Re: Chris Thile Tuning
Originally Posted by
Ryan Smith
That's what I have it in...any other ideas?
Honestly, three decades of constant practice, apparently four hours a day currently if what I read is to be believed, and extensive understanding of classical, jazz, bluegrass, etc, etc, to create a distinctive style that is very hard indeed to reproduce. And possibly the ~$200k Loar that he's playing has something to do with it too... But don't give up, the more you practice and become familiar with the instrument and ornamentation the more you'll see some of the tricks he uses to get that distinctive sound. Thile occupies a level of musicianship and seemingly unlimited creativity that is truly remarkable even outside out little world of mandolins, and it can often sound like he's playing an entirely different instrument from the recalcitrant little things us mere mortals are playing, even when we get to noodle on a Gilchrist or even another Loar. He makes it look, if not exactly easy, at least a heckuva lot easier than it really is when you try to get some of those ornamentations and clever little drones and almost-but-not-quite-dissonant double stops. But be inspired and get to know your mandolin, and you'll get there. There are many good resources around for developing mandolin technique; I haven't used it myself, but I've heard excellent reports about Mike Marshall's Artistworks lessons (link in the Cafe sponsors at the top of the page - no financial interest) but there are many others as well. Happy picking!
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