Howdy folks!

[Mule]

I've had a mandolin for over a year now but have been learning banjo for the past 2 1/2 years and thought I'd give that a rest for a month or so. I've got 20+ years of cross picking and lead guitar experience. I guess my question is, do experienced guitar pickers generally pick up on the mandolin fairly quick? it doesn't seem too bad so far.

[Jim Broyles]

You will probably notice that some tunes seem to just play themselves, due to the 5ths tuning, instead of 4ths, because the pentatonic scales just lay better in 5ths than in 4ths. You will also probably try to play some guitar licks and find that they don't come out right. Once you get used to the fretboard - and the smaller size equalizes in about 10 minutes, if you ask me - you should have no trouble making the switch.

[Mule]

Well it can't get much more positive than that! Thanks.

[Mule]

Does anybody have any suggestions on wich 3 or 4 scales would be the most important to start with if I were wanting to learn bluegrass mandolin?

[Jim Broyles]

Major, pentatonic, blues.

[hepcat mando]

I've played guitar for 25 years and I think that has helped tremendously. Although, I had to get used to the fact that headbanging and mando do not go together. Why aren't there stage dives at the bluegrass jam? Because nobody would catch the banjo player. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

Although, I had to get used to the fact that headbanging and mando do not go together (QUOTE)

You should watch Bush/Grisman playing 'Ralphs banjo special' on youtube.
Headbanging and beard shaking a'plenty. Its hilarious.

[Mule]

Thanks guys!

[fiddlingdan]

Mule,
Take a look at this link they have some great mandolin lessons
www.musicmoose.com

Dan

[JeffD]

Major, pentatonic, blues.
In keys from two flats to three sharps.


I am glad to see someone else advocating the pentatonic scales. Next to the major scales they are the most usefull thing I have ever learned. The list of things you get better at is amazing - ear training, fretboard familiarity, improvising, learning new tunes by ear ...

If you are picking up the mandolin, and have no particular tune in mind to play, playing the pentatonics in various keys is IMHO one of the most productive things you can be doing. Its fun when you get the hang of it, and kind of addicting.

[jmcgann]

You might want to have some time in your practice routinr where you forget about scales and technical stuff (NOT technique, though) and learn tunes. That's where your improvisational vocabulary comes from. Beyond transfering your guitar settings to mando, go for mando solos and fiddle solos from your favorites. The way fiddle lines lie on mandolin vs. guitar will make you wonder why the guitar was ever invented http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[mythicfish]

Western music is a 12 step program.

Curt

thats funny curt!
gotta remember that one.
my mando tip is to learn all the open position scales possible and use middle ring and pinky only, for practice only.
when you get up the neck not only does it strenthen your pinky but it works some muscle memory into your hands how to work in the four note per string fasion.

[JeffD]

Not E or B natural? - these are very common keys in Bluegrass.
Good point.

[Aran]

I'm sitting here enjoying this thread with a scale finder book on my lap and a mando in my hand!!

I have found myself playing a kind of worked out by ear pentatonic (yeah I know not very scientific in my case) in a couple of different keys, anyway after looking at the book it turns out I've been playing a pentatonic minor for the past while. Now the major pentatonic doesn't sound as nice somehow.

So wondering which pentatonic is mostly used in bluegrass?

major or minor?

[JeffD]

I usually practice only the major pentatonics. They seems to be a kind of skeleton, on which the variations can hang. When in the middle of the tune I can almost feel the variation - add this, flat that - and some of the variations are the minors I am sure. I am not sure which ones are more common in which kind of music, I just kind of feel my way around.

[Steve G]

I played bluegrass and country guitar for most of my life and then took up mandolin about seven years ago. The mandolin makes much more sense. I started with the Jack Tottle book which got me rolling as well as scales (with a metronome). Learning lots of fiddle tunes really makes it fun. However, I still find myself thinking about guitar when trying to learn chords to a tune by ear. I guess thats just a result of picking up mandolin so late. I really love it. It's very addicting. Best decision I ever made. I also can't even begin to tell you how much the folks here on the cafe have helped.

[mythicfish]

Steve, sounds like you and I have travelled similar roads ... including the Tottle book. The only difference being that once
I switched to mandolin in 1980 -God, has it been that long? - I stopped "thinking guitar " altogether.

Curt