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Leo Kretzner on Rhythm (Part 1)
Hand Coordination Patterns
for Mountain and Hammered
Dulcimer Players
Editor’s Note: Multi-instrumentalist Leo Kretzner is what I
call the quintessential mountain dulcimer player. He is one of
the most beautifully rhythmic musicians I know - rock-solid
even at very fast tempos. His playing is full of subtlety,
dynamics and syncopations. And he makes it look easy!
Before Leo played mountain dulcimer and guitar he was a
drummer, and he shares here some drumming exercises and
rhythm tips he has used to get that great rhythm in his
playing.
I’m glad to finally be writing something for this fine web site!
The past few years for me have been very busy and full of
challenges. I have kept playing and doing a little performing,
but I haven’t had time for more writing, recording, and
traveling - until now! I hope to make this the first of a series
on Rhythm.
Lois had asked me to write an article of hand coordination
exercises for mountain dulcimer players on rhythm, but
these should also be of value to hammered dulcimer players.
In recent months rhythm has been my focus more than ever. Fate stepped in when an SUV rearended
my car and I broke my left hand. Not a serious injury as these things go - the outside
palm bone, behind the pinky (5th metacarpal) - but it changed my personal music scene a lot for
these past many weeks: All I could play was rhythm!
Suddenly I was forced to do what I always recommend to students: Practice with the right hand
alone! I quickly realized to my own chagrin that I hadn’t really done this in quite a while, and it
does feel different from “regular” playing!
This made me more aware that all fretted instrument players take the right (rhythm) hand for
granted because we focus so much on the notes (the positions of the fingers, the chords, etc.).
But the rhythm hand plays a major role in the overall music. This is more obvious in hammered
dulcimer playing, where the hands work similarly. For all players though, the notes, be they
many of few, need to be played with a good sense of rhythm to sound their best.

Leo having to make good use of the rhythm hand!
We all have an inherent sense of “feeling the rhythm.” Though we differ in the extent to which
we have that sense, this feeling of rhythm is very much not genetic but learned. The fun of
getting into and actually playing rhythms is letting yourself ‘go with’ something fairly intuitive
that can always be developed more, no matter what level you are currently at.
Something for Both Hammered and Mountain Dulcimer Players
I want to share with you this time a collection of “hand plays” that will help you further
develop both your feeling for rhythm and your skill in putting it out there for the listener,
including yourself. I learned most of these while taking drum lessons, but their usefulness for
building hands-on rhythm skills is universal.
To develop “deep rhythm instincts” I’m suggesting in this case that you try playing just rhythms
in some very basic, even primal way. No thinking of notes!! No open strings! In fact, no
instrument other than you yourself is even better: use your hands and/or feet!
For all of us, it’s a matter of getting our hands in sync with each other. The simplest way is to
just alternate hand slaps on your knees: Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left … Slow or
fast, keep them even sounding. Now, go quite slow and very gradually go faster. Imagine the
classic steam locomotive pulling out of the station. Get it up to cruising speed, hold it there while
you can, and then gradually slow it down, bringing it into the next ‘station’. (Later you can try
these with your pick or hammers, but keep the focus on the hand motion – play a single note, or
even muted strings.)

Now, you can also go from ‘slow’ to ‘fast’ in a distinct step, doubling the slaps per beat:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R …
1 2 3 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 …
“I am cra-ving rutabaga ru-ta-ba-ga…”
Having a phrase that captures the rhythm can really help, especially on the double-time notes. For these, some
of a certain age may remember “Good and Plen-ty, Good and Plen-ty…” If this doesn’t ring a bell, try “Ma-care-na,
Ma-ca-re-na…” or anything else you like!
A Further Step
Next try combining the distinct doubling just above with the ‘train’: Play the above very slowly and then
gradually speed up, get to cruising speed and hold it a bit… and then gradually slow it down again. Gradually
slowing down is as important as getting it to go faster, perhaps even more important – it’s all about trying to
keep it smooth, relaxed, and even.
Did someone say “relaxed”? Yeah, this is a challenge when your hands move faster and you are literally
working harder. It may be a Zen-like, paradoxical-sounding goal, and certainly one I still strive to improve at.
But the secret is to first be aware of your hands – look at them, don’t just stare into space. Then, perhaps you’ll
need to not think about it all, but aim to just let it happen.
Either way, try to keep yourself and your hands in particular as relaxed as possible. You won’t have a chance to
think about this much at all once you’re back to playing those notes and chords, so this is your opportunity to
focus on mindfully creating good patterns.
Hand-to-Hand Patterns: Trying Some “Hand Play”
‘Doubles’
R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L…and vice versa: L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Or think:
“1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a…”
R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L…
“Ru-ta-ba-ga ru-ta-ba ga…”
and vice versa: L L R R L L R R L L R R L L R R
“1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a…
(My drum teacher said one should be able to play any pattern equally well starting with the left or the right –
sounds reasonable enough, but you have to work against your natural handedness! Many times I thought, “Mr.
Stewart, that’s so much easier said than done…” Now I realize he of course knew that.)
The above pattern is actually how drummers do ‘rolls’, the sticks quickly bouncing to make the repeated strike when up to
speed. For our purposes, it’s to get us rolling with the feeling of the rhythm – but also notice how these ‘doubles’ do
sound different from purely alternating notes. This is virtually always true of slightly different ways of playing the same
thing, and something to always be listening for in your own and others’ music.
‘Paradiddles’

