Bryan Sutton on mandolin?!?

[John Duncan]

Just found this clip of bryan sutton playing mandolin...I think it might be the first one I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY5HiY-bmQ0

[Rob Fowler]

Wow, that was incredible. I've heard rumors that Sutton can play the mando but the rumors are no more....IT'S TRUE!! Looks like he's playing a Giacomel. What a monster.

[John Duncan]

Looks like he's playing a Giacomel....

Thats what I thought that was.

[Andy Miller]

Playing some good mandolin, doing a lot more singing, no resting on laurels for that guy. . .

[Scott Holt]

Why am I not suprised? Sutton Rocks!

[northfolk]

SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year, Josh Williams is currently touring with the Tony Rice Unit; playing mandolin; and quite well I might add? :mandosmiley:~o)

[Kevin K]

Yes both Bryan and Josh are great on guitar but their mandolin playing is killer as well...

[re simmers]

Fantastic!

Bob

[Bigtuna]

I remember seeing his Duff for sale not to long ago. I also remember seeing he played mandolin on one of his albums. He is a great talent.

[Paul Cowham]

That's great and no real surprise..

This also raises an interesting question as to how transferable skills (specifically right hand picking I think and rignt/left hand coordination) are between guitar and mandolin. Clearly there is some overlap.

Mike Marshall famously transferred onto guitar win th DGQ and Sierra Hull is no slouch on guitar either:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_eBoohqKTo

[adgefan]

This also raises an interesting question as to how transferable skills (specifically right hand picking I think and rignt/left hand coordination) are between guitar and mandolin. Clearly there is some overlap.


In Nickel Creek's early days, Sean played the mandolin and Chris was on guitar


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow26KHbGl68

[Jonathan James]

And, Bryan plays nice clawhammer banjo as well. Not quite fair for some folks to have that much talent, but at least they are sharing it with us. Josh Williams was mentioned above; he played with The Tony Rice Unit at Merlefest a few weeks back and absolutely nailed it on mandolin during "Manzanita". Amazing.

[Scotti Adams]

And Nick Forrester..bass player for Hot Rize on bass

[AlanN]

Nick is a wonderful jazz guitarist, a la Johnny Smith, Herb Ellis, etc.

[mandodan1960]

I've made the switch recently to guitar. I'm quite impressed with my progress. The margin for error (fret size) on the mando is so small that when you switch to guitar it's like taking the warm up weight off of a baseball bat and stepping up to the plate. Also you already have the chord switching mechanics down that was a big hurdle for me.

[drbluegrass]

I just started playing mandolin about 3 months ago and my guitar playing skills have helped immensely. I'm already flat picking fairly well. I also started playing violin about the same time...however, that is a whole different challenge. Use of bow, fingering with good intonation, just getting a decent sound and good tone from each individual string...much greater challenge vs mandolin in the beginning stages, IMHO. But, yeah Bryan Sutton is a certified monster talent.


Tom

[drbluegrass]

I just started playing mandolin about 3 months ago and my guitar playing skills have helped immensely. I'm already flat picking fairly well. I also started playing violin about the same time...however, that is a whole different challenge. Use of bow, fingering with good intonation, just getting a decent sound and good tone from each individual string...much greater challenge vs mandolin in the beginning stages, IMHO. But, yeah Bryan Sutton is a certified monster talent.


Tom

[John Duncan]

Chris Thile, Sierra Hull, and Josh Williams' guitar/ mandolin swapping I had heard of and seen a lot. I knew Bryan played mandolin, and well, I just haven't seen any videos on the interwebz of him playing mandolin. Seen him do it in person 5-6 years ago here in Asheville at the community theatre where he gave a concert with Nick, Tim Crouch, Dennis Crouch, and Dave Talbot...maybe Tim O'brien was here, too?
He also did Shady Grove on the Appalachian Picking Society (http://www.amazon.com/Appalachian-Picking-Society-Various-Artists/dp/B0002XED26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305144088&sr=8-1) album where he played all the instruments.

[Bill Van Liere]

I'll bet that even old Wendell Mercantile can play fair mandolin.

[SternART]

Nick has a nice Lawrence Smart dola...from the first Quartet that Lawrence built.
As I recall he played it at Wintergrass one year.....

[Fretbear]

That goes back to the very root of original early country music and most certainly bluegrass.

[Josh Levine]

Resurrecting this old thread. Anybody catch the Bryan and Billy Strings stream from Station Inn last night. Bryan picked up an Ellis A mandolin a few times during the show.

[Paul Merlo]

Resurrecting this old thread. Anybody catch the Bryan and Billy Strings stream from Station Inn last night. Bryan picked up an Ellis A mandolin a few times during the show.

I missed it, but here's a clip from Billy's Facebook fan page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ3fTK8zyvA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3oEEEHS68KtxxPWXw5cqj3rp6jPtL5QajiHHGNO p4Pt3ptq6TdeZK-3DI

you could probably find more clips from last night on there too, but good luck wading through the throngs of goat memes and ISO tickets posts...

[HarrisonMandolin]

Bryan plays mandolin on this fantastic track from Tim O'Brien's Chicken and Egg. Really musical and tasteful playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vtXQKOGtdk

[DHopkins]

SPBGMA Guitar Player of the Year, Josh Williams is currently touring with the Tony Rice Unit; playing mandolin; and quite well I might add? :mandosmiley:~o)

Josh Williams is one of the most under-rated musicians in Nashville.

[Mandobart]

We were just talking about this at our jam last night - how it's pretty common for BG players to be multi-instrumentalists. Its not unheard of in other genres either, but you see it a lot in BG.

According to Tom Ewing Bill Monroe was a very good guitar picker.

[Dave_W]

Here's another from the show with Billy Strings...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF7GaMY5leE

[DHopkins]

Billy Strings is also a pretty good mandolin picker.

[Mainer73]

I didn't realize that Bryan played the mandolin, or that Nick Forster played guitar. Nice!