• From: South Jersey
  • Registered: 2007-10-26
  • Posts: 7

Re: Mandolin

For the poster who says he doesn't think he can play with big hands: My husband has huge bear paws, he plays rhythm guitar but he wails! on our Fender A mando! He can do ALL the bar chords with his meat hooks! And, the GDAE string layout makes doing lead runs in any key so much more intuitive in going from string to string than on the guitar (in my opinion). Don't count it out just because you've got big hands!

YES! I've been playing since August and I absolutely love the sounds I can make with my little MK Dragonfly Custom F5. At first I bought a Fender A Acc/Elec. but the overtones were really harsh, I couldn't make clean changes or get clean pressure on the low G string with any other finger down. Plus, I've got small hands. I was seriously limited in the chords I could make until I researched and found the MK had the radiussed fret board. I still have trouble with bars but I can make all changes much cleaner and the sound is so sweet. Make you cry. Last night I found an F I can make. !!!!! I was overjoyed! With the mandolin I don't feel limited. Technique I can improve with time. To be able to make reasonably clean sounds right away only happened for me on the mando. Jay Buckey's instructional materials helped me and within a week I was playing AND Singing (at the same time!) 5 whole songs.

I played classical piano for 5 years as a kid but knew I'd never play Carnegie Hall. I really wanted to play Rock & Roll but back then there weren't any teachers near me. I played guitar in my 20's, long enough to get really sore & really discouraged with my spastic fingers. I picked up the violin last year only to run all the stray cats out of my yard and my neighbors out of their yards. Mandolin was my only hope for finally being able to play with my husband and friends. I can't tell you what a joy to have found, at this stage in my life, that I can make music with my husband when he plays acc. guitar. We play every night! Right now we're practicing Bluegrass standards but he'll go off on a Dead tune or a classic R&B progression and, (now that I found that F) I'm right in his back pocket!

We've come to Chordie often and I've just subscribed. I'll be working on our songbook and check back with you all at this forum. We nightly sit and try to figure out tunes and I'll try to contribute some mandolin tabs for our arrangements when I can. My husband tells me I'm too technical but I'm sure I'm not the only one wired that way. It's the fun and commeraderie of it that juices me.

Have fun!

Mactekvic

mactekvic's Website

  • From: South Jersey
  • Registered: 2007-10-26
  • Posts: 7

Re: Mandolin

mikeller wrote:

Hi Gang
NIce to see that there are other duffers out there. I find the B chords give me greef.
I've been jamming with people that know guitar very well, if you know the pantatonic scale of the tune there playing you  can pick away and acully sound as if you know what your doing. Try it.

That was the first lesson in the Jay Buckey mandolin course I purchased (worth EVERY penny!). My husband has taken to calling me a Freak. After 2 months playing I'm playing lead runs like crazy - blue notes & all! Jay Buckey instructs "Think Melody of the tune". I just try to play the notes of the singer's melody. Everybody recognizes the melody for the vocals! My husband tells me it helps him on rhythm guitar remember when to make the changes. No more counting phrase beats in his head.


"In playing old time music there's a really fine line between sounding good and not being able to play at all."
Ron Thomason - Dry Branch Fire Squad

mactekvic's Website

  • Registered: 2007-07-06
  • Posts: 6

Re: Mandolin

I've been playing Mandolin for about 6 months now. I needed a small instrument to take on vacation, so I started with a Rouge A-Style. Then I went to Cape Cod Mandolin Camp in September and got M.A.S. (Mandolin acquisition syndrome) and bought an Eastman 605 A-Style. It's a lot of fun. I need to learn some scales on it (no pesky B string to mess up the pattern like on a guitar).

  • Registered: 2007-12-28
  • Posts: 2

Re: Mandolin

I played a bit as a young guy and a few years ago I got invited into a jug band. There were gobs of people on guitar already, so playing mandolin, even not very well gave me a really distinctive sound in the group, and now I'm getting better all the time.
I'm really glad I picked it up this way because it is forcing me to improve.
Chordie is an excellent site because I can find a song and have it put into mando chords instantly. Now I am even learning more chords.

Bill

  • From: South Jersey
  • Registered: 2007-10-26
  • Posts: 7

Re: Mandolin

That's right Mikeller! I think there are a lot of duffers out there who hug their mandolins before putting them to bed!

I have an announcement to make here, where I hope it will be received well...

On January 25th  Mandolin Music at   http://mactekvic.com   went live.

We all know how frustrating it is to google 'mandolin tabs' only to have guitar tabs or mandolin method product websites returned. Who's seriously tabbing for us out there? Well, I'm not a professional but I invested in the software and the site so that others like me can come and collaborate and improve their skills and repetoires.

