some personal questions for you!

[stenallan]

Hi everybody! I'm an 18 year old guy from Sweden and would like to ask some questions for you because i need some material for a projekt i'm doing in my school about the instrument mandolin. It would be nice if you did long answers to the questions cause than i much material. Anyone could answer!

Here's the questions:

How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another stringinstrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?

Why do you like the mandolin?

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?

How often do you play mandolin?

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?

Sorry for my bad english! It would be lovely if some of you guys would like to answer! // Joakim G

[OldSausage]

I've played mando for 10 years, guitar for 30 years, bass for 25 years, banjo for 4 years, fiddle occasionally for about 2 years.

I like the mandolin because what's not to like?

I can't tell you how long it took me to learn to play mandolin because I'm still working on it.

I usually play the mandolin every day, for anything from 15 minutes to 8 hours depending on what kind of day I'm having.

Learning to play the mandolin seems to me a little harder than guitar and banjo, but not as hard as fiddle. That's what most people say.

[Randi Gormley]

I'm always a sucker for a survey.

Q: How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another string instrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?
A: If you're not particularly interested in mastery, I play flute, recorder (sopranino, soprano, alto and tenor), a bit of drums and once upon a time, some piano, in addition to the mandolin.

Q: Why do you like the mandolin?
A: I like the sounds it makes, the size of the instrument (portable), the intuitive setup of the fretboard, the looks of the instrument and the materials it is made out of.

Q: Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?
A: No musician is ever finished learning, so I have loads of time left to actually learn how to play, but it took me probably a month to be able to physically place my fingers on the correct frets when i wanted them to be there (as I was reading sheet music). The rest of the time, some 15 years give or take, it's been working to improve speed, dexterity, ear training, fluidity, tone, volume, dynamics and familiarity with four or five different genres.

Q: How often do you play mandolin?
A: Depends on the week. Not less than three times a week, but those three times could include a three-hour session and a two-hour gig, plus band practice, which runs from 8 to 11:30 p.m., but not constantly (we spend time chatting, learning new pieces, stuff like that). Practice is about an hour or two when I sit down to play, and I may sit down to play twice a day if I have something on my mind. I also have carpal tunnel issues in my left wrist as well as some osteo-arthritis in my left thumb, so I need to take a day off if my hand goes numb or I get shooting pains. I try not to let more than a day or two go by between playing, though.

Q: Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
A: Grammatically, it should be "compared with," but that's just years of dealing with editors ... and there's no answer for this from me, as mandolin was/is the only stringed instrument I play.

Hope that helps out. You'll have to let us see the finished product! And good luck.

[almeriastrings]

Played guitar for 40 years, mandolin... well... first about 15 years ago. Seriously about 5 years.

I like it because it just sounds good to me. I love Bill Monroe and bluegrass, and I can't play fiddle or banjo

Like the previous poster, I am still learning. I am still learning guitar too. You never stop learning.

I play every day. Always.

I would say that a lot of technique on guitar also applies to the mandolin, and also the other way around. Playing both I have found gives me new ideas that I can use on either of them.

Your English is fine Much better than my Swedish!

[greg_tsam]

1. I play the mandolin (8 years), guitar (20 years) and djembe drum (6 years).

2. The mandolin has a unique sound that I find pleasing and beautiful. It's portable. It can be an amazing testament to woodworking artisan-ship. It's tuned in fifth's and make sense.

3. It's easy to learn the basics in a few days or weeks but it takes a lifetime to master. Music is a journey that never ends and that's why I love it.

4. Varies. I play anywhere from 5-20 hours a week depending on schedule, mood and physical condition. Sometimes my brain and body need to rest to avoid getting stuck in a rut creatively and/or allowing the tendinitis to repair when it rears it's ugly head.

5. I played the guitar for years, poorly, until I started the mandolin. As soon as I picked up the mando the musical fog that clouded my brain disappeared and everything started to makes sense. It's tuned in fifths and that makes all the difference to me. As a result, I play mandolin almost exclusively and have advanced further on it than guitar many times over but, ironically, it has made me a better guitar player in the process.



Hope that helps you, Joakim. I have a question(s) for you. Do you play any instruments and what prompted you to pick this topic?

[Chip Booth]

How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another string instrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?
I have played guitar for 32 years, bass for 28 years, mandolin for 20 years, banjo for 7 years

Why do you like the mandolin?
I was drawn to the tone of the mandolin, exposed to it originally through the music of Led Zeppelin. I lived in an apartment with an instrument builder who played a mandolin he built and I borrowed it and learned to play that way. I have always been drawn to unique tones from most any instrument, and the mandolin was appealing as an alternative to the acoustic guitar.

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?
I am still learning! I felt more or less proficient with it after about 2 years of intense practice, but keep in mind I could at least play it from day one due to my guitar experience.

How often do you play mandolin?
Almost daily

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
It was not a huge difference from guitar, and learning better mandolin technique has also greatly improved my guitar technique and tone. The hardest thing to learn for me has been three finger style banjo.

[Justus True Waldron]

Q: How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another string instrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?
A: I'll try and play any instrument that's in front of me, but I've been serious about
mandolin (8 years but SERIOUSLY only about 2...), Cello (about 1 year), Guitar (10 years but never that seriously, I mostly use it for song writing), Clarinet (my best instrument and the only one I read music on proficiently, 12 years) and Drums (off and on for the past 10 years or so). Oh and I'm 23 so that means I've been focusing on music for more than half my life now [=

Q: Why do you like the mandolin?
A: Hmm... I like it because it's small, and easy to take places. Especially for acoustic music, it sounds really cool and different than guitar. There are a million guitar players out there and I guess I just like to be different. You can play with anyone. In that sense it's a very social instrument. I play clarinet better, but it's a little harder to just walk up to somebody and just start jamming on clarinet (but I'll do that too). I've liked bluegrass since I was a kid, but I think I always wanted to play mandolin because growing up my dad's friend (Marty Macica) made mandolins and played really well and was a really cool guy, so that always made me want to play one. We didn't have a ton of money growing up, so I didn't have a mandolin for a little bit... then my sister got one for Christmas, and decided she didn't like it after a few months. I started taking it out of her room to play it and soon it just stayed in my room all the time. Now I own one of Marty's mandolins.

Q: Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?
A: Yes and no. Obviously, I'm still learning, but I'd consider myself fairly proficient at this point. Like I said I've played for 8 years, but I never had a teacher and I mostly taught myself and didn't play with other people very often. In the past 2 years I decided to get really serious about it though (mostly because I made friends with a couple of professional musicians who started taking me to really good jams and scared me into playing as good as possible!) I think I picked up the basics really quickly, but getting better has taken a lot of work over the past 2 years...

Q: How often do you play mandolin?
A: It depends, sometimes I'll play a couple hours a day, every day. Sometimes I get really busy and don't play much for a couple days. I try to pick it up and play at least SOMETHING every day. I've been trying to learn cello lately, and I'd like to practice clarinet more, but the mandolin is just so easy to pick up and play that I tend to play it more.

Q: Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
A: Mandolin has definitely been the easiest string instrument for me to learn. I play a little guitar, I'm really good with chords and rhythm playing, but I have a hard time playing melodies because the jumps between strings isn't consistent like it is on mandolin (5ths between every string). Playing mandolin has made me a better guitar player though. Cello has been very hard for me. That is also in 5ths, so my fingers almost know where to go for the next note, but it makes my fingers stretch really far, there are no frets, and of course a bow, not a pick. I'll get it but it is a piece of work!

Hope that helps you

[Ray Neuman]

1- I play guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, autoharp, dulcimer, lap steel and Irish penny whistle.
2-I love the size, ease of playing and how intuitive the mandolin is. Just makes sense, not to mention, I love the versatility.
3-Took me about a month to feel comfortable on the mandolin, but I played guitar for many years before that.
4-I play just about every day, some days its an hour, some days its 10 mins.
5-The mando is set up in 5ths, each string spaced and common to the other. So its VERY easy to transpose something, and you know where you are going. If that makes sense.

