• New from Mel Bay Publishing, Inc. - The Mandocello, by Mark E. Freemantle

    The Mandocello, by Mark E. Freemantle

    FENTON, MO. — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the availability of The Mandocello, by Mark E. Freemantle. Available in eBook format now, the print version is expected soon.

    With decades of experience on the mandocello and even more on the mandolin and guitar, the author presents a comprehensive and progressive approach to learning to play this versatile instrument.

    Written entirely in bass clef—the logical clef for an instrument with the same low-to-high CGDA tuning as an orchestral cello—the book starts with basic technique and music theory and ultimately brings the reader to an intermediate to advanced plateau. Whether you come to the mandocello as your first fretted instrument or transition from mandolin or guitar, this method will facilitate your progress as a literate musician.

    The method includes mandocello etudes by pioneering multi-instrumentalist Myron Bickford (1876–1960), popular folk melodies, a pair of duets, and a few mandocello parts from mandolin orchestra arrangements. Fretboard diagrams and standard notation introduce scales, chords, position playing, and shifting/stretching concepts as each new key signature engenders new challenges. From basic down and upstrokes to tremolo, great attention is paid to mandocello picking technique, sight reading and overall musicianship.

    Most tunes in this book are written as solos. Along with its online play-along audio tracks, the variety of teaching repertoire in this new method will guide you step by step in mastering the mandocello in several musical genres. Then, as a skilled mandocellist who reads the bass clef, you will be welcome as an optional low voice in any musical ensemble. Includes access to online audio.

    Contents

    • Section 1 Introduction - The Basics
    • Types of Mandocellos
    • Holding the Mandocello
    • The Left Hand
    • Choosing and Holding the Pick
    • The Right Arm, Wrist and Hand
    • Tuning the Mandocello
    • Tuning with an Electronic Tuner
    • The Tuning Process
    • Tuning by Utilizing the Fretboard
    • Tuning Harmonics
    • Picking the Open Strings
    • Introduction to the Bass Clef
    • Drop-and-Stop Exercise
    • Open-String Exercise
    • The Notes of the Bass Clef
    • Proper Fingering of Notes
    • Bass Clef with Tablature
    • The Bass Clef - Combining Notes
    • Random-Note Exercise
    • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
    • London Bridge
    • Hava Nagila
    • Relationship of the Fretboard to the Bass Clef
    • Identifying the Notes of the C Major Scale on the Fretboard
    • C Scale Study and Pinky Exercise
    • C Scale 2 Octaves
    • Pinky Exercise
    • Learning Proper Fingerings with Scale Exercises
    • Four Scale Exercises
    • Introducing the Half Note
    • Ode to Joy (Simplified)
    • The Eighth Note
    • Eighth-Note Etude
    • Common Nursery Rhyme
    • Cripple Creek
    • The Dotted Quarter Note
    • Ode to Joy
    • The Upstroke and Alternate Picking
    • Alternate Picking Etude
    • Alternate Picking Eighth Note
    • Alternate Picking Applied to a Common French Tune
    • Old MacDonald
    • Alternate Picking - Musette
    • Alternate Picking Etude - 16th Notes
    • Bickford's Left-Hand Technique
    • Preparation for Playing a New Tune
    • Studies in Waltz Time
    • Etudes and Waltzes in 3/4 Time Signature
    • Chopin Waltz
    • German Dance Waltz
    • Introducing the Key of G Major with One Shar
    • G Scale - Two Octaves
    • Tunes in the Key of G
    • Aura Le
    • Go Tell Aunt Rhody
    • Nation's Anthem
    • Tremolo
    • Tremolo Preparatory Exercise
    • Tremolo Etude
    • Tremolo and Musical Phrasing
    • How Can I Leave Thee
    • Bickford's Andante, in C
    • Slurs and Phrase
    • Wondrous Love
    • Beautiful Dreamer
    • Introducing the Key of F with One Flat
    • F Scale Exercise
    • F Scale Exercise
    • Tunes in the Key of F or D Minor
    • Barbara Alle
    • Gavotte - in D Minor
    • Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
    • Section 2 Tunes, Techniques and Theory
    • Accidentals and Enharmonic Notes
    • Bickford's Recreation in F - Including Accidentals
    • Recreation in F
    • Greensleeves
    • "Tagging" Music for Convenience
    • Alternate Picking - Crossing Strings
    • Frère Jacques - Redux
    • Recreation in G
    • Simple Gifts
    • Bach's First Cello Suite No 1 in G Major
    • Introducing the Key of Bf Major
    • Tunes in the Key of Bf Major
    • Greenville
    • Au Claire de la Lune
    • Annie Lisle
    • Hope Waltz
    • Hornpipe in Bf Major
    • Introducing the Key of D Major with Two Sharps
    • Bickford "Exercise in D"
    • Analysis of "Exercise in D"
    • Tunes in the Key of D or B Mino
    • Scarborough Fair
    • Rondeau - by Mouret
    • Musette in D Major
    • Allegro Maestoso - Handel: Water Music
    • Marching in Time
    • Radetzky March
    • Roadmaps in Music
    • El Capitan
    • Chromatic Study
    • Fieldston March
    • Shifting and Stretching - Playing in Higher Positions
    • Stretch and Shift Etude
    • Zacatecas March
    • Triplets
    • Triplet Etude
    • The Old Monaghan Twig
    • Carolan's Welcome
    • Introducing the Key of A Major with Three Sharps8
    • When to Play Open Strings
    • Tunes in the Key of A and Fs Minor
    • Carolan's Welcome - Redux
    • Tzur Chassidi
    • Reconsidering the Tremolo
    • Left-Hand Finger Extensions
    • Duet Studies
    • Bourrée Due
    • Bickford's "Duet in G"
    • Work It Out (Shuffle) - Duet
    • Double-Stops - Providing Your Own Accompaniment
    • Oh Shenandoah
    • Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
    • Section 3 Becoming an Advanced Mandocellist
    • Learning New Tunes
    • Two and Three-Octave Scales
    • Tenor Clef
    • Chords
    • Chord Theory as Applied to the Mandocello
    • Sight-Reading Sessions

