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Thread: When Did You First Realize . . .

  1. #1
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    Default When Did You First Realize . . .

    . . . that your mandolin playing wasn't REALLY that bad anymore?

    Many of us joke about our lack of skill/talent, etc. - but if you were 100% honest, you would admit that at some point you actually saw a video, heard a recording or sat in on a jam and said to yourself, 'Wow, that really wasn't too bad.'

    So - 'fess up . . . let's hear the story.

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  3. #2
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    In about 5 years time...

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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Don't think I'll ever get to that point. Maybe some day in the future, I'll be able to show up to a jam with just the mandolin, and someone won't say they wish I brought my guitar instead. Thought I was making progress, but the last month has shown me the error of my confidence.
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Whenever non-musician folks hear me play (in church, for example, or even just around the house) I get compliments that always surprise me, and I'll occasionally have days when I'm just "on." But, then I listen to Thile, Bush, Grisman, Monroe, or whomever who's actually doing this for a living, and any possible pride is immediately crushed
    Chuck

  6. #5
    Registered User Nancyf's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    During my 23 years of playing, slowly progressing, I've had thousands of moments of victory and abject failure. It depends on so much, set and setting - my own mind and where I'm at, and who I'm playing with, where it is, who's listening. Recently my husband and I were at a couple festivals, just playing our usual tunes in the campground and both times people applauded and came around to listen. That felt like a watershed moment, but we'll see how long the glow lasts. I'm my own best critic. I wrote about it here if you feel like reading https://riversandroadspdx.wordpress....-musical-life/

  7. #6

    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    As close as I've come to that is that I'm not quite as bad as I used to be.
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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    ha! it isn't my playing so much as finally knowing enough tunes that I can be part of most of the music being played. There's nothing quite so much of a rush as to be able to keep up on more than half the tunes in a strange session!
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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Perhaps when I took a break on Arab Bounce with my old Flower City Ramblers band back in the '70's, and got applause from the crowd. I was just learning, and making many many mistakes, and sometimes just "freezing" in mid-break. I thought to myself, "There's hope!"
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  11. #9
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I can't say there has been a single realization. Progress seems to come in little spurts where I suddenly realize that something which was giving me trouble isn't any longer.

    When i discovered moveable chord shapes I could suddenly play something useful to any tune in any key. That was gigantic for me. It forwarded my goal of being able to play with more people and there is nothing more gratifying to me than folks who think I am fun to play music with.

    But... Every time i start to feel like I have gotten to "the next level' (what ever that is) I become exposed to folks several levels above me. Actually, music is really wonderful that way. Since my forays into classical music I have been playing with some really stratospheric mandolinners, and, as is always the case, it feels like the difference between me and them is that ten years of playing i missed before I was born.
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  12. #10
    Registered User Roger Moss's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I'll let you know...
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    And we are the dreamers of dreams

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  14. #11

    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I'm pretty darned self-critical, but there were a couple of moments at the Willow Folk Festival (near Stockton, IL, and I had to miss it this year--SOB!!): I walked up to a small group of old-time pickers and one said, "Andy! I'm glad you're here! We needed a mandolin." Then I was with a group of people jamming (and DRINKING--heavily, which is why I love 'em!) and a young woman became frustrated that a chord was hard for her (I forget which one). I showed her a much easier alternative fingering.

  15. #12

    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    My fiddle tune playing peaked years ago. I really only do that for myself anyway.
    But there have been some breakthrough points: Hearing the chord(s) change in a tune/song. Then executing said chord change at the right time. I mean, from there, it felt like the sky is the limit. Learning to sing on pitch. It's not necessarily a mandolin thing but another milestone in my head. Then "packaging/unitizing" a tune/song. Deciding what key, how many verses, where to put the break(s). Even if it's just a jam, it seemed like the folks I admired, did this.

  16. #13
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    It happened approx. 1 hr after I bought my first mandolin. I found that the left hand technique from 9 years of dreaded violin playing allowed me to instantly play an instrument I actually liked. Suddenly music was fun. How do I put it - imagine you had to learn to perform CPR on cows and then you suddenly go home with Marilyn Monroe. The shock of joy has not been exceeded by any other playing experience since.
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  18. #14
    Registered User Drew Egerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Probably at the local jam when I started getting called on to take breaks more often than not in most songs.
    Then the next level when I nervously went to the first Alan Bibey camp and felt totally at home in the advanced class.
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Never satisfied !

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    Registered User Mike Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I struggled with bluegrass for years, probably decades, actually. Then I fell in with some fine folks who played ITM and contradance tunes. I discovered old-time subsequently and fell in love with unison playing. No more tooth grinding pressure to produce a hot break in the bgrass mandolin tradition. Result was that I played night and day for 4 or5 years, learned a couple hundred tunes and upped my game by leaps and bounds. I was mildly amazed when I went back to the bluegrass folks and was able to assemble tasty breaks without feeling the performance anxiety. Lots of playing stuff you love works.
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I haven’t hit that point yet. But for a while now I’ve been feeling like I can see it just over the next couple of hills. I have had that feeling, multiple times, with fingerpicking guitar, which I’ve been playing for longer than mandolin, and even with clawhammer banjo, which I’ve been playing for a lot less. Somehow getting to “I still have a lot to learn, but at least now I’m playing real music” is a lot harder on the mandolin. Not sure if that’s me or the instrument. Also not sure why I spend most of my time with mandolin. You’d think I’d focus on instruments I can actually play.

  22. #18
    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be as good as I want to be. The older I get, the more ok I am with that. I still get a kick out of learning a new fiddle tune every once in a while though.
    "Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo

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    Registered User Tom Hart's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    It's just like golf, hundreds of bad shots surrounding a few good ones. But I keep coming back remembering the few times I get it right.

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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    One band rehearsal several months ago I got lost playing the melody for "People are Strange" but came up with something within the scale and returned to the correct spot to finish it up. Then after the song I wondered "how DID I do that?"

    - - - Updated - - -

    One band rehearsal several months ago I got lost playing the melody for "People are Strange" but came up with something within the scale and returned to the correct spot to finish it up. Then after the song I wondered "how DID I do that?"

  26. #21

    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by F-2 Dave View Post
    I'm pretty sure I'm never going to be as good as I want to be. The older I get, the more ok I am with that. I still get a kick out of learning a new fiddle tune every once in a while though.

    You don't need to be as good as you want to be, just as good as you need to be.
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    Struggle Monkey B381's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Quote Originally Posted by OneChordTrick View Post
    In about 5 years time...
    So.......

    I got about 3 years and 10 months....putting it in on the calendar.

  29. #23
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    Uh oh, I am in REAL trouble . . . 5 years for me was back in 2004!

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  31. #24
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    my son ( he's 30 ) and I spent today in our canoe on a nearby lake fishing .the water was like glass , the temperature was warm but very pleasant and a very slight breeze helped keep us comfortable in the west coast sunshine near vancouver bc. we're fledgling fisherman at best .....we paddled and talked and swam and picnic-ed on the beach and thoroughly enjoyed a long-overdue carefree day together as we had done many times over the years he was growing up. the day was so wonderful that a fish would have only been a bonus ....the icing on an otherwise 'perfect cake' . but alas , the fish outsmarted us today .

    all this to say that if I /you/ we are staying passionate and engaged and enjoying the learning , the challenge and mostly the camaraderie of being musicians and making music together when possible , perhaps the music itself is the bonus ....the icing on our otherwise 'perfect cakes'.

    and some days you actually do catch fish .....

  32. #25
    Registered User jim simpson's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Did You First Realize . . .

    I remember years ago getting a call from a super picker friend who was having a jam. He told me who was there and I knew the young mandolin player mentioned who was quite accomplished as a jazz acoustic player. I said it sounded like they had it covered to which my friend said, yeah but we need a bluegrass player. I blushed a little and got over to the jam as soon as I could. I've been fortunate to know and have known many great players. I've always felt supported by my friends and their patience as I've worked to get up to speed with them.
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