Every year for lent I give up facebook and instead spend my evenings polishing a mandolin skill. Lasst year it was mandolin orchestra stuff and tremolo. This year I am going to start learning chord melody and jazz. So I started by ordering Jethro Burns complete mandolin which apparently covers Jethro's style and 3 finger chords (despite the fact that mel bay says it is a bluegrass manual). From there maybe Eischmans Getting into Jazz or Pete Martins jazz chord book. Anyhow after 4 years there is still much to explore.
That's great, Kevin. Go for it. I am still struggling with chords of any kind, primarily due to my own laziness. It just has been so much more fun to work on tunes than to struggle with chord changes. And chord melody means LOTS of chord changes; it sure sounds nice when done smoothly. Give us progress reports (and encouragement).
Cool deal, Kevin!
Your plan sounds like a good one, Kevin. Sometimes I think I need to give up Facebook for good!
I have until March 6th to get it planned out. Sometimes I think I'm a collector of instruction methods rather than a player of instruments. Very few hold my interest until the end. I could probably afford an H2 mandola for the money I have spent on books.
"Sometimes I think I'm a collector of instruction methods rather than a player of instruments." Didn't see that one coming, Kevin, but it's a pretty apt description of me, too. I have bought enough Homespun lessons to rival Homespun's own inventory, I think. Just got two new ones this week. Hang their big sales!
a little disappointed. Yea it shows his 3 chord patterns but little discussion on technique or application and sometimes the text says one think and the notation says something else. Also it doesn't really have tab but rather suggested fingerings placed on a standard musical staff
Glad I am not the only one with a collection of method books! The two I currently use are Mel Bay's "Complete Mandolin Method" and the "American Mandolin Method Vol. 1" by by Brian Wicklund and Ben Winship. I switch between them.
Have you seen Aaron Weinstein's chord melody book from Mel Bay? I think it's a great book. When I first received it, it seemed a little too complicated for me. I really couldn't get the rhythm of the etudes, and set it down for a later time. Aaron did a series of YouTube videos where he plays each one, and after hearing what it's supposed to sound like, it became easier. Don Stiernberg has a video course on soundslice for chord melody that's very informative and worth the price in my opinion.
Speaking of Mel Bay, I just converted a couple of their books to coil (or spiral) binding. Took them to Office Depot and they cut off the spine, punched, then spiral-bound them for $4.25 each. I probably could have had it done elsewhere cheaper, but I know the folks at the local OD. Anyway, it was money VERY well-spent. I can put the book, opened to the tune I am trying to play, on the music stand and it stays open. Liked it so much I printed out the four volume set of "Music of Ireland" compiled by Bulmer and Sharpley from pdf's and had them coil-bound also.
Hi I’m new here and to the mandolin.I really like that idea Hank! I have a Mel Bey and a Mandolin for Dummies by Don Julin I think I’ll take mine in and get them spiral bound! I just bought a Loar VS 520 and love her.Ive been trying to practice at least 30 minutes a day. Hoping to get great ideas here on Mandolin Cafe.
Welcome Marjorie. We used to have a spiral binding machine at work and it worked great to bind a book that would lay flat.
Welcome to the bunch Marjorie!
Tommcgtx -- Weinstein's book is what I want but worried that it will be another one that sits. Meanwhile if all I ever play is old time fiddle tunes, some irish and bach, I will still happily play everyday.
