Thinking to take up Mandolin - have questions

[rgray]

Okay, I am 50 years young and thinking of taking up the mandolin. Don't play anything now. My reasons are to do something new, keep my brain active, and maybe find some personal solitude from work every day for about 30-45 minutes at lunch sitting next to the river practicing. I live outside Richmond, VA and thinking of buying a mandolin and taking lessons from Guitar Works on Cary Street.
Q1 - are their mandolins good for a beginner?
Q2 - is their service as good as their website indicates?

I work a 4-day workweek and thinking of taking a 1/2 hour lesson at the same store on a periodic basis. I don't trust myself to teach myself and figured lessons would get me started in the right direction and make sure that my practice time is going okay. My plan is to keep this to myself for awhile. As I said, I can practice during lunchbreak at work and get away from the house on the weekend for some practice time.
Q3 - Will lessons at Guitar Works be worthwhile?
Q4 - What would be a good frequency of lessons?

Thanks in advance for any advice. Not sure where this will go but the journey is enough for now.

[Jack Roberts]

I started at 48 for about the same reasons. I can't address Q1 and Q2, but

Q3: Lessons are a great idea, and beginning lessons are about the same everywhere.

Q4: Once a week to twice a month. Any less is too long between lessons, and any more won't give you time to get good at what you learned.

Welcome to Mandolin Cafe

[JeffW]

Well, unfortunately I am not in your area so I cannot speak to the quality of service you may receive at the store you name...BUT I am in a similar situation in that I have recently picked up the mandolin and am trying to find a path to proficiency with the instrument.

I have taken weekly lessons at a store in the Baltimore area and I think the frequency is perfect for a beginner. If you have a good instructor and you are able to practice regularly between lessons, you should see results quickly.

For me it has been invaluable to have some guidance and direction....there are so many things one can learn (technique, theory, improvisation, etc.), it can get overwhelming trying to figure out where to start. The lessons helped me clarify what I should work on to get where I want to be. Having regular feedback on technique is also beneficial so you don't pick up any bad habits.

Best of luck!

Jeff

[mandozilla]

Hi rgray and JeffW...welcome to the Cafe!

It's imperative that you take lessons to learn proper basic techniques...you've got to start out learning such basics as how to hold and tune your mando, right and left hand position, pick grip and so on...it's mighty hard to unlearn bad habits on the mandolin.

You can teach yourself but it'll take a lot longer. And for Pete's sake, try to find a teacher who is a mandolin player not a guitar player teaching mandolin...they're usually pretty pitiful mandolin teachers. The frequency of your lessons depends, I think, on how intense or aggressively you plan to approach learning the mandolin and of course how much time you have to devote to practicing.

Do you have a mandolin in mind for purchase? What genre do you want to persue? BTW, there are numerous threads regarding advice for selecting your first mandolin...search away! Good Luck and enjoy your mandolin adventure.

[man dough nollij]

Welcome, rgray!

You are in for some fun. Your inquiry is unusual in that most new folks start out thinking about buying some dodgy mandolin on EBay, and most of us try to talk them out of it.

I think buying from your local shop is a good idea, if they have something reasonable. One thing I like to do is just drop in and tell them I'm browsing mandolins. Ask to plink on a couple they have hanging on the wall. If they have grody, corroded strings, are not in tune, and are set up poorly, that's not an indication that these folks care about mandolins much.

I also think that getting lessons right off the bat is a good idea. I would ask the prospective teacher (a lot of the time they're working in the store) if they teach primarily mandolin, or if it's their fifth (no pun intended) choice. Most good teachers are busy, so that's a good sign.

They'll probably ask you what music you're going to like to play. Do you like an F body or an A? Do you like ff holes or an oval? You will find a plethora of threads on the cafe about stuff like that.

Happy Pickin',

Lee

:mandosmiley:

[auteq]

Yes do it, learn Mando, but of course I and this board are biased.

Take lessons and do it with the frequency that you can learn the material but also be pushed. You know your schedule better than anybody else. I try for once a month (due to work, school, 18 mo kid, etc) but I keep that flexible. Remember this is for your enjoyment... life intervenes sometimes, if you postpone it don't worry, if you love it you will come back. If you are bored up the frequency, if you are showing up unprepared lower it.

As for what mando to buy? Do some online searches on the style and price range you are in. Then go find one that seems to fit well in your hands. I started with a $200 fender A style and it served me well in the begining, and it let me noodle and make friends with the instrument until I was ready to move up.

