MandoZombie - Posted - 11/06/2011:  19:54:12

 Hello,

        I am a new member to this group, and am hoping to get some good tips, pointers, etc., to help me in my pursuit to pure mandolin playing enjoyment!! I got a rather inexpensive mandolin for Christmas last year, messed around with it for the first three months or so of this year,..and then just recently picked it back up and am more driven to learn to play it! I am 49 years old, and have, over the years, messed around with a few acoustic guitars, but never really stuck to it like I should have.  But the sound of the Mandolin has truly captured my ear, but I don't really have the extra income to pay for formal lessons on an ongoing basis, and have only found one potential teacher in my town, who has never responded to my inquiries. Therefore, while I realize that being in my late 40's may prove to be difficult to pursue the self-taught road as it were, but  I am currently using a mixture of Gary Horne's Beginning Mandolin book and CD and the Beginner Mandolin videos/mp3s/tabs package by Brad Laird to attempt this feat. My question is,....Are there others on this board, near my age or older, who have learned their skills for playing the mandolin using a self-taught approach? Thanks for any  info. that anyone can provide me with concerning this method!

Texasbanjo - Posted - 11/08/2011:  05:48:56

I got started on the mandolin a couple of years ago and purchased a beginner book to get me started.  The one I purchased was by Eddie Collins.  It helped me get started.  The only gripe I had about the book is it starts you out on fiddle tunes almost immediately and for me, I wasn't ready for that much deedle deedle - I needed some basic songs under my belt first.

I asked a mandolin picker friend how he managed to pick so many songs so quickly and he showed me a "pattern" using scales where you can play any song in any major key just using this scale pattern. Wish I could explain it to you, but I'd have to show you.  It got me started and now I can pick out just about any song with no trouble at all, just figure out what the first melody note is and the key and take it from there.

BluegrassWarehouse - Posted - 11/08/2011:  18:17:02

So are you going to post a video showing us? :)

Lance

Texasbanjo - Posted - 11/11/2011:  05:31:15

No, I'm too computer illiterate to figure out how to do that.

Charley Wild - Posted - 11/11/2011:  09:13:31

You'll do okay. There is enough material on the net to keep you going a lifetime!  The problem can be that there is too much material in that you end up jumping all over the place. I still have a tendency to do it myself and I've been playing for years!  TexasBanjo brings up a good point. If you can look over an instruction book before you buy it you are better off. For instance a lot of books claim there are going teach you to play "Bluegrass" where in fact they are just books of fiddle tunes. Nothing wrong with fiddle tunes but there is a lot more to Bluegrass music than fiddle tunes.

And use this site. There are people on here of all skill levels who will be glad to answer questions, point you in the right direction, etc.

Edited by - Charley Wild on 11/11/2011 09:14:38

Ben Venuti - Posted - 11/11/2011:  17:18:15

I haven't done much of it myself but if there is nothing else I would think that DVD's might be a way to go, that and books and most important, lots and lots of listening.. Several top of the line mandolinists are also offering Skype lessons. Where do you live? There may be more mandolin players in your area than you know about. Someone may know of others in your area. I live in the SF Bay Area so there are endless possibilities for teachers and I am somewhat amazed when I hear that there are areas of the country where mandolin players are in short supply. If you can find a teacher it's really the best way to go, even if it's on a casual basis. I would suggest Jack Tottle's "Bluegrass Mandolin" as a good starting book. It's a classic by now and I believe still available.

mandoteacher - Posted - 11/12/2011:  06:23:00

I am currently teaching 3 mandolin students online over G+ Hangouts.

un5trung - Posted - 11/13/2011:  10:43:04

Mike Marshall offers lessons through the Academy of Bluegrass: academyofbluegrass.com -- highly recomended --

popsey - Posted - 11/14/2011:  05:19:43

I am 62 yrs old and have started to play the mandolin.  I was a piano dealer for 25 yrs and also learned to tune pianos as well as play the piano.  I purchased Bradley Lairds Mandolin training camp book as well as his master class book about three weeks ago and my eyes were opened so much.  I have progressed more in three weeks than if I had been taking lesson for three years.  His method cut through all the red tape and scale after scale methods that are always in method and lesson books.  I can't tell you how much these two books have done for me. I highly advise anyone who wants to get a jump start on playing the mandolin to visit his website and read all the reviews and see what he can do for you.  Good luck.

crsb - Posted - 06/14/2013:  12:22:58

ErikForGod - Posted - 06/16/2013:  05:58:16

Well I'll just add my two cents:



I used to play mandolin and sing tenor in a group that played festivals in Florida, Georgia and a few in Alabama, but that was over 7/8 years ago perhaps...haven0t touched the mandolin since after I went through alot of heavy personal life changes.