    Additional Information

    Comments 8 Comments
    1. Jim Imhoff's Avatar
      Jim Imhoff -
      Thank you Mark Freemantle!
      I have been promoting solo mandocello work for years here in the Cafe and at the CMSA conventions. Very excited to see this added to August Watters' Progressive Melodies for Mandocello and Ben Ash's modern edition of the Bickford book. I immediately went to Mel Bay site to order, but only availability seems to be digital. Will a hard copy be available soon?
    1. Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
      Mandolin Cafe -
      Per the news article:

      FENTON, MO. — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the availability of The Mandocello, by Mark E. Freemantle. Available in eBook format now, the print version is expected soon.
    1. Mike Marshall's Avatar
      Mike Marshall -
      If you would like to hear the first three Bach Cello Suites played on my Monteleone Mandocello, you can check them out on my Bandcamp page at: https://mikemarshallf5.bandcamp.com

      It was my covid project. One each year since 2019.
      What an amazing workout and fulfilling musical journey. Number 4 is on the way...we'll see if I get to all 6!
    1. tmsweeney's Avatar
      tmsweeney -
      I caught the first 2 Mike, it almost seems the recording quality and production was somewhat better on the 2nd one, I guess I just like it musically more anyway. Looking forward to number 3, I did try the prelude for a bit, try meaning "meager attempt". I'll have to listen to your #3 and hopefully find inspiration.
    1. leomazz's Avatar
      leomazz -
      Great info. Thank you!
    1. Mike Marshall's Avatar
      Mike Marshall -
      Quote Originally Posted by tmsweeney View Post
      I caught the first 2 Mike, it almost seems the recording quality and production was somewhat better on the 2nd one, I guess I just like it musically more anyway. Looking forward to number 3, I did try the prelude for a bit, try meaning "meager attempt". I'll have to listen to your #3 and hopefully find inspiration.
      Yes, I recorded the first one at home using 2- KM84 Neumann mics and a Coles Ribbon.
      By the 2nd suite I was able to go into the studio with my engineer Dave Luke and he added some more mics and great mic preamps/compressors etc. (thank you covid).
      Makes a difference huh?
    1. Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
      Mandolin Cafe -
      Back to the topic at hand, the book is now available in print on melbay.com.
    1. Jim Imhoff's Avatar
      Jim Imhoff -
      Yes, to the topic at hand (but the Bach cello suites on Mike's Monteleone is a monumental mandocello master's nice sidetrack!).
      I downloaded Mark's eBook right away and look forward to discussing it with my MC section colleagues at CMSA in Kansas City. I hope other mandocello players will support this (as well as Mike's Bach Suites).