[JeffD]

And for Pete's sake, try to find a teacher who is a mandolin player not a guitar player teaching mandolin...they're usually pretty pitiful mandolin teachers..


Very true. Even if you have to have to go elsewhere for the lessons, it is worth it to get someone who is a mandolin player.

Welcome to the cafe. Yes the mandolin is a great place to start your musical avocation. For a whole bunch of reasons. Most of them heavily influenced by my pro mandolin bias.

[dulcillini]

As the Nike ad says, "Just Do It".

I picked up a mandolin at age 61 and I love it. I also play mountain dulcimer. I work a high stress job and both the mountain dulcimer and mandolin are perfect for me. They are small, very portable, and can deliver a lot of music. Both are such a blessing to me. I will never play well enough to be on stage, but I go at it with all the enthusiasm of preparing for a concert.

I echo all the previous comments about trying to locate a good teacher. Unfortunately I could not and I probably picked up some bad habits teaching myself. I still have trouble with fast bluegrass tunes. In fact, I really do not seek to play bluegrass. There are many other music avenues on the mandolin besides bluegrass. The frustration is that nearly all the lesson materials out there are bluegrass based.

If you are still trying to decide, pick up some good mandolin CD's. Try to choose all genre, not just bluegrass. All around players like Butch Baldassari will play classical and Celtic as well as bluegrass. Listen to a Simon Mayor CD if you really want to hear unique mandolin, that takes the instrument to its limits. Others on this site will have even better suggestions for music to listen to. Also listen to some classical mandolin players--their playing style is so beautiful. I find that deciding what kind of music I want to play will better guide me through the learning process.

I have enjoyed the learning process and I think you will too. It takes time, so don't be discouraged. Learning to play a musical instrument is very good cognitive therapy that is proven to delay demensia. It is almost equivalent to learning a foreign language (which is also a great way for older adults to keep their brains sharp). You are on the right track. Press on !

Mike

[DerTiefster]

Rgray, I'm in largely the same boat you are. 53 and getting ready to (re)start. I learned a bit of the chord structures over the past decade, know a smattering of music theory already, like plinking about on the mandolin, and generally am planning to divert some of the time I currently waste on computer boards (ha!) for music and cars into learning to play credibly. I can tell you that if you don't learn correctly up front, you'll develop some bad habits which are hard to break. With manually intensive things like music, there are non-obvious differences in technique which begin to matter when you progress to intermediate and advanced. If you carry mistakes along, they're harder to re-train. Now, just -what- habits those are, I haven't yet discovered, but it's things like how you hold your left hand, how you pick the strings, and whether you ought to have gone and soaked your head instead of actually buying one of those noisy things.

Well, it might be others who ask that last question. But you can at least select an instrument that is easier on their ears. I'm in the last month or so of selecting a long-term (maybe permanent) mandolin as a companion to a family heirloom that I posted pics of here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49069
Good luck. I'm also in your "neighborhood," only about 70 miles away near Hampton.

[Shane Halloran]

go ahead and take it up.............I picked it at age 47 I am now nearly 49 and love it. Get lessons is a must even if it is to help you not develop bad habits. I try to play guitar and mountain dulcimer as well.........but just like to play around and nothing serious. I have not had lesson on guitar or dulcimer. Find a mandolin in your price range and start to learn and have fun.

[GRW3]

Let me speak to playing in the office for lunch. I do that three or four days a week. It's amazing how much of a break it is. I do a lot of fundamental work at the office. Work with the metronome and scales and such. There is a good free metronome here (http://www.metronomeonline.com/). It's not as fancy as some but it is FREE.

[man dough nollij]

That's all fine and good, George, but what are we supposed to do with a metronome that only goes up to 208? I get tired of waiting for the next "tick"! :confused:

[rgray]

Thanks for all of the replies. :) Guitar Works in Richmond has their own line of instruments and I am looking at an A-style, oval soundhole (http://www.guitarworksinc.net/STORE/productdisplay.asp?productid=759). (DerTiefster - I live in King William County and work in Hampton).

[M D SMITH]

I have taken weekly lessons at a store in the Baltimore area and I think the frequency is perfect for a beginner. If you have a good instructor and you are able to practice regularly between lessons, you should see results quickly.
Jeff

Jeff, I'm also in Baltimore, and am thinking about taking some lessons. Where are you taking them at, and how do you like it there?

[Patrick Hull]

I'm not familiar with Guitar Works, so I can't respond directly. However, my personal experience is that I'm almost 60 and I've been playign for about 4 years. I strongly recommend music on an instrument(s) you enjoy as tremendously therapeutic. I think most of us would suggest trying a local, independent music store to meet your needs. However, you may find a good teacher at GW. If it isn't working, no doubt you can find another. As for what mandolin to buy, you'll find tons of threads here. To summarize, the one you are looking at probably isn't very good. You might try a Kentucky from one of the advertisers here...get it set up well. Or, a Big Muddy. You might find a good starter instrument in the classifieds here. The instrument you select doesn't have to be great, but if it is not very good, it could discourage you. Good luck. Relax and have fun.

[JeffW]

Jeff, I'm also in Baltimore, and am thinking about taking some lessons. Where are you taking them at, and how do you like it there?

I've been taking lessons at Appalachian Bluegrass in Catonsville. They have several private rooms in the back of the store, and they have a bunch of instructors offering lessons throughout the week. I have enjoyed the lessons so far, and at $20 per half hour, the price is right.

Jeff

[blawson]

rgray -- I sent you a private message so make sure to check that out. I forgot to mention another person you may want to consider for lessons, though just a bit longer drive than Richmond, is Bill Gurley: http://www.billandpamgurley.com/lessons.htm. He's a wonderful musician and a very nice guy.

[Marcus CA]

Okay, I am 50 years young and thinking of taking up the mandolin. Don't play anything now. My reasons are to do something new, keep my brain active, and maybe find some personal solitude from work every day for about 30-45 minutes at lunch sitting next to the river practicing.

You'll get to spend 1/2 hour a day playing mandolin by the river? I'm seriously jealous!

If you've never played an instrument before, be sure that your teacher knows that, and doesn't think you're just another young guitar player taking on a new instrument. That way, he/she can work with you on basic fingering and picking techniques before getting too far into it.

Don't get discouraged if you don't make much progress at first. You're basically waking up a part of your brain that has long been dormant, and you can't just give it a double espresso. If you can put in the time consistently, things should start making sense to you and sticking in those memory pockets sooner or later. If you can sing or hum well, then you'll probably catch on more quickly because that would mean that you have an innate sense of music to tap into.

Good move starting with the A-model oval hole. You'll get more tonal quality for your buck in a starter instrument. Just to warn you, after a month of playing, you'll probably know whether or not to start saving up for an upgrade. :)

Enjoy the ride!

[allenhopkins]

Looking at the Guitar Works mandolin to which you linked, it seems that the store has arranged with an Asian manufacturer for a line of instruments with the "Guitar Works" nameplate. The instrument is all laminated (plywood) construction, but for $150 that's to be expected. If the store does in fact do a decent set-up, it could be an acceptable starter instrument. It does come with an inexpensive gig bag, and the store puts GHS strings on it, so perhaps they do adjust bridge placement and height. I tend to get a bit nervous about "private label" instruments, since I assume the store's making a profit on a mandolin that's shipped all the way from China and still sells for a low price, which implies that there's little hand-work and average materials -- but I'm just a suspicious person. You might consider taking a mandolin-playing friend along with you to the store and getting his/her opinion on the instrument.

[Youda]

How fun for me to read this thread! It's nice to know that I'm not the only youngster who is learning a new instrument. I'm an old granny who took up the mando at 53. I recently retired, so now I can't find any excuses not to practice. I'm self-taught, but then I have a background on classical piano, so it was just a matter of figuring out where the notes are on the strings vs. a keyboard, more or less. Best thing I ever did for myself! Plus, I find that a mando is a little more portable than a piano. ;)

Without a music background, I'd definitely recommend lessons. Theory is made of the stuff to induce comas, but it can really help you along the way. If you know that a song is written in the key of G-major, for example, you only have 7 notes to worry about...and knowing that and where those notes are located on the fretboard makes the song much easier to learn...and puts you well on the way to playing by ear. Lessons will also keep pushing you with each new song or lesson teaching you something new that is built on the foundation from previous lessons. In this way, your playing becomes more advanced quickly without you feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.

I don't know the store you mentioned, but you will know after a lesson or two if you and your teacher are in sync. If you aren't, find another. The test of a good store is their willingness to answer your questions and give good service. The test of a good teacher is if you are learning and having fun. So, have fun, enjoy the experience, and then you must keep us up to date with your progress and thoughts!

[LKN2MYIS]

I'm in the same age group at 57.