Partially due to my physicial damage, and partially to the fun, mandolin has become my primary instruments after 42 years of guitar.

[Mandobart]

Here's the questions:

How many instruments do you play?
seven; violin, guitar, mandolin, mandola, octave mandolin, mandocello, harmonica. Not sure if you can really count all the mandolin family instruments as "different instruments." Yes they sound different, but to me there is little difference in playing the mandola or playing the mandolin. Mandocello is quite a bit different than mandolin.

If you play guitar or another string instrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?
violin - 38 years
guitar - 35 years
mandolin - a little over 3 years
mandola - less than one year
octave mandolin - 2 years
mandocello - 3 years

Why do you like the mandolin?
The sound complements other instruments well; two guitars playing together, unless arranged specifically with different parts, doesn't sound as good as a guitar and a mandolin duo. Mandolin solos are fun and the best players are masters of them, but I really like how the mandolin can add harmony and extra musical layers and details to an ensemble. I also like that there are probably 1000 guitar players for every mandolin player. There are many more opportunities to play and do something different musically on mandolin. So many people don't really know much about the mandolin, but they respond positively when they hear you play. The mandolin is more portable, easy to transport on a bike or on camping trips.

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?
no; the combination of guitar and violin background allowed me to start playing off sheet music and by ear nearly instantly.

How often do you play mandolin?
two to three hours each day, usually

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
When you learn a second or third stringed instrument, the differences are more subtle than the big learning curve on the initial stringed instrument. Picking the mandolin is different than picking a guitar; the type and size (thickness) of pick is different, the pick grip is different, depending on the genre the style is different. The left hand is also different in the angle and position of the hand relative to the fingerboard. Fora like this help a lot; many guitarists initially approach the mandolin like a small guitar; it is helpful to have a more advance player or teacher show a beginner the differences.

[John Flynn]

How many instruments do you play? Mandolin-family (including mandolin, octave mandolin and GDAE tenor banjo), guitar, harmonica and electric bass guitar. I have also heavily "dabbled" on lap dulcimer and bodhran.

If you play guitar or another stringinstrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument? I have played guitar for roughly 40 years, mandolin for just over 20.

Why do you like the mandolin? I like the tuning in fifths, the tone, the chord inversions possible and the size. I also like that in most ensemble settings, I am the only mandolin player. There are are always LOTS of guitars.

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin? I bought my first mandolin on a Tuesday and I performed a three-chord rhythm along with an ensemble at church the following Sunday. Within a year, I was playing mandolin pretty much exclusively every Sunday.

How often do you play mandolin? Used to be daily, but I've gotten away from it. I am in the process of building back up to playing daily. Now it's probably "most days, but not every day."

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play? I think that mandolin demands more technique out of your right (picking) hand to play well. The left (fretting) hand is still important, of course, and it's not that I'm, saying right hand is not important on guitar, it just seems the mandolin demands right hand ability more.

[catmandu2]

How many instruments do you play?

Proficient on about 8 or 9, and dabble regularly on a few others, and HAVE dabbled on half-dozen more but don't currently own (oud, charango, ukes, dilruba, sitar, saw, english concertina, brass winds...)

I like the mandolin for its portability and ease of playing -- as a guitarist and fiddler it's relatively easy to "learn" (acquire technique and stylistic wherewithal)

I rarely play mandolin, but do play cittern and tenor banjo quite a bit more (current favorites are woodwinds, accordians, doublebass ... and my kids are acquiring skill in hand-drumming...they're still too young to start learning stick drumming...but that will happen cuz jazz is where it's at for this cat)


Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?

I believe it was David Lindley who said something like: once you learn the guitar, all other stringed instruments feel like "just a guitar" (in other words -- natural to pick it up, adjust to its tuning, figure out intervallic relationships, and execute a concept...the physical execution is merely a matter of adjustment, except of course in the case of bowed strings--which require much more acquisition of technique given the complexity of bowing...but once one picks up a bowed stringed instrument, the same type of "universal facility" exists among that family of instrument as well, in my experience -- which speaks to the aspect of concept...the thing that provides for ease of "inter-relation" and facility with instruments is a spirit
of exploration )

[Greg H.]

