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Thread: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

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    Default Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Hi all. Whats up. My name is Ronnie. I am a 34 year old drummer, but recently I had an itch to grab a banjo or mandolin to try to noodle on and learn for fun. I ended up going the route of the mandolin, mainly for 2 reasons. 1. You can get a beginner el cheapo mandolin for less than a banjo, and 2. the mandolin is small and seems would be easier for me to just mess around with at home anywhere in the house.

    I originally had plans to purchase a rogue for 49$ at guitar center, but they never have them in stock locally, and i didnt really feel like getting one shipped and then it being trash when it got here.

    I then planned to go check out a The Loar LM-310F since they stock those, but that is 250$ more than the original plan. I found out a local guitar shop also carried them for the same price, and are probably set up much much better than the GC store.

    I still waited as I didnt want to spend 299 yet and then be sad for spending it. I stumbled in a local mom and pop music shop and saw 2 mandolins they had on display. They had 2 Savannah A style mandolins brand new for 89$. I strummed them and they sounded good to my drummer ears. I left with it.

    Now I feel like the action is probably a little too high and I honestly probably need to go through Rob's E book and do the setup myself, though the mandolin sounds great and seems to keep tune, the action seems a little stiff and hard to me.

    Anyways, I just wanted to say hey.

    My hopes is that I can get to more than just strumming some G and C and D 3 finger chords, and actually get into chopping, and improving solos. It would thrill me to actually be able to say hey "ill play a gig this time, but on mandolin." Guess we will see if that ever happens.

  2. #2
    Registered User Carl23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Drummer / mandolin-ist here as well!

    Been playing mando about 6 mo.

    I hope you have as much fun as I am!

    Definitely lighter and a quicker setup than a full drum set! :-)

    Carl

  3. #3

    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Quote Originally Posted by Carl23 View Post
    Drummer / mandolin-ist here as well!

    Been playing mando about 6 mo.

    I hope you have as much fun as I am!

    Definitely lighter and a quicker setup than a full drum set! :-)

    Carl
    I would say so. I started pretty much doing a pretty light / minimal setup for drums at gigs anyway. 1 up , 1 down, and then hardware and a couple cymbals.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Welcome, drums is one of my instruments, although bass is probably my main these days, but mando is where most of the practice time goes.

    My general thinking is that given what mando players are expected to do in a band setting, it takes some pretty decent chops to gig.

    Mine aren't there yet... although I have started doing jam sessions. It's been almost 3 years at 1 hour a day of practice. But I am older, so I don't learn like I used to. If I was retired I could spend several hours a day practicing, that would likely speed things up a bit.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
    Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
    Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
    DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
    Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.

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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Drummer (former) here as well. I started playing banjo when I was about 25 so I could have a portable instrument. Now, the banjo sure is heavy hanging on my aging shoulder! Perhaps you made the right choice!
    I've had people say I'm like a "metronome" while playing the banjo. I think a good long stint as a drummer would benefit all musicians. I bet you won't have any problems with the "chop", if it is Bluegrass you are playing.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I think another thing that lead me to the mandolin is the percussive chop kind of keeping the time.

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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Welcome to the mandolin and the cafe!
    --------------------------------
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Drummers represent! I played drums for around 6 years in garage Rock bands when I was a teenager, back in the late 60's early 70's. Still miss my silver metal flake Ludwig set, should have kept that. I think a history on drums can't help but improve anyone's rhythm skills.

    Anyway, welcome to the mandolin zoo!

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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I still have my '68 blue sparkle Ludwigs.

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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Welcome. I took up mandolin from playing bass. I thought playing melody breaks would be the coolest thing but I've found the mandolin to be an even cooler rhythm instrument. Have fun!

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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    I still have my '68 blue sparkle Ludwigs.
    (insert jealous emoji here)

    In retrospect, I should have kept mine (and those nice Paiste cymbals), but after I left home I spent years traveling and it just didn't make sense to carry them with me. My parents eventually sold them off to clear room in the garage. After that, it was all guitars as the portable option (sigh). I will still make an annoying racket on a drum set whenever given the chance.

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    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I've seen a drummer play the mandolin before... It was pretty hard on the mandolin if I recall.

    [drum rim-shot]

    I've never played regular drums, but I've played the male-drum (banjo) for many decades before coming back more seriously to mandolin, and like a few others here, of late I've been playing a whole lot of double bass. I still consider banjo my main instrument, although mandolin does provide a number of moments of sanity, sometimes interrupted by the Dobro when I need some variety. But this year the double bass has seduced me much more often than I should admit. I keep thinking about pulling out my flute and piccolo again sometime just to get a full octave representation, but since retiring I've just been so busy...

    And I'd agree, for those jammers and band players who for whatever reason don't follow the bass, the mandolin does provide pretty good rhythm support. I'd still try to encourage following the bass though.

    A quick added note on retirement -- I'd highly recommend it. I'm getting paid more now to do music and other fun things than I was getting paid by my day job. A little planning starting back in the mid-80s has made a huge difference. Life is short, why not enjoy it? Maybe I should take up the drums???

    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


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    [About how I tune my mandolins]
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    Registered User gspiess's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    It's because we're all Levon Helm wannabe's!
    Being right is overrated. Doing right is what matters.

    Northfield F5S Blacktop
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    Registered User Carl23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    OMG! I finally sold of the last of my Ludwig gold sparkle kit years ago. (but I still have the "pancake snare")

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    Registered User Carl23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Quote Originally Posted by dhergert View Post
    And I'd agree, for those jammers and band players who for whatever reason don't follow the bass, the mandolin does provide pretty good rhythm support. I'd still try to encourage following the bass though.
    They should be beaten with a drum stick! (mando is too sensitive)



    C

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  17. #16
    Registered User Carl23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I've been playing with applying West African drum grooves to chord strumming...

    1 . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . .
    D . U . D D . U . U . D


    Just an experiment in my head on my commute to work.

    will report back when I get a chance to try.

    C

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    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Drummer long before I became a mandolin player, all the way back to childhood. I'm into vintage Ludwig kits, have 2 1969 Keystone badged Hollywood kits (Champagne Sparkle and Psychedelic Red), two early/mid 70s Vistalite Big Beat kits (red and the rarer green) and a late 70s 6-ply Rock Machine (22/13/14/18) in Maple Thermogloss.

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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Ah to be young again. I had an old Ludwig kit in groovy ruby swirl, like Ringo. My favorite though was my 60s Rogers Power Tone kit. Hardware - I don't miss as much because I have some exotic metal-strung acoustic instruments, one of which I acquired from the sale of my old 10M sax - which was cooler than all my vintage cymbals (which I loved *sniff*).

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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Just jumping in on the drummer->mando banwagon. Gigged on drums for years but stopped a couple years ago. Still not ready to gig on mando and not sure if ever really want to BUT if I do it sure will be nice to just bring the mando. I always used to joke I'd be a flutist in my next life but that was before I played mando. Now I can actually experience showing up to a gig with minimal gear. That may be incentive enough to start gigging again.

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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Quote Originally Posted by jaybp30 View Post
    ...Now I can actually experience showing up to a gig with minimal gear. That may be incentive enough to start gigging again.
    That was one of the big differences I found when I started gigging with banjo. They expected me to help setting up the PA and stuff! I was used to of that being done by the time I finished setting up my drums! (Although I did have to help carry the Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes back in the 70s.)

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    Registered User gspiess's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I think having a drumming background definitely helps with the concept of "groove" that so many musicians struggle with. Mastering the "art of the chop" is like learning to lay down a beat in the pocket.

    Also, I think drum rudiment training is very similar to crosspicking for teaching muscle memory.

    Finally, being a child of the '70's, my Ludwig kit was a maple finished double bass with oversized toms and Zildjian Ks.
    Being right is overrated. Doing right is what matters.

    Northfield F5S Blacktop
    Pono MND-20H

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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Some of the best musicians I know are drummers who picked up other instruments.
    It doesn't matter . . . I'm going to WINFIELD!!!!!

  25. #23

    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    Quote Originally Posted by goose 2 View Post
    Some of the best musicians I know are drummers who picked up other instruments.
    I am not giving up drums by any means. They will always be my number 1. I just want to expand my knowledge a little. I am working on getting my chop chords learned right now. I really need to buy a mando strap for my cheapo. My 4 finger G chop was hard to get the 7th fret with my pinky, but its coming along.


    I also have 6 drum sets currently, down 1 that I sold not too long ago.

  26. #24

    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    I've been a drummer since 6th grade, with a degree in percussion performance. Played professionally for 50+ years on a 1950s WFL (Ludwig) black diamond pearl kit. Also have a early 70s (?) clear acrylic Zickos set and a 60s Ludwig red sparkle cocktail set. I play mandolin more than drums these days, which makes the load-in and setup a lot easier.

  27. #25
    Registered User Carl23's Avatar
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    Default Re: Drummer, but recently picked up a mandolin to learn for fun

    "The Loar" LM-520
    Ludwig & Ludwig 8-370X Marimba
    Slingerland Modified Drumset
    Hand made profesional djembes from Guinea and Maili West Africa
    and toys... lots and lots of toys.

    Hey... I have a blog here!
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/blogs/53556
    Feel free to stop on by and let me know what you think!

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