David Grisman

[Londy]

Hey folks....yesterday, I was working through the Mando for dummies and in the Dawg section, Don mentioned on page 270 getting the book David Grisman teaches mandolin which I found here if you can believe that. I did find an old cafe thread on this from 2006 but nothing mentioned since, which I thought was odd. Has this book been improved? Sounds like the book is not that great. Wonder if they ever updated it. Is this worth the $40 or is there something better?

Anyhow, I am a mediocre player at best and looking to tap into the Grisman style, broaden my knowledge of playing rhythm and generally playing better. Any help you can provide would be cool.

[LongBlackVeil]

I think it was a pretty good book. I have it and got a bit out of it. He teaches Dawg tunes basically, that's all it is. He doesn't teach anything else really. But if that's what you want it's a good book cd combo. It helped me workout little details of the Dawg tunes i already knew, and taught me a couple as well.

I would say though if your just starting out or not at an intermediate level where you can play by ear and play leads, this book probably isn't for you. This book is not for someone starting out, it's a little more advanced

[Londy]

thanks for the feedback. I have been playing for a while now and I can pick out leads and play them so I am not really a beginner. I just dont think I am that good and can use help to learn styles other than bluegrass.

[LongBlackVeil]

Another point. He really only goes over the "heads" or the main riffs in each song. He doesn't cover all the improv stuff. Probably because he does it different every time. I had fun with it but I'm a major Grisman fan so maybe I'm a little biased.

Instead of this one. I suggest you buy the "tone poems for mandolin" and also buy tone poems. Those songs are a little easier but still challenging in alot of ways and, IMO are actually cooler sounding, especially if your only playing solo. Plus you'll be able to play full songs instead of just heads

[lukmanohnz]

I have this book/CD set and was happy with the value. There are nuggets of Dawg wisdom throughout. I have only worked through a few of the tunes. It's one I plan to return to over the years as my interests move across the landscape of mando music.

[Scott Tichenor]

Hey folks....yesterday, I was working through the Mando for dummies and in the Dawg section, Don mentioned on page 270 getting the book David Grisman teaches mandolin which I found here if you can believe that. I did find an old cafe thread on this from 2006 but nothing mentioned since, which I thought was odd. Has this book been improved? Sounds like the book is not that great. Wonder if they ever updated it. Is this worth the $40 or is there something better?

Anyhow, I am a mediocre player at best and looking to tap into the Grisman style, broaden my knowledge of playing rhythm and generally playing better. Any help you can provide would be cool.

Grisman's book can be purchased as a download right on this site or other places selling the product in the download format:

David Grisman Teaches Mandolin

As far as if the book meets your needs, I guess if you think David Grisman can't teach Dawg music then you're pretty much out of luck.

[domradave]

I think we are talking about the book that comes with the 6 CDs from Homespun. I think the book shows that Dawg really composes his music. Reading the standard notation for the longer pieces, like "Dawg's Rag", is very instructive. John McGann did a lot of the books for Homespun but Dawg did the book for his lessons, incluing the tab.

[lenf12]

John Carlini did an excellent job transcribing the Tone Poems for Mandolin volume. I don't think the guitar transcription of Tony's playing on Tone Poems was quite as successful as the mandolin version and is most likely responsible for Mel Bay quickly withdrawing it from the market, (and Carlini is primarily a guitarist, go figure). Trying to find a copy of the guitar transcriptions? Good luck with that one......

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Mark Christensen]

I have a copy of the Tone Poems Guitar version tab and find it to be excellent although there is a bit of the "In the style of Tony Rice" but the majority is accurate and well done. Having the chord voicing alone makes the book worthwhile in my opinion. A friend and I worked out quite a few of these tunes and with the book and recording it can easily be done.

[flatpickr]

I just worked up Dawg Funk and Blue Midnight with the help of Grisman's Book. he doesnt spoon feed it all to you. There are places where you need to use your ear. I see that as a good thing. The point of these books isn't necessarily to become a grisman, or Tony clone. More to learn something from their approach to further help you develop your own voice.

Some of his explanations are excellent. Very interesting insight to how he composed some of these tunes.

I am mainly a flatpicker...there were a few places I wish he had tabbed out the chords to make life easier. Though I feel i internalized the rhythms a bit more having to find some of the voicings using my ear.

I alsomown his Dawg Tracks cd that has backing tracks for some 10 or so of the tunes he teaches in the Homespun series.