Beginner downloadable tunes

[feniansons]

Hey all,
If I were to download some tunes to my IPod so that I could try to play along/play by ear, what would you suggest be some essential BEGINNER tunes...ie not too slow, not too fast, but jusssst right..lemme know. Thanks

[psann]

I know nada about ipods. Will they take midi's? If so this site http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/mandolin-tab/mandolin-tab-A.html has tab, notation and midi files for some real basic melodies of lots of old songs.

[feniansons]

it's is just mp3's...midi is that computer sounding sound isnt it?

[gnelson651]

With iTune you can convert a midi to a mp3.

[feniansons]

Thats all the replies I got!!!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif Something I said!!!??haha

[lbracale]

HELP! I am confused. I have been reading this message board for a while now and everyone said to play Aonzo's scales and memorize them forward and back. I understand scales. I printed out the scale sheet and started to play it and Im getting it ok. The problem I am having is i dont really know what the heck im playing. I dont know one note from the other and I think if Im playing scales I should know what the notes are. Can someone please help me out?

[feniansons]

I am in th esame boat...getting real comfortable doing those basic scales and getting the fingers moving......but i need something to put them into practice and don't know really where to go from here.

[gnelson651]

See response Here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=25;t=32098)

[Tighthead]

Try Will the Circle Be Unbroken from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's first Circle album. It really sounds like a jam, with singers taking a verse, then everyone singing the chorus, then a break. I usually just play along the whole way through. Then when you get a little more advanced, you can add backup to some parts and play lead on others. I got it on iTunes, so it's waiting for you.

[Lawrence Molloy]

i find this site very heplfull to learn with.

http://www.abacci.com/music/tabinstrument.asp?instrumentID=12

[ab4usa]

Sean,

If you have or get Tabledit, you can download Tabledit files from Mandozine. Then either a) slow them down with the software, save them at that speed so you can play along, or b) find tunes that have versions for beginner, advanced, professional and start with the beginner version. You could then move up once you learned the basic tune. The software will also let you slow it down for practice.

[ShaneJ]

feniansons, try Jay Buckey's stuff (http://jaybuckeymusic.com/mandolin.htm). He has some free mp3 downloads and tab/notation. His ebooks contain several songs - both sheet music and mp3 to play along with. It's very good stuff for beginners and anyone that doesn't have folks to jam with.

[lbracale]

Hey folks! I have a problem I hope to get some help with. I am learning my first simple tune "Golden Slippers" and for some reason I can't get a clean note everytime. My fingers now have small caluses on them but I still here buzzing now and again. I am trying hard to play slow, it the correct notes and also play clean notes. For some reason my notes are VERY inconsistant. How can I get clean notes everytime??

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[lbracale]

FYI, I am using the CD called Beginning Mandolin by www.SMPvideos.com. So far I think its a good beginners tool however I cant find an instructor out here to show me what I am doing wrong when I comes to playing clean notes. Maybe I am still just to new at this. (I have only been playing the Mando for about 4 weeks)

Video Music Lessons (http://www.SMPvideos.com)
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Smurf]

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/mandolin-tab/mandolin-tab-A.html

Thank you for this link! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[lookey]

Hey folks! I have a problem I hope to get some help with. I am learning my first simple tune "Golden Slippers" and for some reason I can't get a clean note everytime. My fingers now have small caluses on them but I still here buzzing now and again. I am trying hard to play slow, it the correct notes and also play clean notes. For some reason my notes are VERY inconsistant. How can I get clean notes everytime??

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Hey Mandosmiley,

Try placing your fingers nearly between the frets rather than directly on the frets. Also, practice using the tip of your finger rather than the pad.

Hope this helps....

lookey http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #

[PhilGE]

Londy, take a look at this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=25;t=30028;hl=mcgann) for some discussion of fretting and other technique.

[lbracale]

Progress update:
Well my finger tips are getting all callaused up now and my notes are getting cleaner...still get some buzz going on though and volume variations. I think its because my left hand timing is off a bit from my right hand??? Anyone else have this problem in the begining? dont get me wrong, my fingers are very co-ordinated from playing the piano...this is just different.

[dj coffey]

Londy,

I'm a newbie too - I've been at it - lets just be honest - obsessively - since I got the thing in mid-January. #I'm happy with my progress, the caluses are in good shape and I can play most of the stuff that doesn't involve doublestops or fancy ornaments from the fiddler's fakebook. #Like you, my background is piano, so the reading music part comes easily.

I get buzzes if I don't manage to hit between the frets or don't have the string fully fretted when the pick hits the string. #The notes that buzz the most for me is the F or F# on the E string and the C on the G string. #Hitting that F# seems to want me to compress the hand in a way that is uncomfortable. #Hitting the low C is more of a stretching problem. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I've noticed this is especially the case before I've fully warmed up. #So, if I don't do the Aonzo scales, I will do several passes on the 2 octave A scale with no open strings. #That helps me with the stretch on the low C.

I think I have the volume on my picking under control for the most part - do the same A scale, hit each note twice using the DU pattern and do it slowly to keep the volume consistent between the down and the up. #Run through it a bunch of times. #I try to spend about 15-30 minutes on my warm up - it makes playing the tunes much more satisfying because my mind and my hands have had that time to get in synch.

I had the same thought as you did when working on the Aonzo scales - here I am halfway up the neck and don't even know what scale I'm playing not to mention the name of the current note. #But I don't know that it's as important as knowing what scales feel like all over the neck of the mandolin. #I haven't decided if I want to obsess over that or not. #If I decide to, you'll hear me singing the name of the note as I go!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[lbracale]

Dotty,
Thanks for the reply. Sounds like your getting the hang of it. The buzz I was speaking of must be from my nut being to high. I know that I am fretting properly and not on the fret itself.
I had the opportunity to be invited to a workshop and played other mando's and this is when I noticed the nut being too high. I can play someone elses mando better than my own. So, all this time I thought it was me and it was not. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
That's was nice to know. I found a guy to give me lessons and I start next week. I am very excited about it. I'll the cafe posted on my progress.

[levin4now]

This is blatant thread hijack right? What about feniansons initial request? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif