Jim
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19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
They aren’t exclusive. I would definitely recommend spending more time on “using” fretboard knowledge than “drilling” fretboard knowledge.
I learned a lot about the fretboard without trying to learn the fretboard. But I didn’t learn it thoroughly until I deliberately practiced it.
Of course, you can say anything you want with the Mandolin without knowing the fretboard.
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Cannot recommend this enough. For beginners, intermediates, and advanced, for anyone who hasn't seen this yet. It will either teach you a really (no really really) cool system of techniques and stuff that you can use, or it will organize in a new and exciting way the techniques and stuff you already knew. Or both.
This is so funny... I just thought of this as a possibility this morning on my way to work. (the V-I thing) following the circle of 4ths is a constant stream of cadences (I great way to computationally "hide" the end goal cadence ... if you are in to that sort of thing )
I like your point about keeping the brain malleable, when I used to teach, I often talked about adding "handles" to an idea... the more handles you have, the easier it is to keep a hold on the thing. Makes for a greatly improved improvisation skill.
Have you read schenker? sounds like you know some classical analysis.
This gets me thinking... if you do a chromatic ascent, you can use a series of vii - I cadences... not sure the best way to do a chromatic descent? Neapolitan variation?
C
"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!
Have you hear Corn Liquor by The Grascals it’s Whisky Before Breakfast with lyrics!
Since the strings of the mandolin are tuned open to the circle of 4/5ths the whole fingerboard is locked into that sequence. If you look at the circle in the 4ths rotation it happens to spell the word BEAD. So if you look at the fingerboard you will see that word represented in full or segments all over the neck. That takes care of 4 of the 7 letters of musical language. The other three in the 4ths rotation are GCF. I use the first letter of the words "Gold Chain Finished" to generate a memory device for these, so the whole sequence is, "BEAD Gold Chain Finished." In my mind I visualize this as a single bead hanging on a gold chain around my beautiful wife's neck. LOL! Finally, if you memorize the first (E) string and look directly across toward your face these patterns should be seen.
“look directly across toward your face....”
🤔
Right to the point:
I don't think you need to memorize the neck to play up the neck. In my mind playing is the goal, memorizing.. not so much.
Exactly. The concept of "memorizing" seems to be the cart before the horse. Working on the patterns that are inherent to the mandolin and repeating them up the neck will result in increased fluency up the neck, but one doen't always need to know what exact note is being played at the moment. One only needs to know how that relates to the melody. I often forget what key I'm playing in, until I look down and puzzle it out.
Mitch Russell
just talking about the theoretical implications (resolution of V to I / A to D) and other possible resolutions.
Schenker talked about this all the time (hence the reference there.)
The "handles" thing is the same as you "malleable" comment... at least in my mind. :-)
Hope that clarifies.
C
"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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