Not Sure Where To Start Again

[Soupy1957]

As those of you know, who have been in here since about 2006, I have owned a number of mandolins. Nothing really special.......all mid-range instruments (price).

I had an outlet for my learning, in a monthly "Jam" that has ceased to exist a couple of years ago.

Without the outlet of that "Jam," (I learn best by group participation), I have had to resort to YouTube videos. Not that that's a BAD thing, mind you. In fact, I find them VERY useful!!

But I've been without a mandolin for a couple of years, AND I didn't progress as far as I probably SHOULD have, during the time I HAD mandolins around.

So now I'm back, with a new mandolin, and I've got to discipline myself and practice.
I get that. But I don't have the time to organize a "Jam" of my own, and there are no other gatherings around that I know of, here in Connecticut...........so I guess it's just "me and YouTube."

What I ALSO don't know, is how I want to re-start. Scales? Songs, Tabs (I HAD that "Tab-Edit" program before, and was downloading Tabs to learn from. I suppose I could do THAT again.

I COULD pay $100.00 and join Mike Marshall's website classes, but money is kinda thin right now, (Christmas, Birthdays, etc..).

[Torpedotom]

I'm taking lessons, but am interested in this information also.

[Mark Gunter]

Hey Soupy!

Well as you can see,I wasn't around back when you were here before. Anyway ...

It kind of depends on what stuff you want to play? And as for whether scales, tunes, technique, etc. I'd say learn some new tunes, and take time to practice the scales and arpeggios that go with the tunes, as well as the chords, and think about ways to improve your technique while you're at it. Pick a place to start, and do it all, you have the rest of your life to enjoy it and work on it.

There are social groups here that can provide some direction, as well, so that you can get feedback at no charge!

Song A Week Social is one, maybe the most popular.
Newbies Group is also very active, and those who want to can tackle a Tune of the Month in there.
In The Woodshed Study Group, some of us are currently working our way through Brad Laird's Mandolin Master Class e-book, so that's another option.

There are other things you can do if you're not ready yet to find or start another group to play with locally: Recording yourself and posting in one of the groups I mentioned is a useful and viable option.

Best of luck on your return to the mandolin

[Mark Gunter]

Ah, I neglected to mention, Pete Martin has only just begun a terrific group for learning some jazz mandolin: Jazz Tune of the Month, and it's going on now down in the Jazz, Choro ... forum. It started in December, and is currently choosing a tune for January. Joining in at that group will put you on the road to learning how to improvise to some jazz standards.

[Randi Gormley]

Huh, I know of Irish sessions in lower Connecticut most every night and I believe there's a bluegrass group or two around as well about mid-state ... what kind of music do you play? If you're in the Danbury area, f'rinstance, there are a couple places over in Westchester including an Old Time group that are within range. Not sure of the Massachusetts border, but i know of an old time group over at UMass, and my teacher lives in Vernon up north of Hartford. there may be more places to play out than you think!

[colorado_al]

Don Julin
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...zxmf-nRCEpuWlE

Get his book also
https://www.amazon.com/Mandolin-Dumm.../dp/1119942764

[Soupy1957]

some great ideas..........I'll explore. I'm in the Hartford area, and will be looking for group opportunities "in person."

As for the social clubs in here, I don't know how to access them.

[Mark Gunter]

As for the social clubs in here, I don't know how to access them.

In the header above, use the Learn/Listen tab and choose "Social Groups"

If you use mobile rather than laptop, etc. then the social groups are not available on mobile version - you'd have to scroll to bottom and choose "View Full Website"

[Soupy1957]

Thanks Mark; I’ll look into it.

[Bill Findley]

You could go to Mike Marshall for one month at ArtistWorks, for $30-35, send in two video exchanges for him to analyze, one every other week, and comment on in his reply videos. He’d send you in the right direction. NFI, but I’m a student. Wish I HAD FI...

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi Soupy - I taught myself to play mandolin entirely by using CDs & YouTube music clips to listen & pick along to. I did the same with banjo using LP's back in the early 1960's.

I did sit down & learn a stack of chord shapes,most of which i've never needed,& i haven't learned one single 'scale' pattern - when you learn ''where the sounds'' on the fingerboard are,'scales' almost come naturally. I learned where all the 'sounds' (notes) are on the fingerboard so well that it's very rare that i hit a wrong note these days - if i do,i don't hit it again in ''that'' tune.

I'd say that if i was starting over,that i'd pick a few favourite tunes,ones that you could already play & re-visit them. If you can find a YT clip of somebody playing those tunes,pick along with those. In other words,i'm encouraging you to become a good ''ear player''. You can learn 'scales' as well if you wish,but being a really good ear player has many advantages in ''group music'' situations.

