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View Full Version : Versatile Fender Mandostrat playing Vivaldi violin parts



John Dough
Jul-17-2017, 1:21am
Let me know what you think of my recording of Vivaldi's opus 3 No 1.

https://soundcloud.com/john-watson-148124049/vivaldi-opus-3-no-1a

It's 4 violin parts on Fender mandostrat 4 string, 2 parts on Airline mandola 8 string, 1 cello part on Eastwood mandocello, 1 contrabass part on Fender jazz bass..

Panned for stereo listening.

John Kelly
Jul-18-2017, 12:14pm
Fine playing and recording, John. Stereo panning helps too.

John Dough
Jul-19-2017, 12:23pm
Fine playing and recording, John. Stereo panning helps too.

Thanks very much for listening.
My thinking was to make all the parts clearly heard as separate instrumentation.
It was fun to do, some parts (the solos) took time to learn, other parts like the bass and viola I could almost sight read them as I played.
Nowhere near the speed and virtuosity of a real violin orchestra, but I think the slower speed brings out the parts better. Vivaldi wrote this stuff to be performed by orphaned girls, so not sure they played the way modern orchestras of professionals play.
Also, my ears, and maybe others, are accustomed more to guitar picked strings type sounds than bowed violin sounds, so maybe it would make it more accessible.
I'll probably do a few more, it took a long time learning and recording all the parts, but was fun. If i work through the whole 12 concerto set, I'm sure I'll end up a better player. Luckily for me that it's hard to ruin a composition that has stood the test of time for 300 years.
I find it's nice to get a new perspective on old pieces with different versions.