Mandolin backing for a violin, any tips?

[TheBlindBard]

Hello, all,
I was recently asked to play some tunes at a Christmas party. I later asked my sister (who plays violin in orchestra) if she'd like to play with me. She seems to like the idea. So, my question is this:
My sister was going to play the melody (because she has done this with sheet music at concerts, I wouldn't feel comfortible playing a tune unless I knew it completely through and I don't have time to learn a couple tunes). Would doing chords that are the same as the key my sister is playing in to keep the beat for her sound good? I'll have to figure out what keys her tunes will be in, but, any help here would be welcome. I'm looking forward to having fun and making music for some people. Christmas music (even if it is overplayed) when played in small settings just seems to be nice and relaxing. Any advice would be welcome, and thanks in advanced.

[Beanzy]

Best to experiment.
Given their similar register what you can do best with the mandolin is play what can't be done by the violin, so chords are a good starting place.
Two things that come to mind are; playing the chords as arpeggios where you spread them out rather than playing all notes simultaneously also playing chords just at the points of emphasis and leaving gaps to let the violin have space to work in.
If you can come up with a complimentary melody for a chorus then, try dropping out or changing style for verse sections it can be very effective too.

Also if your sister is playing up the finger board then you should head down and vise-versa.

[Mike Bunting]

Yes, playing chords in the same key as your sister is playing in would be good. It would also be a good time for you to get a metronome to practice playing those chords in a nice consistent time for her to play off.

[TheBlindBard]

I have a metronome on my phone and I've been using it to work on timing for some irish tunes. Very effective :)
Thanks, everybody. If I had more time, I would do some of the other things suggested, but, I'm not that much of a musician yet to come up with counter-melodies :(
Thanks, everybody.

[bmac]

Were it me,,, I would gladly play chord backup for her as you mention for several reasons... One being the experience of performing publicly and backing her up sounds like a good learning experience even if you never take the lead. counter melodies are not that difficult but I would stay in familiar territory this time... Playing in a church group sounds like a great idea as it would be un-christian for folks to throw rotten vegetables in church.

That was a joke.... Good luck!!!

[TheBlindBard]

--My "Familiar terratory" is playing melody. I don't play chords that often, but I think I'll be able to mannage. I was demonstrating for her earlier when we got home today what I would be doing with her. On the sheet music, they notate the timing and the key, so, that should be good.

[TheBlindBard]

I'll just have to work with her on timing so we can hopefully play in sync with one another. I was figuring that letting the chords ring out would be better, especially the higher-pitched notes, as opposed to doing a chop-type chord, but, I'll have to see. We'll find a tune tomorrow and try it out :)

[Jim Garber]

Chop chords prob would not work that well. Depending on the key you might be better even with chords using open strings and play with the beat. If your sister has the sheet music can she read off the chords to you? Do you have any time to play together before the party?

[Dave Wrede]

i've done this once or twice and just played the chords, open if possible, and also grabbed the double-stops in the lower registers when appropriate to the music. Nothing real fancy, just sort of laid down the floor for the violin to dance on.

[Jstring]

Can you borrow a tenor guitar? My wife plays violin and sings, and I have to back her up like you're doing for your sister. I have a cheap Blueridge tenor guitar, tuned GDAE, so I can use my mando chords, licks, fills, etc. It sounds better than a mandolin when it's just the two of us, in my opinion.

Something to consider if you keep playing with your sister...

[TheBlindBard]

Yes, my sister and I have some time to play together-- the party is on the eighth of December. "Laying down the floor" for her to dance on is what I was hoping to do.
If I buy another instrument, I think my parents might kill me :P I keep joking that I should buy abother mandolin with my SSI money, an electric this time.

[TheBlindBard]

As far as "open chords" go. Do you guys mean how the G chord is second fret of the A and third of the E string? so some strings are open?

[Earl Gamage]

Yes, check out the mandolin cafe chords on the home page if you have not.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/chords/ch.pl

[Joe Mendel]

This probably won't help for this gig, but it's a great resource for backing up a fiddle with a mandolin:

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~john.baldry/mando/hokkanen.html

Here's the blurb about it:

* INSTRUCTIONAL CDs FOR MD ARTICLES: As a service to MD readers, several of the long and more complex instructional articles by Niles Hokkanen were put into audio form with even more material, examples and explantions included, allowing one to hear what may be be somewhat confusing on paper. The price of each CD is $10.00 each postpaid in the USA and Canada ( $11.50 each postpaid overseas).

THE ART OF BACKUP: BACKING A FIDDLE OR OTHER HIGH REGISTER INSTRUMENT IN A DUO SETTING
75-minute CD demonstrating the material in the MD #24-25 articles and expanding upon them. Complete stereo separation between the mandolin backup parts and the lead instruments (fiddle, accordion, flute, whistle, concertina), using the tunes "Garry Owen" and "Swinging On A Gate" as demonstration vehicles. Also includes long "play-along" tracks at manageable tempos so you can actually practice backing another instruments. Backup can be so much more than just the "chop"! You won't find this type of instruction anywhere else!

Mandocrucian's Digest was and is a great resource for all kinds of mandolin related stuff. I'd get the issues that go along with it too.

[Mike Arakelian]

Depending on the songs you are going to play, cross picking some chords and using tremolo for either single notes or double stops might sound nice.

[TheBlindBard]

I"ve always had trouble with tremalo. Cross-picking and double-stops I can do, though.