Help Improve MandoLessons.com

[Baron Collins-Hill]

Hi everybody, my name is Baron Collins-Hill and I run the website MandoLessons.com.

This fall I am going to be taking a look at how I do things on my website and youtube, and would love to get some feedback from the greater mandolin community (and it doesn't get any better than the cafe)!

I have created a quick survey that anyone can fill out at any time:

https://goo.gl/forms/EL6kaYTQy9NYyBVJ3

I wanted to start a conversation here on the cafe to see if anyone has suggestions, comments, or thoughts on how I could make my website better serve you, and how you would like to see it evolve. Feel free to share your thoughts in the survey, and/or add your thoughts here.

Thanks very much!
Baron

[Mark Gunter]

Good stuff Baron.

[jim1966]

Doing Awesome Job!

[fox]

I love your channel & web site, I think a few basic Christmas carols would be popular for beginners. Maybe some beginners chord melody as there is very little about that style on YouTube.

[soliver]

Always been a big fan of your site Baron, and have learned A LOT from it. I like your idea of product reviews as you mentioned on the survey and I also like fox’s idea about chord melody. Along the line of chords I think maybe a series on cross picking would be great too!

I always recommend your site when people ask about learning!

Thanks for all you do!

[noah finn]

Mandolessons is an excellent resource. Learn by ear, learn by tabs, play along tracks. I have lost track of the amount of people I have recommended your website to.

Many thanks Baron and wishing you continued success.

[Roman Pekar]

Hi Baron,

I've been a fan of yours mandolessons.com but recently I've also found a few youtube videos of your band Velocipede. I'm fascinated about playing irish tunes back up on a mandolin/tenor gutar CGDA and I really liked your sound there.
This topic is a bit harder for me because it's not easy to find a good examples to study and there're a lot of 'improvisation' going on there.
So what I'd love to see is some lessons about your approach.

And, of course, if somebody would created some lessons on Andy Irvine approach I'd be very happy

[Baron Collins-Hill]

Thanks to all who have filled out the survey, and thanks for the kind words!

I am definitely taking all of this into account! Some Christmas carols are a great idea, as well as a cross picking series and chord melody lessons.

Roman, Glad you are getting into tenor guitar! I actually tune my tenor guitar GDAD (and octave below the mandolin). I've got more information and a beginner series here: www.tenorguitarlessons.com. I wish I could do what Andy does (got to see him play twice last year, what a legend!), but the only one to make those lessons would probably be the man himself!

Thanks again for all the feedback, I look forward to continuing to make lessons for many years!
Baron

[HonketyHank]

Baron, thanks for your generous and valuable contribution to the education of us Newbies. It is appreciated by many.

[Stacey Morris]

I want to add my thanks along with everybody else. I think it is really kind of you to do what you do.

[jawgee]

Maybe I'm the only one who does this, but I will regularly fall asleep to Mandolessons while watching its YouTube lessons on my FireTV in bed, trying to glean all the info I can before I fall asleep.

[ccravens]

And, of course, if somebody would created some lessons on Andy Irvine approach I'd be very happy

Friend, I've been wondering that for years!! What exactly would you call what he does on mando/zouk while playing with other instruments? What would you call that kind of back-up, and how do you do it?

It's a great mystery to me, every time I hear him with Planxty, Paul Brady or Mick Hanley. But it is so amazing and fits so well!!



Sorry for the rave - great job Baron, love your site and have donated in the past!!

[Ron McMillan]

An impressive body of work, Baron.

I'd love to see more blues mandolin lessons, perhaps based on tunes the way bluegrass and fiddle tunes are dealt with.

[I filled out the survey linked above by Baron, and recommend others do the same]

[Sothoth]

Funny... I just pulled several tabs from your site and think they're high quality and really appreciate your site. Have you considered taking song requests? Just as an example I like the version of St. Anne's Reel that Sierra Hull plays on YouTube but it's a bit more complex than the standard and she's too badass for me to keep up with.

I also want to echo another sentiment expressed by Ron McMillan that other genres are appreciated. I play bluegrass because there are tons of tabs and resources for that genre but frankly I'm not a bluegrass fanatic. I love traditional music (Irish) but want to learn more rock and classical and blues.