I kid you not, this is really what this hand motion is called when taught as a drumming rudiment. It’s another
good word to say with this and the rhythms above, too. It’s an alternation followed by a double, then an
alternation followed by a double, and so on. The cool (ie, challenging) thing about it is that the lead hand for
each set of four notes ends up alternating:
R L R R / L R L L / R L R R / L R L L …
1 e & a 2 e & a 1 e & a 2 e & a
“pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le …”
If this seems completely elusive, in fairness we should back up and first do alternating hands followed by
double-hands where each one lasts a bit longer. The asterisks mark the transitions:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L *R R L L R R L L R R L L R R L L *R L R L R L R L etc.
1… 2 … 3… 4… 1… 2 … 3… 4… 1… 2 …
Next try just two beats for each pattern. (Go on, try it with your hands – don’t just sit there reading! : )
R L R L R L R L *R R L L R R L L *R L R L R L R L *R R L L R R L L
1… 2 … 3… 4… 1… 2 … 3… 4…
And then just one beat of each pattern:
R L R L *R R L L *R L R L *R R L L *R L R L *R R L L *R L R L *R R L L
1… 2 … 3… 4… 1… 2 … 3… 4…
Realistically, you may need to play with each of these a bit before you go back and do the paradiddle:
R L R R / L R L L / R L R R / L R L L …
1 e & a 2 e & a 1 e & a 2 e & a …
“pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le pa-ra-did-le …”
There are also double and triple paradiddles that I won’t torture you with! But I will show you the “paradiddlediddle,”
which at least mercifully leads with the same hand every time:
R L R R L L / R L R R L L / R L R R L L / R L R R L L /
1 e & a 2 a 1 e & a 2 a 1 e & a 2 a 1 e & a 2 a
You can also count this like a waltz:
R L R R L L / R L R R L L
1 & 2 & 3 & 1 & 2 & 3 &
This leads to our next set of hand games…
‘Splits’ (waltz time when slow, jig time when faster) Many ways to do this:
R L L R L L R L L R L L … or: R R L R R L R R L R R L…
1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a
“Vi-en-na Vi-en-na (for waltzes) “I-re-land I-re-land (for jigs) These also can be counted:
1 2 3 1 2 3 … 1 2 3 4 5 6 …

Also of course vice versa, ie switching the starting hand:
L R R L R R L R R L R R… and: L L R L L R L L R L L R…
1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a
(1 2 3 1 2 3 … 1 2 3 4 5 6 …
‘Splits’ with a Difference
Now notice what happens if you keep thinking of this ‘three’ rhythm but simply alternate hands:
L R L R L R L R L R L R… L R L R L R L R L R L R…
1 & a 2 & a 1 & a 2 & a…or 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 …
It sounds almost identical, but feels different – why? Now each strong beat (1 2 3 1 2 3 in a waltz, 1 2 3 4 5 6
for jigs) has an alternating hand playing it, not the same hand every time. It’s the same little twist you
encountered when doing the paradiddle. Dulcimer-wise, you’ll face a similar choice when you get back to
playing actual pieces with a ‘three’ (waltz) or ‘six’ timing (jig): Sometimes it will be easier to play two beats
with the same hand, while other times it will be more natural to just alternate hands. For fretted instrument
players this translates to a choice between strumming twice in the same direction followed by a strum in the
opposite, versus pure alternation of strum directions, as follows.
Two strums in one direction: out-out-in, out-out-in, out-out-in, out-out-in (or, in-in-out, in-in-out…)
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
Pure alternation: out-in-out, in-out-in, out-in-out, in-out-in (or, starting with an ‘in’ strum first)
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
All this “In and Out” reminds me of our local California hamburger chain of the same name, and has me
craving a cheeseburger with fries. So, for health’s sake, let’s get back to our veggie root crops!
Rutabagas with Attitude! There’s a very important thing that should happen with any rhythm, which is
making it come more to life by adding a distinct pulse or accent. Rhythm without pulse is like soup without
seasoning - somehow lacking something.
To make an accent, make a harder slap on your knee on certain beats (or a harder hammer or harder strum on
your instrument). Now, deciding which note the accent falls on begins to make a big difference! Try it with
your rutabagas. First, accent the first syllable: RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 &
RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga
This creates what I call the “Indian tom-tom rhythm,” at least as it’s been stereotypically portrayed in movies
and television: Boom-boom-boom-boom Boom-boom-boom-boom… It’s a good, strong pulse, no doubt about
it. But now put the accent in the middle of the word: ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 &
ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga

