Recommend a book for beginning Celtic-style Mandolin?

[Phil Sussman]

Hi,
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere. Can anyone recommend a good book to begin learning to play mandolin in Celtic styles?
Thanks,
Phil

[abuteague]

I liked Padraig Carroll's book, "The Irish Mandolin" with the CD. Lots of places sell the book without the CD. In my opinion, a companion CD or DVD at this point is so helpful that I tend not to purchase books without recordings. I enjoyed working all the way through the book. The CD was very helpful although it sounds like it was made from a tape that sat in someones trunk for a full summer in the hot sun.

http://elderly.com/books/items/224-8185CD.htm

I liked the pacing that starts from beginner to intermediate. The tunes are compelling. The ornimentation parts are instructive.The whole way through the book it seems like Padraig thought about how to best illustrate each topic instead of following some instruction book formula. I don't remember, but I don't think this book had tab.

I don't always work all the way through the books I buy, but this one I did and I wouldn't mind doing it again.

Good luck in your search for a good book.

[emitfo]

I used the Philip John Berthoud (http://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Irish-Mandolin-Playing/dp/078667072X) book/CD as my introduction.

I recognize that instructional material is a highly personal decision because books/cd's are static and unlike teachers (the great ones anyway) can't modify themselves to fit your particular talents & limitations and still get you where you need to go. The other book/cd looks good too but I haven't used it. Good luck.

[Jill McAuley]

There's a new Mel Bay book out now by Mike Gregory and Joe Carr, "School of Mandolin: Irish Mandolin" that's supposed to be quite good. Check out Mike's columns on irish mandolin at www.mandolinsessions.com too.

Cheers,
Jill

[Jim MacDaniel]

Anthony Warde's Learn to play the Irish mandolin is a pretty decent DVD for picking up some tips for playing ITM. It is a bit slanted towards beginners, so you've been playing a while it might not be worth the $26 - $32 USD that it sells for in most places online -- but it's only $15 including shipping (US) at this eBay listing (http://cgi.ebay.com/Learn-To-Play-The-Irish-Mandolin---DVD_W0QQitemZ140326594764QQcmdZViewItem) which is a pretty good deal.

[Phil Sussman]

Thanks for the suggestions!

Phil

[Ravenwood]

Matt Cranitch's book on Irish fiddle.

No really, I'm not kidding.

Obviously the first part of the book on bowing techniques is not going to be of interest, but he includes an excellent selection of tunes. More importantly, Matt does an excellent job of explaining the rhythm of the various tune types, with CD examples. It really helps to understand what is going on with the rhythm. If you combine it with Mike and Joe's book that covers picking direction you get everything you need.

Paul Kelly's book is also excellent.

[DougC]

Matt Cranitch's book is the 'bible' of Irish fiddling. I go back to it often and I have a bookshelf of 'how to' play irish fiddle books, tapes, videos, DVD's etc. I'll have to look at it again with mandolin in hand to see if it helps on that instrument. It is worth having just for the clear explanations of music types and collection of tunes.

Most mandolin players are also guitar players. Kilkelly's book / CD is the best for guitar stuff. I get many good ideas from that source for mandolin. It's the 'pure drop' the real thing etc. No BS.

Then you could buy my book ("The St. Paul Slow Sessiun Irish Tune Book"), but it's self published and you need to know the author.:whistling:

[Jill McAuley]

Another great thing about the Matt Cranitch book is that the accompanying CD has the tunes played at a slow, clear pace making them very easy to pick up by ear, but not so slow as to be robbed completely of feeling.

Enda Scahill's new tenor banjo tutor is great, and his advice re: picking patterns for reels and jigs I found to be very helpful for the mandolin as well. My only wee complaint is that most of the tunes on the CD that comes with it are played SO slow that they're completely robbed of the "feel" of a jig or reel etc - not a problem if you're familiar with trad music, but I reckon for folks who don't have a broad knowledge of the nuances of jigs/reels/hornpipes etc they might end up learning all the right notes but not quite get the "bounce" into the tunes that emphasize just what trad music is at it's core: a dance music. I totally understand Enda having the super slow versions to make it easier for beginners but adding a "more at normal pace" version would let folks hear what they want to be working towards.

Cheers,
Jill

[DougC]

SO slow that they're completely robbed of the "feel" of a jig or reel etc - not a problem if you're familiar with trad music, but I reckon for folks who don't have a broad knowledge of the nuances of jigs/reels/hornpipes etc they might end up learning all the right notes but not quite get the "bounce" into the tunes that emphasize just what trad music is at it's core: a dance music.

Cheers,
Jill

I couldn't agree more Jill. Too many instructors don't teach the accents and phrasing of Irish music. And examples from folks that don't 'get it' are sadly, all too common.

[mikeyes]

I second (third?) the Enda Scahill tutor. Enda was also an All Ireland mandolin player and his plectrum method is the best I have read and used. The other books mentioned are OK, but I learned more for the mandolin with the Tutor than I learned from those others. Matt Cranitch's book is also wonderful and it is more of an intermediate/advanced book than the others, especially if you can take a lesson from Matt.

I disagree a little with Jill about the slow versions of tunes. A beginner needs to learn the basics and the only way to do it well is to start off slowly and then speed up. At the same time he or she should be listening to Irish music at every opportunity in order to "get it." For Americans brought up on OT and Bluegrass it is an effort to understand (the influence of these genera on Irish music notwithstanding) but it can be done. The picking patterns that Enda shows are designed for the Irish feel and they work well. Without them it is harder to play the music. This book is for beginners and early intermediate players. It is a must for anyone interested in GDAE tuning.

One of the best ways to learn a tune is to slow it down drastically and learn to play every note cleanly with the right pick direction. Jigs are especially vulnerable to playing poorly because of using the wrong pick pattern. Very few can play a jig well with a DUDUDU pattern (it can be done, of course) while the DUD DUD pattern that is shown in the book enhances learning how to play jigs. Enda's explanation of how and why is especially elucidating.

[Daithio]

I can't agree with Jill McAuley and Mike Keyes more. Fantastic book, though I admittedly haven't listened to the CDs (and won't gosh darn it until I finish my dissertation). Enda's right hand technique and his simple suggestions regarding ergonomics are excellent.

[Jim MacDaniel]

Paul Kelly's book is also excellent.

Another fan of Paul Kelly here, including his 110 Irish Mandolin Tunes book and CD set (Published by Waltons in IE, and Mel Bay (http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=WM1379CD) in the US).

[DougC]

Most beginners should learn the standard repertoire. In my experience folks seem to feel like they are wasting their time learning tunes that no one else at the sessiun knows.

Just the opposite happens when they are experts. They want to bring something new and cool to the jam.

Paul Kelly's book, (if I can pick on him for a minute... sorry Paul), has a little over half of the tunes that are kind of odd; 'Sitting on the Throne' is one.

So that's my peeve. Hot shot players / book authors are a little bored with the standards and they may or may not point out the standard repertoire.

[Perry]

Most beginners should learn the standard repertoire

Which begs the age old question...what is the standard repertoire?

What would be the top 10 tunes in the NY area?
How about the top 10 tunes nationwide?


I ordered Matt's fiddle book based on above. I would also suggest Walton's 101 Irish Session Tunes too; not a method book but a collection of tunes in standard notation. Now where is that should I learn how to read music thread? :)

[Rando7]

What would be the top 10 tunes in the NY area?
How about the top 10 tunes nationwide?



Go to http://www.thesession.org/members/ , click on the tunebook tab and you will see a listing of the most popular tunes people have added to their tunebooks.