Beginner in need of Help...please

[Steff]

Hi!
I recently bought a Mandolin and I don't really know where to start. #I live in the UK so I can't get lessons from some of you excellent Mandolining Americans! And I play the Clarinet and Piano and have just started to learn some two-finger chords on the Mandolin.

Anyway...
Have you got any ideas where should I start? #Any hints and tips? #Any good techniques?

Another thing is that the second string down (what's the name of the note? #You see - I don't even know all of them!) seems to have a very un-rich tone and quite a sharp twang to it when I pluck it fairly gently, why is this? Any ideas?

Well, thanks very much. #Any posts to this will be very useful. #

Thanks.

Steff.

[csstanley]

Steff, I would suggest right here first: Tuning

And then look more on the Lessons page up top. Search around on there and do some reading.

Then by all means go to www.alltabs.com or www.mandozine.com and look up some beginner tunes to get you started.

You'll have to download TablEdit program to see the tablature and hear the tunes but it's ok. Its an excellent program.

Another thing, we do have some mando players here on the cafe from across the pond. 2 I know of off my head Aidan Crossey and DanB (I think thats his name on here). Do some searching on here and you'll find them.

And oh yeah, WELCOME ABOARD!!!

[Chip Booth]

Those resources csstanley suggested should give yuo a lot of info to start with. If you have no experience with stringed instruments you might want to seek out someone, anyone, who plays one, such as a guitar player. Even if they don't know the mandolin specifically they may be able to help you with a few basics such as fingering, holding it, how on a stringed instrument you have more than one option for playing the same note, etc.

Chip

[Jaus]

Hey Steff,

I can completely understand. I am living in Germany and have found it hard to find other mandolin players as well as lessons. I have been basically teaching myself. Mostly I hang out with guitar players and try to learn as much as I can from them, and then transcribe it to the mandolin. Not always easy, but it always a challenge. With them, I am mostly trying to emulate the playing patterns, as much as they fit to the mandolin.

Then I also find stuff online. Tabs are cool, but I prefer real notation, as I can make the connection between finger position on the neck and the associated note. However, most of the songs online are for guitars, so I search for the chord versions rather than the tabs, since the tabs don't fit the mando. I will one day take the time to translate guitar tabs into mandolin tabs, and then the mandolin tabs into traditional notation (one day.........)

But mostly I experiment by just playing around. I don't really want to emulate any specific genre, but rather just try to express what I am hearing and feeling inside.

If you are knowledgeable about music theory, then you should be able to transcribe that to any instrument. Every guitarist I know, who knows theory, picks up my mando and starts trying to find the chords and make pretty good progress.

Above all, have fun

Regarding the strings. The mandolin is strung like the violin (G - thick string, D, A, E - thin string). Sometimes it is strung differently, but for now let's assume yours is so. If you mean the second thickest string, it is the D string.

The strings should all sound harmonious.

Are you sure that it is tuned correctly?
If so, is the string fitted properly into the groove on the bridge and on the end of the neck or is it vibrating against the neck when you pick it?

Later

Jaus

[Fred Keller]

Hello Steff!

In addition to the wonderful info from the others, here's the link of a fellow up in Scotland: http://www.nigelgatherer.com/

I see from your profile that you're in Wales so the prospect of a weekly lesson is perhaps slim, but perhaps Niles can be a resource for you without the inconvenience of an ocean in between your homes . Perhaps he also knows some other instructors which, as a reformed self-taught player, is quite important.

Cheers!

Fred
www.whistlepigs.com

[arbarnhart]

Jaus,

Are you using software to view tabs? Even the freeware TefView will show you notation in addition to or instead of the tab. Just go into Score->Options. I have used that to use some guitar tabs. You just have to ignore or go an octave up on notes that are too low and sometimes figure out the chord from the notes if it isn't in the margin.

[Jaus]

arbarnhart,

Thanks for the tip. I've played around with the TefView software a bit, but not much, and never with tabs which were written for guitar. I will make sure to try out what you suggest next time.

Thanks

Jaus

[adgefan]

Steff,

There are plenty of mandolinists in the UK. I was in your position about 18 months back, but I've since discovered so much going on that I never knew existed.

Drop me a pm/email if you want to discuss and I'll give you some tips on where to start.

[arbarnhart]

Jaus,

Oh yeah, probably will be obvious but when you use the guitar tabs most of the chords will show 6 notes in notation and you can't play them all. If the chord is named, play the equivalent mando chord. Otherwise, figure out what the notes are, ignoring what octave. You will usually find duplicates that get you down to 4 or 3. Then find an easy way to play them together on the mando, again ignoring octave.

[banjomanva]

go online and download basco's karoke machine, it is free. you can then look for old time midi files and play them on your karoke machine. the machine will slow them down to a snails pace so you can practice the songs note for note. of course this only works if you are able to "play by ear" so to speak.