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Thread: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

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    Default My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Well, I knew this was coming. My acoustic trio has pretty much asked me to stop playing guitar. And switch to full time mandolin! They love the mandolin. And the audience seems to agree. We played a house party this weekend and the 5 or so songs I played mandolin on just went over so well.
    So they asked "how many songs could we change out to mandolin?"
    I guess I have some work to do transposing guitar to mandolin.

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    Gummy Bears and Scotch BrianWilliam's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    And today was a good day

    How many can you switch over? All.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Interesting thread, thanks for posting.

    For a number of mostly RA-hand related reasons, I'm trying to move my role in my main band from 100% banjo to a fairly even mixture of mandolin, banjo and double bass. Aside from my RA, it adds instrument-voice variety and it frees up our bassist/vocalist to play more guitar, or secondarily mandolin, which are really the instruments he is most known for performing with.

    Our bassist is fine with this, but my wife on rhythm guitar and lead vocal and our fiddler/vocalist are so used to the way I setup rhythm on the banjo that it's a tough transition for them, so they're a little hesitant. We've agreed that I'll play new songs on the mandolin or double bass, so those new arrangements will evolve with me on those instruments. Some of our older songs will slowly transition too, but it will take time.

    In the mean time mandolin has my primary attention this year and the way things are at this time, I have had plenty of time to work on it. I'm glad for that!
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Some of my early bands asked me to stop playing guitar. And I didn't even have any other instruments then.
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    Registered User Joe Dodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    You've leveled up.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Tadams View Post
    Well, I knew this was coming. My acoustic trio has pretty much asked me to stop playing guitar. And switch to full time mandolin! They love the mandolin. And the audience seems to agree. We played a house party this weekend and the 5 or so songs I played mandolin on just went over so well.
    So they asked "how many songs could we change out to mandolin?"
    I guess I have some work to do transposing guitar to mandolin.

    Or practice more guitar.

    Seriously, what are the other instruments? Personally I could imagine playing the mandolin in a trio of bass, percussion and mandolin, requiring a very good bass player, with a good walk, and great rhythmic imagination. But in more folklike genres I would miss the harmonic foundation of a guitar.

    I've been playing the guitar for 62 years, and the mandolin for 53, and I'm keenly aware of the possibilities and limitiations of either instrument, esp. w r t my own compositions.
    The majority are either expressly for guitar or mandolin; a small number work on both instruments, but I treat the tunes differently on either instrument. E.g., owing to its range, the guitar is much richer in harmonic possibilities so I will use fuller chords on that instrument. On the other hand, Gerry Mulligan's Quartet in the early 50's indicate how just two horns and bass suffice to suggest quite elaborate harmonic structures.

    Strength in Numbers had no guitar on most numbers, but they also had Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    There are three of us in my band, too. On most things the line up is mandolin, octave mandola (octave mandolin) and accordion. We have other instruments as well, but absolutely no guitar. Rather than not missing a guitar, we believe we're better off without one!

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    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    That’s great! You now can be the butt of all the “littlest instrument” jokes but, you don’t have to haul that big guitar or ridiculously heavy banjo around! The mandolin is a “win, win instrument”!! Besides now you can pick in the front seat of the car on road trips and not cause an accident!
    Good for you.
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  11. #9

    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Congrats! Wow, in a trio mandolin shouldn't get lost in the mix. On the other hand, there's nowhere to hide. Sounds to me like you got this. I'd like to hear this. Y'all gotta a link?

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by ralph johansson View Post
    Or practice more guitar.

    Seriously, what are the other instruments? Personally I could imagine playing the mandolin in a trio of bass, percussion and mandolin, requiring a very good bass player, with a good walk, and great rhythmic imagination. But in more folklike genres I would miss the harmonic foundation of a guitar.

    I've been playing the guitar for 62 years, and the mandolin for 53, and I'm keenly aware of the possibilities and limitiations of either instrument, esp. w r t my own compositions.
    The majority are either expressly for guitar or mandolin; a small number work on both instruments, but I treat the tunes differently on either instrument. E.g., owing to its range, the guitar is much richer in harmonic possibilities so I will use fuller chords on that instrument. On the other hand, Gerry Mulligan's Quartet in the early 50's indicate how just two horns and bass suffice to suggest quite elaborate harmonic structures.

    Strength in Numbers had no guitar on most numbers, but they also had Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas.
    Other instruments are Acoustic guitar (a D28 cannon) and electric bass guitar. When I play lead acoustic it is difficult to keep up. The others try to play softer during solo's but they get excited and start to play louder as the evening goes on! The Mandolin kinda carves out its own space.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Timbofood View Post
    That’s great! You now can be the butt of all the “littlest instrument” jokes but, you don’t have to haul that big guitar or ridiculously heavy banjo around! The mandolin is a “win, win instrument”!! Besides now you can pick in the front seat of the car on road trips and not cause an accident!
    Good for you.
    The funny thing is I'm the drummer in this band when we have a "rock show"! So the difference between hauling drums around vs a mandolin is something I can really appreciate.

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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    I've been in groups that have asked me to stop playing entirely. Also stop singing. And, stop showing up for gigs and rehearsals. Then they started crossing out my name on business cards, and cropping me out of publicity photos.

    Not that I took it personally...
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    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Funny, my wife asked me to go back to guitar. Mandolin sounds shrill to her. Instead I play when she's out, which has been difficult during quarantine here in New York for the last two months.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    I've been in groups that have asked me to stop playing entirely. Also stop singing. And, stop showing up for gigs and rehearsals. Then they started crossing out my name on business cards, and cropping me out of publicity photos.

    Not that I took it personally...
    Dude! That was you?

    😀

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  19. #15

    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    My trio doesn't have a guitar either. We use mandolin and voice (me), piano, and bass. Works pretty well.

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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Here lately I've been playing more fiddle than mandolin, but we're about to lose our one guitar guy. I'm more than competent on guitar and will tolerate subbing, but if they try to stick me with the thing long term I swear I'll bring in keyboards. That's how much I don't enjoy guitar. Fortunately guitar players--or at least vocalists who use the guitar as a prop--are easy to find.
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    Registered User Mando Mort's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    I think a well-played mandolin can add to almost any musical situation...
    "All of us contain Music & Truth, but most of us can't get it out." - Mark Twain

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    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by Elliot Luber View Post
    Funny, my wife asked me to go back to guitar. Mandolin sounds shrill to her. Instead I play when she's out, which has been difficult during quarantine here in New York for the last two months.
    +1 My wife moans about the fact I don't play guitar much anymore. Doesn't really affect my behavior though. I do plenty of practicing out in my old camper van. And I do play guitar a bit at gigs. Usually the gigging is a duo, and my buddy plays guitars (acoustic or electric) and harmonica, while I do guitar (acoustic) and mandolin (acoustic).
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    Default Re: My band asked me to stop playing guitar

    I played guitar in a band that had another guitarist, we couldn't find a mandolin or fiddle player to complete our lineup. My bandmates knew I played a little (not small, lol!) mandolin and encouraged me to take the mandolin spot. It was a lot of pressure to play when I was not ready for prime time. I realized a good teacher was needed to learn more quickly so was lucky to find a good teacher. I'm glad they pushed me in that direction so long ago.
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