Mastering the Mandolin

[Steve L]

I was wondering if any of you good folks have seen or used this book and could give a bit of feedback on it. Descriptions on sellers websites sound good, but then they often do.

Thanks,

[Martin Jonas]

I am about a third of the way into the book and I think it's very good. Unlike just about any other mandolin tutor that I have used, Mayor does actually describe the concepts he wants to get across clearly and with a natural step-by-step progression. However, "Mastering" is a relatively advanced book and its learning curve is a good deal steeper than Mayor's first book "The Mandolin Tutor". The two books more or less follow on from each other, except that in the second book, he assumes you know about ornamentation, grace notes and hammer-on/pull-offs, although he never introduced them in the first one. What he covers in some detail is the techniques for playing closed positions, when and how to shift position, how to achieve uniformity of tone. All good stuff!

The book has a fairly broad mix of styles, with quite a bit of classical, Celtic and English material, but less on bluegrass or jazz. One thing you should be aware of is that neither of Mayor's books has any significant instruction on rhythm playing or accompaniment -- in his first book, he gives the chord charts and says, in effect, "try them and it'll work". The second book covers harmony lines, but not rhythm or ensemble playing.

Finally, Mayor really has a tone to kill for and that makes listening to the CDs that come with the tutors a real pleasure.

Martin

[Steve L]

That's just what I was hoping to hear. Thanks Martin!

[Mike Crocker]

Actually, Simon covers a lot of embellishments and ornamentation in his book "New Celtic Mandolin" (1998). The first chapter is a general description and many of the tunes have more specific descriptions. His book "The New Mandolin" (1993) has fewer technique resources but is still worth it's weight in gold. "The Mandolin Tutor" (1995) is a wonderful beginner book, much of it transferable to other instruments.

I recommend that one works through "New Celtic Mandolin" after "The Mandolin Tutor".

Peace, Mooh.

[Steve S.]

I have been working through Mastering the Mandolin and think that the material is terrific for both technique and general musicianship. As a guitar player turned mando player, this book has really helped to fill gaps in my approach to the mandolin.

[labraid]

Anybody know a good place to find these books? They're not at the local stores and I can't even find it on Amazon.. I'm in Canada, maybe that's the problem http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Mike Crocker]

They're available directly from Simon's website, so are cds. Have you checked the 12th Fret (Toronto) or the Ottawa Folklore Centre? Where are you located?

Peace, Mooh.