Beautiful songs played with mandolin......

[Capt. E]

Three songs I think sound remarkably beautiful on mandolin are Dixie, Battle Hymn of the Republic and Ashokan Farewell.
This is kind of the "Civil War trilogy of mandolin songs".

Add "Lorena" and "Empty Chair" ("Once I Had A Darling Mother") to that list.

Of course, Ashokan Farewell is a modern composition in the spirit of long ago. It does seem to have become a necessary addition to any "Civil War" song list.

[JeffD]

Every time I hear Rise I'm impressed a little more by how hauntingly beautiful and profound it is as a song. .. It's probably my favorite mandolin song of all. I love how it shows that one need not be a virtuoso to impact people with our wonderful little instrument.

I don't think of it, really, as a mandolin song. The mandolin playing makes the tune for sure, but as you say, its not virtuoso playing, and really not anything particularly mandolinny. But its amazing music.

Alison Stephens, one of my very favorite mandolin players, used to say something like that she was a musician, who happened to play the mandolin.

That is the point here. Eddie Vedder is a musician. His chosen primary instrument may not be mandolin, but he doesn't have to be a great mandolin player to be a great musician. He can make great transcendent music. His choice of the mandolin for this tune shows it. He could probably make transcendent music with a rock and a spoon, were that the most appropriate instrument to get his music across.


Yea we are all mandolin aficionados, but sometimes I get to feeling that it is sort of like being cheerleaders for the color blue. We jump and scream and praise wildly whenever blue shows up in a painting, and we comment on how well the blue is used and how subtle shades help or hurt the impact of the blue, who makes the best blue and where to get it, but forgetting, many times, that its the painting that is the whole point.

[Duane Graves]

There are some very good songs on video in this thread. I have been playing some of them and they are unique and some are haunting in melody. Take that beaut "The Heart of the Heartland". Also I have been playing "Norwegian Wood" in G with good results. The other day I received a CD by Nolan Faulkner and there are several quite unique arrangements on this CD none better than "The Blind Fiddler"....

[Patrick Hull]

I really appreciate this thread, and especially the reminder of "The Lonely Shepherd," a great song, and one that brings back all kinds of mental pictures. I'm wondering if anyone has tab or sheet music for it. I would really like to learn it, but it's a bit hard to follow by ear after the first part.

[rockies]

Tons of beautiful tunes for mandolin but I must cast my vote for my all time favorite and that's John Reischman's "The North Shore" from his album "Up in the Woods". Just a great tune in the key of Gm. And the other instrumentalists on the tune are superb as well, especially the guitar of Scott Nygaard !
Dave

[Tavy]

Some good suggestions here all.

If you'll forgive the flubby playing, here's too more: The Godfather theme and Over the Rainbow

[Duane Graves]

Back under the "Forum" listings and on down to "Miscellaneous stuff" you'll find a great thread with some lovely tunes there. It is called "Thread for Social Group MP3 posting" started by Scott Tichenor. Have a look I think you will enjoy some of the tunes there... --dgg

[Jesse Harmon]

One of my favorites is "Deep River" I have a simple arrangement I give my guitar students but I am not clear on what is ok to post on the internet.

[Jim MacDaniel]

These three tunes to mind:

(Dublin-based mandolinist) Paul Kelly - The Dear Irish Boy (from The Mandolin Album)

Michael Kerry - Sunlight on the Water (from The Rocky Road)

Simon Mayor - Dark and Slender Boy (from New Celtic Mandolin)


<NFI>

[sgarrity]

Here's a few I enjoy playing:

A Place in the Heart


Hector the Hero


Ashokan Farewell

[lauralea]

I heard "Yesterday" played with a mandolin the other day and I have been playing it since then and so enjoying the beauty of this delicious melody throwing in my own solo stuff....a tremalo here, etc. There are other songs that I can't think of but no doubt many of you play because, like me, you find the melody to touch you in a special way. I wonder if you could share (vids or other) some of those, well, you know, intimate, shall I say, songs like Yesterday set to mandolin that take you to another place so to speak. --dgg.

Hey Duane, could you tell me where I could find the tablature for "Yesterday"? I've only been playing for a few months and would really love to learn this beautiful song. take care

[schubs]

Here is my favorite:

[JeffD]

especially the reminder of "The Lonely Shepherd," a great song, and one that brings back all kinds of mental pictures. I'm wondering if anyone has tab or sheet music for it. I would really like to learn it, but it's a bit hard to follow by ear after the first part.

Here you go. I found it somewhere on line, I forget where.

Its agreat tune. Fun to play.

[Rockville847]

"Hearts Against The Wind." Either J.D. Souther and Linda Ronstadt or Diamond Rio.

[Duane Graves]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJn2F6lMcM

.....such a tender touch.....this is fine....just, well, fine....what is the name of Peter's mandolin, anyone know?

[Ed Goist]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgJn2F6lMcM
.....such a tender touch.....this is fine....just, well, fine....what is the name of Peter's mandolin, anyone know?

Wonderful video Duane, thanks for posting!

The mandolin in the video is a custom built A-style (obviously based on the old Gibsons) made by violin builders Peter White, and Ken Keppeller, and Peter himself in 1990. For more info, see question one in this interview.

However, as you'll see here (fourth paragraph), this mandolin experienced structural failure on the top and had to be rebuilt.

Interesting. I know that similar structural failure is not uncommon with some of the old transverse braced Gibsons.

[djidaho]

"A Place in The Heart" A tune I found & have been playing with lately.

I think it was on Butch B's tribute CD. Scott T has a great arrangement with lot's of links to it on the cafe.

[Geoff B]

I used to really like John Mayer and learned "comfortable" as an instrumental mandolin piece. Here is a version on an electric octave I built a few years ago...