Did you start playing fiddle or guitar and then start mandolin?

[jmalmsteen]

I was wondering how many players here started as fiddle players and how many started as guitarists. Or, if mandolin is the first instrument for some people here.

Also, if you did transition from another instrument, is mandolin now your main instrument?

Personally, I am a guitar player who bought a banjo, then a fiddle and once I could play fiddle decently I bought a mandolin. I will always consider myself a guitarist primarily regardless of how well I can play another instrument.

[Mandobart]

There's quite a few similar threads on this subject, but I'll chime in again. Started on violin as a kid (almost 40 yrs ago). Played for many years, got into guitar, played that mainly, then life/work/etc. intruded and I didn't play much of anything for a while, maybe guitar once every couple weeks or so. Started picking guitar regularly again about 10 years ago. Accidentally started mandolin about 3-1/2 years ago. The violin and guitar background helped a lot. Pretty much don't play guitar at all now; I became all mando, all the time. Picked up fiddle again this past year and it is now even between playing mando or fiddle. Depends on the venue and who I'm playing with. Audiences seem to like fiddle the best, even at the rock bars.

[Ed Goist]

Was a casual guitar player (but never very good) for many years.
Started playing mandolin almost exactly two years ago and fell in love with it, especially because of the tuning in fifths.
Have recently discovered the GDAE tuned tenor guitar and am seriously infatuated with its glorious combination of tuning in fifths, a lower OM tonal register, single strings vs. courses, and guitar vibe.
So I guess I'm still searching at 52.

[Elliot Luber]

Both.

[GDAE]

Wind player as a kid, then started on mandolin decades later. Just now learning guitar.

[drbluegrass]

Guitar first...50+ years worth. Now mandolin. I'll take on fiddle as soon as I get familiar with mandolin since they're tuned the same. Then maybe banjo and resonator guitar. I have all the instruments mentioned and know a little on each, but I can only play one at a time. I don't have enough time to concentrate on learning more than one outside of guitar. So, mandolin is it for now. Since I have a lot of flatpicking skills from guitar I'm learning mandolin fairly fast. I know most of the chords and I'm currently working on several fiddle songs and improvising solos. Hopefully the other instruments won't be too far behind.


Tom

[Steve Ostrander]

Started playing guitar at age 13, then bass at age 23, then mandolin at age 53. I consider my self a mandolin player now, since I don't reach for the guitar or bass. They are in the case, on the shelf.

[Lukas J]

I had 10 years on guitar, most of which was focused on playing folk-rock. I learned as many Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and Neil Young songs I could as a strummer, and then 4 years ago I went to a Bluegrass festival and saw John Reischman. I started really working on melodies on guitar, and then 2 years ago (this Friday) I got my first mandolin. My melody playing and improvising took off on both instruments. There really is something to be said for getting into a lead instrument and putting in the hours. It helps that I never had to high a standard for myself ... 6 months after I picked up mandolin, I started a group, and we clock 12 to 24 gig hours a month now. While there may be no substitute for practicing, being on stages helps a whole lot on any instrument.

[Jim]

Trombone at 10, guitar at 12, flute at 21, Bass at 32 , Mandolin at 39. I still think in guitar and consider myself a guitarist but mandolin is in my hands a bit more these days. I'd say 60% mandolin 40% guitar. Been playing the mandolin 18 years now and in the last 6 it has become more and more the main instrument though I'm sure I'll always play some guitar.

[catmandu2]

Something that's often in common among "guitarists first" here is how entry into mandolin opened new vistas
...and theoretical (technocal understanding and application) often being a piece of this. Guitar of couse enables this and much more (a miniature piano)--an excellent vehicle for musical study--but so many of us really lack dedication or commitment usually requisite to reach the level of skill on guitar to enable the creative urgec many of us desire on an instrument (often, a "lead" voice or soloing foil). Guitar comprises some challenges to attain this proficiency--while mandolin can be quite fun right off, especially if one already posessss guitar skill. And if one has both prioor guitar AND fiddle skill...well, the mandolin seems a very quick study then

[JeffD]

I picked up the mandolin as a teenager, after many years of woodwinds, because I wanted to play a stringed instrument but I didn't want to be seen as emulating the plethora of chord banger guitarists that seemed to be taking up all the musical space at the time.

Since then I have never played anything not tuned in fifths.

My musical evolution has been an exploration of all of the many musical genres and playing styles available to the mandolin. I don't see myself ever "moving on".

