ethanking01 - Posted - 09/26/2016:  18:44:36

So, I've been playing banjo for about 4 years. I'm 15, and I started when I was 11. However, in the past year, I've lost interest in banjo. I don't enjoy playing it anymore because I like playing more subtle folky music, and I enjoy singing while strumming an instrument, which is quite difficult to do while picking a banjo. I also want to play an instrument that's more portable, unlike a banjo, which is basically the weight equivalent to the average 10 year old.  So, I was thinking of learning to play either the mandolin or the fiddle. Both sound great in all sorts of traditional music: fast, slow, church, celtic, pop, etc. Both are very portable. I just don't know which one I should learn! Although you can't really sing while playing a fiddle, I do love the sound of it, and my dad already plays the mandolin. However, I also love the sound of the mandolin, and I could sing while playing it, plus we already have one at home. Any ideas of which one I should play, and the pros and cons of each? 

Texasbanjo - Posted - 09/27/2016:  04:59:05

How about learning guitar?  If you like singing more than picking, you can learn rhythm guitar and sing and play guitar together.  Sounds great.  I don't think it would be easy to play fiddle and sing since you hold the fiddle under your chin and that would make it very difficult to sign and play at the same time.  Mandolin might be okay to sing and chop with but the guitar would the easier and quicker (at least for me it was) and to me, sounds better together than mandolin or fiddle.  Just my take. 

paulspafford - Posted - 10/02/2016:  11:37:12

Are you doing bluegrass or clawhammer banjo? There are a lot of truly cool things you can do on clawhammer banjo to fill out a song that you're "just strumming" along with. Look up Old Man Luedecke (pronounced Loo-duh-kuh) on YouTube. He is a fairly subtle player. When you listen to his stuff, he's not wacking you over the head and saying "this is banjo music". It's just good songs that he sings while playing his instrument of choice.

That being said, while I dabble in clawhammer banjo, I am primarily a mandolin player, and my main goal is the same as yours - I want to sing and play. It often surprises people that I've chosen to do this on the mando, but it just has such a sad, desolate sound that I love. Also, with it tuned in fifths (instead of fourths like the guitar), I find it much easier to play harmony notes while picking instrumental parts between lines or verses, so you can have a nice full sound even while playing a "lead" part on your own.

Better yet, if you get good enough on the mandolin, once you've gotten to know some other folkies, they'll expect you to just know how to pick some tasty leads and fills to make them sound better. You'll never lack in other musicians who desperately want you to play with them.

Come to the dark side, friend. Play the mandolin.