how to impree audience with a single mandolin

[Orkun Hiçyılmaz]

am looking for solo mandolin pieces to impress the audience. Since I have no accompanion, I play alone. Do you have any suggestions that would impress the audience with a single mandolin. Or a repertuar for a solo mandolin?
any suggestions?

[Jordan Ramsey]

[re simmers]

Wow. Thanks, Jordan. Jethro IS a lesson on "how to impress an audience." It's more than just playing the right tune.
He relates to an audience with his humility, wit and uncanny ability to bring you in and feel like you are part of the performance.
Jethro plays just the right amount of notes in just the place.
He's right ON the beat with lots of E & E....energy and emotion.
Great choice of material.

Bob

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

you are solo mandolin. that is opportunity for every song to be special. play your very favorite songs (often unusual or overlooked songs/or your own compositions work best). make the effort to learn them flawlessly, with good technique, and perform them with (your own) unique delivery. that's all you need. it is not so much about impressing the audience, but perhaps about getting them to listen more closely and appreciate the moment.

[stevedenver]

this Billy Hill one impressed me, and he appears to be evan marshall's twin.....
seems to be in the spirit of Jethro in delivery
hang in there through the schtick until about 1:35; he is a superb player imho,
great tone, clean as can be, simply demonstrates what a superb player and mandolin that has that upper end clarity can deliver-an amazing arrangement and almost orchestral in its fullness, imho

wonder if I get some overalls it'll help.......if I could play like, that id wear em in pink

BTW for those in the know, is that mandolin (in the video) what would be characterized as classically voiced? I am mightily impressed with the clarity of the highest treble notes.




and this one, same tune , different performance, and a superb demonstration of tremolo and bass line at the same time, -has given me some new food for thought and practice

[jso]

How does Evan Marshall, in that Ave Maria clip, play the tremolo on the top notes at the same time (apparently) as playing separate notes on other strings?

Edit: I've just watched the William Tell clip, and now realise that this is his speciality.
OK, but how's it done?

[Jim Garber]

How does Evan Marshall, in that Ave Maria clip, play the tremolo on the top notes at the same time (apparently) as playing separate notes on other strings?

Edit: I've just watched the William Tell clip, and now realise that this is his speciality.
OK, but how's it done?

It is sort of an auditory illusion. The tremolo appears to the ear to be continuous and unbroken but it is actually interrupted by quick picking of the other notes. Evan is a master of this style called duo-style but it goes back to at least the 19th century with compositions by Raffaele Calace, Giuseppe Pettine and others.

[sgarrity]

What kind of music? Mike Compton does the solo thing in the old timey blues and bluegrass vein.

[Tom Smart]

What kind of music? Mike Compton does the solo thing in the old timey blues and bluegrass vein.

Like this:

[stevedenver]

great link, and a great example of how to be a one man show with a mando, singing no less ( I have never really thought mando the best for vocal accompaniment, but mike makes it so easy and natural-wills purt good too

[Tobin]

I thoroughly enjoyed that video of Mike Compton. I'm always amazed at the talent and soul he brings to mandolin music.

Does anyone know the names of the very first and very last tunes he played?

[EdSherry]

Sam Bush rips it up on his solo version of Little Feat's "Put on Your Sailin' Shoes" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEne36YxyKI

[JeffJones]

Just do that, and you'll be set.

Some of the Bach Solo Violin pieces might work for what you are looking for. They were written to be performed solo and work very nicely on the mandolin.



You do not say what the context of this would be.

• Are you looking to pick up the mandolin in the middle of a set, play one instrumental tune on the mandolin to impress the crowd, and then move on to other non-mandolin music?
• Are you looking to string together a number of instrumental mandolin pieces that will keep an audiences attention?
• Are you looking to perform a full set, vocals included, using the mandolin as your only accompaniment?
• A piece to impress other musicians?

There have been some great suggestions already but you might get more useful suggestions if you give a little more context.

[catmandu2]

How does Evan Marshall, in that Ave Maria clip, play the tremolo on the top notes at the same time (apparently) as playing separate notes on other strings?

Edit: I've just watched the William Tell clip, and now realise that this is his speciality.
OK, but how's it done?

FYI--duo style is often deployed in solo tenor/plectrum banjo playing. If you're interested in tutorial, see Buddy Wachter

[bigskygirl]

Try some chord melody stuff like this....

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EWtdHJr-bjA