So here’s my thought: Take Banjo Ben’s mandolin tab for Worried Man and let’s convert it to other keys. I think once I do one (with help) I could do others. Great lesson?!?! It’s difficult when you are new to an instrument to convert on the fly. Thanks!
Converting songs from G onl the fly
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Mostly for me it comes from playing out of movable shapes or scale positions. So you could try playing the solo out of the same position but not using any open strings. Once you can play in a closed closed position you can move it up a few frets and then you’d just have to get used to not having any open strings to use. I’m not sure if Ben has a lesson outlining the process in his catalog, but mandolessons does https://www.mandolessons.com/lessons/songs/mocs1. He goes through the entire process of creating a bluegrass solo from learning chords to a killer solo he moves around to any key.
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You might want to check out these lessons:
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/moving-mandolin-licks-mandolin-intermediate
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/mandolin-fretboard-geography-1-4-5-chords-mandolin-intermediate
https://banjobenclark.com/courses/unlocking-the-mandolin-neck
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I find that using the Circle of Fifths to get my I, IV and V of the key I am moving too along with the lessons taught in the excellent videos that @oaklymaple and @Michael_Mark suggested can get me into the right area neck for the closed chords I’ll need although … I must admit … being relatively new to mandolin doing so is a work in progress for me but using parts all of the above together are in someway helping me become more proficient at changing keys on the fly at jam sessions. This is especially helpful when the the guitar players “capo up” one or more frets which speaking for myself can make me as a new mandolin player feel a bit lost and searching for the right key but it definetly helps me so I thought I’d throw this out there.
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