Q: How many instruments do you play? Two seriously, guitar and mandolin. That said it wouldn't be as big a jump to electric bass or to Mandola. On guitar I've been playing for 43 years. On mandolin it's been casually 30 years but only focussing on it for the last 15.

Q: Why do you like the mandolin? Well, a number of reasons....it's small and is easier to just pick up and play (guitar requires more space). I really like to sound of a good mandolin. Also....there are so many guitarists out. . . . . .

Q: Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin? On a musically instrument of any sort one is learning it until they die or stop playing the instrument. Chris Thile is still learning mandolin (though what he may be learning is quite different from what us mere mortals might be learning). In much of it could just be trying different phrases in different styles/techniques...but it's still learning. So, none of us have learned.....but that said it probably took less than a year to play in public (without being too obviously bad) but I had spent some years flatpicking guitar so much of the same techniques were usable on either instrument.

Q: How often do you play mandolin? At least daily if possible. There may be some days when I just play guitar (particularly if there's something I'm trying to focus on) but by and large I play some of both each day. Now a lot is determined by what day (week day or weekend) or if there is a festival or a practice or.....some other good excuse to play.

Q: Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
Mandolin is easier in general. I still know the guitar neck better than I know the mandolin...but not by much, and at a much older age my hands/arms cramp much less than on guitar.

[Jim]

How many instruments do you play: I've played guitar for 45 years, flute for 35 years, bass for 30 years and Mandolin for 16 years.

Why do you like the mandolin? ; I like the mandolin because it is good for playing melodies yet allows me to play rhythm too, I also feel that the 5ths tuning makes it easier for me to figure out melodies and chord voicings. Finally I like that mandolins are small and portable compared to guitars. I also like that there is a large repetoir of music for mandolin that is played with a flat pick where with guitar I felt I was limited by being a flat picker I don't feel the plectrum is as much of a limitting factor in my playing.

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin? I could make music on the Mandolin within an hour of when I first picked it up but I was just playing what I used to play on guitar on it. After almost 12 years I started playing "fiddle tunes" and began playing the instrument more like I think it should be played, though I still do some of my guitar riffs on it as well.

How often do you play mandolin? I play 5 or 6 days a week and sometimes 7 usually for 2 to 5 hours. I may go through some weeks it's more Guitar, Flute or Bass I'm playing , but, it's a rare day I don't pick up a mandolin for at least a bit.

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
I felt learning Mandolin was much easier than Guitar but , I think that is partly because of the simetric tuning in 5ths and partly because I already knew my scales and how to build a chord when I started Mandolin.

[stenallan]

This is wonderful! Thanks a lot guys!

[Bill Van Liere]

Wow, like me, most of you guys have been at this a while,. I don't feel too out of place.

I played guitar for 38 years, drums for 46 years, octave mandolin for 13 years and mandolin as a full time instrument for 26 years.

I like to play the mandolin because I find it a little easier to sing with compared to guitar. I also would rather carry around and hold a mandolin for long periods of time compared to guitar. I play lots of fiddle tunes which I prefer on mando rather than guitar, and I play not so great fiddle. Finally I prefer the mandolin to most any other thing I play because the scales lay on the fretboard in a way easier for me to understand. And, they sound great.

I played 'flatpick' guitar for about 10 years so it was an easy jump to mandolin. Took me about two months.

It seems I play the mandolin every day, hard for me to remember a day when I did not pick it up. I took a five day rest from it four months back.

To answer the last question; I played bluegrass guitar so it was a natural progression to move to mandolin. I had already decided not finger pick guitar at that point as I just cannot keep fingernails long enough to accommodate that style.

Your English is fine Joakim

[kkmm]

I play piano, guitars, keyboard (arranger and synthethizer) for long long time and mandolin (my newest instrument, for 15 months)
It does not take me that long to learn to play mandolin, in two weeks I recorded two songs. But it does take time and discipline to play it correctly and well. I like mandolin because of its small size and sound, it goes with me everywhere (work, trips).
I play mandolin every day, from 1 hour a day to 3 or 4 on weekend.

