I have a problem writing chord progressions on the mandolin, I just can't do anything interesting. I have no problem on the guitar or the banjo but when it comes to the mandolin I'm stuck.
Any hints and suggestions?
I have a problem writing chord progressions on the mandolin, I just can't do anything interesting. I have no problem on the guitar or the banjo but when it comes to the mandolin I'm stuck.
Any hints and suggestions?
Why don't you write a few progressions that work on the guitar or banjo, then play it back on the mandolin, and do that a few times to get a feeling for good chord progressions on the mandolin.
Alternatively, don't bother writing them on the mandolin. There are plenty of people who play multiple instruments, but have favourites when it comes down to writing stuff.
Just about anything that is interesting on any instrument can be played on mandolin.
If one is a creative noodle type composer - it just takes experience to find things on the mandolin when you are used to other instruments.
If one is a follow the theory type composer - I think the mandolin has some advantages because it is so systematically and symmetrically arranged that finding your way around is easier.
I think Neil is right on as well, some instruments speak louder to some people, and since its all music, if you can compose on any instrument, you can play it on mandolin afterwards.
What do you mean by "uninteresting"? Although the chords contain the same notes, the order (inversion) is different from one instrument to the other. Most first position guitar chords contain the root as the lowest note and this is what most of us coming from guitar are used to. A progression on the guitar then often walks from one root to the other, adding a sort of melodic scale. Mandolin chords aren't always written out like this, so the root jumps around and you don't get that walking or scale effect. You can try inversions that do feature the root where you are used to it, and try that. See if it is more interesting to you.
"You can try inversions that do feature the root where you are used to it, and try that."
And you can find inversions that use 3 notes to suggest the chords without the root - e.g.: the most important tones that flavor a chord are the 3rd (is it major or minor), the 7th (is it a dominant chord), and the 5th (or other flavor tones). Try a ii7-V7-I6 motion without the roots (until the I in C): 5-3-5-X (Dmin7)--> 4-3-5-X (G7)--> 2-2-3-X (C6). Lots of fun to be had, if you realize that you can suggest chordal movement without referencing the root tone all the time.
Yes, 4-4-5-x is Bmin, but it's also evoking GMaj7 and works well in that context. It depends on the circumstances that surround it.
It took me a while to get used to that myself. At first, songs and chord progressions that I knew on guitar seemed to lose something converted to mandolin. Chords don't 'sound' the same on 3 or 4 strings vs 6. And thats a good thing when you combine the two later.
After a year my ear has changed and I find the chord progessions on the mandolin to be what I 'expect'. Mandolin makes simple sounds sound nice. Where a 6 string chord sounds full and rich on guitar - a simple double stop on mandoloin might just do it for me. A mandolin sounds the best with other instruments when its doing what a mandolin does best.
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