What song,what level are you working on now?

[Tone Monster]

Me

From Roland Whites book:Blackberry Blosson and Blue Moon of Kentucky,just finished his version of Wildwood Flower.

Been Playing 4 1/2 years

Internediate level player

Also working on Sam Bush and Marilynn Mair lessons.

And you:popcorn: ?

[Ken_P]

Don't know what level I'd be considered, somewhere between intermediate and advanced on most days (the other days I can barely get sound to come out). Most of my time right now is devoted to writing a few new pieces for mandolin, which will hopefully be completed soon. When I get burnt out on composing, there are a few tunes I've been playing around with of late:

Brilliancy (Sam Bush)
Blackberry Blossom/Apanhei-te Cavquinho (trad/choro, from Mike Marshall and Hamilton de Holanda)
Penknife Killer (Swedish, from Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, and Vasen)
Big Sam Thompson (Chris Thile)
Violin Sonata no. 3 in C, 4th Mvt, Allegro Assai (Bach)

[jimbob]

I'm working on Forked Deer and Fisher's Hornpipe. I have acquired quite a few fiddle tunes during the past year that my teacher wrote our for me, so I continue working on those as well. Soldier's Joy, Temperance Reel, Roanoake, Over the Waterfall, Cuckoo's Nest, and Red Wing are some others. I have been taking lessons for a little over a year and would consider myself to be a seasoned novice...Sometimes when I hear a really good mandolin player I get real inspired and other times I almost want to burn my mandolin ! It's fun, but you real pickers out there really amaze me !

[Frank Johnson]

I'm still learning to crawl, but am working on Red Haired Boy and Soldier's Joy.

[Bruce Stein]

I would most likely be a lower level intermediate. I am currently working on Little Maggie (Dix Bruce), Nine Pound Hammer (Roland White), I'll Fly Away (Jack Tuttle) and Divin' Duck Blues (by Yank Rachel). I have committed myself to practicing as much as the rest of my life will allow in 2009 in an attempt to get better. To keep myself motivated I have started an on-line blog to journal my progress. You can check it out (and post comments of advice and encouragement) at http://mandomadness.wordpress.com/. Thanks for looking.

[chordbanger]

I am currently learning Whiskey Before Breakfast.

[Bob Wiegers]

my very own untitled composition. hopefully I wont forget it before I get it down somewhere. I'm too impatient/unskilled/bored to learn other peoples songs :-)

[woodwizard]

I think I am at a stage in my mando pickin' that I can learn something fairly advanced I've never played before pretty quick and also get it up to speed pretty quick. Listening to as many versions as I can find to get familar with the melody of the tune along with tab really helps me to accomplish this as well as I guess my many years of pickin' & practice. Nothing use to come easy for me in my picking but I sure can tell a difference now. I've been really enjoying it too. Currently my new favorites I'm playing are "Soppin' the Gravey", Sally Johnson, Bull at the Wagon, Oklahoma Redbird, Twinkle, twinkle, and Ruins of Richmond. Don't get me wrong ... I'm not saying I'm a great mando picker I just really love it and can really tell I have improved. I think I've got a few good years left.

[toddjoles]

I have been playing for 5 years but really hadn't been interested with picking any tunes until recently when I started going to more Jams. I felt a bit embarrasses that I couldn't pick basic tunes. So I went to work. I figure if I learn 2 tunes inside and out every few months I'll have them down soon.

Last month I got down Red Haired Boy and Cherokee Shuffle. This month and probably for the next three ;) , I'm working on St. Anne's Reel and Whiskey Before Breakfast.

The thought of Whiskey Before Breakfast sure brings back sweet(bad?) memories of my misspent youth when I thought I knew everything.

By the way, I'm much better now, and I now realize I didn't know @#$% . The only thing I am sure of these days is how much @#$% I don't know! So much knowledge, so little time!

[Gerry Hastie]

Just got the Ronnie McCoury DVD, Sam Bush double DVD and Bill Monroe DVDs with Sam Bush analysis.

That should keep me busy...

Owned a mandolin for 3 years 8 months, serious pickin' last 18 months.

Don't know what level I'd say I'm at but I seem to be getting there. If I try to rush it, it all goes pear-shaped, if I take my time I get there just as quick. It's a hare and tortoise thing...

[Michael Cameron]

I've been playing for about 15 years. Hoping to develop some style of my own.

I'm just a hacker,learning from all the Homespun,Joe Carr,Butch,Sam,Dawg,Chris Henry,Murphy Method,Tim O' tapes,and my buddy Garland Hurt.

LEVEL: old hippie wannabe (I can play about as loud as anybody!)

[bbjockey]

I have been working on a slower, lonesome version of Shady Grove. For the past couple weeks I have been forcing myself to spend more time practicing chopping/chord changes and less time picking. I think I am behind where I should be at this point on my chop verses where I am picking. Kentucky Mandolin will likely be my next song.

I have been taking lessons for just over a year and consider myself an advanced beginner.

[Chad Stein]

Still a beginner, working on sight reading and starting to work my way through some of the easier songs in the fakebook. Bonaparte crossing the Rhine and Sonny's Mazurka are the newbies right now.

Ken_P do you have sheet music for Big Sam or are you picking through it by ear? That's probably my favorite CT instrumental.

[Ken_P]

Ken_P do you have sheet music for Big Sam or are you picking through it by ear? That's probably my favorite CT instrumental.

I'm doing it by ear, but the notes aren't that hard. It stays in A minor the whole time, with no chromatic notes, so just stay within that scale, take it slow, and it should come eventually. Good luck!

[JeffD]

I am working on Glass Island Reel, http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/8873 with tremolo on quarter notes.

I play a lot (no, a lot) of tunes, and I do not consciously play any of them with anyone elses recognizable style or version - I learned most of them by hearing other folkies play them, mostly fiddlers actually, or from sheet music, almost never from a recording, and absolutely never from a mandolin recording.

While I would love to play something as good as <<fill in the blank with your favorite>> I would not want to play that person's unique version or take on a tune.

I would am much more flattered when someone recognizes and enjoys 'my' way of playing a tune, than if I had gotten down someone elses version perfectly. I emulate myself perfectly, every time.

[Philphool]

Roanoke
&
Rebecca

[Marc Berman]

Down In The Swamp (Bela Fleck)
La Gima Polka (Larry Unger)
Vivaldi's Concerto in A minor (3rd movement)

[Michael Cameron]

La Gima Polka is a fun tune! Never knew anyone else that plays it.

[Bob Borzelleri]

I'm working on Prelude from Suite I for Unaccompanied Cello arranged for Mandolin.

[chopaholic]

Bits and pieces of Garcia/Grisman's "Walkin Boss". A couple of chords and some fun pickin. My first attempt at hitting harmonics in a tune, those things are a bugger!

[mandocrucian]

"Lazy" (Deep Purple)
"21st Century Schizoid Man" (King Crimson)
"Underway" (Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac)
"Stonehenge" - the whole song (Spinal Tap)

all C concert flute :))

(sorry! mando-free :mad:)

[AlanN]

On a Jobim kick, Wave and today, it's Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune).

I have this cassette tape of a young-looking Quincy Jones and this tune is on it, along with Watermelon Man, Take Five, Exodus, Cast Your Fate To The Wind, A Taste of Honey. This is all circa 1960's and has 'that' sound. Anyway, the short guitar solo on Desafinado is simply great, trying to emulate that. By any chance, does anyone know who that guitarist might be?

[Jason Renzi]

working on marilynn mair's 'arpeggio exercise in A minor'
also sam bush's 'dolphin dance'...

i'm a full on beginner...been playing since november of last year...

[Jim Broyles]

Alan:
Kenny Burrell or Jim Hall. (http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/record.php?record_id=4993) I'll guess Burrell.

[AlanN]

Jim,

U da man. thanks.

[Chad Stein]

I'm doing it by ear, but the notes aren't that hard. It stays in A minor the whole time, with no chromatic notes, so just stay within that scale, take it slow, and it should come eventually. Good luck!

Cool I will give it a shot...Thanks Ken

[G'DAE]

I'm working on the Hobo Song, version from the bluegrass fakebook. The version from old and in the way seems too tough to tackle right now. I guess this answers your second question!
Bob.

[TMitchell]

Big Sciota; Whiskey Before Breakfast; still working on the definitively cool version of Ashokan farewell; still working (baby steps) on Bach's Gavotte en Rondeau from the Partita No. 3