Stumbling Toward Competence

I'm not sure what it is about picking up the mandolin after time away from it, but once I shake the dust out of the fingers and rebuild the calluses (if necessary) I have found that my playing has somehow gotten better. Its odd. Like my brain needed the time off to sort and arrange things for easier accessibility or something. I'm sure there are neuroscience articles on this, and I'm also sure time away should really best be limited to a week or two at most, not months at a time, but there we are. ...

Made it out to the Tuesday night slow jam at the 5th String. This was attended by a smaller group, so I got to call two tunes and play several breaks as a result. This has really helped in developing the self confidence needed to keep going when I get back home to Cow Town! Now to learn how to play breaks on tunes I do not know...

its a line at least, defined by two points, but things are shaping up this year!

I went to the 3 hour long slow jam at the Freight and Salvage, and even managed to take breaks/kick songs off. Despite a terribly shaking hand and completely blank brain, the body just kind of took over and did it for me. Plus, met some really nice folks! Will definitely do this again next trip to Berkeley.

Tomorrow night the same host will be holding another slow jam at the 5th String ...

Figure that instead of posting yet ANOTHER New Year's resolution to play out with people, and then not do it, I would instead post about when I actually manage to do so...

I am currently in Berkeley on sabbatical research. For many reasons, Berkeley means music to me (at least I have a strong association between the two), so I brought my mandolin along for the trip. Checking the schedules of the 5th String music store and the Freight and Salvage, I see there are MANY opportunities ...

...on fingertips. Highly annoying. And painful.

Lance it or leave it? Regardless, this callus will have a crater!

To those of you who have written to inform me of the proper spelling of competence...thanks! I know. But its a stumble to get there

Well, its been many months since I last picked up my mandolin--the mountain biking season is so short, and my spare time so limited, that I can apparently have only one active hobby at a time. But I'm going to try to start with some evening picking to help wind down from the hectic work day.

Not really sure how I should proceed with my learning. There are just so many directions to go in, I'm a bit overwhelmed. I have some travel in my future, but when I return I am thinking that ...

This the first in a series inspired by this post, about how learning the mandolin can be complicated by learning "mandolin music" (a topic that has come up again recently in the forums). When I first started playing a more experienced player made available to me 50 CDs of what he considered the best recordings of the mandolin. I wish to pay this forward by providing my personal favourites from these and more recently released music. And away we go...

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I was back ...

After years and years with my Ratcliff. More later.

No, its not a Red Diamond

So, given the suggestion of downloading Four Track (an app for my iPhone) as one way to easily multitrack record my mandolin, and avoid the quagmire of GEARITIS, I decided, what the hay, its cheap. I had low expectations given the sound quality of my videos recorded on the iPhone, but I have to admit, the first pass with this software has exceeded my expectations! Here is a quick clip of Blackberry Blossom, my first attempt to multitrack. Its not perfect (there is a little timing issue early on) ...