Having said that, looking back, there were some things that I wished I had done differently. I figured out right-hand technique and it's importance a little bit late in my mandolin playing and I think my technique suffered a bit for it, just my opinion. I had a good steady tremolo and could pick tunes, chop, backup etc....but I really ended up trying to play too fast before I was ready. I mean I eventually mastered it, but later in the game, I could have actually been playing better sooner if I had focused on that in the beginning....nothing is more important than that right-hand....nothing in my opinion.

I can't stress the importance of getting your right hand as perfect as possible before you start playing and jamming with others. More so than on any other instrument, it's highly critical with the mandolin. It's an instrument with a small string radius and difficult to control, the center of gravity is so small. It takes a considerable amount of more control and precision than say a guitar. The mandolin is unforgiving, when it's wrong, it will really be wrong and everyone will know it.

I would focus on right-hand until you are sick of it, holding the pick loosely, finding the right pick and pick material, pick angle, loose wrists, not tensing the forearm.....lot's too learn.

Don't leap when you aren't ready to jump...play slowly, use a metronome and don't get in a hurry.

Edited by - ErikForGod on 06/16/2013 06:02:28

Drum58 - Posted - 06/17/2013:  09:57:38

quote:

---

Originally posted by Texasbanjo

 

I got started on the mandolin a couple of years ago and purchased a beginner book to get me started.  The one I purchased was by Eddie Collins.  It helped me get started.  The only gripe I had about the book is it starts you out on fiddle tunes almost immediately and for me, I wasn't ready for that much deedle deedle - I needed some basic songs under my belt first.

I asked a mandolin picker friend how he managed to pick so many songs so quickly and he showed me a "pattern" using scales where you can play any song in any major key just using this scale pattern. Wish I could explain it to you, but I'd have to show you.  It got me started and now I can pick out just about any song with no trouble at all, just figure out what the first melody note is and the key and take it from there.

---

Man, you've got us newcomers champing at the bit!  PLEASE find some way to post a video or post something to show us this technique!  You would be doing a lot of us a huge favor if you could post something showing us how to use this "pattern"

ErikForGod - Posted - 06/18/2013:  05:22:25

quote:

---

Originally posted by Drum58

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Texasbanjo

 

I got started on the mandolin a couple of years ago and purchased a beginner book to get me started.  The one I purchased was by Eddie Collins.  It helped me get started.  The only gripe I had about the book is it starts you out on fiddle tunes almost immediately and for me, I wasn't ready for that much deedle deedle - I needed some basic songs under my belt first.

I asked a mandolin picker friend how he managed to pick so many songs so quickly and he showed me a "pattern" using scales where you can play any song in any major key just using this scale pattern. Wish I could explain it to you, but I'd have to show you.  It got me started and now I can pick out just about any song with no trouble at all, just figure out what the first melody note is and the key and take it from there.

---

Man, you've got us newcomers champing at the bit!  PLEASE find some way to post a video or post something to show us this technique!  You would be doing a lot of us a huge favor if you could post something showing us how to use this "pattern"

---

Must be talking about playing out of the major chord or boxed bluegrass chord positions...especially in the key of B or B flat...Monroe played alot of licks and fills out of those "patterns" or positions....I'm thinking that's what he's referring too.

Edited by - ErikForGod on 06/18/2013 05:22:45

Donnie - Posted - 06/19/2013:  19:30:59

I took two or three guitar lessons when I was about 9 or 10, that's about it. I got my first Mel Bay Chord book just after that, and it all became "relative" during those awesome "Ah Ha" moments. After I got my first mandolin, and chord book, everything I learned on the guitar, made it easier. I watched and listened to many mandolin players as well and practiced all the time. At the age of 58, I'm still finding things new about the mandolin, be it electric (Fender Mando - Caster), or acoustic (Collings MT-O Black Face, & '60 Martin A Flat Back), there's always new things and techniques to learn little bits and pieces from and find ways to put them to use.