cecil J Sharpe (1859 - 1924) in 1906 in Redditch. Cecil Sharpe was a music teacher and composer who collected different folk tunes and dances from all over the country over many years. He helped bring about the revival of English Folk Music. This tune is for accompanying Morris Dance and its title is a nickname for King Henry VIII.
To find out more look at the films below and download the music and activity ideas on the right:
Film: Students from Years 5 and 6 at Bewdley Primary School play Bluff King Hal.
Film: Bluff King Hal played by performers from 23 countries at the 2015 Dulcimer World Congress, conducted by Sue Harris.
Film: The Tuppenny Dish Dancers dancing to Bluff King Hal at the Green Man Festival in Clun, Shropshire.
The ten parts below are suitable for classroom percussion instruments to perform Bluff King Hal as demonstrated by students at Bewdley Primary School in the film on the left:
Download the pdfs below:
(Left click to open new window / right click to download)
Activities explore the understanding of Rondo form, dynamics, tempo and rhythmic and melodic composition ideas which are based around Bluff King Hal.
(Left click to open new window / right click to download)
This activity can be adapted to the dulcimer, guitar or other fretted, stringed instrument.
(External web page - click to open new window)