Bonnie, it's good listening to those same CDs over and over. You are training your ear and that is more than half the battle. You are just going to keep geting lifted "higher and higher" 'cause it'll just keep getting better and better.

As I was classically trained, with sheet music, on the violin and piano, I never really knew how to improvise on them. I could a little bit on the violin and I can fiddle a few tunes, with lots of practise and those I do by ear, BUT the dulcimer is the first instrument, besides my voice, that I am learning and playing solely by ear and I find it is such a JOY!

Next time you come into PalTalk, have your banjo handy and when someone else is singing or playing, jam along with them. It's good practise and it trains your ear even more.

Have fun, darlin'....luvyakat