My most important rule when playing is to just enjoy making music. I came to playing at 48, and definitely hit more than my off notes. I just love learning how to make my mandolin and fiddle make joyful sounds. Be patient with your progress, it will definitely happen. Have fun!
Beginner Mandolin
@bjfea,
The closed G chord took me months to learn at first. Don’t give up, you’ll get it for sure! I started by just doing the bottom 2 strings of the chord, so 7th fret (D note) on the G string and 5th fret (G note) on the D string. Hope that helps!
Don’t worry, it’ll come! Yep, try some open chords for a while.
Thanks I am 70 and this is my first fretted instrument. I am having fun learning
Thank you
Thank you I will keep working on it
Just curious @bjfe, how’s the closed G chord coming along?
I have been playing the mandolin for a dozen years or so and still usually do not use the full G chop chord 7523. So I guess it depends on how much you want to use it. In my opinion the chop is so muted that even if you are not reaching the 7 consistently or cleanly it probably will not be noticed by anyone. Even if my pinky is on the 7th fret it is usually partially on the 6th fret of the D string but the chop is really just a percussive thud so (for me) close is good enough.
One way to work into it is play the same same shape but at D where the fret spacing is less and then work your way down.
Mr. Gamble thanks for asking about my progress on the closed G. I am now able to stretch fingers into position but not getting clean sound yet. However, today I was able to do 3 fingers cleanly one time, just once lol! Starting today going to two 15 minute sessions. One for chords the other for individual finger dexterity. Stay safe and well.
Mr. Stewart thanks for the input.
Hi WillCoop
I have just been working real hard on “unlocking the neck” for the past several months. Usually practicing for an hour or more per day. Really that is most all I have been working on this past year.
I have to say that I can now play in any key anywhere on the neck and can move all around with my eyes closed so now I am trying to come up with the next step trying to add speed and better pick technique and better use of blue notes.
Excellent!! I am sure you will reach your goal.
Hard to say. I am not convinced that I can ever become very good at playing. But after playing the mandolin for a dozen or so years and not really progressing that much I decided it was going to take more serious effort to even get close to being a decent player.
Certainly learning to play all around the neck is a good step forward. I never had much success by memorizing fiddle tunes.
Hopefully, you still enjoy playing. I have been playing Mandolin for just over a year… and progress is slowing down but still measurable for me most days.
Keep the faith. Maybe try something completely different to freshen up the routine - if you feel you are stuck in a rut.
Yeah, I enjoy playing more than ever. I have all of the Gibson Brothers albums and I enjoy playing along with their 186 songs even occasionally spending two or three hours a day during this pandemic. No problem playing an hour or more per day but it may be that I started way to late in life or am missing some innate ability that the pros have. I know I will never be a speed picker but I was kind of hoping to get to the point of playing well but slow.
Really my theory last year is that people who are good at playing an instrument have a deep understanding, and playing an instrument is no different than speaking a language. A person can learn a few phrases of Spanish for example but to really be fluent requires you to be immersed in the language. So that is why I spent most of the previous year just learning the fretboard.
It took me a few months to memorize where everything is and the other ten months learning to move without having to think about it which I estimate that I am still only at about 80% or so and can easily spend another year on achieving.
Currently it is a question of where to go from here. So far I still have trouble identifying and copying what I hear in the more complex licks to get that Bluegrass sound. I have not had much success with learning stock licks and then inserting them into my solos -some because they are too fast and some because they do not seem to fit well.
Lately I have been adding in more work on picking/timing technique and I started using the very common run you hear in most bluegrass/ country music 1-3-5-6-8 notes of the key
What a great summary - and I am immensely pleased you are still enjoying your playing! I 100% agree with you about playing and I, like you, do wish I could play faster.
That said, I had a friend who was a very talented multi-instrumentalist and singer. We were in the Air Force together… and while I was working in Finance, HIS JOB was to play keyboards in a Rock band!
Anyway, I just thought to mention to you… that like the language example… sometimes the few words are the most effective. I think it is common for all of us to get caught up in speed… and I, myself admit I want to play faster.
That said, some of the must beautiful notes and music are basic or “conversation” like.
Have you ever seen that clinic that Wynton Marsalis did… with a bunch of young men at a university (in New York, I think)? He discusses this point quite eloquently - the conversation to listen and to respond.
Found it! Hope you enjoy @C-Stewart - even if it is Jazz, you will see it is pertinent and relevant to any type of music. I think it is 30 minutes but well worth it.
Interesting video -thanks.
Oh Forgot to mention that i had to have a carpal tunnel procedure on my left wrist that put me out for a month or so but has allowed me to play more and with no pain -so that was a big help.
What are you working on?
Well, my starter Hallowback Banjo died during the last contest… so I have been hanging onto my Mandolin.
I practice the two-octave scales in all the major keys and build up my catalog of tunes. Ben does such a great job of putting skills inside them that I feel like I work on good skills inside the songs themselves.
For example, Wreck of the old '97 is great for scale runs. The intermediate version of Liberty is chock full of pull-offs. Heck, I did get my submission of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken” done for the Cabin Fever but - not knowing the tune, I only had a few days to get the basic up to a decent speed. Now, I can get through the 2nd intermediate but trip up on the 3rd “Beefed-up” solo. There are many such examples as I keep trying to learn and expand my basic knowledge and tunes catalog.
So, I did co-write my first Bluegrass-style song with @Grace (and a few others)… a hymn called “The Day Death Died” after Easter. The TEF was posted here.
I wrote parts for Melody (to be sung with the words others help me write and @Grace started to sing), Mandolin, Bass and Guitar.
I never got around to the Banjo lead but alas, that project slowed to a halt as @Grace and I - we ran out of ways to collaborate. It is a constructed song without players who can pull it all together.
That was fun. I hope to write again soon.
Finally, I have been out of work since the end of January. By God’s grace, I accepted a new position in mid-March… until COVID-19 hit Michigan full force.
Thankfully, after 4 startdate reschedules, I just confirmed on Friday afternoon I will start on MONDAY!
Conversations like these are what I like most about this forum. Thanks for sharing such good ideas everyone!