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View Full Version : New to mandolin - any advice



eagle24
Feb-05-2007, 2:07pm
First off let me say that this is a great website with tons of information. #I wish I had found it sooner. #I have always liked bluegrass, traditional, & folk music. #I have been playing guitar for about 4 years and last week ordered a mandolin, which should be here in a few days. #Hopefully, It will be a playable instrument with decent tone. #I did'nt have a lot of local resources and also was not able to try any mandolins while trying to decide what to buy. #Any suggestions for someone just getting started on mandolin would be greatly appreciated. #Thanks.

Eric F.
Feb-05-2007, 2:18pm
Hello and welcome. Find a good teacher is the best advice I can give you. That way you can get started doing things the right way and not develop bad habits that can cause trouble later, lead to pain, etc. There's tons of instructional material out there. You can download tabledit and pick away for free, look at the tabs on this Web site or others, including nigelgatherer.com.

I like Simon Mayor's instructional stuff. It's called something like The Mandolin Tutor. It's a good all-round non-bluegrasscentric book/CD/video. Roland White's Approach to Bluegrass Mandolin might be a good second step. Others will chime in with their suggestions, I'm sure.

rounDSound
Feb-05-2007, 4:57pm
Welcome! I'm a newcomer as well. I think I've been playing for just under a month now. This place has been a great resource, so you're moving in the right direction by joining up here and asking questions!

My advise is to be patient, and deligent with your practicing. Try to get into what you are playing, and enjoy it. Otherwise it's just work, and you won't want to spend as much time on it.

What kind of mandolin did you get?

Fliss
Feb-05-2007, 5:05pm
Hi Eagle24, welcome! (And welcome rounDSound too!)

I think Eric's advice sounds excellent. Also, I'd suggest if you get any opportunity to play along with other mandolinists, seize that opportunity with both hands, because that's a great way to learn, as well as being a lot of fun.

And enjoy!

Fliss

eagle24
Feb-05-2007, 5:16pm
rounDSound, I got a Morgan Monroe MMS-2W. Should be here by Thursday.

rounDSound
Feb-05-2007, 5:18pm
Make sure you post up some pics when you get it. Nothing better than a new mandolin day (like a new guitar day, but a smaller box!)