# Song and Tune Projects > Song and Tune Projects >  Mandolin, Guitar, and Cello?

## jjmilburn

To try and get some experience playing with other instruments, I've been meeting with a guitarist friend and 'jamming' (well, just working through some of the material I'm trying to learn solo, or working through songs we want to learn by ear), and I think its been helpful.

Tonight, we'll have a cellist joining us for fun -- just another friend, nothing too crazy.  But it got me thinking, any ideas for how to best incorporate it?  The cellist is miles above me and the guitarist in experience (just completed a music degree.. for what its worth) and is pretty versatile.

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## Steve-o

JJ,  
I'm not sure what musical genres you enjoy playing, but just to hear some great mando-guitar-cello tunes, check out Don Julin's "Neptune Quartet."  Some great sounding stuff there, IMHO.

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## ahollan

Pull out some familiar piano music:  you play the top line, the cello plays the bottom line, the guitarist plays the chords.

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## Earl Gamage

That is a great combination.   I have gotten to play along with a cello maybe two times and it was great fun.  Cello is very versatile, of course the player was another music degree and music teacher so that helped.

As far as how to incorporate it, cello can play melody or harmony or a bass line depending on how good the player is.  With the guitar playing rythym it will work great.

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## Eddie Sheehy

Here's a piece played on Guitar, Mandolin, and Mandocello...

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## Rob Gerety

Nothing has helped my playing more than playing with other people.  You are lucky to have that.  Cultivate it.  It can be hard to keep things like that going.

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## grassrootphilosopher

Mandolin, cello and guitar cries out for listening to Norman & Nancy Blake. Here are some examples in which you have to substitute the violin with the mandolin:







There are albums that cover the concept pretty well. Check out "Underground Music From The Mysterious South" (check the recordings listed at the end of the page that I linked to, some are very nice), "Blind Dog" (mostly guitar but with some guitar cello combinations), "Live At McCabe´s" etc.

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## JeffD

I have been to more than a few jam sessions that included cello. It is a really great addition. Cello can play like a bass, or just play the melody.

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## jjmilburn

These are great!  Internet is slow right now, but have watched at least the beginning of most of the videos -- like what I see! Neptune Quartet is interesting; I am liking their "Collateral Damage" recording.. very relaxing.  Might be difficult to do without the percussion though.

 I can technically read music, but not well enough to play (to clarify, the cellist is the best of the crew, me and the guitarist are playing catchup).  Once I feel more comfortable with sheet I'll have to try the piano music suggestion.

We ended up trying a few different setups last night, with my favorite being Shady Grove -- guitar on rhythm, plucked bass from the cello, and mandolin on melody.  After reading/listening through some of these suggestions, I think I'd like to try cello on melody at the next get-together.

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## cjprince

This is probably too late to do you any good, but here it is anyway.  There's no guitar, but this is me on mandolin with a cellist who is also miles above me in skill. (He's also my mandolin instructor - and that's his dog singing in the background.)

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## Larry S Sherman

I enjoyed that. It had the old Crooked Still bounce but with a refreshing dash of oval-hole mandolin!

Larry

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## catmandu2

I enjoyed it too cj--very, very nice.  I play a lot of CBOMs, bass, and recently started playing big horns again--all of which are such fun to play counter-melodies, harmonies, ornaments and other embellishments around the melodies.  Like the cello here--great fun.

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## Mike Snyder

Does your instructor teach picking so close to the bridge? I suspect your mandolin would have a nicer tone if picked closer to the sweet spot. No slam, your picking is clean and timing very good, just the tone is a little "nasal". Is it an Eastman? I'd love an F4-style instrument but not an F4 price. The imports are more in my price range. Good job on House.
  Rockin' Acoustic Circus is an Oklahoma band with cello. She's very good and has been known to haul her cello around to the campsite jams at Winfield. There's a video of her @ Carp Camp, I believe.

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## cjprince

Mike - no he doesn't.  As a matter of fact, he's constantly on me to get my wrist off the bridge.  I can't seem to do it on a consistent basis.  I'm working on it, though.  My right hand technique seems to cause him the most distress.   :Smile:   My mando is an Eastman - MD614.  I was actually about to spring full price for one when one came up for sale in the MandolinCafe classifieds for about half the price.  Sweet!  Exactly the one I wanted - color and everything.  Keep an eye out - you may come across an F4 in your price range.

Larry - how funny that you mention Crooked Still.  Our Calliope House is based on the Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas version.  And Natalie Haas' sister Brittany Haas plays fiddle for Crooked Still.  

And Cat - thanks for the kind words.  I'm not very good at embellishments and ornamentation yet - that's another thing I'm working on... it's a long list...

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## dwne

Just to add another point of reference, I saw Sarah Jarosz in Bedford, UK a few weeks ago and was really impressed by Nat Smith's cello playing. There are some great videos on youtube of the band - the Austin City Limits TV programme in particular. The whole set is available at

http://video.pbs.org/video/1633720535

I'd ask your cello friend to try out a few different sounds / techniques to see how they work out with the other players - pizzicato bass lines, percussive choppy chords at the heel of the bow, legato melodic lines, harmonies with melody instruments. Experiment!

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## Don Julin

Here are a few songs from a new project of mine. This does include mandolin cello and guitar........with drums and bass. Not much like bluegrass. This one is called The Dance Of The Praying Mantis.

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## ilovemyF9

I enjoyed that very much.  The tune had a great feel to it.

Thanks for posting the clip.

For the record: my comment is for the Re: Mandolin, Guitar, and Cello? Post.   I did not watch the clip above this comment

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## Don Julin

This one called Dress-up Box was written by the amazing Ron Getz, the guitar player in this group.

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## Don Julin

This one is called The Chess Game. For anyone interested, I am playing a Godin A8 mandolin through 2 old Harmony "tube" guitar amps.

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