Learning the Notes

[Emmiemando]

I've been playing the mando with tab for the last 2 years and have finally stopped procrastinating on learning notes. I know, it takes patience and time, but do any of you mandolin freaks like me have any good techniques on learning them?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[TommyK]

I've been playing the mando with tab for the last 2 years and have finally stopped procrastinating on learning notes. I know, it takes patience and time, but do any of you mandolin freaks like me have any good techniques on learning them?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
I'd suggest doing like I did with the guit-tar. #Quit TABS Cold Turkey. #It's a crutch that kept me from learning anything new that wasn't tabbed. #Then do scales. #Make your brain understand the musical staff and translate it into what your fingers should be doing. #Then sight read ... a lot. #Use beginner piano, guitar, mando, whatever... method books. #These have songs most people #are familiar with and know how they are supposed to sound. #I've even found 'free sheet music' on the web. #Most pay to print sheet music sites have a 'free music' section. #Kind of like milk at the grocery. It gets you in the door. #You have to look for them, but they're there. #You may have to down load a free 'music reader' application like Sibelius Scorch, but it's worth it. Scorch is like Adobe Acrobat reader. #It allows you to read something others have composed. #You can buy the full blown version to create your own music, but you don't have to.
Sit down with this music and a fingering chart and plug away. #But, first and foremost... quit TABs COLD TURKEY!
I haven't gotten over the hump .... yet, but I'm getting there. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif