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bluesguy63
Dec-16-2008, 7:52pm
All,
I currently attempt to play guitar in my praise band at church. I'm thinking I want to try to play mandolin instead. I used to play a little bit, years ago. I'm thinking it would be appropriate to play some fills/tremelo type things. I just want to contribute and add some value to the music. I was thinking I read somewhere that playing appegios would be a nice fit. Exactly how does that work? Are there certain "safe notes" that can be played? Thanks!

swampstomper
Dec-16-2008, 10:16pm
If the guitar is playing the chords, you could consider echoing the melody, if the song permits:

singer --> you

maybe the last part of the melody line, while the singer is gathering breath for the next line.

Another common fill would be a turnaround after verses.

What songs are you playing?

Jim Broyles
Dec-16-2008, 10:23pm
All,
I currently attempt to play guitar in my praise band at church. I'm thinking I want to try to play mandolin instead. I used to play a little bit, years ago. I'm thinking it would be appropriate to play some fills/tremelo type things. I just want to contribute and add some value to the music. I was thinking I read somewhere that playing appegios would be a nice fit. Exactly how does that work? Are there certain "safe notes" that can be played? Thanks!

Arpeggios are chords whose notes are played in succession rather that at the same time. If you play arpeggios of the right chords, all the notes should be safe notes. Tremolo and fills are nice too. There was a thread recently about how to add to a praise team. I think you can find it if you search the terms "praise" or "worship" on the Cafe.

bluesguy63
Dec-17-2008, 9:40am
Ok...let's say that the guitar player is playing a G chord for two measures. Are the only safe notes the 1,3,5 notes of that chord (whatever those notes are....sorry, I'm just learning) or if I'm playing a two finger G chord can I play all the strings, (two of the strings are fretted and two are open), as safe notes? Does this make sense? Thanks for any and all help!

Jim Broyles
Dec-17-2008, 1:39pm
Yes, any note in a G chord on the mandolin is safe over the guitar player's G chord. Yes, you can play all the strings of a 2 finger G because they are, in order, 1, 5, 3, 1.

John Flynn
Dec-17-2008, 2:03pm
I went through the same transition 15 years ago, moving from playing praise and worship at church on the guitar to doing the same on the mandolin. 15 years later, I play mandolin and octave mandolin pretty much exclusively at church. My approach, which worked well for me although YMMV, was:

> Start the first time by only playing the mando on one of the tunes your group is going to play during the service. Make it the easiest tune in the lineup.

> First try to re-create what you had been doing on the guitar. If that was strictly chords, that's fine, but stick to open chords and go light on the E strings. A mando can sound a bit shrill if it is played like a "little guitar" and the E strings are allowed to ring out.

> Build up week after week, doing more tunes, and more complicated tunes, trying to play some melodies and trying some mandolin techniques like tremolo, crosspicking, etc.

Here's why I recommend this approach: IMHO, the job of a P&W musician is to support the church service and the congregation's worship experience. Experimenting live with new instruments and techniques can distract from that. It is good to ease into it as you get comfortable with the instrument and the techniques. Leveraging your guitar experience helps keeps you on the safe side. I also strongly recommend an octave mandolin. OM's just seem perfect for P&W. I got one this year and now I rarely play the smaller instrument at church anymore.

laddy jota
Dec-17-2008, 2:37pm
I think the same musical principles apply to heathen music, by the way.

bluesguy63
Dec-17-2008, 2:47pm
You guys are great...more questions though-
what do you mean, on a two finger G chord, that the strings are 1,5,3,1?
And...
what is the difference between an octave mandolin and a "regular" mandolin?
thanks

miked500
Dec-17-2008, 3:23pm
1, 5, 3, 1 is in referance to the scale tones. Meaning the G string open is the 1 of the G chord, the D string open is the 5th of G, the 2nd fret on the A string is a B note which is the 3rd of G, and the 3rd fret of the E string is a G note, which is the 1 of the G chord; hope this helps!

MikeEdgerton
Dec-17-2008, 4:15pm
I think the same musical principles apply to heathen music, by the way.

Pretty much.

bluesguy63
Dec-17-2008, 8:07pm
Yes, any note in a G chord on the mandolin is safe over the guitar player's G chord. Yes, you can play all the strings of a 2 finger G because they are, in order, 1, 5, 3, 1.

and so this would apply to any two finger chord I could play? I think most of the stuff that we play is "funky Keys" such as Bflat and E flats etc so if I play a two finger Bflat I can play those strings in a fill or tremelo some of those notes over the chords and it would be safe?

Jim Broyles
Dec-17-2008, 10:58pm
Yes. A chord is a chord no matter what instrument is playing it, so your Bb would sound good along with the guitar's Bb. If you want to play nice open two finger chords in those "funky" keys, try a capo. It allows you to play that type of chord with open strings when you'd otherwise have to use closed (every note is fretted) chords. Tremolo can be used effectively to embellish or fill, but you don't want to overdo any technique. Rely on your team leader to "critique" your effort and see what fits in with your music. Less can be more in any type of music, and you always want to remember why you are up there.

Bill Snyder
Dec-18-2008, 12:29am
And...
what is the difference between an octave mandolin and a "regular" mandolin?
thanks

Not to be a smart alec but the difference is an octave. The octave mandolin in larger (roughly guitar size) and tuned an octave lower, hence the name.

Pastor Bill Pawlyshyn
Dec-18-2008, 3:25pm
one other thought . . . listen to some bluegrass gospel and get the 'feel' for how 'down-home-folk' play worship/church/hymns and Christian songs/music. Remember, praise and worship is (besides reading the chord charts) a feeling from the inner parts of one's being. Having been in choirs and currently leading my own worship team (three years) it is the Spirit of the LORD which provides the music. When, if combo, you must get the other musicians familiar with the beauty of the mando. The more you 'jam' together, the better and more at ease all will become. AND . . . there is awlays the ad-lib part where the instruments do 'their thing" and the singers return to the written music. In my case I am the only musician with four other singers, so instrumental echoing or harmonizing is out whether I play my accordion, keyboard, guitar, banjo or mando (kind of restricted in vocalization with the harmonica). Bottom line, prayer is the first item on the agenda, then let the LORD provide - remember Daivd's Psalms 146 - 150 and just have a . . . . .how we say "Holy Ghost Time in the LORD!"

MikeEdgerton
Dec-18-2008, 3:38pm
We have crossed into that zone that is running afoul of our posting guidelines. We need to stay with the music.

Bob Wiegers
Dec-18-2008, 4:15pm
the difference b/w octave and regular is that the octave is just plain better :-) (just tryin to stir non-religious debate here)

anyway, I think the "safe notes" are the ones that sound right (sorry if that sounds smart-alecky). slow crosspicking/fingerpicking over the guitar chords, simple turnarounds between verses, a bit of counter-melody, etc has worked well for our little group over the years.

mrmando
Dec-18-2008, 4:55pm
FYI, there is a nascent forum devoted to this topic at MandolinPraise.com (http://mandolinpraise.com/phpbb/), and if we want to discuss theology we can probably get away with it over there.