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Recently acquired a Godin A8, will play my first gig with it tomorrow. I was wondering what strings you Godin players found worked best with its pickup system, or does any "normal" mandolin stings...

You may find some help here:

https://youtu.be/2wyXPyRPE-U

Jazz - "It's better than it sounds"

This is my choice for gigging. It has a pretty wide range of sounds available, very versatile. I quit bringing tube amps to gigs after a few times when tubes were jostled and damaged, or when tubes...

If anyone has questions regarding material in the videos, I'm happy to answer them to the best of my ability here. Or I can suggest a plan of action for practicing the material and how to apply it...

You just have to dive in and do it. Nobody is a good improvisor in the beginning. The best at it have been doing it a long time and have really studied how great players in the past have done it. ...

Jethro dressing up like Mike Compton.:))

I've got a large number of mandolin instruction videos on youtube as well. I post several each month. Subscribe to my channel to get them all

https://m.youtube.com/user/xt981

My analysis of the bridge of Jordu => WOA NELLIE!!!

Improv From Scratch #19 Quarter notes and rests

https://youtu.be/Xmi4I1w_bXk

PDF file here:
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Here is #13, a common jazz device called Tritone Substitution. This one gores hand in hand with the 4 Related Dominants video.

https://youtu.be/V4c2wPv7Gaw

PDF file here:
180889

Look like I didn't add #11, so it is here, Barry's chromatic scale.

https://youtu.be/s4CJHsP87JI

PDF here:
180886

This video looks at a very cool Barry Harris idea called 4 related dominants and how you can use them. To my way of thinking, this is one of the most useful items in Barry's system and can add a big...

A friend of mine always says "there are no hard keys, just unfamiliar ones". He's right. If you spend time in a key, you will get comfortable there.

Here is the latest video I've done, with tips on how to learn by ear.


https://youtu.be/eeN57i-nCIs

There is no "right way" to learn improv. While the goal is to be able to flow without thinking (subconcious), no player can ever do this without a whole lot of concious improv work in the practice...

Here is a video on how to start playing fill phrases behind a singer. These are very simple lines but give you an idea of how to fill.


https://youtu.be/a0uGhufbKxQ

PDF file here: 180597

"I play mandolin...
and I can tune...
If I have too...
I guess..."

Thanks for the kind words y'all. Many more of these in the works.

#18 Triplets

https://youtu.be/uo4thc63F8Y

PDF here
179580

When transcribing solos from great players, I have found the time where double stops are most often used is as embelishment of a singing melody. I describe that process in this video

...

Do you mean 9-7-5 in that middle voicing of 4ths?

This video explains why I don't like much Jazz 1960s and later, except Bossa Nova, which uses the chord ideas of 50s jazz.

https://youtu.be/lz3WR-F_pnM

The whole record "Sam and Alan Together Again". My all time fav mandolin recording.