Very different feeling! Perhaps you are tapping your foot to help keep time. If so, perhaps you are tapping it
only on the “1” beats above; if not, try doing that:
R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L
1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 &
ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga
tap… tap… tap… tap…
A simpler version of this is simply:
foot – clap – foot – clap – foot – clap – foot – clap (Make the claps louder than your foot taps.)
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta- BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga
Because we all have a natural tendency to tap our feet on the first beat (the “downbeat”), playing the first
pattern – accent on the 1 or ‘RU’ – and adding the clap for accent becomes this:
foot foot foot foot
clap clap clap clap
1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 1 & 2 &
RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga RU-ta-ba-ga
Which one sounds better? The second pattern, for sure: ru-ta-BA-ga ru-ta-BA-ga…
1 2 1 2
Why? It somehow has more ‘lift.’ In terms of beats, if the ‘one’ is the downbeat, then the ‘two’ is the upbeat,
and this is an upbeat accent pattern. Or, rutabagas with attitude! It will virtually always sound more lively than
accenting the downbeat. Listen for it in music you hear. This isn’t to say that a downbeat accent is never good.
Besides the fact that some pulse is better than no pulse (which is when the ‘patient’ is dead), many marches and
march-like songs have a nice sounding downbeat accent:
YANK-ee doodle WENT to town, RID-ing on a PO-ny…
But in many songs, too much downbeat accent can seem to weigh things down – though it’s also a matter of
what the individual likes. Compare these two approaches to ‘Sally Goodin’…
Downbeat accent:
HAD a piece of PIE and I HAD a piece of PUD-din’
GAVE it all a-WAY for the SEE Sally GOOD-in.
Versus the upbeat accent:
Had a PIECE of pie AND I had a PIECE of pudin’ -,
Gave it ALL away FOR to see SAL-ly Goodin - .
As in this example, sometimes the upbeat falls where there is no lyric: the dashes after ‘puddin’ and ‘Goodin’. It
doesn’t matter - the second version still has an upbeat feeling from the words and syllables that are on the
upbeats. Of course, when you’re playing something like this with your instrument you can put in a nice,
accented strum in that place.
To get more of a feeling for this, try it with the “foot – clap”

Had a PIECE of pie AND I had a PIECE of pudin’ -
Foot clap foot clap foot clap foot clap
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
Gave it ALL away FOR to see SAL-ly Goodin -
Foot clap foot clap foot clap foot clap
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Often when we’re playing, our hands are doing two slightly (or greatly) different things – bass versus treble on
the hammered dulcimer (piano, etc) or strumming versus fretting notes on the mountain dulcimer. Is there any
simple hand-play that can help us get better at this? Of course there is – or I wouldn’t have asked the question!
Here are some patterns to try:
Right hand: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Left hand: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
Or you might find it easier the other way:
Right hand: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Left hand: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
Or, think of it this way: R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
L L L L L L L
Here’s a good variation on that, especially for fretted players. This time use the Index and Middle fingers of the
left hand, perhaps on a table top
Left: I M I M I M I M I M I M I M I M …
Right: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap …
Or, the other way with the left hand fingers, ie middle first (on the downbeat):
Left: M I M I M I M I M I M I M I M I …
Right: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap …
I hope you can see how the ‘taps’ would become a strum, and the two separate fingers might be a hammer-on,
or slide, or pull-off.
One more hand-to-hand play:
Right hand: tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 &
Left hand: tap-tap tap tap-tap tap tap-tap tap tap-tap tap
In this one, each hand plays ‘solo’ on its beats – they never play together here, but alternate.
A simple warm-up for this is our very first pattern, way above: R L R L R L R L