Please come and say Hi in the forum and I would love for you all to make the site your own little corner of the internet for mentorship and encouragement. I hope to expand it to include collaboration between flatpicking guitarists and mandolin players but for now it's decidedly mandolin oriented. Oh, and I think ALL music genres can be arranged for the mandolin and I'm open to ANY offer of including what YOU want to play. I can even collaborate with you to help you put it into the sheet music quality tab format with accompanying midi you see on the site for free if you'll allow me to put it in the tabs index.

Hope you'll all at least stop by and say hello.

Vic

mactekvic's Website

56 Reply by SleepyCreeker (edited by SleepyCreeker 2008-01-27 14:40:56)

  • Registered: 2007-10-01
  • Posts: 14

Re: Mandolin

For those that want some "contempory" mandolin music check out R.E.M's "Losing My Religion", GreenDay's "Good Riddance(Time of Your Life), Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel"

I'll recommend others as I think of them and would welcome others to do the same.

Cheers

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Mandolin

also Fisherman's blues by the waterboys ( and also covered by a canadian band called KILT)

and drop kick murphys use a mandolin a lot in their punked up folk songs.




ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2007-10-01
  • Posts: 14

Re: Mandolin

Good one Upyer.

It's funny how once you take and interest in a particular instrument you find it in a lot of music where you never noticed it before.

  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: Mandolin

Remember Seals and Croft from the sixties? An electric mandolin did some really great and memorable leads. Also Led Zepplin did some mandolin work...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.
  • Registered: 2008-02-11
  • Posts: 1

Re: Mandolin

I just started playing on a mandolin after getting one for my birthday. It is a lot different from guitar, but I am managing. One thing for sure is that the chords are a lot tighter. I can play a few songs but I am hoping to get better.

I really like the vast number of songs to learn here on chordie, I am really impressed. If I can't make it work for mandolin, I can make it work for guitar.

  • tblrck
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 4

Re: Mandolin

I play jazz, Blues/Bluegrass mandolin. I most of the time learn a tune or song on guitar then transpose it to mandolin, I works out good with our three piece band, I got a couple of F-Mandolins that I don't play much anymore, They are great instruments professional grade it is that I can only play one at a time and now I got a new one

62 Reply by 3CF

  • 3CF
  • 3CF
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: NJ USA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 37

Re: Mandolin

I play not too fast however. Work in progress. 3CF

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.
Henry Van Dyke

3CF's Website

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2008-05-28
  • Posts: 66

Re: Mandolin

tracelaw wrote:

Hey there

Next up is Tool on my Mandolin mission! hmm, I wonder how some Violent Femmes songs would sound...

Violent Femmes do sound good on mado... if you start with Blister in the Sun, i find you need to use a different C chord than what most people learn first, it needs to have more accent on the lower strings.

This band has some good mandolin, i found them on myspace a few months ago.
www.jadedmandolin.com

I would not say it is easier than guitar but i think its more fun.

Mandolin>guitar
  • Registered: 2008-08-06
  • Posts: 1

Re: Mandolin

Hello everyone...I've been playing the mandolin and guitar off and on since I was about 12.
I'm 60 now. lol! big_smile You'd think I'd be an expert by now, but I'm far from that.  I can pick out just about
anything I hear with the mandolin quite a bit easier than I can with the guitar. I don't know ALL the
chords on either instrument, but I sure have a lot of fun playing them. I've been learning new chords
and licks for both instruments on the internet, and it's getting me past "the wall" that I seemed to run
into with my playing. I've also joined a local gospel/bluegrass band, and that encourages me to learn
more as well. We have a great time when we get together to play for folks.

Sorry to jump in and just run on and on...just wanted to let you know there's another mandolin player
out here.  smile

  • Registered: 2008-09-05
  • Posts: 1

Re: Mandolin

Hi, I took up the mandolin in 1988 after the wife complained about the banjo. She does now complain about the mando but not as often. Maybe she's just growing weary.  MandolinCafe is good (will keep you up well into the small hours) as it has tons of tabs of all styles of music. Mp3 downloads too.
  Try to learn some closed (bluegrass) chords. Very handy as you can move them around like barre chords on the guitar.

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
  • Unofficial king of Scotland
  • Offline
  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Mandolin

hi lindamon and welcome to chordie.

The blue grass way you talk about ( if it is the same i am thinking of) is very very useful to know and it is not just for blue grass music. All you need to know is three shapes for your fingers to go in, find the key of the song and you can just about jam along wit hanything at all.
My father in law uses these three shapes all the time.
I am, or was trying to master it. I think I have forgotten the three shapes and I have not played the mandolin for a few months now.
I think I will pick it up tonight again and have a bash at trying to remember and master these three shapes.