[blindrobert]

Trombone and piano (kid)
Electric Bass (high school, punk rock)
Acoustic guitar (college)
Banjo (after college)
mandolin (in early retirement from first career and back in school)

[allenhopkins]

Progression on "folk" stringed instruments, since 1961 (college freshman*):
Banjo, harmonica, Autoharp, guitar, mandolin (1970), Appalachian dulcimer, Dobro, bass fiddle, "big" mandolins (mandola, octave -- 1985), concertina, ukulele -- pretty much brings me up to date. Leaving out some oddities (tiple, bowed psaltery, Jew's harp) that I may play now and then. Also tenor banjo and guitar, and mandocello, which I really consider just extensions of the mandola in my case, and the various "hybrids," like mandolin-banjo, 5-string Dobro, baritone ukulele, etc. that aren't really separate instruments.

"Main instrument" -- don't have one. I long ago exchanged virtuosity (to the extent it was possible) for versatility. So I may go a week or more without gigging on mandolin, though I take one to any jam or sing-around I attend.

*my college doesn't use the term "freshman" any more; now it's "first-year." Of course, it was always a bit weird to be talking about the "freshman girls..."

[Bob Bronow]

30+ years on guitar first. I guess that got me used to strings and frets!

[John Soper]

Violin starting at age 6 thru Freshman year in highschool- jammed a finger in football practice and violin wasn't "cool", but the jammed finger didn't stop me from playing guitar (started age 11) throughout highschool. Played in a variety of fok/country/rock bands through college and med school. Picked up a POS Harmony mandolin in 1973 to add to our guitar-heavy band sound, got an A-3 in 1976, but had to sell it so that we could move out for residency- kept the D-28 I'd bought in highschool and another beater guitar. No mando until I bought a $65 pawn shop special (Kentucky A model) for my 40th birthday present to myself... I have upgraded along the way... 20 years later playing mando >> guitar...

[Andrew Rice]

Started out on harmonica when I was maybe 4 or 5. Then I moved to electric bass when I was 11, then upright when I was 14. Picked up violin, cello sometime after. Picked up mandolin 2 years ago and guitar about a year ago.

[multidon]

Played brass instruments in high school band. Picked up violin in college. Stuck with violin for many years, teaching many students and directing school orchestras along the way. Picked up guitar when my school decided to start a guitar program. Went from steel string acoustic to electric to classical nylon string (my favorite). Since retirement at age 52 I have transitioned my violin playing to fiddle style, also then picked up mandolin (I was attracted because of the tuning), then Celtic harp, tenor guitar, and hammered dulcimer. All of the above just in the last 3 years. I feel great kinship with Allen because I, like him, have decided to go with versatility over virtuosity. In my life I came closest to virtuosity on brass instruments but I no longer have the wind to play them. But I am happy with my choice. To me, versatility is a sort of virtuosity or at least a skill unto itself. I would love to learn as many different instruments as Allan can play, put I think I would run out of both money and space!

[Pete Summers]

Mandolin first in 1970s, dropped it for 30 years, went to fiddle four or five years ago, came back to mandolin about 2 years ago. During the 30 year hiatus I played piano. It should go without saying I'm pretty primitive on all three of those instruments due to ADD. But they've all been fun. Now addicted to mandolin.

[baptist mando55]

In the bluegrass world you probably can find no one whether they play mandolin banjo fiddle dobro or whatever that didnt start on guitar. You might find a guitar player who only plays guitar but you probably not find a player of the other instruments who cant play guitar

[yankees1]

Attempted fiddle ( at age 33) but gave up so mandolin is really first instrument that I stayed with and started at 63 ! Sixty five now and practice two hours each day, sometimes more and love it! I just hope I can get good at it before----------------------------well, you know , before the good Lord decides he has heard enough and calls me home! Never played the guitar !

[Markus]

Piano through grade school, oboe at 11, alto sax at 13. Played all until I left home and got an acoustic guitar during college and took music less seriously.

Around age 30 I hosted a weekly group of pickers that turned into a band for about a year. Picked up a cheap mandolin after playing my bandmates banjo and mandolin for a few weeks.

About age 35 I started picking up the mandolin about half the time. Stayed home with my infant daughter and playing to her daily converted me to being a mandolin player (instrument upgrade two years ago followed by my first adult music lessons).

I have played daily for just about two years straight now.

I now am a mandolin player who can also play guitar, keyboards, hand drums, and do rhythm vocals.

[tburcham]

First 40 years - Guitar
From age 40 to 48 - fiddle
Age 48 to 52 - mandolin
In my various performance modes, I mainly play guitar and sing lead vocals. I get to play mandolin on some of our instrumental pieces. Not much fiddle these days as there aren't enough hours in the day to increase my mandolin competency and maintain bowing skills.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Primarily a guitarist, always, but I started mandolin a year or so earlier (age 9)...then lost interest (age 11 through 19)...then got re-interested (19 through 25 by getting into bluegrass)...then put it on the back burner (25 through 30-ish when I got into playing in a jazz band)...then got rabidly re-re-interested (30-ish, when I 1st saw David Grisman)...and where I remain.