mando playing styles?

**mommythrice** · Aug-18-2010, 9:03am

I've been playing awhile, but I'm just starting to think about different mando styles. I want to stick with traditional bluegrass, but even within that I think there are different styles. I don't know why I've never thought about this before, but since I'm considering Mike Compton's workshop next month, I would like to have a better idea of what I want. I'm pretty familiar with Bill Monroe's style. I've been listening to Ronnie McCoury and I hear more individual notes and even more blues than Bill. I like Doyle Lawon, but don't know what is different. Bobby Osborne? I also really love Ricky Skaggs. And Mike Compton on the O Brother.

Is there a discussion like this somewhere? Can someone explain what these players are doing differently? Recommend some videos or CDs?

I've been playing the mando like a fiddle (maybe because I take my son to fiddle lessons every week) but I really want to get away from that. I just trying to figure out where to go from here.

**AlanN** · Aug-18-2010, 9:28am

Bluegrass mandolin is such a continuum. Starting with the 1st generation pickers - Monroe, Jesse M., Bobby O., Frank W. (there may be others, these are the up-front guys, may be others), then came Grisman, Statman, Duffey, Gaudreau, Lawson, (others), then Steffey, Bibey, Benson, McCoury (others), then Thile +. Each era stood on the backs of the previous giants and looked further.

To attend a bg festival in the 70's, 80's, 90's you really could experience this era-to-era torch-passing, as Monroe was still around and performing. Even today, Bobby, Jesse are still on the scene. Very wonderful. Each of the pickers has their own style and has added to the mix. The new cats create their thing based on what came before and what is in their heads. I love it all.

To speak to your point: Find who you like, then

Imitate
Emulate
Innovate

**sgarrity** · Aug-18-2010, 9:44am

More of the modern players tend to play lots of eighth notes and play up and down the strings. More scalar playing. Monroe, Compton, etc. tend to use more doublestops and play out of closed chord positions. The tend to play across the strings. Ronnie has his own style firmly rooted in tradition but with speed and clarity that is rarely matched.

For me, I love mandolin playing of all kinds. But the Monroe-Compton style is what I do my best to try and play when picking bluegrass.

**mommythrice** · Aug-18-2010, 11:33am

Thanks. I need to order some more CDs. Wish I could just listen to many mandolin parts in a row, to really get a feel for the style. I have trouble listening to just mando playing I like - I tend to listen to the song as a whole. It took me a long time to get past Del's singing in order to hear Ronnie's mando.

**farmerjones** · Aug-18-2010, 3:21pm

John Hartford said, "style is based upon limitations."
I always stood by that. Then you take a guy like Mark O'Connor, that can play most anything in most any style. It validates the statement.
My style is based on what i like, combined with my physical limitations.
There's usuallly a growth element too. Things change.
Style seems like it establishes itself.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Aug-19-2010, 2:38am

Firstly,determine the style of Bluegrass music that you want to play & take it from there.I'm very much a non-Monroe stylist & more in the Reischman / Sizemore camp. BUT - i love Bill Monroe's songs & tunes, & there came a time when i HAD to learn to pick his way (to an extent) to get the right 'feel' of a tune. I mean that yes,you can play 'Old Dangerfield' & 'Southern Flavour' a 'different' way,but they're 'classics' & i want to keep them that way.
If you feel drawn to any one style more than another,go for it & perfect it as much as you can,but do digress into 'other' styles along the way,that will give you some versatility in jam sessions. Whatever you try to do - enjoy yourself.
Mike Compton was teaching over here in the UK earlier this year, & i believe that he was not only a terrific tutor,but a 150% nice guy to meet & to talk to as well,
Ivan

**Mandolin Mick** · Aug-19-2010, 2:42am

Have you heard Jesse McReynolds? He pioneered the styles of crosspicking & split-string. His style is very different, and difficult, but keeping with the Bluegrass genre of music.