The Fifth Course

Just dropping a note to say that I gigged last night (Thursday June 17, 2010) as an electric mandolin player for the first time in at least half a year. What a gas! The gig was another of my series of lobby appearances. (Always the bridesmaid/lobby, never the bride/theater.) This one with Señor of Señor Circus. He was Señor I was this Circus last night.

Playing through the tunes, I was flying around moderate tempo rock/pop tunes with the happiest of ease on my 8 string Fender ...

My friend, Fran, put together this video from multiple camera angles and included the mandolin tracks we cut too!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziZD2FBHy2Q

Daniel

Hi Everyone!
I just posted a new video to Youtube. The song is "Long Black Veil" by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkins. The arrangement is something I came up with a few years ago.

The occasion is a recording session I did last week (May 12, 2010), which is why the big capsule mics are hanging in the shot.

Again, no mandolin on my part, but plenty of space for yours.
• Short opening at the top and a full verse break after the first refrain. ...

[Reprinted from the May issue of Stanislaus Connections]

Saturday evening in mid-March, the sun is setting over
Modesto and sending laser-like rays into the large lobby
windows of the Gallo Center in Modesto, California. As picturesque as it is, the illumination seems unnatural for a night-time place like a theater. It is spilling reflected light against the back wall causing the bartender to shade her eyes. The marble floor is a sort of a
pinkish ...

I am writing this and posting it largely to remind myself of the following lessons. Perhaps those of you who also play out will benefit from it.

The Gig:
• Outdoor gig at a Farmer's Market in a small town in California's central valley.
• Four sets.
• One hundred dollars for the band plus tips.
Weather:
• Sunny and breezy with gusts up to 25mph
The Stage
• A dirt median strip in a parking lot
• Awning provided for shade ...

[Reprinted from the April 2010 issue of Stanislaus Connections]

The annual Tule Fog Fete is a fundraising event for Modesto, California’s Great Valley Museum. Held outdoors at Caswell Memorial State Park, the child-centered event includes live animal exhibits, docent-led walks through the park’s many riverside paths, snacks, silent auctions, and live music.

As a local amateur musician, I volunteer my services every year to the Great Valley Museum and the Tule Fog Fete. ...

Hi Folks,
I've just posted a new video to YouTube. The content is apropos of nothing on the Mandolin Café, unless you count the fact that I wrote and can play it on mandolin too.

I left space for you to jam with me...
Key of G. Four bars at the top over the G chord (I'm hammering onto the B note from the open A) and a full verse after the bridge. G, C, Am7, D, G, Am7, G.

If you enjoy it please consider subscribing to my channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/Nestlerode), ...

This quote from the recent Mike Marshall interview got my attention:

I just borrowed a nylon string mandolin from Caterina Lichtenberg that with a little work, I think is going to be very very hip. I have always wanted one of these. I think I may tune it to a E, B, F#, C# (low to high) to make it a little looser. This will put it right in between a mandolin and a mandola. I know we all really don't like the Key of E, so imagine playing a G chord and sounding an E! You can do this if you put a mandolin

...

Who says an overdriven 8 string sounds bad?

The attached file is a QDAF (Computer nerds may get the allusion) Quick & Dirty Audio File I did for a class in Audacity I'm teaching on Wednesday.

Tune: Ashokan Farewell
Key: D

I'm actually working on a version of Ashokan that changes keys. I'm going for a Steve Vai/Joe Satriani vibe. Ashokan is such a great melody that I think it can handle a lot of different interpretations. This recording ...

Attached Files

• Ashokan1a.mp3 (1.09 MB, 294 views)

Like Pacific rim mandolins, electric mandolin family instruments are showing some market development. Back down in Hall E, among the acoustic instruments Eastwood Guitars showed their wares, including a soon-to-be issued electric tenor guitar. The example on display was a yellow Mustang-shaped tenor guitar tuned dgbe (low to high). It played well and looked great in butter yellow with a faux tortoise pickguard and white pickups. It should be available sometime this calendar year, and it will likely ...