A new girl (still) with a problem with genre.

[agirlandheryarn]

Hi everybody! I joined this group last year when I began taking lessons. I became too busy for a while and put down the Mandolin. I've missed it and I'm ready to start playing again. I have what I think is a great mandolin in my Breedlove KO, which I bought new from a reputable store last year. My problem is that I can't seem to find my " genre". I'm not sure what type of music I want to play. I began playing Mandolin in the 1st place because I just LIKED the looks, sound of the Mandolin. I heard some Italian Mandolin while traveling in Spain, which reinforced my desire to learn to play.
My Mandolin instructor always says that I can let him know the names of different songs I'd like to play, but I can't figure it out. I don't know any specifically. How do I figure out what kind of music I want to play? I've youtubed mandolin music. I know this sounds strange, but really, I just like this instrument and I want to play it. I'm just stuck knowing how to really get into it. I come from a piano background as a child and played flute for a while in marching and. That's it. Some of the terminology is even way over my head. Some of the "newbies" around here even sound like experts.... Any guidance is welcome and pleaded for...

[George R. Lane]

What kind of music do you listen to? I would start there just because it is familiar to you. Try and learn the basic melody. Play chords along with recorded music. I too am a learning how to play (been at it for 5 years and am progressing, slowly). Hope this helps a bit. Those with more knowledge will surley chime in.

[gar1013]

It' like any other instrument: pick a genre, get good at it...and then you'll be good at that genre.

Of course, if you avoid getting stuck into a single genre, you have the ability to play with a wider variety of musicians, in a wider variety of situations.

If you tend to be genre heavy early on, it's always possible that you'll have a bit of an accent, for lack of a better word. I initially played punk and metal on guitar, and it does color how I approach the guitar in a lot of ways. I play a wider variety of styles now, but sometimes I notice a bit of punk or metal creeping in.

Right now, just find songs you like the sound of, or that have a technical aspect you want to master.

[F-2 Dave]

If I were you, I'd spend sometime on youtube watching various artists playing mandolin on different types of music. You may discover that you really like the sound of fiddle tunes on mandolin, or perhaps old time, jazz, swing or Irish tunes. I play out with a couple of groups, and while it's fun, I get the most enjoyment out of playing songs that I like at home.

[MandoSquirrel]

I started in the 1970's, and all that was readily available beyond the most rudimentary Mel Bay starter was Jack Tottle's "Bluegrass Mandolin", but it was really just the instrument I was interested in. Fortunately, I discovered David Grisman & his magazine "Mandolin World News" very promptly, and so was able to find other stuff to listen to and learn from.

The end result was that I try anything that takes my fancy, maybe none of it well, but I'm competent enough to join in pretty much any kind of jam(I think).

I'd suggest trying anything & everything you can find that's within(or just beyond) your playing level, and especially tunes you like to hear and/or sing/hum. Eventually you'll find your voice, & maybe even start your own genre.

Janet Davis' "Ultimate Mandolin Songbook" gives a good sampling of different music and playing styles for the advanced beginner and beyond. Marilynn Mair's "Complete Mandolinist" could be useful so you can read whatever you find to try in standard notation. A subscription to "Mandolin Magazine" will also give a variety of styles to try.

[mrmando]

Start on the Cafe's MP3 page. See what grabs you.

[Ed Goist]

Having a mandolin instructor who is willing to teach you in your preferred genre is a great blessing.
Almost all of the established mandolin instruction is focused on either Bluegrass, or Celtic (ITM), or Jazz or Classical. You are lucky to have an instructor willing to work with you outside the box. Try to take advantage of it.
Pick the music that most resonates with you and go for it. Play what you love.

[rico mando]

Try Disco , its ready for a come back soon and there is very little competition as a mandolinist in that genre

[Paul Cowham]

Rather than think about the mandolin think about the music that you really enjoy listening to the most, I think that whatever genre that is you will enjoy playing that the most.

There problems with that - if there is no mandolin used in that type of music there is no role model to learn from. If you are a beginner player then a certain level of proficiency is needed before playing along with music. If this is the case then having good grasp of basic music theory and how this applies to the mandolin is useful and learning mandoliny techniques like tremelo, playing chords, picking tunes, crosspicking means etc means that you will be able to develop your own style. Getting a teacher is probably a good way of doing this.

I think the mandolin is a really versatile instrument and can be used in all sorts of genres so go for it

[Ed Goist]

Try Disco , its ready for a come back soon and there is very little competition as a mandolinist in that genre

This might be a pretty cool riff on an e-mando.

[DerTiefster]

As a genre-expanding list of simple things, try "Return to Sorrento" (Tourna Surriento, how's -that- for Italian?), "In the Hall of the Mountain King," and the hymn ... uh-oh, brain fade....can't remember the name just now, but all three start with the same 3-4 notes and then go off in -very- different directions. Fun from my perspective. Rawhide, Red-Haired Boy, and Blackberry Blossom were three other memorable tunes my instructor introduced me to. And on my own I've been working up (or trying fitfully) a version of Puer Natus in Bethlehem (on the older Chant CD, or on Aine Minogue's "The Mysts of Time").

I hope that these ill-focused and broadly scattered suggestions are what you want. I am not certain just what you're asking for. I have a Breedlove KO, too (an early one, #143) and I think it's very sweet-sounding if not particularly loud. A good one.

[mandolirius]

I'd go back to the original source of inspiration and work up some of the standard Italian songs. Come Back To Sorrento has been mentioned, there's O Solo Mio, Santa Lucia and many more. That's as good a place to start as any.

[Les Corley]

The first thing you need to do is learn to play the mandolin then you will be able to figure out what Genre you want to play' It took me about 2 years just don't give up.

[agirlandheryarn]

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions/ recommendations, everybody. I'm so glad I asked! As a newbie, it's a little intimidating to ask questions for fear that they may sound... Childish? Too remedial? You get my point. You all were very nice and helpful. I'm writing all of these things down!

[agirlandheryarn]

This might be a pretty cool riff on an e-mando.

Oh. I think you just might be on to something with the disco....

[mommythrice]

What about Pandora? You can create one channel for bluegrass, one for Italian music, one for jazz, whatever... Then you can listen to a particular genre at a time and see what you like. It's easier than searching on YouTube.

[Dave Weiss]

Music that's written for the mandolin is really pretty "limited". You can find a better variety of written music if you look at violin sheet music (assuming you can read standard notation). It opens up a whole different world...

[eadg145]

Get an instructional book -- any one -- and start working though it. Once you're comfortable with a good handful of chords and some arpeggios, take songs you already like -- any song, any genre -- and start to arrange them so that you can play them on mandolin. Enjoy!

After that, start playing with other people, in a variety of musical contexts. You'll learn a lot of tunes and know what you like to play. Play what you like. You don't have to adhere to any particular genre.

[mrmando]

As a newbie, it's a little intimidating to ask questions for fear that they may sound... Childish?

Don't worry, they're no more childish than some of the answers you are likely to get.

[Mando Matthew]

[QUOTE= My problem is that I can't seem to find my " genre". I'm not sure what type of music I want to play. I began playing Mandolin in the 1st place because I just LIKED the looks, sound of the Mandolin. I heard some Italian Mandolin while traveling in Spain, which reinforced my desire to learn to play. Any guidance is welcome and pleaded for...[/QUOTE]

I reckon there's only two types of music: Good and bad! Just start by listening to melodies you LIKE (that's always a good incentive) and then if they are not too complicated, try and learn them with the aid of a good instructor who knows your musical ability and can tap into and also channel and develop that ability... and that would most likely start you off on a good course... Happy playing!

[Ron McMillan]

Play along with music you like, and take it from there. The very fact that you are asking this most vague of questions hints to me that deep down, maybe you aren't really all that interested. Talking about it won't help you - only playing will do that.

[Paul Busman]

Listen to a lot of music, preferably live. Check around and see if there are any playing sessions in your area and hang out there a bit-- it's a great way to get the feel for the music. Around here, there are Bluegrass, Celtic, Old Time etc sessions. Even if nobody at sessions in your area plays mandolin, those are genres that work great on mando. If you can settle on a genre where there are local people that get together to play that type of music, you'd be in for a treat. Playing live music with other people is just about the best thing there is.

[LastMohican]

You may want to consider a collection of Lithuanian Funeral Marches transposed for mandolin.

Or, if not...

BLUEGRASS!

[Mandophyte]

As a newbie, it's a little intimidating to ask questions for fear that they may sound... Childish? Too remedial?

As folk have said above it's the music that's important not the instrument. I'm now (nearly) 62 and started mandolin at 58 and having decided that I would have to learn standard notation, and not having done anything musical ever before needed tunes that I really knew and were within my minimal capabilities.

So it was right back to childishness! I ordered a book of nursery rhymes, tunes that were already seriously embedded in in my brain!

The rest has been (still is) a journey, good luck on yours!

[EdHanrahan]

Hey, Girl & Yarn...

Glad you asked the question. I started playing guitar at 17 and, except for a few semi-focused years of college rock band, have been bumbling with it for 4 decades now!

My response, to paraphrase some above, has been like learning to drive: Once you know the basics and can ('round, 'round) get around a little, like cruisin' the main drag in a Beach Boys song, you'll discover lots of interesting places that you'd like to get to.

Don't rush to a predetermined destination... just find a couple of simple songs and start cruisin', just to see where it takes you. You'll enjoy the trip!!