• Homespun Releases Radim Zenkl's Mandolin Primer

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    Scott Tichenor
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    Published on Nov-17-2015 7:30am Views: 4757
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    Woodstock, N.Y. — Homespun Music Instruction has announced the publication of Radim Zenkl's Mandolin Primer on DVD and Instant Download.

    The 110-Minute DVD includes music in standard notation and tablature in PDF format to view or print. Intended for all skill levels.

    The lesson starts with the essentials: tuning, proper playing positions, mandolin set-up, warm-ups and pick technique (playing from the wrist, forearm, forearm rotation and fingers).

    In due course, Radim digs into tone production, tremolo, speed development, muting, pizzicato, strumming, cross picking and how to practice.

    He also gives detailed insights into developing coordination with your picking and fretting hands, using examples from standard songs like My Grandfather’s Clock and Whiskey Before Breakfast.

    About Radim Zenkl

    Radim Zenkl was born in Opava, Czech Republic. He grew up in the town of Ostrava 200 miles east of Prague where his father teaches classical music at the University of Ostrava.

    The discovery of bluegrass music came by listening to recordings smuggled in via those that had escaped from this communist country. The sound of bluegrass mandolin initiated the spark that launched a decision to play music as a career at the age of seventeen and subsequently led Zenkl beyond bluegrass to an eclectic array of styles.

    Radim escaped from Czechoslovakia four months before the fall of communism for political freedom and to be closer to his musical influences, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. In addition to a busy international tour schedule he has taught at some of the finest music camps for mandolin including The Mandolin Symposium and recently launched his own series of online group lessons.

    Mandolin Primer Preview



    Additional information

    Purchase: Instand Download from Mandolin Cafe on Demand
    Purchase: DVD or Instant Download from Homespun
    Radim Zenkl web site
    Comments 2 Comments
    1. DavidKOS's Avatar
      DavidKOS - Nov-17-2015, 9:52am
      Radim's a fine player and teacher....should be a good book.
    1. Beardog's Avatar
      Beardog - Nov-17-2015, 4:10pm
      I purchased and downloaded the "instant" digital copy today, on a whim. It is drizzling rain at my house, so I made a huge mug of coffee, and watched the entire thing at one sitting. The lesson is well done, and Radim's voice is easy to listen to, and easy to understand.

      This is not a "monkey see, monkey do" type of program (a good thing, in my estimation). He doesn't teach any tunes, and there is no rote memorization. It is all technique based, with ideas and instruction on how to practice, exercises to help with dexterity, proficiency, and etc. The "primer" is well worth the money that I paid, and I will come back to it again and again, as time goes by.