An afterthought: To be fair to fiddlers, a fiddler might work for some time at mastering a complex tune or medley, using sophisticated techniques, then go to a "session" to find that fellow musicians...
An afterthought: To be fair to fiddlers, a fiddler might work for some time at mastering a complex tune or medley, using sophisticated techniques, then go to a "session" to find that fellow musicians...
I agree, you can find a serviceable beginner instrument in a Dirty 30’s, or even a Washburn, though if you can afford either a Kentucky or Eastman, go for one of those. Be sure to buy from a place...
The advice above is good, just a few more thoughts here. As a preamble, I'll note that fiddlers have a technical advantage over our flatpicked instruments, because they can slur a run of notes. I...
Just a heads up to the OP - we don't call them "jam sessions" over here, just sessions (ye might get a funny look if you walked in somewhere and asked if they had "jam sessions" there ), also...
https://mandolin.academy/
Although I’m not religious (at all), this sounds pretty cool.
They appear to be proactive and even share pdfs and mp3 files, presumably in order to practice before...
Thank you for your response !
I do plan on having Grandpa’s mandolin checked once I get access to it again. I can’t imagine any instrument could sit idle for that long without things going weird....
Ah improvisation. Well most people who learn a tune ‘just like that’, third time through are improvising.
First time through is picking up the key or mode, total number of measures, the first note -...
I think it depends - certainly that is a "mode of failure" for Neapolitans, this is not to say there isn't downward pressure on the top though, and of course US bowls with their less arched tops tend...
Just wanted drop a note and introduce myself to this lovely forum- I'm Garrett, a musician living in New Hampshire focused heavily on Scottish/English/Cape Breton traditional music these days, trying...
A few ideas here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlnUGKXjWJE&t=28s
I am SO happy to see that Paul Hostetter's website is again available; when I last looked 5 or 6 months ago, it was not. It's a wonderful resource, and he was a frequent poster here.
IIRC, his...
Hi all
Just posted on my blog about a new discovery: a piece for (Milanese) mandolin and piano from München ca. 1850. It's dedicated to Johann Cramer, a mandolin player active in the royal chapel...
Hello guys!
After playing the uke for a couple of months, I've decided to dust off the old bandolim I had in the attic (that's been in the family for around 30 years but that I never played), put...
Isn’t using a strap with a bowl-back equivalent to using a cape on a flat-back?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUPrVzNb8_g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUPrVzNb8_g
Johnny's Osage Stomp solo begins at 12:43
Johnny's Panhandle Rag solo begins at 21:13
Johnny's Party...
you would need to tune the g string up to A, and it could snap.
I just skimmed the article yesterday, but took away a few things that I already knew - sorta. At one point, I did interferometry and a few other things on a 1921 (?) Calace that Mike Schroeder had...
Interesting to see someone investigating the science of bowlbacks https://brill.com/view/journals/ijwc/2/1-3/article-p1_1.xml
Many of you are likely familiar because the "owner" was one of the guest artists at this fall's CMSA convention (aside: I'm so looking forward to retirement and more time for personal travel...
There is a musical reason for that though. C, A, G, E and D are the only keys with open string, first position chords. That is the sound expected and demanded of bluegrass guitar. I can play in...
Paul told me this when taking some lessons from him many moons back. Stupid me didn’t believe him (A flat HAS to be harder than A!!!). After really getting into bebop and playing with players who...
My take is people become familiar with the keys that are frequently used in the genre(s) they play. Most folksmusic is not done in flat keys, as horns were typically not used. Swing and jazz...
The harmonic avalanche is indeed a Grappelli trademark -- so integrated into his style that when another violinist suddenly playing a "harmonic flurry" in the middle of a solo, it so rarely sounds...
Paul Anastasio, jazz and Western swing violinist. Cut a beautiful swing album (We Ain't Misbehavin') with Joe Holley and Frank Hicks. Just two violins and a guitar.