Guys and Gals, I understand that the Mandolin in Bluegrass is on the 2 & 4. But then is it the same when playing say Country or Swing or Irish tunes?
Thanks in advance!!
Learning! and near 70 years young
Guys and Gals, I understand that the Mandolin in Bluegrass is on the 2 & 4. But then is it the same when playing say Country or Swing or Irish tunes?
Thanks in advance!!
Learning! and near 70 years young
From what I understand the Bluegrass chop is a chord on beats 2 and 4, usually a closed fingering one.
Country could have chords on 2 and 4, the "backbeats", but could have other strums depending on the song - like a waltz in 3/4.
Swing music MAY at times like some styles of Dixieland be in 2-beat feel, but most jazz and swing is in 4 beat, so one would play all 4 beats, 1-2-3-4.
In ITM you may play some chords, but mandolin is typically more of a melody instrument and plays what the fiddle, pipes, whistles and button boxes play.
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