Newb without experience

[Glnintn]

So I got a mandolin for Christmas. It's what I get for going to Bluegrass events and talking about my desires for playing. I took chorus in high school (many years ago) so I have a little knowledge of music. Do I have any chance of getting any good? Would love to be able to jam some by retirement! Where is a good place to start?

[Ray(T)]

You could do worse than hanging around here a while; welcome to the forum, but don't take everything people say totally to heart, there's more than one way of skinning a mandolin as they say.

If you want to play bluegrass, work on your G, D and C chords and wait for the advice to start flooding in.

[Gary Leonard]

I am much the same here, learning at age 51, with only some music background in school chorus. I do have extensive experience playing the stereo though..

Like most things, you get out of it what you put in. I find it challenging, rewarding, and keeps my mind active, thus I am sure I will stick with it. Will I get as fast as I like? Will I be able to pull off smooth 4 finger chords with my stubby, short fingers? Maybe not. But the journey should be fun.

How close is retirement? Any other goals other than being able to jam? Ray had good advice, learn those chords, work the right hand, and play around. Try and find others that you can practice/jam with, as keeping time, and hitting the chord changes is as important, if not more important than perfect notes.

That is the challenge I am facing, I am sure I can technically play a few simple melodies, but they are not very musical. Practice playing along with a backing track when working on melodies, and practice cords with a melody backing track.

Time to put my advice to work! Congrats on the new mandolin, and welcome!

[David Smith]

Yes, you do have a chance of getting good. A very good chance. But I will always remember a throw away line Emory Lester tossed out in a class one day; he said "speed is earned." IT TAKES TIME! And lots of it. However, if you love the sound of the instrument, the time will fly and improvement will be amazing. Watch tons of stuff on YouTube, listen to tons of stuff on Spotify, read the forums here on the Cafe...become a Mando nerd. I always have my mandolin within reach and will just noodle around to become increasingly familiar with the sound of each fretted note. I'll play scales over and over again, play the same chords over and over again, put my finger on a string at a fret and figure out the note...say it out loud...learn one chord a day and practice forming it...over and over again. I'll sit in my chair watching basketball with the volume off and switch from a G chord to Bm7 to C to Bm7 to D to Bm7...over and over again. I figured out how to play Happy Birthday and Twinkle Twinkle, and then Arkansas Traveler and Boil dem Cabbage Down, and Jenny Lynn, and Red Haired Boy, and Soldiers Joy and Big Sciota and Blackberry Blossom....over and over again. And then went to the Swannanoa Gathering for Mando/Banjo Week and took classes with Emory Lester, and Matt Flinner, and John Reischman, and Don Steirnberg...over and over again. And while the theme here is repitition it never feels that way because it's all different every day. Some days you will feel like a prodigy and other days you will be certain it's all for naught. Some days your mandolin will sound fantastic and the next day you will be scanning the Cafe classifieds for another instrument because you know it will make you sound like Grisman on a good day. Will you get good....yes. Will you be great? Probably not, but that's not the point. The point is...there is a sound in your head you really like, and you want to make it.

[Glnintn]

Thanks. I don't plan to make it in Nashville. Certainly not Memphis. Maybe Mountain View! Really don't want to embarrass myself. I have been on YouTube and did learn the 3 chords. Had to look it back up to see they were C, G, & D. I know I have a ways to go to get good and at changing. Much less what works with what song. Then there is learning all the songs! I'm hearing it's better to learn the chords than trying to learn specific songs. I envy those who can play by ear.

[Frank Russell]

Glenn - one thing that was really helpful for me at first, with no instrument experience beforehand, was to find an open jam or picking circle that welcomes beginners. It improved my playing much more quickly than playing alone or with a video lesson. Scary at first, but just being able to watch other mandolin players up close, and learning jam etiquette was a huge leap forward. I ended up finding a group I felt comfortable with, and picked with them for seven or eight years. Some of the folks there were pro level, but most were just hobbyists, and they were very encouraging to any new pickets. They're out there, especially in your area. Good luck, Frank

[Lord of the Badgers]

Glenn - I'm like you I envy those who play by ear to an extent. The ease with which my mates who've been in bands since before they could shave does make me feel awkward. But it gets better :) the more you play with welcoming sorts, the better it gets. It's got better for me in the last three years certainly.
I played guitar a bit, and keys a bit, before then. Keys taught me rudimentary music theory.

So:

Do not feel bad, there are many more like you out there, we all started somewhere
Practice
Do not be frustrated - results take time. Chords are the quick win...
Practice
Practice
ENJOY

[Randi Gormley]

I'll put in a word for balance. While it's nice to be a chord monster or an expert melody player, don't shirk one for the other. While you're learning chords, also play some melody; while you're learning songs/tunes, figure out some double-stops (two finger chords). One is actually no easier/harder than the other, they just bring you different results. If it's all new anyway, work on both at the same time. And absolutely find someone to play with. How about the person who bought you the mandolin?

[Glnintn]

How about the person who bought you the mandolin?

That would be my wife. She can sing better than she thinks but that's it. She doesn't even care for bluegrass that much but she suffers through a few events a year for me.

