View Full Version : Best mandolin instruction book
I'm looking for a book that will take me from the basics to advanced playing - are there any really good methods out there that are not simply a collection of tunes? I'm already an advanced flatpicking guitar player and would like to find something to speed up the transition to mando.
Eugene
May-14-2004, 1:56pm
What style(s) of music?
TheNaivePicker
May-14-2004, 6:00pm
Well I-, personally, have always Used Mel Bay... and another old book I have for CLassical methods...but all In all..
YaY for Mel Bay!
Personally, some of #the best all around instruction books/CDs I've seen are from Simon Mayor. #He covers EVERYthing. #No one style, just good mandolin musicianship.
I don't know about any good books but I've got both the Chris Thile and Sam Bush DVD's from Homespun Tapes. #Both are really, really great! #I think you can get a short video sample at www.homespuntapes.com.
Check them out.
Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I was looking at the Simon Mayor books on the internet and I think that might be what I'm looking for as the emphasis seems to be first on a thorough understanding of the instrument than a specific musical style.
The Chris Thile dvd would be worth having too, but I think I'd prefer a book with cd.
Clamdigger
May-15-2004, 4:38am
Check out Steve Kaufmans "Twenty tunes every parking lot picker should know". #It has begginer, intermediate and advanced tunes in tab and notation and a CD to cover every part of each. #Butch Baldassari has a couple of instructional books out that are very similiar. #Both are good. #Clamdigger
Jim Garber
May-15-2004, 6:21am
The very popular and excellent method from earlier in the last century was the Bickford method. Everything but volume one is out of print. However, Django Books (http://www.djangobooks.com/archives/2004/05/04/new_ebook_the_bickford_mandolin_method.html#000067 ) has volume 1 in ebook format for a reasonable price.
Jim
Niles' wares are very comprehensive, not just tunes but techniques, studies, etc.
Anyone know anything about the Teach Yourself book by Andy Statman?
mando andy
May-15-2004, 10:07am
its a beginner book---doesn't include notation--only tab. I consider that a big drawback. Plus the CD doesn't have slow speeds for the songs. Much better books are the beginning books by Dix Bruce (very comprehensive and tons of songs and great CD) and Bert Casey (more BG oriented-good CD). Both a good price---they are so inexpensive you can get both for around 20 bucks.
Andy Morton
Madison, WI
jim_n_virginia
May-15-2004, 7:38pm
Fretboard Roadmap for Mandolin
Great book! Got me started on improvisation and solo playing.
elenbrandt
May-19-2004, 6:23am
I think the best overall clean and simple book (I came from the guitar as well) is Mel Bay's Deluxe BlueGrass Mandolin Method by Ray Valla. #It usually runs around 10 bucks (and there may be one with a CD now) and it has the basics for everything, very well laid out. #After all these years, I still pull it out of a very large stack of mandolin instruction books. #It covers scales, chords, method, keys, and with good simple arrangements of most of the basic bluegrass songs. #It has become my little basic mando-Bible. Each time my playing kicks to a higher level, I find something in that book that helps me.