Perhaps we have enough members to form a club: ROMP (Retired Old Mandolin Players)!:))

[rgray]

Thanks for all the info. Now I feel bad for wasting your time asking such basic questions. :redface: Your answers caused me to do more research on this website, other mandolin sites, manufacturer sites, etc. I now know a heckuva lot more than I did. I even found a global commerce site with links to 100+ Asian manufacturers if I wanted to start my own online cheapo mandolin store. (Don't worry - I may be ignorant about mandolins but not stupid.)

What I have learned so far:
1) Lessons are the way to go.
2) My desired price range (<$300) puts me in import territory, which is not necessarily a bad thing if careful.
3) I know a lot more about mandolin construction and things like laminates vs. solids, A vs. F for sound and music type, need for proper set-up, etc.
4) I know more about many of the manufacturers, especially those in my price range.

Put it all together and I see more options for purchase and lessons. I am currently looking at mandolinhut.com for a Kentucky A-model KN-150 (http://themandolinhut.com/kentucky_mandolin_km_150.htm)(solid top, back, sides with F-holes, soft case, accessories - $249) or a Kentucky A-model KM-160 (http://themandolinhut.com/kentucky_mandolin_km_160.htm)(solid, hand-carved top, back, sides with F-holes, hard case, accessories - $299). I have at least one definite option for a qualified mandolin teacher and probably more options.

Any opinions about mandolinhut.com or these particular mandolins? Any other ideas for my price range? I am not leaning toward used as I don't have the benefit of neutral knowledgeable assistance, but if someone reputable on this forum had something, I may reconsider. Thanks again for your help.

Bob

[Dave Weiss]

Bob, my first mandolin was a Kentucky km162 (last year), I also started mandolin at the tender young age of 57 and purchased it from the mandolin hut. The set-up was pretty good and it's hard to beat all the goodies they add to the kit... a few months later I decided that my lack of progress could be cured by "upgrading" to a km505. I did the trade locally and the proprietor actually tried to talk me out of it :disbelief:. He told me that the 160 series is where the real value in the Kentucky instuments "turned the corner". I should have listened...
That said, you might consider a km170 series (oval hole, same construction, same price). From casual observation on this site, the oval hole model may hold it's value a little better and may be easier to sell if you decide to upgrade later, but it might just be all you'd ever need or want.
Hope that helps.

[Patrick Gunning]

Put it all together and I see more options for purchase and lessons. I am currently looking at mandolinhut.com for a Kentucky A-model KN-150 (http://themandolinhut.com/kentucky_mandolin_km_150.htm)(solid top, back, sides with F-holes, soft case, accessories - $249) or a Kentucky A-model KM-160 (http://themandolinhut.com/kentucky_mandolin_km_160.htm)(solid, hand-carved top, back, sides with F-holes, hard case, accessories - $299).
Bob

That "solid top" vs. "solid, hand-carved top" thing is worth at least the $50. What "solid top" means is a piece of spruce steamed and "pressed" in a mold into the arched shape, and held that way by heavy bracing. "solid, carved top" means a thicker piece of spruce actually carved to the arch, requiring less bracing material and overall producing a better tone. I'd go with the 160.

[Capt. E]

I know the 505 is beyond your price range, but I have heard so many good comments about that model from people that play much more expensive instruments that I would seriously consider spending the extra $$$.
Enjoy learning. I'm 58 and started about a year ago. I was lucky to have an excellent instrument to start (a Mid-Missouri M0 I found at a pawn shop for $300). About 6 months ago I made the plunge for a Weber "Bighorn" and don't regret one dollar.

[Dragonflyeye]

Welcome rgray!

Firstly, I'm SO jealous of your lunch breaks by the river!

I took the mandolin up in January of 2008 (1 yr, 3 mos ago), and I'm 55. If you love music, there's nothing more exciting (and humbling :grin:) than learning to be a part of it. You have to work at it, it's not easy, but it's very rewarding. I started with lessons and still take them - it keeps you on track, and helps you avoid bad habits. Music store lessons would be fine. I also started learning to read music right away, but also work from mando tablature (from the Cafe) and just listening/picking. I don't want to get locked into any one approach. I'd also strongly encourage you to get the best instrument you can right away, and the KM-160 sounds like a bargin, compared to the KM-150. On A-styles, you're not paying extra for the scroll, and if the two were the same price, you'd be getting more for your money with the A-style. I stared with a "solid top" and wound up getting a better instrument (another import) 6 months down the line, which I bought from the Mandolin Hut. They do very nice setup.

Anita