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Thread: How to play old time mandolin

  1. #26
    Mike Parks woodwizard's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    When I play old-time ... when I'm not playing the melody I use a sort of banjo uke kind of chunkatty chunkatty chucka rhythm while throwing in maybe some double stops and utilizing open chords a lot for some droning effects. What ever sounds good to my ear on the blend
    I Pick, Therefore I Grin! ... "Good Music Any OLD-TIME"

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  3. #27
    Registered User Gan Ainm's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    Ellen Vigour is along with husband Pete a mainstay of Western Virginia OT in (great) group "Uncle Henry's Favorite" and a gazillion jams. Unpretentiously fits right in with a variety of approaches on mando as seen in this jam:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xWTGcA3r28.
    And does some great things with a gigantoid Mando-Banjo!
    I don't play a lot of OT but when I do I TRY to do it "just like Ellen"!
    Gan Ainm
    AKA Colin, Athens GA and Nelson Co. VA when I can

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  5. #28
    Registered User Gary Alter's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    I second Colin's suggestion, Ellen Vigour does a very cool shuffling rhythm on OT mandolin. Worth checking out any available YouTubes of her with Uncle Henry's Favorites. She and her husband Pete are always at the OT jams here in Charlottesville so I've been able to play along side of her during the jams and she's a driving force.

  6. #29
    hillbilly lion tamer Wilbur James's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    Check out Adam Tanners "Shuffle of the Pick" you won't be disappointed.
    Dignity, Respect and Love, for who they are, not what they are.

  7. #30
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin




    This is a pretty nice example from the Foghorn String band.

    It's all in the right hand.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  9. #31

    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    I have been playing old time music for many years, but as a guitar player and clawhammer banjo player. I had some experience with mandolin as a bluegrass picker, but old time mandolin is different. For one, I use an oval hole A model to get more open, ringing tone. I also use open, ringing chords as much as possible. I try to use drones as much as I can get away with musically.

    Old time is great fun and learning such great tunes is a blast.

  10. #32
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    The Harvard and Yale of old time mandolin playing, according to many, is the Blue Sky Boys. An old time mandolin workshop leader said something like "get the Blue Sky Boys box set and play nothing else for a year."
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  12. #33

    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    The Harvard and Yale of old time mandolin playing, according to many, is the Blue Sky Boys. An old time mandolin workshop leader said something like "get the Blue Sky Boys box set and play nothing else for a year."
    "Classic Country Remastered" - Saved! - Grazie! Who can resist a tune called "I'm just here to get my baby out of jail?"

  13. #34
    Registered User Cary Fagan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    While I don't use chop chords I do sometimes use chop shapes when I play rhythm. Or else I use open chords but alternate between hitting the base and treble strings. Ringing open chords can be good backing up a single fiddle but in a bigger jam can get annoying to listeners, in my experience.
    Cary Fagan

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  15. #35

    Default Re: How to play old time mandolin

    I have been attending a jam for 10 years. The only other mandolin player there always played the melody so I copied him. He's really good and can fit in all the notes. I can't quite fit all of the notes in so I sort of fake it through some of the notey-er tunes. Recently another guy showed up who didn't know any of the tunes so he plays just chords, which sounds nice. The original guy who plays melody often leads and you can hear him from a long ways away. Usually the mandolin players play melody and in some spots they'll put a chord in so it doesn't sound so empty. Sometimes just a double-stop chord, sometimes a fuller chord. So long as it sounds like old-time music, I think most people won't mind what you are doing. Mandolin players who play only chords seem to me that usually they are new to the music and since they don't know the tunes they sort of resort to the chords. Others seem to stick with just chords because they prefer to sort of hide in the background and don't want to be called to start any tunes.

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