Beginner advice

[duke2214]

I just bought a new mandilon. have been playing for a month, I can play the violin,and read music.. I also started taking guitar lessons. I don't know anyone in my area ( Northern Minnesota ) that gives mandolin lessons so I was wondering what the best books/ videos I can use to help me learn how to play on my own. Had the mandolin set up professionly which made playing the mandolin much easier, now I need good instruction to keep me playing.Thanks:mandosmiley:

[mandocrucian]

I can play the violin,and read music

From this, I take it you went through the usual (classical) violin methods. Dig out your old beginner books and play through these on the mandolin. Your major task is going to be getting used to the plectrum and the "default" pick directions.

4/4: D D D D (quarter notes),
Du du du du (steady 8ths).
D Du Du D (mix of 4ths and 8ths)

3/4: D D D (4ths); Du Du Du (8ths)

6/8: Dud Dud (8ths)

These are your rudimentary mandolin "bow patterns". Essential to get these down first; before moving on to 8th note all-downstrokes, or slurring (hammer-on, pull-off, slide) "bowings".
When you have the rudiments ingrained, you can reverse 4/4 to U U U U (Ud Ud Ud Ud) and all sorts of other technical versatility patterns (like the 12-20+ bow patterns your violin etude books will tell you to apply to each etude.)

This of course is all technical/mechanical exercise to get fluid sound out of the instrument - learning the vocabulary of a new genre(s) of music and improvisational thinking is a whole different ballgame.

Niles Hokkanen

[Patrick Market]

Hello, and welcome to the Cafe.

One of the most ironic twists in my mandolin education was my instructor directing me to a copy of Mel Bay's You Can Teach Yourself Fiddling (emphasis mine) when we started our musical journey. You'll also find a few tunes there (like "Newcastle"), which work beautifully on the mandolin, and yet don't seem to get much attention from mando players.

[yankees1]

I just bought a new mandilon. have been playing for a month, I can play the violin,and read music.. I also started taking guitar lessons. I don't know anyone in my area ( Northern Minnesota ) that gives mandolin lessons so I was wondering what the best books/ videos I can use to help me learn how to play on my own. Had the mandolin set up professionly which made playing the mandolin much easier, now I need good instruction to keep me playing.Thanks:mandosmiley: Pete Martin gives lessons using a webcam so you can take lessons in front of your computor! He will probably chime in soon! I hope to begin lessons from Pete in January!