Re: Should a Serious Mandolin Player Learn Classical?
Wow, there's much wisdom in this thread. It's long though so if I may recap:
- classical mandolin is not the same as classical music on mandolin
- classical technique is not just for classical music
- there's little standardization about which techniques or learning approaches may be considered "classical"
- "classical" learning traditions vary by nationality as well as by time or era
- within national traditions, there are plenty of different approaches
- our musicals worlds are evolving quickly and barriers are breaking down, thus the perceived distance between "classical" and "everything else" is shrinking quickly.
The original question was "must a serious player study classical mandolin?" My view is yes, for several reasons:
1) classical mandolin orchestra music is historically where the American mandolin began. You can't go very deep in American mandolin music without getting back to Italian classical mandolin ensemble music -- this music is part of our heritage and studying it is part of understanding where newer mandolin traditions came from.
2) the technical standards in the classical world(s) are astronomical. To try to understand them may challenge conventional wisdom from other worlds, but can also open up a range of possibilities.
3) the various classical traditions are like sources of folk wisdom, passed through the generations. Why reinvent the wheel? More specifically, the understanding of tone and how it is produced can really open up possibilities.
4) the boundaries between musical genres are quickly dissolving, so exploring the space between is a natural path for someone who wants to master any genre.
I don't think studying classical mandolin is for everyone, but the OP's question was about someone who studies the instrument seriously. We could talk forever about what "classical mandolin" or "seriously" mean, but I definitely think exploring this territory has a lot to offer.
Exploring Classical Mandolin (Berklee Press, 2015)
Progressive Melodies for Mandocello (KDP, 2019) (2nd ed. 2022)
New Solos for Classical Mandolin (Hal Leonard Press, 2020)
2021 guest artist, mandocello: Classical Mandolin Society of America
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