[bmac]

Instruments played:
Piano as a youth, very little now
Guitar, 6 and 12 string in the 1970s, rarely now
Mandolin from 2000, roughly 1 to 2 hours daily
Banjo from 2002, 2 to 4 hours daiy

Instruments owned:
piano 1
guitar 2
mandolin 7 (roughly half under restoration)
banjo 8 (roughly half under restoration)

Like mandolin because it is very portable, light weight and I simply enjoy the tone
Took roughly 3 months to get comfortable with mandolin... Still learning.

I play mandolin maybe three or four times per day for short periods

I don't know whether it was "easy" to learn to play but any instrument takes a lot of time to become comfortable. In fact I think mandolin is hard to learn becauee it takes months to develope the calouses to even begin to play with comfort. Most folks give up before the calouses are developed.

[Elliot Luber]

Q: How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another string instrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?
A: I play violin, guitar and mandolin.

Q: Why do you like the mandolin?
A: I like the mandolin for it's sound and because I can play many types of music on it, but I also like mandolin because it combines the right hand of the guitarist in me with the left hand of the violinist.

Q: Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?
A: Because I play violin, which has E, A, D and G strings, I was able to play many songs the day I first took my mandolin out of the shipping box. It has taken years to learn how to play it more in mandolin style, and I am still learning.

Q: How often do you play mandolin?
A: I play every day, and sometimes for several hours a day (as often as I can)

Q: Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?
A: Violin was much harder to learn, between bowing and not being a fretted instrument. Guitar is also difficult because the strings are not tuned evenly. Of course mandolin is easy to play, but very difficult to master.

Good luck with your studies.

[klaezimmer]

I have mastered none, but have played publicly for better or worse: guitar 44 years, piano 40 years, upright acoustic bass 41 years, electric bass 39 years, organ 38 years, recorder 33 years, mandolin 32 years, synthesizer 31 years, Greek bouzouki 8 years, modern cittern 7 years, bowed psaltery (streichpsalter) 7 years, mandola 6 years, lap steel guitar 6 years, banjo 6 years, djembe 7 years, native American flute 2 years. It may be appropriate to disclose that I do not play all of these things regularly and that, while I say I have played upright bass 41 years, I have not played one publicly for 39 or 40 years.

I like the mandolin because it brings a different tone and texture to the guitar dominated musical forms I found myself surrounded by. That is the same reason I like the Greek bouzouki, the bowed psaltery, the cittern, the lap steel, and all those others. A large number of my peers could do a respectable performance on guitar; by bringing mandolin or some of these other instruments to the proceedings, I could make a more meaningful contribution to the mix of music.

As others have stated, we are all learning. I played the mandolin in concert (at a federal prison, no less) with my band less than 6 hours after I purchased it. My dozen years of experience with guitar enabled me to do that (and perhaps my lacking in a little common sense...). My previous experience with mandolin was playing it in the store before deciding to buy it.

I was able to make immediate sense out of the mandolin and, more or less, hit the ground running with the instrument. (Joakim, I hope these idiomatic phrases are not confusing to you.)

I feel fortunate if I get to play mandolin a couple time a week at this point in my life.

Coming from the guitar, I found the small scale of the mandolin somewhat tight. The frets are closer together; the string courses are closer together. There are both advantages and disadvantages to that trait of the instrument; but I did find I had to work some to adapt to that difference.

I hope this is of help to you,
Ron

[Stephen Perry]

"How many instruments do you play?"

The question is "play" - what does that mean? I don't practice anything. I'll take this as to "at one time."

Piano (very good), classical guitar (very good), violin (fair), viola (fair), viola da gamba (good), whistle (fair), flute (fair), pipe organ (good question - it's a weird thing), acoustic guitar (fair). I've tried others. Oh, mandolin. I fake playing mandolin if I have to.

" If you play guitar or another stringinstrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?" I started in 1971 with guitar. Off and on since then. Violin off and on since the early 1990s. Gamba intensively for about 3 years.

"Why do you like the mandolin?" Fairly intuitive, compact, pretty tone if done right.

"Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?" Not at the exceptionally modest level I fake. Just like a violin with frets and a pick.

"How often do you play mandolin?" Several times a week, briefly, in setting up and adjusting.

"Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?"

Not really. Just more intuitive, being tuned in 5ths.

Do keep in mind I don't bother to play anything much. I'm formally trained in classical performance. I've successfully achieved mediocrity on a range of instruments!

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'd played Banjo for 43 years before coming to Mandolin & Guitar (badly) for around 9 years.I'd loved the sound of the Mandolin for a very long time,since the early 1960's in fact,but it was to give myself a new challenge that i bought my first Mandolin when i was 60 years old. I needed something to keep my brain active,& there's nothing more challenging than learning a new instrument - not unless you're into reconstructive neuro-surgery that is.The great reward is that with all 3 instruments,i can now reproduce 'most' of the sound textures i hear in Bluegrass music. I doubt if i'll ever get around to learning to play the Fiddle,
Don't worry about your English,most folk from Sweden i've met,speak English very well - i don't speak one word of Swedish.
Ivan

[Steven Clarkson]

How many instruments do you play? Only mandolin since 1996 - Electric guitar and alto sax before that

Why do you like the mandolin? How easy it was to learn - I think that hardest part was already taken care of with the guitar training I had - I like it's size and sound for it's size - I didn't think about it when I started playing, but it's nice not to be "just another guitar player" or the such.

Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin? Learn something each time I pick it up - the major learning curve took a couple years of daily playing for me.

How often do you play mandolin? Depends greatly on a lot of factors, sometimes I have gone months - but that is rare - usually everyday unless I have family obligations. Going to begin to perform once a week for an hour.

Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to
the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play? I think the scale length is easier for me on the mando and I have small hands which helps - guitar was probably easier to learn because I was much younger - the mandolin scales are laid out really well as any instruments tuned in fifths.

Hope that helps,

Steven

[D C Blood]

Been playing mandolin for fifty years now...Almost exclusively bluegrass music. Play guitar, forty-five years, bass (upright and electric) forty years. Autoharp, once in a while, banjo (know most of the chords), ukulele once in a while.
I like playing mandolin because I can fool some people into thinking I know what I'm doing. Upright bass is my second favorite. I lplay a lot less now than when I started. Probably half hour to an hour.
'Learning to play other instruments seemed easier after having learned mandolin. I don't do fiddle, and I can't move the right hand fingers fast enough to play a banjo roll.

[Cheryl Watson]

1. How many instruments do you play? If you play guitar or another stringinstrument apart from the mandolin like for example guitar, for how long time have you played that instrument?

I play guitar, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo--3. I've played guitar for 38 yrs. I've played mandolin for 11 yrs., and clawhammer banjo for 2 yrs.

2. Why do you like the mandolin?

I love the tone, the tuning, and how small it is. I'm in love with these little expensive things.

3. Did it take a long time to learn to play mandolin?

I'm still learning, of course, but to play decently, about 1 year. I really started to feel competent enough to teach mandolin after playing for 8 yrs.

4. How often do you play mandolin?

Every day unless I am very ill. I spend an average of about an hour a day on mandolin and some days I play for nearly five hours.

5. Was it a big difference to learn to play the mandolin compared to the other string-instrument (guitar if you play that) you play?

No, learning how to play the mandolin has been a lot more natural to me than guitar.

[Barry Wilson]

Started out with recorder in school, grade 4 or 5? then ukelele, then guitar... all in school. then took guitar lessons. I swapped over to bass and found I worked a ton being a singing bass player in the 80's. learning bass got me into drums and learned so I could syncopate. got back into guitar when I found midi guitars. I tinkered with keyboards but they just don't feel right to me. learned harmonica this year and that is a very cool easy to pack instrument... I only tried my first mandolin about 6 months ago and absolutely fell in love. something about the rich sound and small size that just floors me. they are so loud for such a tiny thing. and it just felt good to play. I think I am progressing fairly fast on mandolin because it's just so easy to pick up and start playing. I thought it would just be a novelty instrument to be honest, but turns out it has become my main instrument.