I recently calculated that i've spent at least 23,000 hours over 13 years in ''picking along to tunes'',& it's been worth every second of it - just go for it !,
Ivan

[Paul Busman]

Just pick up the mandolin and play it. I'll bet a lot of what you knew before comes back pretty quickly.
I just did a Google search of "find bluegrass jam" and came up with a lot of sites to help including:

http://www.folkjam.org/

[Soupy1957]

“nfi” ????
“fi” ???

[BrianWilliam]

No Financial Interest

[MediumMando5722]

“nfi” ????
“fi” ???

NFI means no financial interest, as in someone is recommending a product or service they personally are not selling.

There's this weird idea that you should focus on ear training OR chords/scales/arpeggios. There are a lot of good players who focus on ear training, and there are good players who focus on theory. The great ones focus on both.

The really awesome thing about the mandolin is you only need to learn one shape each for major, minor, pentatonic, whatever scale, then it moves anywhere on the neck.

[Mark Wilson]

So now I'm back, with a new mandolin, and I've got to discipline myself and practice.
I get that. But I don't have the time to organize a "Jam" of my own, and there are no other gatherings around that I know of, here in Connecticut...........so I guess it's just "me and YouTube."

I got my first couple of years of study material on mandolin entirely from the internet.
Tunes: I learned tunes from free lessons (there is a load of good free lessons on the web). I also learned tunes by ear from video

Theory: I taught myself basic chord and scale theory by studying music theory sites. Some break it down nicely and some are for advanced players. Sort it thru. Cafe back threads are full of good links and ideas of things to learn.

Lessons: You don't have to take a whole series - take one. Tell the instructor you need someone to critique your technique and give you a short list of things to be working on based on what you can do. You can get a lot of good advice in one lesson if you lay out what you need before showing up

Jams: Organized jams are ok and fun but not my first choice for learning. You need to find just one player (hopefully guitar) interested in 'practicing together' regularly. Hopefully someone of same or little better skill so ya'll can push each other. That will motivate you to learn and practice like nothing else will and guitar players are a dime a dozen(just kidding) so it's possible to find. I found two and it's the best thing musically that I could of hoped for in learning to play the mandolin.

Set small goals: Figure out some doable things you'd like to do (like you're asking here) and let every practice session be guided in some way by those small goals. Don't let practice become just noodling on a tune. Each time you sit down try and have one
small goal to work on as part of your practice

[Soupy1957]

Just pick up the mandolin and play it. I'll bet a lot of what you knew before comes back pretty quickly.
I just did a Google search of "find bluegrass jam" and came up with a lot of sites to help including:

http://www.folkjam.org/

Paul I thought your idea of going to folkjam.org was a good one, so I went there and registered but I’m not sure that it’s working right. Might be a problem with the website.

[MikeEdgerton]

Does anyone know if folkjam.org is still active? I never get updates anymore. I believe Scott knew the folks that started it.

Just checked it. I can't get it to display anything but Kansas and none of the search stuff seems to work. It looks abandoned to me. There is an API error on the main page.

[Denny Gies]

One of the things that helped me progress was playing along with CDs that I liked. Dawg, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Stanley Brothers, Tony Rice.

[Russ Donahue]

Free and incredibly worthwhile:

http://www.mandolessons.com/

[oinkstrings]

Soupy, Try https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ct/hartford/
The Danbury jam looks just your speed. We've run an acoustic jam meetup group down here in MD for over a year now and the regulars are very much as you describe yourself. a lot of folks getting back into playing after the kids are out of the house.
The good this about meetup groups is that it doesn't cost anything and if the jam you attend doesn't do it for you you are bound to meet someone there who can point you it the direction you want to go.

[allenhopkins]

In search of a jam (bluegrass theme) in CT, check out the Connecticut Bluegrass Association jam page, for starters. It also has a section for "jams of various genres and formats,' so not all bluegrass.

[Caleb]

Pick some songs/tunes you like, learn them, and BOOM, you’ve started.

[Soupy1957]

Found some videos on YouTube by THIS guy, who seems to do a great job of breaking it down into simplified form:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zF6V3ove3ow

This particular tune Is a favorite of mine, so I figured it’d be a good starting point.

[Mark Gunter]

That's Baron Collins-Hill, a member here, and the one Russ Donahue pointed you to in post #20

Check out this page, and dive in wherever you're interested: http://www.mandolessons.com/lessons/all-lessons/

Free and incredibly worthwhile:

http://www.mandolessons.com/