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2008-09-17
  • Posts: 2

Re: Mandolin

Hello all.
    I got an eastman a month ago for my birthday.  I have played guitar all my adult life and never knew how fun the mando
could be.  Enough that I am trying to find some pickers to put together a little bluegrass and other stuff band.  Mandolin Cafe
is a great site and you can get a good cd to learn some intermediate stuff from "bluegrassbooksonline.com.
Doug

68 Reply by lone-woodwose (edited by lone-woodwose 2008-10-06 02:44:21)

  • From: NH
  • Registered: 2008-05-28
  • Posts: 66

Re: Mandolin

upyerkilt wrote:

hi lindamon and welcome to chordie.

The blue grass way you talk about ( if it is the same i am thinking of) is very very useful to know and it is not just for blue grass music. All you need to know is three shapes for your fingers to go in, find the key of the song and you can just about jam along wit hanything at all.
My father in law uses these three shapes all the time.
I am, or was trying to master it. I think I have forgotten the three shapes and I have not played the mandolin for a few months now.
I think I will pick it up tonight again and have a bash at trying to remember and master these three shapes.


Ken

your right, dont quote me on this but i believe that is the style of back-up mandolin Carbon Leaf uses.

lindamon wrote:

Hi, I took up the mandolin in 1988 after the wife complained about the banjo. She does now complain about the mando but not as often. Maybe she's just growing weary.  MandolinCafe is good (will keep you up well into the small hours) as it has tons of tabs of all styles of music. Mp3 downloads too.
  Try to learn some closed (bluegrass) chords. Very handy as you can move them around like barre chords on the guitar.

i know how you feel with not having support in learning banjo. eventually they quiet down...maybe...sometimes.

Mandolin>guitar
  • Registered: 2008-11-18
  • Posts: 1

Re: Mandolin

Hey guys. Have been a guitarist for about 20 years, but recently picked up a mate's mandolin and absolutely loved the thing. Now obviously I want to buy myself one, but know bugger all about what make to get. Was just wondering what people's opinions were on a decent first instrument. I have a fairly limited budget at the minute due to other costly projects so any advice would be most welcome. Also, I was debating the whole  mandolin/mandola thing and havent decided yet which would suit better, so any advice on a 1st mandola would be welcome too.
Cheers.

  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: Mandolin

I've always played guitar until I got involved with a church group that already had two guitar players so I started a mandolin to add a different sound. Then I really got hooked! A website called
www.folkofthewood.com   has lots of really good info about mandolins, mandolas, banjos, and other acoustic instruments. What to get would also depend a lot on your type of music...most bluegrass players prefer an "F" mandolin for it's style and also typically "bright" less sustaining sound for the fast playing styles. Celtic and folk players typically like the "A" styles for a mellower and more sustaining sound. For a limited budge then might look at the Fender and Alvarez models...also Kentucky Mandolins, and Michael Kelly...just to name a few...  hope this helps

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.
  • From: w australia
  • Registered: 2008-03-30
  • Posts: 13

Re: Mandolin

I learnt to play a beautiful antique round back mandolin when i was 8. By theory. Only for a couple of years. I have picked up the Mandola too which has a deeper sound. I am getting a new solid wood mandolin for chrissy yippee. looking forward to jamming without theory and trying some chords.

music IS my soul
  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 338

Re: Mandolin

Take your time, play them all - is the best advice.

I spent most of this summer cogitating, trying different mandolins, going back to check if my initial thoughts were right. I would suggest you avoid the really cheap ones, but when you try them you'll know that they don't feel right in your hands, they aren't loud enough or the finish is four inches thick.

I ended up getting a Garrison M20 in Cedar / Birch (http://www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk/erol.html#13651X13703 ) . It's wonderful for Celtic melody work. When you play it , it rings, rather than snatching at the notes.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

alansheeran's Website

  • Registered: 2008-12-19
  • Posts: 2

Re: Mandolin

My daughter (bless her heart) got me a mandolin for Christmas. It's one of those Musician Friend's $49.95 specials. I am seeing in here that there are A styles, F styles etc... What does this mean and how do I know what I've got? For the price I'm impressed and already know a couple songs. I know it isn't the best in the world but it's fine for a beginer. It's also entertaining reading what ya'll have posted here too. Thanks for any help you might have in deciding exactly what I have......letter wise that is.

  • From: Portsmouth, UK
  • Registered: 2008-07-29
  • Posts: 95

Re: Mandolin

I got one today, probably the worst one in the world, but I'm really looking forward to getting it home and tuning it up and bashing about!

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◥☼▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲⊙▲☼◤ -Mr T says: Quit yo jibba Jabba! You Ain't hurt!

75 Reply by SleepyCreeker (edited by SleepyCreeker 2009-01-06 21:49:31)

  • Registered: 2007-10-01
  • Posts: 14

Re: Mandolin

bubba55 - If you enjoy playing it, it's good enough. When you chops and your ear tell you it isn't, it's time to move up. As ApeDoctor implies, proper set up can make a "cheapo" mandolin sound and play a lot better. Have fun.