Where is Everyone?

  1. leroyspuds
    leroyspuds
    I'm surprised there are not more of us Montanans in this group. I'm likely the newest member, hailing from Helena. Been playing guitar for 40 years and have recently taken up the mando. Was wondering if anyone had any tips for me as to how to go about learning. I've always played by ear. How did you guys learn? Also, I'm not sure what kind of music I really want to play. I've played guitar in string bands so I've started by trying to pick out some fiddle tunes, but I'm interested in Celtic and Appalacian sounding tunes too. Any advice of who to listen to would be welcome. Thanks!
  2. stringduster
    stringduster
    Hey Leroy, I agree there should be more of us in this social group. I live just south of Missoula in Florence. Having a good ear can go a long way. Like you I played guitar for many years and it's a big help. I don't think there's any better way to learn then by finding a good teacher; someone you're comfortable with. I did that because one of my goals was to learn how to read music again. After about 18 months I moved on to someone more experienced and actually went back to TAB but i retained the basics. Having said all that, there other good ways. One suggestion is to go to You Tube and type in "Music Moose Mandolin". These are lessons from a website that no longer exists. They are taught by a young guy named Anthony Hannigan from back East. He was some young protégé picker who has many lessons to offer starting at the basis and working up to some nice stuff. My other suggestion would be the HomeSpun series mentioned on the Cafe's home page. Pick your player and go with it. I play all sorts of styles from Jazz to Celtic. Once you get familiar with the mando those other styles will be there for you. P.S. Don't overlook the lessons provided by the Cafe. The link is on the homepage>top left corner, And, "Mandozine.com". The later in Invaluable. Let me know how things are going and hope I helped some.
  3. leroyspuds
    leroyspuds
    Hi Stringduster and thanks for the response. Took me awhile to get back to the site so I just read your message. Since I don't read notes or tab I've been playing by ear to pick out a few fiddle tunes. What has really helped is this software I purchased called "Slowdown." It's awesome. I can listen to and play with recorded tunes at any speed. Have been exploring the internet listening to samples of different players and styles. It's been great fun. Thanks again for all the tips, I'll be checking them all out!

    Merry Christmas to you!

    Sharon-Helena
  4. MontanaMatt
    MontanaMatt
    Hi Fellow Montana mando lovers.
    I'm in Bozeman.
    I play in the Bridger Creek Boys
    I love lots of styles of music
    And I love the mandolin
    Let's chat!
  5. Mike Buesseler
    Mike Buesseler
    Not much activity in this group, even before Covid. I live in Whitefish. Any other players in the Flathead area? Mostly into Celtic and Old-Time.
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