Blues Mandolin book

[bmac]

I just noticed that Rich DelGrosso's Mandolin Blues From Memphis to Maxwell Street is being republished and should be available this summer... I believe this is his highly recommended instructional blues mandolin book, which some of us have been interested in but have not been able to find. The comments are very sparce but I assume it is this book revised(?) and re-published. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

http://www.mandolinblues.com/method.html

[bluesmandolinman]

Thanks for the info.
I really hope it is not "only" a re-release of his famous Jug Band Mandolin Method ( which is GREAT but I already have it ) but a really NEW Blues Mando Method... we will see .
There still is no real Blues Mando Method on the market what I don´t understand ( ok there is the S.James Video but it is quite basic for a mando player and more directed to guitarrists...).

I will buy it anyways.
Cheers,René

[ira]

ditto rene. i would love to see some more instructional blues mando stuff for the mando player. would also like to see some more folks on the pro blues circuit with a mando player. the time is ripe (unfortunately i'm not good enough and a tad old to hit the road)......

[Perry]

To me blues mando is all about listening and imitating. It's all feel. You need a cheap sounding mando and you gotta be out of tune too Of course I'm talking about trying to sound like the old dudes; Yank, Carl, Ted, Johnny. The Mandolin Blues CD that we all have is chock full of great licks.

Modern blues mandolin would be more jazzy in nature I suppose. If you learn standard notation there are UNLIMITED sources for learning. Abersold and loads of other jazz books all take the blues to the next level of sophistication. Not better then "the dudes" just different.

I would like to see a blues mandolin book that's more generic in nature.

For example:

Here's some turnarounds in the key of E
Here's some turnarounds in the key of G
Here's some turnarounds in the key of A
Here's how you outline the change to a IV chord
Here's some blues back-up shuffle licks
etc....

But this book would have to come with a CD. Tab or standard can't really reflect the blues.

There is a serious lack of generic instructional material out there in the world. It seems everybody wants to teach specific tunes. Of course that can be cool too.

I think Steve James video is great, yes it's "simple" but that's the nature of the blues music. What is not simple is to actually sound like Steve and get that blues tremelo

just my .02

[bmac]

I think most people have to "discover" the mandolin in blues. The Martin Scorsese five CD volume "The Blues - A musical Journey" has roughly 125 tunes (more or less) surveying the blues. But to my recollection there is not a single mandolin to be heard on those disks.

To me the Steve James video is not simple. I have been working on tremolo for the better part of a year and only recently have become comfortable moving in and out of tremolo. but once one gets it and is comfortable it becomes a very expressive tool. I tend to agree with Perry that "simplicity" is the nature of the blues and the best way to spoil it is to sophistocise it with complex techniques.

I know almost nothing about DelGrosso's mando playing except that he sure has a nice little collection of blues-friendly mandolins. I look forward to his book and hope that a cd comes with it.

[bjc]

Would that book be carried by Elderly? or directly from Rich's site?

[bmac]

I believe his last blues publication was widely available from music and instrument distributors. I suspect when available it will be mentioned on the above web site.

[rzpooch]

Hello everyone,
I look forward to Rich's new book. I struggle to get the mandolin lines off the cd's I have...and guitar lines are tough to get too, always end up listening to the bass...LOL.
Anyone know if Rich's old book is available?
Thanks rz


"Live Music is Best"

[bluesmandolinman]

Perry :

"But this book would have to come with a CD. Tab or standard can't really reflect the blues "

Definitly !!! It´s all about playing with the right feeling. Not just notes . Way back in 2001 I have been to the Mandocrucians Blues Mando Bootcamp. When I went back home I hadn´t learned a particular "new song" but for sure I learned to play with "expression" which is so important for the blues.

Can´t wait for the new book from Rich !

[bmac]

I just realized you can't get to his entire web site from the web address I listed above. Try this one to see DelGrosso's entire site:

http://www.mandolinblues.com/