Passed my audition today!!!

[kurth83]

Got into our church band today. Played on my faithful Eastman MD604 (oval hole).

I had already jammed with the band a bunch of times (sit out there in the pews and played along during rehearsals), so was pretty sure I could cut it.

Strummed barre chords, did a bunch of different arpeggiations and hammer-ons over the same chords, threw in some very basic bluegrass licks with some chop, and some melodic improv, and I was in. :-)

Big thanks to my teachers, I couldn't have done it without them (Pete Martin who gave me a perfect bluegrass start, Banjo Ben Clark, and Caterina Lichtenberg).

I have a long way to go, but now it's learn while in a band, more fun that way.

This forum was very helpful, led me every step of the way, pointed me to Eastman as a starter mando, and TMS, and much more (including all of the aforementioned teachers, so thanks guys.

I started mandolin lessons three years ago with this specific goal in mind. Pretty happy to see a dream like this come true as hoped for. I guess it means a lot because mando was a reach for me, wasn't sure I could succeed on this instrument. Pls allow me to give all the credit and thanks to God too. The opportunity to serve in music is priceless to me.

We do mostly Gospel (soft pop band style - and classical mando licks fit in well with this style too), with some bluegrass numbers. So studying classical and bluegrass was a perfect fit there.

First performance in about 2 months.

[Bill Kammerzell]

There is so much Bluegrass style music that can be played in church. Stanley Bros "I Just Saw the Rock of Ages." Wayfaring Stranger. Circle be Unbroken. So many Bluegrass Gospel tunes. That's great to read. I keep putting off hooking up with a church band. Many in my area too.

[kurth83]

We just take a standard lead sheet, and the BL calls out do this one in BG style. We all know our roles pretty well. Almost any old gospel tune can be played in a BG style on demand by us.

Bass-player (me usually), goes into a percussive root-five pattern, piano takes the downbeat, drums and guitar take the offbeat, and bang, its a blue-grassey backup, and the singers sing as usual. We have another bass player, so I'll be chopping and throwing in some bluegrass licks on mando to spice things up. So far we don't have anyone playing BG melody or licks, so the field is wide open for me there.

We are currently searching for a banjo player...

[Caleb]

Congratulations. Have fun!

[EvanElk]

congrats

[Mandoplumb]

Congrats are in order, it's always a thrill to obtain something you have wanted I'm glad you did and have fun with your ministry as God want you to.

[Frankdolin]

Livin' your dream... Congrats!!!

[gspiess]

Congratulations! Part of my mandolin addiction includes playing in church most Sundays, and I've discovered it's pretty easy to carve out parts for most worship music. Like stated above, there are all kinds of traditional hymns that fall into the bluegrass gospel and Americana genre that are great fun to chop and chuck and throw in various embellishments. Plus you can adapt to many of the more contemporary tunes where I find myself playing harmonies with the guitars and/or vocals and taking breaks where the style is more like an electric guitar - lots of slides and not many double-stops. Where I do have problems are the more Wesley-like hymns where I can't really find a voice with the mandolin, but that may just be my inexperience. Have fun!

[bigskygirl]

Congratulations!

[Austin Bob]

There's quite a few of us on here who play on Sunday. And you don't have to do everything or even anything "BG style." There are several of us here who play in Catholic Churches, and most of our music is pretty traditional. When in doubt, I always just play the melody line and try to emulate the violin part as best I can.

It has taught me how to read music, and I can even play in those keys I used to dread, such as Ab or Eb.

Good luck, have fun, and just remember not to overpower the guitar

[ccravens]

Awesome job!

[darylcrisp]

that's great!
thanks for posting this.
d

[DHopkins]

Way to go!!

[soliver]

Congrats!

[HonketyHank]

Good show! Hear, hear! Play on!

[William Smith]

Nice, when I lived in Alabama I played at my Dads Holiness church every Wed. and Sunday. That keeps your chops up! Well any band setting will and its a whole new mandolin game playing in a band setting rather than pickin by yourself! Always fun playing with others even when there is an out of tune piano and a few guitars that aren't tuned in!

[UsuallyPickin]

Congrats … enjoy! R/