mandoteacher - Posted - 02/24/2011:  06:58:13

So you're starting out new on the mandolin. You've contacted a good mando teacher, you've ordered the books, now what do you do? Rent or buy? If you buy, what are your choices and how do you know what's the best mandolin for you to learn on?

I've been teaching mandolin since I opened my studio in 1986. Course I have 3 music degrees and have been playing the violin since 1966, which probably helps a bit. So here's what I recommend:

1. rent. there are a lot of good rent to buy programs out there. check with your local music store and ask the owner if they have a rent to buy program. if they don't have one, mention you saw it here on MandoHangout and maybe they will set one up. they are easy to do and not expensive. most rent to buy programs work with a company called Saga Music (sagamusic.com/) using their starter Kentucky A models and upgrading from there. The instruments are fine to learn on, sturdily built and with decent set up are quite good

2. if you can't rent, then buy something. I'd stay away from the real cheap stuff you can buy for under $200 on ebay. you can look on craigslist in your area to see if there's anything worth buying there. post the ads here on this discussion and I'll be happy to tell you what I think about it. or you can buy a Kentucky A style mandolin from Amazon.com or any shop that carries them. Don't spend more than $300 for a mandolin with a case. you'll upgrade to something better in a couple years, but you want something sturdy that is playable now

3. strings. I like D'Addario medium bronze, but they're not for everyone. ask around, do your research. the most important thing about strings when you're starting out is that they are not too rough on your fingers. there will be a lot of pain involved in the beginning and so softer/lighter strings will help you get through that stage. you can upgrade to heavier strings once you've got your right and left hands down

4. picks. I like a medium pick. I used to use a John Dunlop 1.5mm pick. It's black and sortof triangular in shape, like a guitar pick. I don't go for those round picks or even those tear-drop shaped mando picks. I like something substantial in my fingers. I like a little play in the pick, so not the real super heavy ones...because i use lighter strings and so I can use a lighter pick. I play mostly Celtic and classical music these days, which calls for more dexterity for melodic work, and less chop.

Edited by - mandoteacher on 02/24/2011 07:01:40

mandoteacher - Posted - 02/24/2011:  07:27:56

Books I recommend:

1. You can teach yourself fiddling - Mel Bay. I use this for both beginning fiddle students and beginning mandolin students. The fingerings and tunes are appropriate for both, and it's astonishingly simple which is good for learning to read real music (not tab which I hate)

2. I can read music - a note learning book for violin students, but is also great for mandolin. It's dirt easy, and the absolute best tool for learning how to read music that I have found in my 25 years of teaching.

3. The Fiddler's Fakebook - often favorited here on the MH and over on the FH as well. I wish this book had been available when I was learning to play, but then again I suppose if it was I would have spent less time on scales and more fooling with this book! Which would have hurt me more over time. Scales are where it's at by the way. Anyway, the book is great and provides a good cross-selection of tunes from a wide range of genres. These are tunes that you'll jam with others on, common tunes that everybody knows. I like the way the book is set up with a discography on the left, and a transcription from the top recording of the tune, complete with ornamentation and bowing on the right. People shouldn't use it as the bible, however. This is just a book with one way to play these tunes. Anybody that spends time researching a tune on Youtube will tell you there are dozens of ways to play a tune. But I like it because it gives you a foundation to start with and as you start playing with other people, you can make up your own version of the tune.

4. Aerobics for fiddlers - yah another fiddle book. Well this is full of left hand exercises which are super useful in developing strength and stamina and dexterity. You can ignore the right hand exercises and bowing markings. Maybe there are similar books for mandolinists, but I've yet to find one.

Genre specific books I like:

1. The Irish Fiddle Book - Matt Cranitch
2. The Complete Klezmer
3. The Portland Collection - vols 1 & 2
4. The Waltz Books - vols 1, 2 (I have 3 and 4 but don't use them)
5. The Real Book - I have version 4, but version 6 is out now and it's still good
6. The Bluegrass Songbook - lyrics, chords for most of the bg tunes I know and then some!

Curt - Posted - 03/07/2011:  17:35:50

Thanks, Adam. Some good stuff here. I'd choose a heavy pick over the medium, even an extra heavy perhaps; and I'd forego all the sight reading, although I CAN read music. Yes, you're far more knowledgeable and a much better player than I, but I'm just stubborn and set in my ways. Uhm... what say the rest of you?