10 Mandolin Patterns in B
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I love to play in the key of "B" and decided it would be a lot of
fun to put down some of the patterns you can use in this key that's 
almost always associated with singing. Other than Herschel
Seizmore's great tune "Rebecca," I can't think of any other pure
instrumentals in "B".

One of the first things you notice is the lack of open strings that
frequent the keys of "D", "G" and "A", which each share a few open
string notes in the scale. It's for that reason that a lot of mandolin
instrumental music avoids the key with the five sharps. It makes sense.
But get in a band that has a singer that favors that key and you're in
for some work, at least until you learn to speak in that key.

Use these patterns to learn your way around in the key and then have
a good time making up your own. Enjoy!

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This run uses a couple of conveniently place open strings as do many
of the patterns here. On the 4~~6 in the middle of the second measure 
slide up to the 6 using the ring finger. 


-------|--------------------|-------------2-4-5--|--4-2--------------
-------|---------------1-4--|--1-2-2-4~~6--------|------5-6--2-------
-------|----0-1-4--2-4------|--------------------|-------------------
-0-1-3-|--4-----------------|--------------------|-------------------
 |_|_|    |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|  |


This riff keeps finding its way under my fingers but I have no idea
where it came from. This is a good one to precede the one above. Try
it and you've got a good long string in B for those times when you
need to extend a fill (for example) prior to a singer coming in.


---0-1-|--2-5-2-1--0-----0--|--------------------|-------------------
-------|-------------5-6----|--5-4-2--------2----|-------------------
-------|--------------------|--------6--4-6---6--|--4-2-0-1--0-1-----
-------|--------------------|--------------------|----------------4--
   |_|    |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|  |_|  |


Here's a good filler for those phrases when the singer is trailing 
off right before a chorus and the banjo player is building up steam
in his (or her) ears for the break.


-------|---------------6-9--|--7-------------------------------------
-------|------6-9--7--------|----------------------------------------
---6-8-|--9-----------------|----------------------------------------
-------|--------------------|----------------------------------------
   |_|    |   |_|  |   |_|     |


Extend the one above a bit and your a classic sort of Monroe/Lawson 
run like this:


-------|---------------6-9--|--7-------------------------------------
-------|------6-9--7-9------|----------------------------------------
---6-8-|--9-9---------------|----------------------------------------
-------|--------------------|----------------------------------------
   |_|    |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |


Here's another one we'll start off and build into a similar pattern.
Start the first note with the first finger.


-------|--------------------|--2-4-2-------------|-------------------
-------|----9------9--------|--------5--6-2------|--2----------------
-----7-|--8---7-8-----------|---------------6-4--|-------------------
-------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------------
   |_|    |_|_|_|  ||          |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |


Same first measure but this time slide the ring finger up to the C# (9)
at the end of the second full measure. This is another "sort of"
Monroe that I've heard in the playing of Lawson, Skaggs, and others. 


-------|--------------------|--9---7---6---6--9--|--7----------------
-------|----9------9--------|------------9-------|-------------------
-----7-|--8---7-8-----------|--------------------|-------------------
-------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------------
   |_|    |_|_|_|  ||          |   |   |_|_|_|      |


This is a phrase that probably would be most appropriate to use when
ending a solo in B. You'd probably want to extend this one a bit.


-------|--------------------|--2-2-2-2--2-0------|------------------|---
---5-6-|--2---5-6--2---5-6--|---------------5-6--|--2---------------|---
-------|--------------------|--------------------|----0-1--0-1-0-1--|---
-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|-4-
   |_|    |   |_|  |   |_|     |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     | |_|  |_|_|_|    |


Another phrase that can be appropriate as a fill or part of a solo. Use
your pinkie to stretch to the C# (9) again in the first measure with 
the second finger holding down the A (5). The "~" indicates to hold the
note. Also, slide from the C to C# between measure 2 and 3 with the
first finger. 


-------|--5---5-9--5---5-9--|--5-----------------|------------------|---
-------|--------------------|----7-5-7--4-----3--|--4---5----4------|---
-------|--------------------|-------------7~7----|----7---7----7----|---
-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|---
          |   |_|  |   |_|     |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|    |


My personal favorite:


-------|--7-5-10-7-5--------|----5---------------|--7---5--2-0------|---
-------|-------------9-7-8--|--9---9-8--7-0-5-6--|-------------5-6--|-2-
-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|---
-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|---
          |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |   |  |_|_|_|    |


And a simple one to end on:


-------|--------0--2-4-6-2--|--7---4---2-0-------|------------------|---
-------|--2-4-6-------------|--------------5-6---|--2---------------|---
---4-6-|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|---
-------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------|---
   |_|    |_|_|_|  |_|_|_|     |   |   |_|_|_|      |


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