Mandolin first timer- do I need a teacher?

[Freckles]

Hi everyone!

I've been trawling through this forum for a couple of days and it's an amazing resource!

I've just been given the go ahead to buy a mandolin to learn on. After the initial excitement, I'm wondering whether this is an instrument which I could self-teach? I play the piano and cello, so can read music fine, but neither is plucked/strummed (you do pluck a cello, but you know what I mean).

I live in an area with guitar/cello teachers, but no one specifically for mandolin. Can a guitar teacher instruct in mandolin? If some level of formal instruction is required I may have to rethink my mandolin dreams.

Thanks in advance for any advice, it's really appreciated

[restlesscourage]

First of all, welcome!

As for your question...I personally am self-taught. I played piano through most of grade school and picked up a bit of guitar over the years. (No, a guitar teacher could not teach you mandolin; they're two totally different instruments, aside from both being fretted and playable with a pick.) I was pretty awful at guitar. I actually have made quite a bit of progress on my own with the mandolin. I'm rather obsessed at this point, and play nearly every day. Eventually, I may look into lessons, but I don't think that formal instruction is vital to my success.

There are countless resources on the internet available to you. Search YouTube for beginning mandolin lessons and pointers, and you'll be well on your way.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hello & 'welcome to the fray' - With your knowlege of musical notation,i'd be inclined to say try it on your own first & see how you get on.I'd certainly seek out a good tutor book & maybe buy a couple of really good tuition DVD's. What music style are you aiming for on Mandolin ?.You can also find a whole boat load of mandolin stuff on YouTube. If you let us know what style of mandolin playing you're wishing to play,we can be more specific in our advice,
Ivan

[almeriastrings]

I would also add, you do need to be careful with teachers... some can hinder as much as help. There are numerous accounts on here of really strange advice emanating from certain teachers. Obviously, if you can find a GOOD teacher (of the style you want) that's fine. Just be aware there are also a few bad ones out there....the online instruction available these days is superb.... though can depend on what style you want, of course. It can also depend on you. Some people learn best when"instructed", others do better left to their own devices with help from books, DVD's or online material. I would say get stuck in, get started, and see how it goes!

[multidon]

I am a retired music teacher and my experience has been that once you have a solid musical training foundation on one or more instruments it is not too difficult to teach yourself new instruments with the proper introductory materials to work with. Since retirement I have taught myself lap harp, hammered dulcimer, and mandolin. Not that I claim to be an expert in any of them, but I self taught myself to be competent to some degree. Now, if I aspired to be a virtuoso, I would seek out a private instructor. But I have decided to trade virtuosity for versatility, which to me is a skill set unto itself. Someone like you, with cello and piano training, should be able to go pretty far without a teacher. The Hal Leonard Mandolin Method is a good one, and the new upcoming Mandolin for Dummies sounds great, especially based on what I've heard about it so far in that it introduces a variety of styles so that one can get a feeling for them before deciding to specialize in classical, jazz, folk, bluegrass, etc.

Perhaps since you are a cellist, someday you may want to pick up the mandocello!

[Jim Garber]

I would certainly get hold a a good teacher to at least get you off to a good start. There are listing of instructors on this site here. You can list in the instructors wanted as well or just tell us here where you live and perhaps someone knows of someone.

Also CMSA has an instructor database. Altho that is the Classical Mandolin Society, there are many folks there who play other than classical music.

Nowadays you can also get good lessons via Skype as well. As mentioned above, do think of what genres of music you would like to play on the mandolin -- that might help as well.

[Capt. E]

I am also self taught. I see no reason you can't do the same. Most books come with a cd these days, which is a big help. Remember, mandolin has the same tuning and fingerings as violin but with frets and the ability to play 3 and 4 string chords. If you can't find a good mandolin teacher, a violin teacher may actually be able to help you advance, and many also play mandolin. Also, there are many excellent on-line resources you can find through Mandolin Cafe.

[JEStanek]

I have self taught my self numerous bad habits! Welcome to the Cafe. If you can get a teacher, great. If not, try and attend a local Jam. You'll e able to pick up a great deal there as well.

Jamie

[katpiercemusic]

It all depends on your experience and your goals. I'm a music teacher and I took lessons from a guitar player who also played mandolin when I started, mostly because my background was in winds, not strings, and never frets. It was helpful, but I also picked up a few bad habits and eventually stopped. Now I take lessons from a mandolin player. Big difference. You may want to start on your own if there aren't a lot of teachers around.

[mandolirius]

These days, with all the self-teaching resources available, I wouldn't look for a teacher right off. You can get lots of good advice right here and there are countless books, CDs, DVDs, online Skype lessons etc, etc.

[BIG Dave J]

Welcome to the Cafe...I've been taking mandolin lessons since February, never played anything before so it is good for me. If you haven't yet visited, check out the Newbies social group for support from other beginners.

[Jim Garber]

I hope we are not confusing you too much. Yes, you can get good advice right here but some of it is contradictory. I suppose you can sort thru it all and figure it out.

[pickngrin]

While you can teach yourself, a good teacher can greatly speed the learning process and help you avoid developing bad habits in the process. Not sure where you're located, but let me put a shameless plug in for my teacher, Zak Borden. His contact info is in the teachers section here. He teaches here in Portland, OR but is he also available for Skype lessons. Great musician, really nice guys and a top-notch teacher. End shameless plug.

[bmac]

"you can get good advice right here but some of it is contradictory."

That is what some people call "Life".

With your background you can certainly do it either way... If you are on a tight budget... Do it yourself... If money isn't short then go for a teacher for a while... The main thing is you sound motivated. And in the long run motivation is everything.

[Bob Clark]

Hi Freckles,

While you can learn on your own, I strongly urge you to find a teacher who plays mandolin who plays the genre in which you want to play. Mandolin is a really versatile little instrument, but the way in which it's played by bluegrass, folk, classical, jazz etc. musicians differs significantly. You'll want to learn in the genre that interests you, and perhaps widen out later on.

I started on my own, after playing piano for decades. Yet when I had my first mando lessons after playing on my own for a few years, I was amazed at how quickly I could progress with a little help. Also, it's easier to learn good technique from the start than it is to "unlearn" bad habits. I take lessons for a few months and then work on my own for a few months in an ongoing cycle. I find this cycle helpful.

I'm on my second instructor now and am really learning a lot. Classical mandolin is my main thing and the technique I am learning from a good classical instructor is paying off in a big way.

This is what works for me. This, or something different might work best for you. Experiment and learn.

Good luck,

Bob

[Loretta Callahan]

I'll second the plug for Zak. He's no short of awesome and Skype lessons with him are wonderful. Also, it's good to learn how to hold a mandolin. I know one person, now a teacher, who has permanent wrist issues from bad technique. This is a good place to start: Mike Marshall's Mandolin Tips

While you can teach yourself, a good teacher can greatly speed the learning process and help you avoid developing bad habits in the process. Not sure where you're located, but let me put a shameless plug in for my teacher, Zak Borden. His contact info is in the teachers section here. He teaches here in Portland, OR but is he also available for Skype lessons. Great musician, really nice guys and a top-notch teacher. End shameless plug.

[Bluman]

You may be able to find a teacher that provides lessons via skype. If you have the technology available then it doesn't matter your location. I'm self taught (some bad habits) but utilize a teacher as well and the combination worked for me. Now I'm learning notation so I done it in reverse order to you. I regards to skype remember it's not exactly like being in the same room but with your knowledge this may be even less of a bearer. Have fun!

[JeffD]

I am self taught. I estimate I am a good ten years behind where I could have been if I started with a mandolin teacher. At the time I consoled myself with the thought that its the journey not the goal. But now I wish I were ten years younger, or ten years better.

[Freckles]

Wow! Thankyou all for taking a moment to respond. What a great forum!

I have failed to mentioned that I'm Australian- I think I need to work on my profile when I get some time- so thanks for the teacher suggestions but it might be tricky

I'm actually good friends with a highly qualified violin teacher who may help me, or know a teacher. I'm wondering if more people play that I realise, but don't call themselves 'mandolin teachers' as such.

I will definitely be joining the social groups and getting some books to get started. Maybe some skype lessons once I find my way around the instrument... and on that, it's time I get one!!!

Thanks again everyone!

[Marcus CA]

I have failed to mentioned that I'm Australian

If you'd like to share in the mandobounty of the US, here are two great resources:

For outstanding audio and video lessons, check out http://www.homespuntapes.com/Instruments/Mandolin

For outstanding online instruction, check out http://www.academyofbluegrass.com/publicmandolin

[Ivan Kelsall]

From the OP - " I have failed to mentioned that I'm Australian ". Crikey ! - now we have to deal with upside-down pickers.
Joking apart,so many of us are self taught & most of us didn't have the benefit of being able to read standard music notation.If as i said in my previous post,you get hold of a good tutor book & one or two tuition DVDs,to outline the 'right way to do it',i can't see any reason whatsoever for you not to be able to teach yourself.Follow some of the links above & decide what you might need,get it & use it & i think you'll be on a winner,
Ivan

[John Kelly]

All of what has been said is sound advice, proving that there are many equally valid approaches to how you learn. Like many of the others here I am self-taught (nice of me to take the blame, many would say) becuase there was no one around who played the mandolin, but i could read standard notation from piano lessons when I was a young teenager and had played guitar for a long time and the mandolin was a way into the music I enjoy playing.
You mention a violin teacher and this could be of help to you although the two instruments are so different. While working with a young mandolin beginner who was also learning fiddle i noticed that her music notation was marked with fingering which coincided with "standard" mandolin fingering - covering 2 frets per finger rather than the guitar fret-per-finger method. She found it easier to interpret her music once we had discovered this similarity. Obviously there are the skills to acquire such as holding the pick, alternate picking, left-hand fingering, etc. but coming from a musical past you should be able to get yourself playing.
Look forward to your later postings with some of your efforts posted via the SAW group!

[Loretta Callahan]

One cautionary note on working with a violin/fiddle teacher and the mandolin if the violin teacher isn't well versed in right hand/pick technique. I'm still struggling with wonky pick direction because I spent a long time studying mandolin with a fiddle teacher. Pick direction and bowing are two very different animals.

Good pick direction technique is a big deal in ITM (Irish Trad~Celtic) ... can't speak to fiddle vs mandolin right hand technique in other type of music. Maybe someone else has an opinion about this.

[Freckles]

Crikey ! - now we have to deal with upside-down pickers.)

If that's my worst habit, I think I should be a very content mandolin player

Since the original post I've discovered that a good friend who plays acordian is also a mando player! Potential teacher... or can point me in the right direction.

I have one question regarding instruments. I would need to travel to purchase an instrument, but wouldn't be able to for several months (GAH!). What's the general opinion on freighting instruments. As a cellist I shudder at the thought of shipping a cello. Same for mandolin? Many of the sellers here at the big acoustic centres ship instruments....

[bmac]

The instruments had to get to the sellers you mention somehow... A dealer knows how to ship them and they are always insured so I think You are covered as far as shipping damage or loss is concerned. It is very important to ask if the instrument will be set up prior to sending it to you.... Most or all are, if from a ligitimate dealer. Not so from a discount seller. That of course does not guarentee that the instrument will be well set up. Setup is everything. You will learn to do it but it is nice to start with a well set up mandolin.