Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Discuss the Mandolin lesson: Doublestop Theory, Part 1

https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/doublestop-theory-part-1-mandolin-beginner

How should you move from chord to chord? What if you’re in an uncomfortable key? In this lesson I teach you how to always have SOMETHING to play, and something GOOD!

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Ooh, cool lesson I’ll have to learn this sometime. When did you get neon lights on your pick sign?

This is a good “listen & think” lesson. Really opens the door to improvising.

Haha. Yeah the sign looks new. Fancy

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Hey Ben, Is that your artist Northfield mandolin ? Sounds great and this lesson is “killer” !!!

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@BanjoBen,

Man, I dig that neon sign!

If I had a man-cave, that would be prominently displayed! Then again, I’m sure that is a not-for-sale special edition. :wink:

Very nice lesson, sir.

Printing now…

Yep, sure is, and it is aMAZing!!! Of course that doesn’t mean it’s not for sale, hahahaha. Thank you!

Thanks! I just got that! I had it made by a company in Cali, they did a pretty good job. It doesn’t show up too well in video but it looks cool in person :wink:

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@BanjoBen,

Oh, it shows up fantastically on video so I can only imagine in real life. Don’t you think that would look great in a living room? :smirk:

By the way, I just noticed that I had a spell check snafu as I wrote “I did that neon sign” when I meant to write “I dig that neon sign!”

Still, I think you got the message anyway… Awesome

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late to the party but this sounds suspiciously like suspicious minds…

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Hmmmm. Yep, and also 14 trillion other tunes that use the 1, 4, & 5 :joy::rofl:

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Great lesson ! Working on it now. Looking forward to the next installment-- Doublestop Theory, Part 2.

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@msreid and @r_tonkinson,

Thank you both for posting and welcome. Please post often as you are among friends here on the best musical forum on the internet.

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On Measure 18, you bar the middle strings on the fifth fret. Is there a reason you don’t use your pinkie instead?

I can think of a few reasons…

  1. it’s a small space and getting clean notes form cramming two fingers in there can be tough

  2. It’s easier to maintain hand position just barring with the third finger

  3. there can be instances where you could play the 7th fret on either string on the next move so it keeps your pinky open to perform that if needed.

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Yep, that’s correct! Check this out, @marianandmark

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Hey Ben,

this song sounds like the John Denver song Back Home Again. Like it.

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Hey Ben :blush: first off I want to say that of all the books/online lessons I’ve tried yours is the only one that took and made sense to me. So, thank you very very much.

The question I have is in this lesson are we basically making a pattern out of the third closed position to move this around on the neck?

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I’m curious to see if I figured something out on my own.

Thanks again

Neal