Thanks for the encouragement. There is hope!

[Astro]

...Really don't want to embarrass myself. ...

OK first and foremost, you have to be willing to let go of that concept. Its what kept me back for years on guitar. Somehow I was able to loose that concept on mando. I guess because there was no expectation of competence since I was just learning whereas I'd played guitar for years.

The second thing you must do (after you have some basic knowledge) is find others to play with. It took me years to admit that and was the second biggest thing holding me back and is related to the first one (fear of making a fool of myself).

Where to start? Start at the very beginning. Its a very good place to start.

Youve actually already done the first important step. You are here. The Cafe is great. Search a lot. Most anyquestion you can think of as a beginner has been answered many times here.

Next I would look at the lessons on posture, positioning, pick grip on uTube.

Start with beginner lessons on these by Pete Martin, Brad Laird, Don Julin, and Mike Marshall. Then move on through their other lessons. Dont feel you have to be perfect before moving on but also be willing to come back to the earlier ones repeatedly because it takes time.

Learn songs you can sing.

Most important. Have fun !

[Raleigh Harwell]

Glenn,

I see that you're in TN. Do you happen to live in or near Nashville? If so, there are some great places for new mandolin players to pick and grin. I would highly recommend the Fiddle N' Pick in Pegram, TN. They host a "slow jam" on Thursday nights that's perfect for the beginner.

Best of luck!

-Raleigh

[Denny Gies]

If you newbies are motivated, and have a modicum of music talent, you can progress as much as you want. Just be prepared to have fun, be frustrated, have sore fingers and some joy when a new tune or lick is mastered. Good luck and remember, this is supposed to be fun.

[JEStanek]

Welcome to the Cafe. You're getting great advice and encouragement (it's what we do best). Look into an instructor if possible, practice and set realistic goals for yourself. Mostly, have fun... that's the point, right? You can go to a jam and strum along just knowing a few chords. Don't wait for perfection to jump in.

Jamie

[JeffD]

There is no front door - you can spend (waste) a lot of time looking for one. Jump in and swim out to the edges. No matter where you begin in a few years you will wish you began some other way, I promise.

Regular attendance at a jam will pour gasoline on your fire to play. Even if all you do is hang out, listen, strum a little.

Another promise - you will never feel ready to go to a jam. The first time you go to a jam will when you decide to go INSPITE of not feeling ready.

[Carl Robin]

Glenn, playing by ear is a skill that is developed, slowly at first. Start with a simple tune that you know completely like Happy Birthday, or Twinkle twinkle little Star. Practice starting somewhere for the first note, searching for the next one, and putting one note after another. Learn a modest amount, and then come back to it later. Persistence is the main ingredient. I use midi files from ABCnotation, and slow them down with Windows Media Center: Enhancements, Play speed settings, and also set it to repeat. I play along by ear, often only finding a few of the notes at first, but then with increasing accuracy. Playing the mandolin has been great for me, because progress is steady, and so encouraging. Good luck to you.

[Glnintn]

I live in Bartlett, a suburb of Memphis. Close to all the BG havens of Arkansas. There's a lot going on here, just not like AR or Nashville and eastward.

As far as playing by ear, my son has that knack. He picked up the guitar pretty quick and got bored with it. I know he'll let me have use of my mandolin and then pass me up. I'm having fun and hopefully won't get stuck. So far I haven't found lessons readily available yet. And a search here found me looking a chord charts and finding out there are 372! I know 4 now!!

[Mickey King]

Glenn, check out the Memphis Bluegrass Assn. I've met a couple of players from down there. Think they have jams on Friday nights in Collierville. http://http://www.memphis-bluegrass.org/

[SincereCorgi]

Bluegrass is a fast and technically demanding style, so take a deep breath and recognize that it's going to be a while before you can hang in there on fast fiddle tunes. I think it's just as important to work on:

1) Steady rhythm, even at slow tempos. You might not be able to play breaks for a while, but three chords and a metronome-steady chop will endear you to many people.

2) Be able to sing, and know songs. Know what keys are good for you. Memorize the words. Practice while driving. Even if you aren't taking breaks, everybody loves it when there's somebody who can jump right in when asked 'who's got one?' If you can harmonize people will like you even better.

3) Be ready for some frustration. Bluegrass is a social activity, and as a beginner, you can end up playing with some lousy and strange people on the way up, since public jams take all types. If this happens, be patient. There are good people out there, and it takes a while to find people you like to play with.

[Glnintn]

Glenn, check out the Memphis Bluegrass Assn. I've met a couple of players from down there. Think they have jams on Friday nights in Collierville. http://http://www.memphis-bluegrass.org/

I've been to Collierville a few times. It's an hour from Bartlett in bad traffic. There used to be some players where I work. When the weather gets better I'll go back.

I couldn't get the link to work.

[rubydubyr]

Some days you will feel like a prodigy and other days you will be certain it's all for naught. Some days your mandolin will sound fantastic and the next day you will be scanning the Cafe classifieds for another instrument because you know it will make you sound like Grisman on a good day.

I am still waiting on the "prodigy" day..... :cool: