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Thread: Newbie

  1. #1

    Post Newbie

    I have played banjo and guitar for some 35 years and left shoulder rotator cuff problems have prompted me to buy a mandolin to learn on. Can anyone give me a direction to go in as a newbie on mandolin? I'm interested in the best/simplest way to learn the fingerboard and be able to change keys easily. I'm not lazy...I'm going to be 70 years old this winter and would like to speed up my learning curve. Thanks...

  2. #2

    Default Re: Newbie

    Congratulations and Welcome Shamino!
    Finding your Doe-Ray-Mee on a mandolin (or fiddle for that matter) is much more straight forward than on Banjar or Guitar. (Played them myself since the late seventies.) There's a lot of rescourses right here on the Caf'e. But I gotta say, for a starting point/anchor, Don Julin's Mandolin for Dummies would be my choice. Don's on here often (read approachable). I don't make a penny saying this. All the Best, FJ

  3. #3
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie

    Welcome Shamino! One thing I'd say is that you'll benefit by approaching mandolin as a unique new instrument . . . much of the technique for guitar and banjo will be more instrument-specific than most folk realize at first, and the way you hold a mandolin and work the fretboard will be different, so it pays big dividends to start with the very basics, even if you are an accomplished musician on other instruments.

    There are too many great resources available for you to name them all. I have put together a brief article that lists a few of them, you can see it here: http://www.markgunter.net/cool_stuff...olin-beginners
    WWW.THEAMATEURMANDOLINIST.COM
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: Newbie

    Check out the FFCP resources at Jazzmando.com, or in Ted Eschliman's book, "Getting into Jazz Mandolin." Even if you couldn't care less about jazz, the concepts translate well to all genres. Fretboard Roadmaps has a lot of good info, though it's presented without a lot of explanation...Welcome, and good luck!
    Chuck

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    If you are a bluegrasser learn the four finger chord positions too. You should already know you will have a boatload of fun. Good luck and welcome to our wild, wacky world.

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    Default Re: Newbie

    Quote Originally Posted by Shamino View Post
    Can anyone give me a direction to go in as a newbie on mandolin? I'm interested in the best/simplest way to learn the fingerboard and be able to change keys easily. I'm not lazy...I'm going to be 70 years old this winter and would like to speed up my learning curve. Thanks...
    I would invest in some online instruction. Peghead Nation Beginning Mandolin and Don Julin's Mandolins Heal the World come to mind. (see links above in sponsor links) Also check out the free mandolin instructional video material on youtube. That can keep you busy for a while.

    I started 3 years ago. The first year was a struggle but fun. The second year I had learned theory basics and starting to pick up tunes quicker. The third year I found two guitar pickers to jam with regularly and am having a blast! Good luck - enjoy the ride

  7. #7

    Default Re: Newbie

    Thanks all...

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Newbie

    My local library had all these great instructional videos by Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Ronnie McCoury and the documentary "BG mandolin of Bill Monroe Vol. 1". Highly recommend those, along with books by Don Julin and the 3 volume in 1 Alfred Press books by Horne and Fugate, which i think i saw in the classifieds. (If you watch the classifieds over time, there's lots of books, DVDs and CD's for sale at great prices).

    The best thing (I guess you've already looked and not found a teacher) is to talk to other players wherever you can, jams, festivals, workshops etc, they can look at your instrument and technique and make suggestions. And the greatest mandolin resource, according to Google is ... this forum. Google anything mando related, you'll probably see Cafe threads as the answer

    https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...n+beginner+dvd
    Last edited by gtani7; Oct-22-2016 at 4:00pm.
    Kentucky km900
    Yamaha piano, clarinet, violin; generic cello;
    a pedal steel (highly recommended); banjo, dobro don't get played much cause i'm considerate ;}

    Shopping/monitoring prices: vibraphone/marimbas, rhodes, synths, Yamaha brass and double reeds

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