Hello, I got a mandolin!

[Phantoj]

Hi all.

I just joined up to this group, as I just purchased my first mandolin. The model is a used Kentucky KM-150S. The quality of this made-in-China beaut seems a bit dodgy, but I'm enjoying trying to figure out melodies on this tuned-in-fifths fretboard with a guitar-oriented mind.

My wife has one objection to my playing. It's not *fast* enough. She says, "Aren't mandolins supposed to be played really fast? You're just playing the same thing you would on the guitar, just quieter (?) and squeakier."

So what's the trick? How do I make myself sound "not like a guitarist"?

And hello to all! Here's a steaming cup of joe: http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Eugene]

So what's the trick? #How do I make myself sound "not like a guitarist"?
Play faster, louder, and less squeaky. Just kidding. I'm sure it will sound more mandolin-like with time...and welcome.

[Jasper]

When I first started playing the mandolin, I learned for about a year from a guitar player...this was very bad because he didn't teach me how to play chop chords off the beat or anything that had to do with bluegrass mandolin, the style I wanted to learn. So in my second year of playing, I found a good bluegrass instructor and had to unlearn everything I learned the first year because I was playing my mando like a guitar. Since you have played guitar before, this may not be as much of a challenge to you, but learning to play the off beat with chop chords took me almost my entire second year because of my guitarization. Recommend you get with some good mandolin players or find a good instructor to get you started down the right road with the mandolin. If you don't much care for bluegrass, it can sound like a guitar and no foul.

Jasper

[Phantoj]

Now, the chop "off the beat" - does that mean "one-AND-two-AND-three-AND-four-AND" (chops in caps) or "one-TWO-three-FOUR" (chops in caps).

And I really like bluegrass.

[250sc]

Phantoj,
Congratualations and welcome. Since you already play guitar I would imagine that you are still thinking like a guitar player. At least it doesn't sound like a banjo ;-)

I would suggest you look through the tabs on this site and start learing some of the songs to develope your technique.

Have fun with it.

[keymandoguy]

Start searching immediately for other people to play with. See if there are any jams in your area. You will learn more from other people in 3 months than a year on your own. Dont be intimidated. Almost all fellow musicians are glad to help. Get the note crisp & clean speed is the last thing to work on.If you live where there isnt anything around practice playing with CD s till you get rhythm . http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[pathfinder]

Congratulations. #I "backed into" the mandolin about 25 years ago, having played guitar for a long time. #One of the first things I realized was the necessity of re-learning how to pick a major scale in first position. #So I started with the low open 'G' and practiced coming up through two #octaves so that I finished up on the third fret on the 'E' string. #

After a week of getting two octaves of 'G' up to speed, the arpeggios (the guitar's 'G' run) and the doublestops I'd heard fiddlers and mando players do for years, started to naturally sneak themselves in. #

From that point, I wuz hooked! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Hope this helps.

[Phantoj]

Am I right, or are the patterns for major scales pretty E-Z...? As in, the half-step between the third and fourth on one string lines up under the half-step for the seventh and eighth notes of the scale...?

Right now, I'm just playing melodies to tunes I know (mostly hymns, cause I know 'em well), in a variety of common keys, with an odd chord mixed in time to time.

[TommyK]

So what's the trick? #How do I make myself sound "not like a guitarist"?
I think you just answered your own question....
COFFEE, Lotsa Lotsa COFFEE
Have 3 more

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[pathfinder]

Quote (Phantoj):
"Am I right, or are the patterns for major scales pretty E-Z...? #As in, the half-step between the third and fourth on one string lines up under the half-step for the seventh and eighth notes of the scale...?"

Bingo! You've got it. #As I'm sure you've realized, the order of your open mandolin strings are the same as on a guitar, only in reverse order. #The guitar's E-A-D-G tuned at the fifth frets, becomes G-D-A-E tuned at the seventh frets.

As for your rhythm question about when the chop comes in, it's on the second and fourth beat in 4/4 time. #You're providing the syncopated offbeat that a snare drum would add in music styles which allow drummers to sneak into the jam sessions! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[steve in tampa]

The three things that have helped me the most, and still do are:

Attend bluegrass festivals and see the real deal live and in person.

Find other mando players in your area to jam with.

Get some mando oriented recordings like Jethro Burns, Bill Monroe, David Grisman, etc, and get the riffs and patterns in your head.

[Keith Wallen]

Welcome Phantoj - About sounding like a guitar I would say just start listening to mandolin players because its more of a style change than anything. The funny thing is that even though the mandolin and the fiddle note the same you can tell which one is playing the other. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[bjc]

Welcome Phantojo...Now I'm not a grasser, but another thing that did take me a while to understand (coming from guitar and having played a fair amount of ska) is that you strike the off-beats with a down-stroke...Real Grassers feel free to correct...that took a little while to get used to, but like I said grass is not my forte'. I'm more of a blues/rock/jazz/classical type dude...But, anyway welcome to our little addiction...
Does anyone want to place bets before MAS strikes our new friend? :-0

[pathfinder]

You're right about the downstrokes on the offbeats, bjc. #And I also suspect you're right about the MAS starting to kick in. #Which is lucky for Phantoj, because anyone jonesing for an upgrade will soon realize that it's a buyer's market right now (see other thread currently going on in this forum).

[Phantoj]

It's a buyer's market? Somebody needs to tell my wallet...

If I were to get another mandolin, I think I'd check out the Mid-Missouris, made in my home state.

But it was tough enough to part with the cash for this Kentucky - and I paid little enough for it. (About 1/6 of the list price of a Mid-Mo)

[8ch(pl)]

Mid Missouris are really nice mandolins. I own an M-4 and do not miss a chance to recommend them. There is an M-4 in the classifieds for $399. (No financial interest)

[withak]

Another thing that might help you on you own would be to find a relatively straightforward tune that you have a recording of and record yourself playing it as best you can. You don't even necessarily have to play the same tune, just something that sounds similiar. Compare the original recording to the one you made and try figure out what the major differences between your sound and his/hers are. Listening to yourself and comparing yourself to someone else when you aren't trying to play at the same time can be very enlightening.

[Michael H Geimer]

Welcome aboard! (You're hooked already .. we can tell)

How to sound less like a guitar? Fiddle tunes, fiddle tunes, fiddle tunes ... and make sure you've got a firm (but relaxed) grip on alternate picking.

I'll second, or third the comments about Mid-mo's. I *really* like my M-11. While it's not my 'go to' mandolin, it is my 'take along with me' mandolin.

- Benignus

[Phantoj]

Problem is, I've been playing quite a few fiddle tunes on guitar already. So, maybe my guitar playing is too much like a mando...

I'll learn some new fiddle tunes on mando only and work on getting a bit more speed on 'em.

I drilled the alternate picking thing into myself at the time I was learning fiddle tunes for guitar. Now, I have to keep the "up-and-down" going steady anytime I'm learning to play something new from written music - I use my up-and-down to count the beats and work the rhythm out right.