This is the same as: R R R R R … or R hand: tap tap tap
L L L L L hand: tap tap tap
Now go to: R LL R L / R LL R L / R LL R L / R LL R L
1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 &
If you make the left hand louder than the right, you’ll get a nice upbeat accent:
R LL R L / R LL R L / R LL R L / R LL R L
1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 & 1 & a 2 &
NOW YOU’RE OFF AND ROLLING – HAPPY RHYTHMIC PLAYING!
Next time: Applying these rhythms to strumming patterns for fretted players.

About the Author
Leo Kretzner, middle, and “The Old Grey Cats”
I began playing the mountain dulcimer in early 1975. Initially inspired by local folkies around my
hometown of Detroit, I became totally hooked upon having a chance to sit and play one for a
couple hours. I played it more or less like a guitar in my lap, just goofing around but loving it.
Visiting a friend in Vermont I had the great fortune to see Margaret MacArthur in concert, and
was intrigued and mystified by the many ‘extra’ notes she made on the instrument. I returned to
New England that summer and took a wonderful week of classes with Margaret at the Pinewoods
Folk Music Camp, learning a few specific tunes using the secrets of hammer-ons and pull-offs.
My basic course for the next ten years was set, especially when I found I could use a driving
strumming rhythm with my right hand when Margaret’s finger-picking style eluded me.
In Ohio two years later I met Jay Leibowitz, who invited me to join him on an album some folks
were making, which became “Dulcimer Fair.” That was followed by “Pigtown Fling” and my
moving to Connecticut. I met Lorraine Lee and it was like two worlds colliding, but with mutual
fascination: She used an A-D-D tuning with no real bass and got beautiful, full, high chords,
while I used D-A-D and got in lower voiced chords and bass runs. Neither of us could play the
other’s music! Seeing her a year later, we’d both gone to four equidistant strings, which we’ve
each played ever since – the best of both worlds in my book.
Over time I branched out more and more from playing fiddle tunes, adding songs of all genres
from Irish and Appalachian to blues and rock. Having spent my teenage musical years as a
drummer, the latter excursions actually felt very familiar to me, while the older traditional
material - deceptively ‘simple’ - felt like something I needed and wanted to spend countless
hours absorbing from people and recordings, to capture its real beauty and essential sound. I’ve
occasionally written a song or two, and my performances are an amalgam of all these things. A
purist I never have been!
I played music full time for a few years in the mid 80’s while living in the Boston area, and then
returned to school to get a degree enabling me to do biomedical research. I’ve moved around
quite a bit, out of desire or necessity, and now reside in Claremont, CA, about forty miles east of
Los Angeles. I work at the City of Hope National Medical Center, and have continued playing
dulcimer and guitar as often as possible. Even without playing full time, it’s been wonderful to be
at various festivals all around the country.

I’ve had periods of activity and inactivity with music and festivals, and I’m now in a position to
become more active again. A couple years ago I had a total blast playing electric guitar for a
stage presentation of The Who’s “Tommy,” and also played dulcimer on a couple quieter pieces.
I’m currently playing with a Celtic string band (with an old-timey name), “The Old Grey Cats.”
I’ve done a bit of playing for an “Indigo Girls’” ‘tribute’ band here. So, I remain musically
adventurous! While mindful of stylistic differences between various genres, I like to keep my
‘passport’ updated to cross over their borders whenever the mood and opportunity arises.
Leo Kretzner contacts:
www.leokretzner.com (In progress but hopefully presentable by the time the article is posted.)
leoleo1@verizon.net
CD’s by Leo:
“Dulcimer Fling!” - A compilation of the first two albums, “Dulcimer Fair” and “Pigtown Fling.”
It is all instrumental and all traditional tunes, both old-time and Irish.
“Bold Orion” – A mixture of traditional and contemporary, vocal and instrumental. Includes the
title song, “Little Martha,” “Dark is the Color” and fiddle tunes with Jay Unger.
“Not So Still Life” – Another mix of old and new, instrumentals and vocals. Dulcimer on every
selection. Includes the title piece, “Devil Don’t Rule My Life” and “Walking Blues.”