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Thread: New to the bowlback

  1. #1
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    I have collected three bowlback mandolins over the last year two which are American produced a Vega an ornate early GEORGE BAUER LABLED and a middle of the road or less I think labled Domenico Zanoni napoli a maker not famous but building around the 1930s. I am not educated much in this area but purchased each because of there beauty to me. Im not new to the mandolin,I play in a couple bluegrass style bands.As a beginer to this type instrument I need suggestions for material that will teach me to play a bowlback the right way.

  2. #2
    Registered User vkioulaphides's Avatar
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    Welcome to the "Order of the Bowl", Markelberry.

    All three instruments you have acquired are worthy and capable of lovely music-making. Onwards, then...

    There is nothing particular, I suppose, to playing a bowlback "the right way": good, clean fingering, coordination, etc. will serve you as well as on any other type of mandolin. Perhaps the very first step is to try to establish good posture; all method books I know of have some pictorial advice as to how to hold a bowlback comfortably and securely.

    Beyond that, there is the issue of related, bowlback-specific equipment: light —very, VERY light!— strings, and a pointier pick than what you would use on carved instruments. You may also have to adjust your grip to accommodate the olive-shaped pick; again, method books are most illuminating in this respect.

    I am sure you are aware of all the extant methods, as you are, of course, an experienced mandolinist. Any one of them would do; it will, however, take you a little while to get used to the comparatively shorter scale of the bowlback. Having said that, and as direct benefit of said shorter scale, you have immediate and automatic access to the vast, enormous, monumental literature of pedagogical works for the violin, most of which should carry over just fine on the bowlback.

    Enjoy your bowled critters in good health and cheer!

    Victor
    It is not man who lives, but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  3. #3
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Djanobooks has the first two volumes of the Bickford method as well as the Christofaro (another std one) and the Lansing studies. You can get them as ebooks here.

    If you get thru the two Bickfords, I have bound copies of books 3 and 4 (super rare) available as well as some other studies I sell.

    Jim
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